Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/07

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Summicron 35/2 wide open
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 13:58:13 -0500

I never even THOUGHT about
it's "performance"....it's Leica, so it's probably at least
fair, but ya know what?  the pictures are sharp and hopefully
meaningful....back to my LUG bashing, most "shooters" don't
think about all this crap....they shoot, expecting the best,
and usually get something OK.....if not, then they might
worry about it....jeez

Walt

- ----
Good point, Walt. I must say that after hanging out on the LUG for a while
now, I'm left wondering how every legendary photographer over the age of 50
who ever shot with a Leica managed to become a "legend" using such inferior,
crappy equipment. It's really astounding to think about what we were fooled
into thinking was acceptable quality before the advent of the latest
generation of lenses - how did HCB do it in 1938? How could Esie have
possibly gotten the shots he did? And Larry Burrows? (Must have always been
using Nikon! :-))Capa? Henri Huet? And those Jim Marshall shots we all
thought were so spectacular? We must have been on acid! How could we
possibly have thought those images were acceptable? Gene Smith? No wonder he
did so much manipulating in the darkroom - he must have been making up for
the inferior lens quality...

Yes, the latest lens are optically the best lenses. Yes, they will reduce or
eliminate flare under circumstances where earlier generations would not
have. Yes, they can give you the ability to count the seam threads on a pair
of jeans at 20 yards.

But you're right Walt..."most 'shooters' don't
think about all this crap....they shoot, expecting the best,
and usually get something OK.....if not, then they might
worry about it....jeez.."

And you know what, I'll be that when all is said and done, the "shooters" on
this list like Eric, Tina, Ted, Harrison, etc., feel the same way when
they're out shooting and not at the keyboard...

:-) B. D.