[Leica] Interview with Max Berek

[Mark Rabiner]

A main idea Berek in this interview had me made good on was this old Leica
adage about old glass being good for black and white newer Leica glass being
ok for color idea that had been put out by any experienced Leica person that
I'd meet in my early days of leicaness.  And it was the first thing they'd
tell me. Which was the very early 90's.

I was adamant in my own mind that this just didn't ad up. I stopped arguing
the point early on it was like telling someone it was really the sky that
was green and the grass was blue.
If this old hardly coated if at all glass can shoot panchromatic film and
make that look ok why cant it shoot color film?
I had my chance way later to actually shoot my 3.5 Elmar made in 1951 the
year I was born and other such oldies and the color came out at least as
good as the black and white if not better.
Now people are putting all that old glass on Digital Ms and having having
nothing but fond things to say about it. And showing the results on the
world wide web.


On 9/26/15 9:27 PM, "Mark Rabiner" <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> Was Born in 1886 so was 63 in 1949 a good age to be saying stuff like
> " Substantial innovation cannot be expected in the near future."
> As in we've done it all all that remains is to dot the I's and cross the t's.
> Bad timing on that account as all hell broke loose in the 50's in camera and
> lens design.
> 
> And he then concludes with:
> " It is little known though that besides the 50/1.5 Summarit we also offer an
> 85/1.5, the Summarex.  The long focal length makes it especially suited for
> portraits, photojournalism, stage and vaudeville photography and similar
> purposes.  You might also be interested to know that the line of Telyt lenses
> with focal lengths of 200mm and 400mm has been widened with an additional lens
> in the extreme focal length of 800mm.  Of course, this lens is only of
> interest to the professional.
> Now I would like to say something to finalize.  With the state of the art of
> our optics, a well done picture is not so much an optical problem as it is a
> problem of the technical precision of the camera, the properties of the taking
> material and especially the training of the user.  The feeling for a good
> picture can best be developed by enlarging or projecting one's pictures large
> scale.  Only then will the amateur have the full enjoyment of his work.   "
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 9/26/15 9:11 PM, "Mark Rabiner" <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:
> 
>> http://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2015/04/an-interview-with-max-berek.html
>> 
>> By a French sounding magazine in 1949.
>> Its interesting to read it straight from the source.
>> A few of my little ideas I've had over the years are vindicated.
>> A bunch of this stuff just blew me away though.
>> Starts out the difference between and f2 standard lens and an f 3.5.
>> 
> 
> 
> 




-- 
Mark William Rabiner
Photographer
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/