Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/04/16

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To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: Phillistines who own Leicas
From: Michael Volow <mvolo@acpub.duke.edu>
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 21:41:27 -0400 (EDT)
Cc: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us, leica-users-digest@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us

I assume the flat, unsharp, low contrast pictures you are describing are
prints. Depending on who's doing the printing, you can get good or lousy
prints from a good negative. So, get a local photographically knowledgable
person to look at the negatives with a magnifier to see if they're good
quality negatives, or if they're underexposed (good source of poor
contrast), or if there is camera motion (good source of unsharpness)

Starting with color is not a bad idea either, not because color is better
than black and white, but because there are a zillion automated 1-hour
commercial color labs out there, and some of them make surprisingly good
snapshot prints.  Again, ask your local photographically knowledgable
person which local color labs seem to have the highest mimimum standard of
quality. This will help you evaluate your work better. 

Finally, the biggest degrader of image sharpness is using too slow a shutter 
speed. While you're learning, try to stay above 1/60th sec.

At least don't blame your Leicas/lenses until you have done the above.

Michael Volow, M.D. (mvolo@acpub.duke.edu)
Department of Psychiatry, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC
919 286 0411 Ext 6933



In reply to: Message from CMonck@aol.com (Phillistines who own Leicas)