[Leica] M6, DR and I

["Garbutt, Robert" <RGarbutt@ncrpexec.telstra.com.au>]

We've just finished holiday time over here in Oz so in the last month
I've had time to take my new M6 and 50/2 DR out for a landscape feast in
two of our National Parks.

My first excursion was to the Alpine NP in northern Victoria.  This is a
wonderful SE Australian alpine area with a most beautiful set of
mountain ecotones.  The park itself differs from the adjoining park in
NSW - there cattle have been systematically discouraged from entering.
Subsequently the Victorian park suffers some degradation but also
preserves a system of human habitation which is seminal in the
Australian historical psyche.  Watch the film "The Man From Snowy River"
if you want a peek.

I struggled with the M6 set-up and I have to say at times desperately
mourned for my FM2 which was languishing back home in the Sydney heat.
I love the FM2's frame - the way you can concentrate on the image and
not be distracted by the periphery.  Still the M6 is the box and the
50DR justifies the effort in coming to grips with the limitations of the
M.  My FM2 is becoming jealous and I need to find a gentle way through
my inner conflict.

The clarity of the DR is just stupendous at normal range.  Clear, crisp
and other adjectives which are not always applicable to the 50/1.4
Nikkor I am used to.  I have seen 'the look' and it *is* good.  At close
range I seem to have problems though.  Focusing the DR is a pain with
the small M focus area and there seems to be a parallax problem with the
eyes - if the subject is not parallel to the film plane the split images
don't line up properly and there is an element of guess work injected
into the focussing process.  At f/2 this makes the lens a hit and miss
affair.  Did I get a dud pair of eyes or is this the usual story?  I
think I prefer my FM2 and 55/2.8 Micro-Nikkor for those cutesy flower
shots I so love.

On this journey I took Agfa Optima 100 for prints and Kodak EPP for
slides.  Generally EPP was a disaster.  I have some nice people shots
but for landscapes the words grainy, over-contrasty and gaudy come to
mind.  I tended towards under exposure of this film and see that I
should probably have gone for a straight reflected light reading.
Performance does not justify the price of EPP in my book.  Optima 100
performed well and handles contrast nicely.  It was especially good with
the many green and brown hues of the alpine vegetation, distinguishing
each admirably.  Of course the DR did a lot of the job before any light
even hit the film.  The film and lens compliment each other well.  I was
also impressed with the different perspectives offered by working with
and without a tripod on this trip.  The tripod shots are measured and
accurate and compliment the immediacy of those that are hand held.  I
like my Manfotto 029 head with all its spirit levels and knobs, and also
like to be free of its constraints.

Last Saturday I went with M6, DR and a friend from Melbourne into the
Blue Mountains NP 90km west of Sydney.  This is glorious Sydney
sandstone country with deep valleys and extensive and expansive views to
one side, and waterfalls and grottos on the other.  If you are in Sydney
and would like a day (or longer) excursion to a natural wonderland drop
me a line for some details of where to go, and if you'd like a companion
I'd be more than happy to come along.  We went to the Valley of the
Waters for a 4 hour circuit walk which was just blissful.

I took more time with my shots though could have taken more - so often
the case.  For this trip I returned to Velvia and again am blown away
with it in shade and backlit situations.   Velvia is so smooth and
seamless in half light, rendering darkness in all its intensity, and the
odd waterfall streams through as ribbon-like vapour.   I still struggle
with this film in the harsh Australian midday light though.  My feel for
exposure wasn't the best in these circumstances but even with bracketing
some shots failed to make the grade.  The contrast of the scene is just
too high.  So far K64 seems to be the only film that passes the midday
test.  Can anyone recommend any other way of working?  I know that the
'rules' say this is not the time to photograph but why miss the midday
world if you don't have to.

On this trip the M6 and I moved a little closer. The thumbs are up even
more enthusiastically for the DR, though short range was a problem yet
again.  The M6 scratched some exposures - there is something wrong that
needs fixing here and it is not what I expect from an engineering
marvel.  Now I'd like to get my hands on an R to check out a Leica view
of the macro world.  Poor FM2 - I still like you . . . honest I do.

Now I have the pleasure of going on a 2 day workshop with my work mates.
I hope we don't have to spend too much time on Customer Intimacy or
whatever other business blah is in fashion.  Sigh.  One thing up my
sleave is that M6 is coming with me  ;-)  .

Regards,
Rob.