Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/02/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]G'day Guys and Gals, I've now shot my first roll of film through the R7 and with the 15mm Super Elmar. It arrived just as I was about to decorate our new branch in Bacchus Marsh, so Helen and I headed down to the "Marsh" to shoot some scenes. For tele shots we used the Rollei 3003 and the R7 had the 15 and a 50. When the shots came back, there was an initial disappointment. On analysis however we slowly 'loved' the wide shots more and more, as we recognized that our dismay was due to some of the outstanding features of this lens. Let me explain, and please comment and critisize, as I need to learn more about this lens if I am to take it to Japan in April. The lens is almost normal. We had expected more of a wide angle distortion that we were used to with our other lens. When it was not there we went 'ho-hum', but the more you looked, the more you thought 'gee these are bizarre, and very good.' Some shots were with the lens focused at its limits, and these had a quality all their own, so my summary of the lens is; This lens will take a scene and if held horizontally will reproduce an image which seems to mimic real life, with only minimal distortion. The DOF is of course huge, and the clarity of the image out to the corners is great. Wide open there is a slight drop off vignetting of about 1 - 1.5 stops which seems to disappear as the lens is stopped down. Even held off horizontal, the wide angle effects are minimal, but ---- when focused closer than about 2 - 3 feet, the lens takes on a new quality. Its DOF disappears and at very close range, the background develops a swirling motion which seems to sent the image at its edges speeding off the page. This can create a focus on the static central figure. One rose shot almost looks as if the flower is moving away from its background and coming towards the lens, [which given that it was about 2" from the front element is not surprizing]. As you can see, I'm a bit taken aback by the qualities. How do my initial impressions fit in with experience? Guidance needed ;-) Cheers Alastair Firkin, http://users.netconnect.com.au/~firkin/AGFhmpg.html