[Leica] Dan's Xlnt adventure, and my 35/1.4 ASPH lens.

[jimbrick@photoaccess.com (Jim Brick)]

At 06:05 PM 9/30/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Jim-
>15-20,000 dollars worth of camera and lenses- using an N90 mostly, BUT HE
>SHOOTS EVERYTHING ON PROGRAM!
>
>Needless to say, I love printing his stuff.
>
>Dan
> 

Oh my gawd! Scary thought! What a waste!

But... one of the sales people at K&S does exactly the same thing. He takes
long trips all over the world and then does slide shows. His stuff actually
looks pretty good. All the same, but OK. He just bought an old M3 and shot
some B&W while in Cuba. He guessed at the exposure and did pretty well.
He's stoked! He just bought a used 21 (pre ASPH). I'm guessing that it
won't be long before he is using mostly Leica. He mentioned to me that his
Leica photographs simply looked different. The guy that printed his B&W's
showed him the "glow" that the backlighted stuff had, the detail in the
shadows, and also pointed out the smooth Bokeh (not being a LUGnut, he
didn't call it Bokeh.) I think he used an older 35mm Summicron on his trip.
There really is a difference!

The stuff from my Photokina Europe trip (60 rolls) was photographed mostly
with a 35/1.4 ASPH. Sharp enough to cut glass! f/1.4 sharpness is
astounding. This is the best lens purchase I've ever made. This is the
closest you can get to a Noctilux without having a "special purpose"
Noctilux lens. And it does not block very much of the viewfinder! Very
important! My very low light, and non existent light photographs are all
outstanding. My daughter used her R7 on the trip and could not do anything
in these low light situations. She's jealous! :) In trains, in subways, on
airplanes, night street scenes, in restaurants, red light district of
Amsterdam. All recorded perfectly. I even have the Crown Jewels at the
Tower of London, The rooms in Windsor castle, scenes within Westminster
Abby (the table and candle where Diana's coffin was, etc.) . This is an
amazing lens. It just never seems to give up. When you say "aah... it's too
dark," it'll pull a photograph out of the murk. And I cannot detect any
flare from bright objects in the frame. Night scenes with really bright
spot lights pointing right at the lens, record perfectly. The lights don't
flair. They don't effect the rest of the scene. No halo or flair veil. Just
a clean and clear photograph.

I guess you can tell that I like this lens. Thanks Ted.

Am I the only LUGnut that thinks this lens is a landmark in Leica's lens
line-up?

Jim

Jim Brick
(650) 470-1132

http://www.photoaccess.com