[Leica] Monochrom metadata and uncoded lenses

[John McMaster]

Even in film days some people were interested in this sort of thing; sheet film photographers for lens/aperture/exposure/development, portraitists for lighting and aperture etc.

I have been doing tests with Leica lenses recently. Would you have guessed that until it is stopped down to f8 the Modular 400/4 lens is outperformed by the 280/4 with 1.4x convertor? Neither is a cheap lens but the 280/4 is more available and less than half the weight... 

I like to know how my equipment performs before I use it, I will shoot some (non-Leica) lenses wide open but I know that they perform better stopped down two stops. That lets me know that I can shoot wide open but to stop down if I can or image quality is more important on a static subject. Likewise, stopping down too far degrades the image, so does that happen at f8 or f11? After all we have spent the serious money on Leica as they produce amongst the best lenses, what is wrong with knowing how to use them well? 

Of course this does not apply in sports or fast paced news scenarios, how many people on this list shoot either?  And in this day and age how many of those photographers use Leica??

 EXIF is automatic in all digital cameras, even yours, why get so agitated about what others do?

john

-----Original Message-----
From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.nz at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Ted Grant
Sent: Saturday, 14 February 2015 1:08 p.m.
To: 'Leica Users Group'
Subject: Re: [Leica] Monochrom metadata and uncoded lenses

OK LET's try a few things on how I use and handled my cameras while covering my assignments during the past 60 years? And never been a techie ever! WHY?


Well I was and still am, a photojournalist of little or no camera questioning? Nor rarely read camera instruction manuals. :-)
 
1/ Open back of camera snap in a roll of film. A quick hand meter reading for shooting light! After that it was all "BY GUESS, GUT AND GOD!" :-)

2/ DOING TESTS OF CAMERAs OR LENSES OUT OF THE BOX? They were LEICA's why in heavens' name would you bother testing them. Once in awhile with long teles I might pop a few frames wide open and a few stopped right down just to see the effects. THAT WAS IT! After that I knew what to expect and if I used the Super Wide 15mm on either the R cameras or the 15mm for M body many were flying it looking through the LENS view finder for a quick check. CLICK!  

And all this stuff that many of you pay so much attention to as in EXIF? OR WHATEVER? And other considered bells and whistles. I ask myself?....  "What the hell is that stuff and I don't know nor ever think about simply because I don't have a clue where in the camera you set it! Nor do I see horrible images because I don't know, nor care what the hell it's all about. 

And due to not knowing what these techie things do nor do not do? Are my published photos not any good? Or when during a screening presentation the audience during the course of the presentation give me wonderful "STANDING OVATIONS DUE TO THE IMAGES THEY'ER LOOKING AT!"  

Once again lads & ladies may I ask? Is it really absolutely a need to know all this techie stuff for better content photographs?

What it does or doesn't do in maybe capturing the most "Fantastic Content"
one could hope for? Because the "BOTTOMLINE WILL ALWAYS BE THE CONTENT CAPTURED!" And if not using, nor setting all these bells and whistles will I be a failure as a photographer?

All I know is this EXIF or Whatever the hell it is along with all the other symbols etc.?? At the blink of my eye to the "CLICK" of my reaction to the fleeting real life split second moment? Because I don't know nor willingly know how or what to set? "How is it my photos just kinda look cool fine?"
:-)

I'm not trying to bug you technical astute folks by my nearly always appearing to challenge all the in camera technologies that to me and my photo results are completely meaningless drivel! But then that's me and my total belief of a "KISS PHOTO-LIFE!" :-) 

And that's it since 27 May 1950 when my dear wife Irene gave me my first camera! An Argus A2 35mm film camera and my photo life began. :-) 

cheers,
Dr. ted :-)