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

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Subject: [Leica] Opinions Collapsible Cron vs. Elmar or others
From: len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier)
Date: Sat Oct 28 09:15:11 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> <A4E43932-33A2-4E4A-8859-1DF9C5162136@comcast.net> <45437C68.1060009@waltjohnson.com>

Walt,

You're bringing back memories. I lived in El Paso for 7 years before  
getting transferred to Philadelphia in 1983. I took that bridge to  
work every day. And saw whole families crossing that river. (not much  
of a river now).

The problem I have with Velvia is the reds are too saturated. I took  
a few shots this spring of a field of red tulips. The red was so  
saturated you could hardly make out individual flowers. Except for  
that Velvia is great. The sharpest E-6 film available today.

Len


On Oct 28, 2006, at 11:51 AM, Walt Johnson wrote:

> The first time I shot Velvia was in the early 90's. It was on the   
> bridge between El Paso and Juarez. Some fellow was getting ready to  
> wade across the Rio Grande and had taken off his expensive boots.  
> When I saw the results the darn things were so sharp and vivid I  
> never shot it again. It looked too damned real! If I were going to  
> shoot Mother Nature though it would be with Velvia.
>
> Walt
>
> Leonard Taupier wrote:
>
>> 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
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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)
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)