[Leica] OT: Contax 645 one more time

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> Mark, I'm sure that what you have described regarding using Hasselblads for
> wedding photography gave the results you wanted for that shooting.
> Thousands of wedding photographers seem to have used them well.
> Since you shooting after mirror up, I guess you then cropped the final 
> photo
> from your (estimated) actual framing?
> You were hand holding as well and relying on DoF to compensate for focus
> errors since you had manually focused then done your mirror up, try to 
> point
> it the same sequence?
> Given all of those factors, for me it seems unreliable to draw any
> conclusions or make comparisons regarding 6x6, 6x45, lens brand quality or
> resolution performance on film or sensor.
> All of those mean you would very likely not use the full exposure area
> (framing inaccuracy) and your handheld technique would be the quality
> limiting factor, not any theoretical format efficiency, lens or film/sensor
> performance.
> 


I shoot and others shoot Hasselblad in a variety of different modes although
some I'm sure don't and feel it should all be done one way, their way.
Some feel one should always shoot with a tripod with the mirror up and cable
release.
Some shoot with studio strobes hand held or on tripod.
Some shoot just hand held.
Some crop into verticals or horizontals.
Some shoot full frame black border.
And there is battery powered on camera strobe techniques and holding the
flash in one hand above your head - with a variety of light modifiers, light
boxes.
I have much professional experience with all of the above and lots of it
from 1979 into the 2000's The last wedding I shot was in Carmel california
Aug, 2001. The sync went out on my 80 Planar the bride lent me hers.
Everyone at the wedding seemed to have gone to Brooks.
Medium format considerations and issues have been a main concern of mine for
over two decades. Many of my professional friends used them we printed color
side by side for years at a rental lab.
I have 9 Hasselblad back. Two A12's
I have two 645 backs
An A16 a A16S, 16S, two A24's a 70mm black with tank and reels and a 100
Polaroid back which all of which have done much work with.
I've done also much work with a Rolleiflex twin lens.
I have 7 Hasselblad lenes.
And I've used a variety of folders and other misc medium format cameras.

I'd not be too quick to have a limiting view on what my medium format
experience, knowledge and perspective it.

I have a medium format roll backs for a 4x5 and medium format Speed Graphic
cameras. 
I have medium format sheet film holders for my medium format speed graphic
camera.

The Hasselblad system has been the top choice for serious commercial and
other photography: fine art for 40 years. A litany of famous photographs
done with it by top pros is part of our cultural heritage or unconscious....
What I think or what you think is not going to alter that. If Leica has any
competition at all in this regard it certainly comes from Hasselblad above
any other contenders.
With Leica it is THE great camera system long preferred by THE great
photographers.

Its a cube from Sweden.
It takes Zeiss lenses. Made by Zeiss in Germany.
It has unmated flexibility and durability.
Like Leica a perfect design from the outside which was totally recognizable
from the beginning to the end.




Mark William Rabiner