Re: [Leica] Our existential pleasures

[Alan Ball <alanball@csi.com>]

At 18:41 14/03/99 +0000, Simon wrote:
> .......<SNIP>........I think the
>difference here is far greater than that between mainstream and high-end
>photographic equipment. Compared to the nightmare of compromise in the chain
>of reproduction from the recording studio to the living room stereo the
>photographic path of light-onto-film and light-onto-paper is a dream of
>simplicity.

Simon,
Interesting post, thanks. Even though this was not your central point, I
must nevertheless voice my doubts about the analogy patterns we keep using
in the LUG threads: photo and audio, photo and cars, photo and radio, photo
and bikes, photo and painting, whatever. Those analogies have the looks of
logic but very often function on only marginal pieces of the puzzle. 

Regarding (high end) photo and (high end) audio: there are radical
differences of essence here. The most radical one IMHO is that most of the
music the audiophile relishes in listening to is music played and recorded
by others. The audiophile is not a creator, he is the audience. Even if he
might also sometimes be an amateur musician, he will rarely value himself
high enough as to deserve high end recording and publiction treatment. 

The vast majority of nitpicking photo freaks like us luggers spend most of
our time discussing creation tools. We hardly ever discuss of what
publisher and what printing company supply us with the best reproduction,
screening, printing of photographic works created by others.We NEVER
discuss ideal observation conditions of enlargements (what type of light,
viewing distance, the influence of glass, etc) and very seldom discuss the
best viewing conditions for slides, even though Leica projectors abound. 

We generally place ourselves in the orchestra pit, not in the audience. 

I view the photo reproduction chain, for books, for printed posters or for
enlargments, as something possibly as difficult to master as the audio
recording and reproduction processes. I guess, from reading our dominant
opinions here on the qualities of SOHO digital (photo) repro, that quite a
few leicaphiles have higher standards of requirements for their audio
experience than for the end-to-end quality of their photographic
experience. As strange as it seems.

Does that mean we function like the Hungarian music professor mentionned by
Bruce in another great post in this thread ? Not sure about that: one needs
immense culture to be able to recreate the beauty of the music from a gross
AM soup or the subtilities of an Ansel Adams print from a browser download.
Maybe also, to go back to those doubtful analogies, is Leica M photography
nearer blue note jazz sessions than reference classical masterpieces. But
then the first generation 35mm summicron or summilux is more than is
required to deliver the goods ;-)

I find the high end audiophile maniac more modest and realistic than most
of us ! No offense to anyone: I do not value myself as worthy of high end
publication at all ;-)

Alan