Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/04/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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