Some reflections; Leica thoughts

[cmiller@berkshire.net (Curt Miller)]

Having just completed a very successful darkroom day, I thought I'd jot down
a few reflections on my experiences with the Leica to share with the group
(if anyone's interested).

Black and White photography has ben an obsession and serious avocation for
me since the mid 1960s when I started working with my father's baby Rollei
(I was 11).  I practice the Zone system, at least to the extent that I
exhaustively test my materials, chemistry and shutters to obtain the best
quality images I can.  I don't have much interest in 4X5 (though would
sometimes like to have movements) since the film handling is a royal pain
and, with modern emulsions, we can now produce 4X5-quality images with MF
and MF-quality images with 35mm.  That's where the Leica comes in.

Most of the fine art prints I produce are 11X14.  I have two galleries
showing my work.  When I first started showing, all of my images were
created with MF, however, as time went on and I found I had some nice images
in 35mm, I started getting serious about working on perfecting my 35mm
technique.  This has resulted in big dividends both on the 35mm side but
also for MF since perfection of technique on the smaller size transfers well
to the larger.  Anyway, I'm now regularly producing very high quality 11X14
images from the Leica, which are hung side-by-side with stuff I do with my
Hasselblad...and, yes, you can see a difference if you "sniff" them but, all
things considered they're damn good.  Here are a few of the things that work
for me:

1. I always use the same meter regardless of camera - this helps to
eliminate meter variances among the five or six bodies I regularly use (and
is a reason why I'm not jumping out of my skin to buy an M6 - the M4-P is fine).

2. For 400 ASA film I have settled in on T-Max 400 for the past 8 or so
years, which I expose 1/3 to 1/2 stop over and develop in HC110-E for 9 min
at 68 or 6 min for N-1.  This is a very workable combination and produces
sharp, high qulity negatives...I don't get any of the blocking of highlights
since dilution E is rather gentle.  Can't beat TMY for grain compared to any
other 400 speed.  Try using this with a med yellow filter and blow up the
image - gives a wonderful "moody" effect.

3. For 100 ASA - this is under construction - I've been using T-MAX 100,
processed as above (10 1/2 min for N and 7 min for N-1) but am not happy.  I
don't feel the 2 stop loss is adequately compensated by a commensurate
reduction in grain - the grain in the prints looks about the same as with
the 400.  I'm considering trying 100 feet of the new Ilford Delta 100.  Any
stories from anyone out there?

3. I've fallen in love with Agfa APX 25 for ultra-fine grain stock.  N is
about 7 min at 68 and N+1 is 9 1/2...haven't done contractions with it but I
would probably want to dilute the HC100 even more (so I could keep my
development time sufficiently long for accuracy sake).  This stuff has a
lovely tonal range and is as sharp as I've seen.  My dad worked for Agfa for
30 years and used to bring me home some of the 25 ASA stock in the 60s and I
loved it then...but how we long for speed!  I'm much more committed to the
tripod than in my younger days.

4. Papers:  Brilliant VCII (from Calumet) and Agfa Multicontrast Rapid (cold
and warm, respectively) are my favorites.  Both are rich and respond well to
selenium toning.  I always use a condenser enlarger and wouldn't use a cold
light with VC paper anyway.  The hype surrounding cold lights seems to be
just that - it's merely a contrast issue and the way to eliminate blocked
highlights and get good separations is with properly exposed and developed
negatives...for me, at least.

5. Display - I dry mount my prints on white archival mount board (16X20)
with archival tissue.  I hand-cut my overmats with a mat knife 1/4 inch
larger than the print on sides and top, 3/8 inch at the bottom so I can sign
the mount board under the print.  I use real framing glass (optically
superior to window pane glass and won't scratch like plastic and still real
cheap).  I back up the mount and mat with corrugated archival board and the
whole works goes into a sectional metal frame.  Total cost of all materials,
including photographic paper and chemistry, is about $20.  A wonderful way
to show off the products of the Leica!

For lenses, I use a 35 Summicron, two 50mm Summicrons (one from the 60s, one
new) and a 135mm Tele-Elmar-M...really basic and simple stuff.

I'd love to hear other people's techniques if you'd like to share them.  I'm
as much into the gear as anyone else on the list but mostly for these lovely
end results I consistently achieve.

Curt