[Leica] ddh@home.com

[William Gower <w.gower@home.com>]

Dan Wrote:

> Expectation can be our worst enemy.  I shot with only an Olympus Sytlus Epic
> point and shoot for a year before I finally made up my mind and bought a
> Leica M6 + current 50 summicron.  I quickly ran a roll of color print film
> through it and my Stylus Epic and rushed both to my local lab, eager to see
> the $3,000 improvement in my photos; when I got back the 4x6's I had to
> wonder what all the hoopla was about: the Epic prints looked as good as the
> Leica ones.

Hummm....this is an interesting observation Dan.
 
I returned from a overseas trip a month ago and I caried my Olympus Infinity
loaded with Supra 400 along with my M2. 99.9% of my shots are B+W, and 99.9%
of my family complains that when I return from a trip, I never have any
pictures to show them - It would seem that I'm either developing film,
there's film sitting in the fridge wating to be processed, and/or looking at
contact sheets is not anyone's idea of "looking at pictures". The Olympus
loaded with C-41 was supposed to retify this. And for the most part, it fits
the bill nicely. I'm always surpised how well the little bugger performs.

...but on par with a 50 Summicron ? (I have the fifth verson, Canadian w/
the focus tab) - maybe you should switch labs :-)

I think the Olympus is great in bright sunlight or situations where it stops
down to f8 or so - there I could be persuaded that it might apprear to be on
par with a Leica lens on a 4X6 proof, but in low light with the flash off,
the Summicron knock the socks off it. Looking at some B+W negs on a light
table confirms this without even printing them.

...can't stick my M2 and meter in my pocket, though.

BTW: I agree w/ Revesal fims and the Summicron - after about a year of
shooting B+W only, I shot some Agfa RSX for "fun", then forgot to develop
it. I just got them back from the lab yesterday, and wow. Incredible stuff.


All the best, and Seasons Greatings

William