RE: [Leica] The quintessence of Leica photography?

[Austin Franklin <austin@darkroom.com>]

> The seemingly relentless march of digital printing does signify two 
trends.
> First of all a loss of knowedge of true and important photographic
> principles.

I believe the advent of PhotoShop and like products, actually expand the 
'principles' of many who would have never had the opportunity to use such 
advanced principles, unless they worked in a large graphics art company.

> If we might wish to agree that a black of density D=1,4 is all
> that is needed for the impression of blackness in a print,

That is an ink issue.  If the print you examined was made with Epson Color 
inks, it is well known their black is not a good black.  I suggest you talk 
go Jon Cone (www.piezography.com) and get a Piezo print from him using 
Piezo B&W inks.  That would be a FAR better test.

> thanks to the software which in
> all cases is supplanting the art and craft of photography.

Why is not photography the craft of taking the picture?  Composition is not 
supplanted by the medium used.  Also, why is not the 'skilled' use of, say, 
PhotoShop, not a 'craft' in and of itself?  Just a different craft.  There 
are people who are VERY skilled at PhotoShop, and those who just click the 
mouse on one or two buttons...  PhotoShop is a tool, like ANY other tool, 
ie, your Leica, and your expertise in use (and needs) can vary greatly.

> we focus very critically to ensure optimum image quality at
> the sharpness plane to record the very finest detail of a scene and then 
we
> lose most if not all of it in a digital print.

I completely disagree, it is not lost in the digital print.  Assuming you 
make the print from a well scanned negative.  It may be lost in the current 
crop of digital cameras, but not the print.  In fact, the negative size 
(film grain) is the current limit in my system.  Digital or analog print, 
the grain currently overtakes any shortcomings of each!  I can't wait to 
get a great MF scanner...

> In my view, Leica photography has a high fun factor and the camera is
> inspiring to use as an instrument, just because it is able to inch ahead 
of
> the rest thanks to accuracy of the mechanics and the optical abilities of
> its lenses. It asks of the user to match the inherent qualities, the
> designers built into it.

Brilliantly said, and true of PhotoShop too ;-)