Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Views on the Leica 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit M
From: "Simon Lamb" <s_lamb@compuserve.com>
Date: Fri, 26 May 2000 10:29:48 +0100
References: <B551969A.2715%yaojkfdr@netvigator.com> <392B972D.AA0B167D@ubi.edu> <010f01bfc66b$103bfb70$4e0a0a0a@simonl> <001001bfc675$b0a2dd40$7d206420@kimmel> <392D9291.4154DAD9@rabiner.cncoffice.com> <009501bfc695$0bf69780$6579e8c3@simonhome> <392E0AD7.2F129F73@rabiner.cncoffice.com>

Mark

Rather than tell my wife I will give her a printed copy of your reply to
read.  If she has any questions I presume I can point her in your direction
;-)

Simon

Amateur efforts at http://www.phoenixdb.co.uk/leica


Mark Rabiner wrote:

> 135mm is such a useful focal length. And certainly a different focal
length than
> 90 entirely.
> If you had Nikons or Canons and you were not into Zooms as I am you would
give
> it much less thought as it would take much less capital outlay (money).
> From my 20 years Experience with Nikon SLR's I already knew that the 135
was a
> head shot lens and the 90 or 85 in that case was a full length or almost
full
> length body shot lens. (I did find that an 85 would shorten people and
that I
> was better off using a 105.)
> But in the Leica M the 90 does not shorten people I can use it for full
length
> shots with dispatch. And not bad for head shots but a 135 gives that look
that
> you really like to see.
> And traveling cross country doing many "way out there shots with lots of
sky and
> horizon and earth even sunrises or sets I would be switching as I've said
> between the 90 and 135 back and forth. It had to be one or the other.
> Mark Rabiner
> Telephoto lenes are harder to make. The tend to have less contrast and
> resolution than lenes of a close to normal focal length (50). you can see
this
> on a contact sheet with most systems. The fifties have more punch you can
see
> when you swith to a wide or long tele because you loose your black and
things
> start to wash out.
> Not so with the Leica M system and now not with the new 135 from what I
can tell!!!> 135mm is such a useful focal length. And certainly a different
focal length than
> 90 entirely.
> If you had Nikons or Canons and you were not into Zooms as I am you would
give
> it much less thought as it would take much less capital outlay (money).
> From my 20 years Experience with Nikon SLR's I already knew that the 135
was a
> head shot lens and the 90 or 85 in that case was a full length or almost
full
> length body shot lens. (I did find that an 85 would shorten people and
that I
> was better off using a 105.)
> But in the Leica M the 90 does not shorten people I can use it for full
length
> shots with dispatch. And not bad for head shots but a 135 gives that look
that
> you really like to see.
> And traveling cross country doing many "way out there shots with lots of
sky and
> horizon and earth even sunrises or sets I would be switching as I've said
> between the 90 and 135 back and forth. It had to be one or the other.
> Mark Rabiner
> Telephoto lenes are harder to make. The tend to have less contrast and
> resolution than lenes of a close to normal focal length (50). you can see
this
> on a contact sheet with most systems. The fifties have more punch you can
see
> when you swith to a wide or long tele because you loose your black and
things
> start to wash out.
> Not so with the Leica M system and now not with the new 135 from what I
can tell!!!
>
> Simon Lamb wrote:
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > OK, I read it and now I want one.  So what do I tell my wife now?!
First
> > the M6 and 50mm f/2.  Then an excuse to get the 35mm f/2 Asph.  Then a
> > really good reason for needing the 90mm f/2 AA.  What possible excuse
could
> > I have for getting the 135mm f/3.4, other than I will be even further
away
> > from my photographic subjects?
> >
> > Any reasonable suggestions for excuses to my wife (likely to work, or
proven
> > in the field) will be gratefully received.

In reply to: Message from "Dr. Joseph Yao" <yaojkfdr@netvigator.com> ([Leica] Re:)
Message from Lucien <director@ubi.edu> ([Leica] Leica World Magazine now available in English for the general public.)
Message from "Simon Lamb" <s_lamb@compuserve.com> ([Leica] Views on the Leica 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit M)
Message from "Bud Cook" <budcook@attglobal.net> (Re: [Leica] Views on the Leica 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit M)
Message from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Views on the Leica 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit M)
Message from "Simon Lamb" <s_lamb@compuserve.com> (Re: [Leica] Views on the Leica 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit M)
Message from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Views on the Leica 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit M)