RE: [Leica] A Humbling Experience

["Kotsinadelis, Peter (Peter)" <peterk@lucent.com>]

Glen,

Sometimes the old photos are great. Larger negative yields sharper results.
Even though a lens may have had lower lines per mm resolving power, the
larger negative, say 8 x 10, provided far superior results especially as an
8x10 contact since there was no enlarging needed.  This is probably one
reason why medium and larger formats have not died off and are still the
mainstay for weddings, commercial photography, etc.  Is bigger better?  If
you need the higher quality and hige enlargement, yes.

There were also different printing papers, and if I remember correctly there
was some sort of platinum process used that also provide beautiful prints.
I am sure there are others more knowledgable about this printing process
than I.  Perhaps they can add to this explanation.

Peter K

- -----Original Message-----
From: Glen M. Robinson [mailto:gmrobinson@imation.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 1999 7:27 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: [Leica] A Humbling Experience




     I just received a humbling experience.  My wife purchased a photo album
at
a garage sale yesterday that contained family portraits from Renaas Studio
in
Decorah, Iowa.  No one at the sale had a clue who these people are and the
date
when these pictures were taken, but based on the clothes they are wearing we
guess that the photographs are at least a century old if not older.

     I have been an amateur photographer for forty or so years and have done
my
own darkroom work during much of this time.  I use Leicas, Rolleis, and
Canons
and enlarge my Ilford 100 Delta and Kodak Tri-X negatives processed with
XTOL
and D-76 with Schneider apo lenses.

     I am terribly humbled by these antique pictures; I cannot produce this
type
quality with my high tech gear.  The sharpness, gradation, and other visual
characteristics of these prints are breathtaking.  I realize that these
pictures
are contact prints, but are the wonderful films and lenses that we use today
in
reality lower in quality in the essential operating parameters than those of
that time?

     Glen Robinson