Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/28

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others
From: len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier)
Date: Sat Oct 28 07:56:40 2006
References: <000c01c6f9c8$5a3f9690$33031aac@luispersonal> <06CEB101-CB27-46ED-8E37-5459CCB0A39A@ncable.net.au> <4542C4E0.3080304@waltjohnson.com> <520ADF86-E4E0-4955-80D4-49B7248D2D9B@comcast.net> <45436736.9010005@waltjohnson.com>

Walt,

You're lucky you still have Rodinal. I'm down to my last half bottle.  
Even J and C never seems to have the older 09 formula in stock.

I agree with you on scanned transparency photos. Since I shoot  
outdoors in sunlight with high contrast Leica lenses, I find the  
better films like Velvia are much too contrasty though. Kodak E100 is  
much more natural and gives me beautiful prints. I don't shoot color  
negatives any more. Not since developing and printing my own color in  
the mid 80's. The work (and cost) was in the printing.  I don't mind  
trying C-41 though. But I do get E-6 turn around in 24 hours. Very  
handy.

Len

On Oct 28, 2006, at 10:20 AM, Walt Johnson wrote:

> Len
>
> Right now I've a bag full of Fomapan 400 and a stockpile of  
> Rodinal. I can't really tell any difference between TX and HP5 and  
> if it were not so overpriced I'd shoot Bergger. It had been quite a  
> few years since shooting any E-6 film but recently I scanned a  
> transparency and it blew me away. They make fine monochromes for  
> those seeking details. I've tried to give up b&w film in favor of  
> C-41 and Photoshop but something keeps tugging at the back of my mind.
>
> For one thing, when I process my own b&w it is done right. Dropping  
> my C-41 off  at a lab  always makes me nervous. Kodak's Ultra Color  
> C-41 would almost make doing your own color neg processing  
> worthwhile though since it is amazing film.
>
> Walt
>
> Leonard Taupier wrote:
>
>> Have you tried an old style film like the Efke (Adox) KB25? I like  
>> it  a lot even if you have to be careful how you handle it. I  
>> always  preferred Panatomic-X and Plus-X to get the tonality in my  
>> landscapes  and still life photos in the 60's. Currently I use  
>> APX100 and Fuji  Acros 100 with X-tol. I still like my DR but when  
>> a certain mood hits  I bring out the Efke and the collapsible  
>> Summicron. My type of photo  never needed the speed or the grain  
>> of Tri-X. As film shooters we are  still very fortunate to have  
>> these choices. Film ain't dead yet.
>>
>> Len
>>
>>
>> On Oct 27, 2006, at 10:48 PM, Walt Johnson wrote:
>>
>>> I've always labored under the assumption slower, thin emulsion   
>>> films have steeper curves and consequently are higher contrast.  
>>> I  wished it were possible to find some Tri-X circa 1970 because  
>>> these  newer films really seem to lack depth. They  are certainly  
>>> sharp as  hell and grainless but also toneless  compared to what  
>>> once was. I  picked up a collapsible a few years back with the  
>>> usual haze that  can be hard to see. Leitz redid it for me and  
>>> image wise it  compares with my late model Summicron.
>>> I sure can;t help but feel the look we all knew and loved  
>>> related  to film and developer rather than lens characteristics.
>>>
>>> Walt
>>>
>>> Alastair Firkin wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ah, at last I can offer an opinion ;-) I have the collapsible    
>>>> Summicron on my M3. It is a lens I choose above others when I  
>>>> want  a  slightly 1960's feel to the result: using this lens  
>>>> with Plus   X like  film makes images I recognise, gives a  
>>>> feeling that is  different to  the more modern glass: I suppose  
>>>> its "softness" and  would suffer in  lens tests, but it would  
>>>> have been perfect for  your "grab" shot the  other day of the  
>>>> two people kissing.
>>>>
>>>> Others will prefer Tri X, but I never liked Tri X. Being a   
>>>> contrary  bastard, I really disliked the high contrast grainy   
>>>> images my peers  were making in the 1970's and therefore always   
>>>> bought Plus X Pan ---  I use mainly APX 100 for the similar   
>>>> feeling now.
>>>>
>>>> One down side to the lens is that the f stop ring is a bit  
>>>> stiff  and  rotating it sometimes unlocks the barrel, but I'm  
>>>> used to  that now.  One plus is that it can be used to pre-focus  
>>>> with its  "tab" far more  easily (certainly than the DR  
>>>> summicron which  lacks the tab) because  the focus ring is  
>>>> "exposed" when the lens  is "mounted" and easy to  feel without  
>>>> looking.
>>>>
>>>> Great lens in "some" ways and good travel companion.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers
>>>> On 27/10/2006, at 23:03, Luis Ripoll wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>
>>>>> I would appreciate your experienced opinions about the   
>>>>> Collapsible  Summicron
>>>>> 50mm. I had the "Rigid" Summicron, I've sold it because it  
>>>>> had   fungus and
>>>>> make a lot of haze, but I regret the nice richness of grey  
>>>>> tones   that this
>>>>> lens gave me.
>>>>>
>>>>> Now I have 3 lenses of 50 mm: Summicron model of the year   
>>>>> 198/199...,
>>>>> Summilux (1964), and the new Elmar. I'm looking for the  
>>>>> Collapsible
>>>>> Summicron to have the "nostalgia" subtle tones of the past.
>>>>>
>>>>> Could I have some opinions about how it will compare with my   
>>>>> actual  50mm
>>>>> lenses (Summilux and Elmar)?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks in advance for your opinions and advice
>>>>>
>>>>> Saludos desde Barcelona
>>>>> Luis
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> 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
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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


Replies: Reply from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
In reply to: Message from luisripoll at telefonica.net (Luis Ripoll) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from firkin at ncable.net.au (Alastair Firkin) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)
Message from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) ([Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others)