Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/03/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]True enough, Sonny - But there are a few other differences between then and now. Generally, and I stress the "generally," people shooting back then had far fewer lenses at their disposal - and zooms were essentially unheard of - at their disposal; if we're talking 35 SLR the bag might have contained perhaps a 28, 35, 50-55, 90-105 or 135, and maybe a 200. Or it might have been just 35-50-90. With the occasional Super Angulon thrown in. So 'wide angle' usually meant 35, normal meant 50, and telephoto was often 135. And the equivalencies between formats were a given, at least among working photographers. But today the range of lenses is much broader, and the equivalencies are not nearly as well understood or as fixed. Hey, I'm perfectly happy to speak in terms of actual focal lengths - or, for that matter, in vague generalities. I just figure that including the equivalents gives people more information. No? :-) B. D. -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Sonny Carter Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 9:59 AM To: Leica Users Group Subject: RE: [Leica] PAW, now lens equiv hmmmm. When I first became a news photographer, we mostly used primes. It was usually sufficient to say wide-angle, normal, and telephoto. I REALLY can't remember sitting around outside of the Criminal Courts Building waiting for Jim Garrison's or Clay Shaw's people to come out and discussing "equivelent focal lengths." "Ah," you say, "but you did not have digital!" True enough, but we had Auricons, Bell and Howells, Nikons, Leicas, Mamiya and Rollei; various formats that used wide angle, normal and tele. We had some zooms for the movie cameras, but we never zoomed them. We used them at wide angle most of the time, unless we needed a medium shot or a close-up. SonC B. D. Colen wrote on 3/29/2004, 8:43 AM: > However, George - and I really am trying to discuss this, not argue > about it, on a list such as this, which while it may go ludicrously > far afield, is, when all is said and done a 35 mm list, speaking of > equivalent focal lengths does make some sense for the simply reason > that it gives people a point of reference. I can talk all I want about > the 50 f2 macro for my E-1, but in terms of the images it produces, > I'm talking about what I have always known as 100 mm images - it is my > portrait lens. Why not say it? Especially because there is so much > variation in multiplication factors. > > B. D. > > -----Original Message----- > From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org > [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf > Of George Lottermoser > Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 7:40 PM > To: Leica Users Group > Subject: Re: [Leica] PAW > > > Sam3/27/04 > > >Equivalent lens lengths will be with us until sensor size becomes > >standardized. A 100mm lens on a 35mm film frame means something. A 100mm > >lens on differing size sensors means nothing. > > but that won't happen and this equivalent stuff is because of the > overthecounter point and shooters. There's no such thing as > standardized format 6x6, 645, 6x12, 6x7, 6x9, 4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 8x17, > 11x14, 12x20, aps, 120, 127, 220 and then 35mm by which all lenses > should be refered - it's ridiculous. > > Fond regards, > > G e o r g e L o t t e r m o s e r, imagist? > > <?>Peace<?> <?>Harmony<?> <?>Stewardship<?> > > Presenting effective messages in beautiful ways > since 1975 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > web <www.imagist.com> > eMail george@imagist.com > voice 262 241 9375 > fax 262 241 9398 > Lotter Moser & Associates > 10050 N Port Washington Rd - Mequon, WI 53092 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information