[Leica] Re: M Studio Use

[drodgers7798 at comcast.net (drodgers7798@comcast.net)]

Bill

You wrote:
>... I usually use my 90 for formal portraits, and the 50 or even the 35 
> for groups (small studio space). I've even used a 21 with little kids and 
> parents -- lots of wiggling. I've also been able to pick tight head shots 
> out of a group with the 135 (hektor). 50/2 is fine.


I've a M6/50/studioish experience to share. On St Valentines day last year I 
was asked to photograph couples for a big event for a non-profit. I agreed 
to do it for not-much-profit-myself as it was a very good cause.  

The organization had an agreement with a local lab to do all the processing, 
and they wanted quick turn around, so they asked that we shoot film.  I was 
one of two photographers. 

The other photograph had equipment problems. Turns out she'd been shooting 
digital for quite some time and sort of neglected to check out her last 
remaining film body.  I had a Nikon body with motor drive, which I'd planned 
to use. I knew there were going to be hundreds of couples. 

Not wanting to do it all myself I let the other photographer use my Nikon 
film body. I used my M6, which was my backup. I also had to set up my backup 
 lighting system for the other photographer, but that's another story. 

Using film turned out to be much simpler than shooting digital. I didn't 
have to do any of the post production work. I just handed off the film. The 
non-profit had two staff people that kept track of the order of the couples. 
 The also catalogued the film and mailed the right prints to the right 
people. 

I shot 15 rolls of 36 exp in just over 2 hours. Seems like I was going a 
mile a minute. Surprisingly I had a 99% plus success ratio. I caught and 
reshot most of the closed eyes. 

My card was sent with the photographs and I ended up getting orders for 
reprints and enlargements for months after the shoot. I'd never really used 
an M6 in that type of "assemply line shooting" before. I recall that my 
finger got very tired from advancing film,  film loading was cumbersome.  
But the images from the M6 and 50/1.4 Summilux were simply amazing. I'd 
never really thought of the 50/1.4 as a portrait lens, but I have since. 

I've always been a big fan of Leica. I've shot mostly digital now for some 
time now. I'm starting to shoot film again for personal stuff.  

DaveR