Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/11/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]
At 10:15 AM 11/28/96, Juan F. Sanz Cervera wrote:
>I am sorry, but I am afraid I strongly disagree with what Mr. Puts
>above. I believe that there may be *some* people who can't notice the
>difference between those two shots, but there is NO WAY I (and many other
>people) wouldn't tell which one is made with a Hasselblad and which one with
>a Leica, especially at 30x40.
One of the very few useful and intelligent things that was ever done in
Modern Photography Magazine was, a number of years ago, a test... in which
they shot two scenes... one, a still life, and one a portrait... in EVERY
format, 110 through 4x5.
They then recruited some people (almost literally off the streets of New
York) to view large prints of these subjects, and see if they could tell
which format made which picture.
The result of this test was... that EVERYONE could tell the difference
between 110 and 35mm, EVERYONE could tell the difference between 35mm and
any 120 format, VIRTUALLY NOBODY could tell the difference between one 120
format or another (645, 6x6, 6x7), and EVERYONE could tell 120 from 4x5...
thus, for once and for all, absolutely confirming the "conventional wisdom"
on this subject.
The best story that I ever heard about this sort of thing, was...
In "The Olden Days" (40's, early 50's) when Leicas and any other 35mm were
referred to a "miniature cameras", Camera Clubs would hold contests, and
showings... wherin the "thing to do" was to make a 16x20, or a 20x30 print
of some picture or another, and exhibit it along with a Contact Print
(actual size) of the 35mm negative... thus confirming your skill with the
35mm camera, and fine-grain, high-sharpness technique with that camera, and
its High-Quality (usually) German lens.
Well, an old pal of mine, Henry Fellman... one of the first and best
industrial photographers and filmakers in the Greater Boston Area... was a
Wise Guy from the day he was born (still is!).
He used to enter still life photos to the Boston Camera Club competition,
that he shot with a 5x7 view camera... make the 16x20, and present it with
a contact print of a 35mm negative of the same picture, shot at the same
time, with his Leica.
Of course... EVERYONE thought Henry's 35mm technique was *extraordinary*...
Greg.
Greg Mironchuk
409 Central St, Saugus, MA 01906
617-941-8030 * 617-362-7417 page
gregm@world.std.com