[Leica] Barnack Digital

[crbirchenhall at googlemail.com (Christopher Birchenhall)]

Mark

I was out yesterday with my M4-P with a slide film (not yet finished)
and a D80 - a bit bigger than the D40X - with a Sigma 30mm f1.4
standard lens. The kit is somewhat bulkier than a Leica M but it is a
useful companion to the M's. I only shot 16 photographs with it and
about 20 with the M. It was a dull wet day but here are a couple of
results that print pleasantly to A4. Not show stoppers but I am sure I
will be making more use of this combination.

http://tinyurl.com/35pgz7

http://tinyurl.com/2q5t57

As always even at full size the web versions give an inadequate sense
of the appeal of the A4 prints. Later in the evening we baby sat with
our young grandson and I was able to get a pleasant family portrait in
low available light at f1.4. A useful feature of the standard Sigma
lens (compared to all those zooms with maximum aperture of f2.8). It
is unlikely to match the modern f1.4 ASPH Leica lens but useful in a
companion digital system.

Chris B

On 22/06/07, Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com> wrote:
> I got my Leica D40x today and sat it down next to my main Ax as of late I'm
> afraid to say my D200.
> It was like putting an early Barnack next to an M5.
>
>
> I have my 45 2.8 P lens on the D40x and is it a cute compact combo.
>
> I am enabled. Feel like I've been Barnacked.
>
> It is fast and quiet light and cheap. File size and I think quality level
> will be the same as I'm used to with the D200 which I mainly shoot black 
> and
> whites between ASA's 1000 and 1600.
>
> Then I put my awesomely excellent as it is awesomely cheap 50 1.8 Nikkor
> Made in China on it and it focused perfectly. I know I focused it myself
> which I enjoy doing its more intuitive as in making the image look like I
> want it to look instead of picking focus points which is barely a
> compromise..
>
> I'll take 1.8 bright snappy groundglass image and image image image over 
> the
> speed of the zooms. Though in farness I don't use the fast zooms. Too big
> for too many bucks. I'd spend big on miniaturization.
>
> It has a smaller further away eye point. A longer tunnel to look through.
> More like an 8mm movie camera, sorry Jim, thing is I like that. Seeing the
> whole shot in one glace. I get better compositions.
>
> Pouring rain and I had deadlines. And I watched the battery blink as it
> charged but it finally did and so did my backup. 2 gig cards are so cheap
> its not worth even discussing I'm using those little cards now. Like the
> ones which go in the M8's and R digital backs.
>
> I'll be up early to out our happy snapping with my fist full size imaging
> tool. Half the size of an 4/3 made with twice the crop circle in the back.
>
> I sure hope Leica comes out with a DSLR soon and that they realize,  being
> Leica, that compactness has something to do with image making. A camera at
> home; a camera not ON YOU hopefully in you pocket is not a camera worth
> discussing. The digital R back whose initials I hope I never absorb is a
> great picture taking machine for a monster designed for people with hands
> the size of slabs of pot-roast..
> The M8 cost
> 5000 / D20x 750= 6.666 D40x's.
> The Beast but I wore that album out.
>
> That's one D40 for every car in your garage if you live in a much richer
> neighborhood. Those of you with 6.666 car garages know what your property
> values worth.
>
> I was out on the sidewalk outside my apartment at night here on the edge of
> Harlem clicking away with it.
>
> Happy as a clam would be an understatement. This is a better night camera.
>
> Time for a Leica digital camera which uses Leica glass and has some spunk!
>
> M or R. But more preferably.
> SW
> LTM
>
> Which stands for.
>
>
> Small World
> Laughing to myself
>
>
> Stop and Wait
> Long Term Memory
>
>
> Stab Wound
> Less Than Major
>
>
> Since When?
> Line Terminating Multiplex
>
>
> Shrink Wrapped
> Loss Tracking Module
>
>
> Snark Wars
> Laser Target Marker
>
>
> And I just learned " Laser " means
>
> Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
>
>
> Lots of Applied Scientists Eat Regularly
>
>
> Look At Source, Erase Retina
>
>
>
>
> Mark William Rabiner
> Harlem, NY
>
> LSMFT
>
> rabinergroup.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>