Kennebunkport Seminar

[ted grant <75501.3002@compuserve.com>]

Tom Donovan wrote:

<<<Let me tell you it was fantastic!  Being next to the ocean, fresh
seafood, great weather, quality gear & GREAT people. Fellow LUGnuts, who
were there, it was great to meet you. And then of course learning from Ted
Grant ;-) !>>>>>>

Hi Tom,

Besides the honour of shaking hands with LUGNUTS who previously were only
names on the creen, this was a wonderfull seminar.

A very enthusiastic group of Leica minded folks who were "keeners" and
"good shooters" producing some very interesting and diverse images. I need
to mention folks that Tom had a winning image in the competion of some
close to 200 enteries!

So it was that two LUGNUTS were winners, Tina Manley, the first prize and I
believe Tom second or third. It was nice to see the LUG well represented in
the final cut of 6 finalists and winners! :)

<<<Ernst Hartmann ( Leica USA ) replaced my R8 split image screens with the
new plain ground glass screens; what a difference! A far cleaner view for
composition & it seems, to me, a much brighter view!>>>>>>

I have to agree with you whole heartedly on the screen change. I have only
been able to appreciate it since arriving home and shooting real time
things.  As I have always used matt screens in all my previous R cameras, I
found the "general screen" supplied with the R8 a terrible visual
distraction!

With the new "matt screen" now you have a completely clean image without
any visual clutter in the centre. I shot a soccer match yesterday with the
new screen and long lenses, it was night and day difference.  Besides the
matt screen is most efficient for macro and tele lenses.

Now if only the motor! :)

<<<I shot some images( with the R-80 f1.4 ) of a lady, from the hotel, in
indirect light at f1.4 & f2 ( vertical format ) The way her eyes snapped
in/out of focus was great; viewfinder brightness was awesome!>>>>

Well there sure isn't anything like an f1.4 lens on that R8 matt screen to
show you how clean and brilliant the R8 viewfinder system really is.

What I liked most of the images was the quality of your "avaiable light
use" and getting her eyes right on the mark of sharpness at 1.4. Glad to
hear you ordered the 80 as I don't doubt you'll have a great time shooting
available light subjects in a way you will not likely have done before.

And the more you use it wide open you'll discover a whole new world of
available exisiting light you haven't worked with in the past. Have fun
with it. :)

Good to see Jean and yourself and the good Lord or whomever, keeping me
vertical and breathing, I hope to see you next year! :) Along with maybe a
greater number of LUGNUTS!

For those of you who wonder about this particular seminar, it isn't all
hard nose numbers with facts and figures. It's more like a wild west fun
shoot it up with Leicas (Yours and new Leica samples) and some "happy
snaps" on the screen for illustration! 

For some it is the great "social aspect" that allows much discussion of
things Leica and building warm friendships and comraderie.:)  Hey we don't
live by "happy snapping" all the time! :)  

ted