Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/04/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hello LUG, I've been contentedly lurking and soaking up the posts for a year but now would like to actively solicit the collected wisdom of this wonderful group... But first, a little bit about myself: I got a M6 0.72 a year ago with a 35/f2 ASPH. I also FINALLY took a darkroom class -- after years of snapping personal pictures, not always well I must add -- and the combination of the little M6 and printing one's own images has been enormously fun/satisfying/educational. I generally shoot with available light and am working on improving my "street" and "candid" photography -- it is quite difficult and intimidating, for me anyway, but when it succeeds the results are immensely gratifying. I also like architecture details -- a lot of it here in New York -- which is interesting with an M, but also keep a treasured Nikon F3 with manual 20/f2.8 to shoot interiors. Around Christmas I traded in the 35 for a 50/f2 (not necessarily the best financial decision but I wanted a faster 35 and in the meantime found a new "old" 50 with an older metal hood) and rediscovered the joy of the "normal" lens; recently I took the plunge (so soon again? my girlfriend asked in half dismay) and purchased the 35/1.4 ASPH from the wonderful Dr. Yao (thanks Ray for the intro). Now if she'll just let me buy "her" a second M6 for our upcoming wedding... My Leica association began when I "discovered" my grandfather's beautiful IIIg with metric Summarit f1.5 while rummaging through his closets about 15 years ago. He told me I was too young and said to ask him again when I got older; 12 years later he gave it to me (and Jim Lager, then at Tamarkin, showed me how to load it and told me never to sell it). The IIIg was a tremendous pain to focus with my eyes, but its "feel" was addictive and really justified my conviction that things should and can be superbly made. Most of my friends/family gasp at the cost of our beloved equipment but I just try to explain to them the enormous satisfaction and pleasure that I get from using such wonderfully-made tools (they just think I'm picky because I'm a "designer"... sigh). Of course, it doesn't hurt that the M6 is intuitively super-easy to use as well, with great optics. I even like the bottom-loading. But enough already! I would like to ask the LUG if anyone has experience in South Korea. I will be moving to Seoul in May, to stay for one to three years. It's a beautiful country with a distinctive culture -- can't wait to photograph it from the perspective of a resident; I've visited four times but never lived there long-term, while the people I know there are not really into photography... In reading the daily digests and perusing the archives I've rarely come across any LUGger in this part of the world (and then only a few times) but would appreciate any advice/suggestions on photography resources, especially darkroom access and cost considerations. Any LUGgers lurking out there who may want to meet up? My other question concerns the recent thread re: digital printing. I've noticed that many of you who've extolled the virtues of digital/Epson printing are old hands in the darkroom; perhaps such experience makes one appreciate the advantages/disadvantages of the new technology even more. Should I explore digital or continue to learn the "craft" in the darkroom? Even with only half a year in the darkroom, I have already come to dread the testing time, etc. with the chemical tanks; yet I wanted to do darkroom work precisely to get away from the computer. I also read with interest the comments about the short life of computer equipment vs. the longevity of traditional enlargers/tanks -- which I think is all too true. Assuming that I can only afford a good Epson printer (which are quite expensive in Korea, HP seems to have the market... so I may have to buy it here) but no film scanner, can I get good print-outs from PhotoCD scans? I'm also thinking about putting up a website in Korea, maybe with some pictures. Apologies for the unintentionally long post, and thanks in advance. [Po-Wen] - -- "Only Nixon could go to China" -- Vulcan proverb