Re: [Leica] Leica M advice wanted

[InfinityDT@aol.com]

In a message dated 6/13/99 4:26:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
robsteve@hfx.andara.com writes:

<< All this talk about film and velvia in particular makes me think.  Is not
 velvia known for not getting shadow detail or being too contrasty?  Your
 typical European city will have narrow streets with lots of shade and a
 dapling of sun between the building.  I would say with the great contrast
 of Leica lenses, Velivia would be way too contrasty in these situations.
 The Kodachrome family would probably be better, or even some of the
 Ektachromes.  Didn't one of the National Geographic photographers shoot
 Ektachrome 100 exclusively?  Maybe even one of the lower contrast Fuji
 films as well, perhaps Astia.>>

My perspective is perhaps a bit biased because I am heavily into 
medium-format and am just not happy with the comparison unless I use the 
sharpest film I can get, despite the slow speed and high contrast.  I like 
the Leica M lenses because they perform so well wide open. 
 
 <<Your initial thought Kodachrome 25, is
 pretty slow and not availble except as professional film with processing
 costs extra, Kodachrome 64 may be better as it can be had pretty cheap in
 five packs with processing paid. >> 
            Actually, professional K25 has been discontinued.  All they have 
now is the "amateur" version (I never saw any difference once I "aged" it for 
a couple of months and then froze it).  I use the Qualex lab in NJ, never had 
any problem with them, and the same PK-36 mailers used for E6 work for K25 as 
well.  PKR (K64) is not a film I like to use.  The whites are clean, but the 
rest of the colors have a "70's retro" look to them that I don't particularly 
like...plus, K64 has even higher contrast than Velvia.  At least Velvia's 
shadows turn pure black when they block up...all the Kodachromes tend to get 
muddy/greenish shadows.  Film is *such* a personal thing!

<<Jim Brick has used E200 in his M6 for a
 European trip and was very impressed with it.  I have shot a few 100 foot
 rolls of this and find it is a very good performer at EI 200 and pushed one
 stop to EI 320.  My basketball shots were on this film at EI 320.  
  >>
I use this film pushed (even pushes 2 stops nicely to EI 640...gains a little 
constrast and warms up a bit but it's still sharp and un-grainy) with a 300 
2.8 + 2x + 1.4x (840mm f8!) to shoot songbirds.  Learned the trick from 
George Lepp!

Thanks for your input.  Photography is a very diverse medium!
DT