[Leica] Sharpness, Bokeh, R, M, autofocus, misc. ramblings

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

Your post is an interesting post Bob. I'm not really interested in the ASPH
M lenses either. For four decades I've used 8x10, 4x5, 2-1/4, and Leica R
cameras, all with ground glass screens. I religiously used a tripod, and
regardless of the light, was always at f/8 - f/45. Depth of field, areas of
critical focus, regional and landscape, product, catalog, and all of the
other photography that requires very sharp lenses and a lot of DOF. When I
first listened to people like Ted, I could not figure out, as a
professional photographer, how he could use an M camera, hand held, and get
good photographs. You cannot see your DOF (no GG screen.) But I kept
reading, listening, and looking at LUGpeople's web sites. Like Tina Manley,
Ted, Donal, etc. I have lots of 20x24 Cibachrome prints, on my wall, fine
art landscapes and the like. So sharp they look like they are the real
thing. Well... I now have a new M6HM. And I bought the third version of a
Summicron 35, A similar version of the Summicron 50, and a late
Tele-Elmarit 90. I had an M2 and the 35mm lens for a few months and that
did it. I sold the M2 and bought the M6HM, the 50, & 90. With this camera,
I find I WANT to shoot wide open. I could never do this before. These
lenses wide open have an unsurpassed quality that you can feel. I WANT to
shoot at slow shutter speeds, hand held, in low light. I could never do
this before. This is fun. And you LUGnuts are to blame!!! So now I carry my
M6 and lenses in my (soft leather shoulder bag) brief case along with my
work. I couldn't do this before. I have pictures of people, places, and
things that I would have never thought about photographing before. Egads!
what's happening to me.  And not only me!!!

During last week, my daughter (17, sr. in high school) announced that she
was interested in photography and her P&S just didn't do it for her. She
had been watching me have fun with the M2, and now the M6. She also looked
at the pictures (many of which were of her.) I talked to her for awhile and
planned on going to the local camera shop on Saturday (yesterday). We went
and looked at various used cameras and guess what... she bought a mint
Leitz/Minolta CL w/40mm lens. She didn't want a large SLR, nor a large
older M camera w/o meter. The CL was just the right size and, as she says,
"I can use dad's lenses until I get my own!" The fact that it says
"Minolta" on it cut a couple of hundred bucks off of the CL price. So today
we went to a local nature refuge (southern tip of San Francisco Bay, just
outside Alviso, 10 min. from the house) and had fun shooting stuff. Hand
held. What a treat. She shot Royal Gold 200 and I shot E200. I'm having her
shoot print film until we sort out the CL meter/battery thing.

Back to Bob's post. My LF and R lenses are the sharpest lenses I can get.
But I don't want my M lenses bone chilling sharp. I want my M photographs
to look different. And they do. I like the glow, the Bokeh, all of the
stuff that the Leica M legend is built on. The stuff you all were preaching
that got me interested in M in the first place. If I want sharp 35mm and no
Bokeh, I'll use my R camera and APO lenses. But even at 60, I have yet to
have an interest in autofocus. Maybe I'm too old. Every photograph I take,
LF, R, or even M, I carefully calculate (mentally or otherwise) what DOF I
want. And then I focus on the point that will give me the DOF that I want.
THIS IS RARELY THE ACTUAL SUBJECT. Autofocus just doesn't work. Very
confusing. Only at f/2 or f/2.8, and a close subject, do I actually focus
on the subject.

Well, LUG gang, thanks for putting me in the poor house! But it's sure fun.
And even more fun now that my daughter has an interest.

Jim


At 06:09 PM 3/8/98 -0500, Bob wrote:
>Re: Ted Grants 98-03-08 12:55 EST comments
>
>I really don't care what Leica used as the lens treatment.  Aspheric or
>mustard, it really doesn't matter to me.  Regardless, this 21mm aspheric lens
>is sharper than the previous non-aspheric 21mm that I owned.  I seldom use
>wide-open to photograph anything.     I don't really know the benefit of
>aspheric and don't care.  It is the end result that I am after and Leica and
>their lenses are consistently reliable.
>
>As for the auto-focus feature.  My eyes are not as good as they use to be.
>Auto-focus is "insurance" for me that my photos will be in focus.  Also,
while
>photographing children one can rely on auto-focus.  I cannot rely on my
>eyes...consistently.  I don't remember the last time that I photographed
>peeling paint!  If I were lazy I wouldn't carry the weight of 2 Leica M6's
and
>four lenses, an R8 with three lenses and an complete Hasselblad system.  
>
>Bob 
>