[Leica] Re: Coast Guard photos with the Leica Olympus - Thank you's

[datamaster at northcoastphotos.com (Gary Todoroff)]

Thanks, Philippe, for the generous and detailed comments. Also, thanks to
many others who have posted in response to the "Lympa Log", even those who
think the name is silly. Betcha' remember the name, dontcha'! Part of the
fun :-)

Thanks, too, Ted! - that Oly 7-14mm/f4.0 zoom (14-28mm in 35mm equiv)
reminds me a bit of my first experience with Leicas. It is such a creative,
quality tool it seems to make me want to "see" better to not let it down.
That's a heavy load of anthropomorphism for a piece of metal and glass, but
anyone who has handled a quality Leica lens knows what I mean.

Scott, Richard, Nathan, others who have commented - thanks for the
encouragement. Using a blog to record thoughts about the Olympus E-330 has
prompted a more careful analysis of this new DSLR. Today I put my Leitz
180mm/3.4 APO on the camera for fun and just shot some trees in bloom around
the house, trying out both manual and aperture modes and different ISO
settings. The Live View Mode B with 10x screen magnification gives quite a
focus aid when your depth of field is probably about a quarter inch.

This kind of "dry-fire" exercise is great play - I can just see Douglas Herr
with his new DMR blasting away at every sparrow or flying bug that comes
within range, just for practice - and no expense!

B.D. - have been meaning to thank you, too, for forwarding the blog to
Olympus. I'm heading to the Smithsonian Air Museum the end of April and
might make it up to Boston. If travel takes me that way, would love to meet
you!

As for that landscape posting, Phillippe, the original is slightly
underexposed, which is how I shoot digital sometimes. The digital shadows
usually have enough data to bring them up, but blown highlights have little
or no data in them to adjust in Photoshop. The trees illuminated by the
setting sun still have detail. I could have brought down the levels in PS,
but for me a good landscape has highlights in the distance. The eye wants to
go to the brightest part of the photo, and I like it when that physiological
focus point is in the distance, which contributes to the feeling of depth.
But maybe I should tone them down a bit . . .

Yes, the lower rock is out of focus, even more than what shows. In PS CS2 I
applied "Smart Sharpen, Lens Blur option" to just the rock, which helped.
But the problem it still there and would disqualify this photo from ever
being a good enlargement. One more kick in the rear for me to never leave
the car without my tripod in hand for that extra depth of field!

Am working on getting the Lympa Log posted as separate pages so that someone
on dial-up doesn't have to wait five minutes for the one huge page to load.
Sorry 'bout that. Stay tuned . . .

Gary Todoroff



 -----Original Message-----
> From: leicareflex-bounce@freelists.org
> [mailto:leicareflex-bounce@freelists.org]On Behalf Of Philippe Amard
> Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2006 12:27 AM
> To: leicareflex@freelists.org
> Subject: [LRflex] Re: Coast Guard photos with the Leica Olympus
>
>
> Thanks Gary - there was no hurry you know ;-)
> The result is clearly up to the previous photos' standard - on top of
> the understandingly positive remarks already posted to which i couldn't
> agree more, I find the light really finely captured, even though the
> heavier original file must be telling much more of course - what i find
> excellent is the rendition of the second bolder with the lychen -first
> one slightly out of focus?) - the tops of the sunlit trees in the
> distance seem slightly burnt out, but who would have expected to do
> better on film? - very nice composition too; for a near point and shoot
> shot congratulation on your gear (we have to admit this even on a leica
> list) and on  your eye ;-)
>
> Phileicangenieux
>
> PS: plus one about FILO vs FIFO in the posting
>
>
> Gary Todoroff wrote:
>
> >>-----Original Message----- Behalf Of Philippe Amard
> >>Hi Gary - congratulations as usual - these snaps are smashing
> >>
> >>one remark though - I notice that the gist of your snaps results from
> >>the "shiny", "glossy" side of the pixes. And I do like them as afore
> >>said, but ...
> >>
> >>i'd like to see some landscapes where softer tones are involved, or
> >>nature at least - I went for a "walk by the canal"  . . .
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >Ok, Philippe, I found the closest thing we have to a canal
> around here and
> >included a landscape photo at the end of the Lympa Log today. That 7-11mm
> >zoom is some lens! Had a couple of Leica lenses in the bag but that
> >ultrawide was just too much fun while the light lasted!
> >
> >Gary Todoroff
> >http://www.northcoastphotos.com/Lympa.htm
> >--
>
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