[Leica] 80 Summilux R (was 'Am I being stupid? (R content)')

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

George Lottermoser offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] 80 Summilux R (was 'Am I being stupid? (R content)')


> Real world examples from
> Leica 80mm R-Summilux on R8/DMR:
>
> <http://imagist.com/grandma_eye/L1002502.jpg>
> and two sections from same
> <http://imagist.com/grandma_eye/closeup_L1002502.jpg>
> <http://imagist.com/grandma_eye/close_02L1002502.jpg>
>
> I figure when I can read the glass frame model on the inside of the frame
> it's sharp enough for me.

Hi George,
A fine sample indeed! As I've said in the past, I never related to the 
testing that so many seem to go through, whether one lens is / was, better 
than another within the Leica line of glass.

I bought them always first and foremost  ......... "How fast they were!' 
That was always the number one criteria. Never ever considered photographing 
newspaper pages for any mickey mouse things some folks look for. WHY? Hell I 
never had time for any of that nonsense as I was too busy shooting 
assignments.

Example. The Noctilux became available in Canada and I have the first one 
sold here, still have it and use it on the M8.  WHY? Hell man it's f1.0 and 
I'm an available light/darkness shooter. If you can see it you can shoot it! 
And I always, pretty close, love the results of available light over any 
flash driven images. So I bought this killer lens and became a "Knight of 
the Night!" I looked for situations where people wouldn't think I was 
actually taking pictures...." Without the horrid FLASH APPARATUS!" :-) ;-)

The 80 Summilux was a work horse on the R cameras always. Once again another 
killer lens for available darkness wide open. If you are in a situation 
where there's a photo you want and you can barely see the image and mood, 
why wouldn't the photographer just go wide open, shutter speed a 1/4 sec or 
whatever and go click and capture what he or she is motivated by? If you are 
a photographer, a moment that turns you on, shoot it come hell or high 
water! Do you get them all? Nope! Because nobody in the world is that good! 
Certainly not me as I've blown my fair share of exposres pushing my 
available light luck!

However the important part?  .... I tried to make a picture capturing 
something others thought I was fooling or crazy. Careful how you answer that 
part! :-) :-)

But then that's just me. :-)
cheers,
ted