Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/15

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Lee Friedlander and wide-ang
From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 11:31:09 -0800

At 10:28 AM 12/15/97 -0800, you wrote:
>
>>A question for the group:
>>
>>I have read, and heard Lee Friedlander speak of a "congenital problem" with
>>using wide-angle lens in his desert and Olmsted series'. I quote him from
>>VIEWING OLMSTED: "The reason I started using [the Hasselblad superwide] was
>>that I was having some kind of congenital problem with wide-angle lenses [on
>>the Leica] in the desert, probably because of the light, and probably
>>because those lenses were designed for flat surfaces. Those lenses are
>>usually used by people who do architectural work, which deals with flat
>>surfaces, not so much with a large area with lots of details. I don't know
>>what the reasons were. It looked as if areas were out of focus and they
>>wouldn't be the same every time. I call it congenital because it comes with
>>the lens; it's not something anybody can fix and it's not that anybody even
>>knows why."

>
>Until I find out a little more about this 'Leica wide angle' problem, I
>think I'll file it with the Zodiac sign info :-).
>

Yup... I think Lee Friedlander really does not know what he is talking
about. Maybe he had "tee many martunies" (too many martinis)! My suggestion
to him is that he should take each of his Leica WA lenses and clean the
Pizza globs from the front elements. Then use lens caps when eating Pizza.
And lay off the booze. I believe those "out of focus and they WOULDN'T BE
THE SAME EVERY TIME" areas would disappear.

Hey... maybe it's a new Leica feature... "selective Bokeh".

I can understand Voodoo, hocus pocus, zodiac signs, but a "congenital" lens
problem... give me a break!

Jim