Re: [Leica] 1930's look

["Dan Post" <dwpost@email.msn.com>]

And some disparage the 'look' of the old uncoated Summars and Elmars! These
are the lenses that 'defined' the Leica look way back when REAL
photographers used D-76 and didn't have TTL!   :o}~
I know, I probably will be flamed, but I always admired those old timers. We
have it incredibly easy compare to the timing of an exposure by uncapping
the lens, counting, then replacing the lens, hoping that all the variables
would fall just right and you'd get a decent photo! Even in the 20s-40s, it
wasn't all that easy, either!
Working in photofinishing, I am amazed at the progress made in the last 25
years in materials- the quality and consistancy is nothing short of amazing.
If you use, say, Iford MG VC paper, you KNOW that one box bought today will
be unbelievably like the next, so you don't have to 're-invent the wheel'
with each box to determine the paper speed.
I recall the time, and at 52, my wife keeps reminding me that this is not
Old Age yet, it was not so long ago that one had to determine the relative
speed of each batch I bought!!
I can just imagine what it was like when every batch of film, every batch of
paper, and possibly every batch of chemical represented a new set of
variables to deal with! Egads! ( as Marc might say) we are living in
wonderful times- photographically speaking!
Dan
- ----- Original Message -----
From: D Khong <dkhong@pacific.net.sg>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Friday, June 25, 1999 5:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] 1930's look


>
> >
> >I've recently been looking at old photographs from the 1930s and 1940s.
> >I love the look of these photographs, especially those which seem to be
> >taken on slightly overcast days, or indoors with large, slightly
> >diffused lightsources close by (though not necessarily in the fame).
> >
> >A perfect example is one of HCB's shots showing a man and his son on
> >a balcony of some sort, with fine wrought iron railing.
> >
> >In particular, the tonal structure of these seems to be fantastic.  In
> >many shots, there are a million different shades of grey even within
> >a small area: often rendered as an almost uniform shade in more modern
> >400 ASA B&W shots.
> >
> >I'm wondering how I can achieve this: The shots are not massively sharp,
> >but they do exhibit this increadible tonal structure.  Is it the film?
> >Lens?  Printing technique?  Am I actually looking at medium format
> >pictures and should get a Rolleiflex instead?
> >
> >I would really like to achieve this kind of quality: Again, not worried
> >about sharpness, but tonal quality is everything ;)  Any suggestions
> >are welcome!
> >
> >
> >M.
> >
> >Martin Howard,
>
> I am also enthralled by pics reminiscent of the era of about 50 years ago
> in particular WW2 B&W prints.  I get close to this effect by using an
older
> lens made in the 40-50s, HP5+ film and developing in D-76.  Now I use XTOL
> instead and the tonality is even better, and grain is finer.
>
> Dan K.