a little more than 36 hours ...

[Alfred Breull <puma@hannover.sgh-net.de>]

Ok.Ok. 

I've been away for a little more than 36 hours ... to spend some time with
my daughter because her mother is off with her friend - and I find out, that
there are some problems, which you can hardly manage without me    :) :) :):) :)

First, Roger your pic is a really good one. Having taken lots of pix of
loosers myself, I know how difficulty the technical and emotional problems
are. Thanks for sharing your story and your picture with us. And, thanx to
Ted also, for your good comment.

Further:

1) 
Evidently, there is some misunderstanding: I really like the SLRs from the
Ernst Leist GmbH or the Leica Camera Group, specially the bright screen or
the 1/2000 and the size of the R body (of the R4 mot electronics or R 6.2).
Some of their lenses are dramatic outstanding and take your breath, e.g. the
2/90 Summicron.
 
Still, I've seen several different ideas in other camera bodies which are
more nice or more appropriate solutions than those from the former Ernst
Leist GmbH or the present Leica Camera Group. For example: the (very cheap)
MF Pentacon Six has a 45 degree release button, which allows to handle 1/2
or 1/4 with a 50 mm (wide angle) lens without remarkably visible deficit in
sharpness (please, take their total weight into account in your critics).
The Pentacon solution is far far better also (in my mind & experience), than
in the different Hasselblads, Rollei 66, different twin eyes Rolleis, the
old Plaubel Makina 6x7 (which has other severe disadvantages also), the Fuji
6x7 (viewfider), or the Asahi 6x7.

2) 
It's more important for a certain photographer to know, whether he/she's a
"viewfinder" man/woman, than the difference between the VF vs SLR Leica. I
for myself know, that I'm a VF-man most of the times.

3)
I agree to Marc's judgement on the 1.4/50 Summilux, and I made a lot of
fantastic or dramatic pix with that lens. She's as sharp as the Summicron (f
2-16), is a high contrast lens (more pronounced than the Summicron), and her
bokeh is lovely. At f 1.4 she's "rather" good only, but still better than
every other 1.4/50 or 1.5/50 lens I know.

4)
I don't agree to several comments on the 1.4/35. The lens is less sharp than
the 2/35 Summicron, and very soft at f1.4. 

5)
Different, the 1.4/35 asph Summilux is so outstanding at f 1.4, that I
hardly find words for it's performance. Please, look at Eric's sites for
comaprison. He has very good examples. I have several also, but - sorry - I
don't have a color scanner. Further, she's at least as nice as the 2/35
Summicron till f 4, and a teeny-weeny-little-bit less good above. 

On the other side, the bokehs of both, the 1.4/35 asph Summilux and the
previous 2/35 Summicron are completely different. The Summilux has a rather
"hard" handling of the out-of-focus areas and you need to get used to it,
while the Summicron has a rather soft one (e.g. like the 2/90 Summicron or
the 2/90 Tele-Elamrit).

6) 
I know for myself how it feels when you have an M Leica body only, and no
lens. If you like, Dick, I can lend you a coll. Summicron (2/50) till you
have a lens for your own. Or I can arrange a mint- 2/50 recent Summicron for
about $ 600 to $ 650. Additionally, I would rather suggest a 2/35 Summicron
than the older 1.4/35 Summilux. 

7)
Roger, thanks for your support.

Alf