Re: [Leica] Leica and 15 year old technology

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

At 11:21 AM 6/29/98 +0200, you wrote:
>Stupid questions: why do you use a computer ? Does your car provide
>electronic management of ignition ? 

You said it, not me. I really don't want to be "creative" with my car's
ignition. At 20KHZ to 80KHZ, a computer is perfectly suited for this task.
And runners would be too slow to allow this conversation to take place.

>
>More stupid questions: why do you use a camera with a shutter mechanism
>where the camera imposes a set of pre-calibrated speeds (took some time
>for the pionneers to gain access to a shutter mechanism)? Why do you use
>a meter ? Why do you use auto management of your flash unit (TTL or not)
>? Why do you use manufactured emulsion in 35mm industrial canisters ?
>etc, etc...

It must have been really late when you wrote the above.

Well, even though a shutter is in steps, the f/stop isn't. And I believe
they are tightly coupled in their function. I bought R7's because they have
1/2 shutter speeds. These are basic TOOLS of photography. And using them
yourself to aid your creative vision is how they are intended to be used.
Not to turn their use over completely to a computer that has no inkling of
your vision. Photography is a science and tools are needed to measure
various parameters. With this knowledge, the human can make judgements as
to how he/she perceives the result.

>
>I'll argue even further: a highly proactive high tech setup potentially
>(I insist on the 'potentially') allows the user to concentrate more on
>some of the more strategic aspects of the process: composition,
>relevance of the image, expressions, incidents, colours, shapes,
>whatever... Time spent doing this is, in my point of view, MUCH more
>useful than playing with aperture ring, focussing ring and speed dial.
>

Really really late!

Sorry, I don't buy this for a nanosecond. There is a hellova lot more to
photography than just composition, which is all you control with a computer
operated camera. It IS the playing with f/stop rings, focusing rings, and
speed dials that add the real creative element to the photograph. When a
human takes TOTAL control, the result is a creative endeavor, and is
usually much better for the effort. A camera computer cannot read my mind.
I've never heard of a camera computer mode called Bokeh. Maybe Spock can do
a "mind meld" with his camera, but the rest of us can't.

The addition of a computer to cameras has made special effects and
otherwise fairly difficult photographs to be made. They weren't impossible,
just more difficult. But I believe these kinds of photographs make up but a
fraction of a percent of the total computer "generated" photographs.

I use a 4x5 much of the time. Old Linhof Master Technika. Two of my
favorite Leica R lenses is are the 35PC Curtagon and the 28PC Super
Angulon. This gives me ADDED control over BOTH perspective and focus. Each
photograph I take, I spend the time contemplating what is important, what
needs to be is critical focus, what should be out of focus, which areas of
the scene should be at what density values. These are my decisions and the
Leica and Linhof cameras allow me full and unfettered control over these
decisions. I do not need personal control over my cars spark advance. I do
need personal and total control over photographic situations.

There is simply NO ARGUMENT that is valid that pits a computer over the
creative and artistic mind of a human. Perhaps the next wave will be
computerized brush, pallet, and canvas. Why should the artist have to
actually paint. Just pull down the menu... "landscape, ocean scene" or
"still life, apple, flowers", or "nude, skinny, side light."

Jim