[Leica] Help - church pictures

[Dave Jenkins <djphoto@vol.com>]

Dick, get some Fuji Reala. It's the sharpest, finest-grained color print
film in general use, and in addition has Fuji's 4th color layer
technology which handles mixed light like magic. The speed of Reala is
100, but since this is basically tripod work, film speed is not all that
relevant. If you feel you need more speed, the Fuji Superia Xtra films
come in 400 and 800 speeds and both also have the 4th color layer. Of
course, you'll pay a penalty in grain, but not really all that much
unless you're making pretty sizable enlargements. The Xtra films also
have more contrast, which may or may not be what you want.

Do not get Fuji NPS. A camera-store clerk might try to substitute it for
Reala, but even though it is only slightly faster at 160, it has the
grain of a 400-speed film. It does, however, have the 4th color layer,
and many working photographers, including myself, use it in 4x5 cameras
for interior work under mixed light. Reala is not available in 4x5 in
the U.S.

As for lenses, moderate wide-angles and normal lenses will give the best
rendering. If you have something wide, by all means take a few overall
shots, but you will find more moderate focal lengths will give a more
appealing view in most cases. The lens I use most for interiors is the
equivalent of a 40mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Dave Jenkins


"The contemplation of things as they are, without error or confusion,
without substitution or imposture, is in itself a nobler thing than a
whole harvest of invention."

- ---- Francis Bacon