Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/02

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Subject: [Leica] Horses for Courses
From: "A.H.SCHMIDT" <horsts@primus.com.au>
Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 14:58:29 +1100
References: <5.0.0.25.2.20001025173009.01e2c090@127.0.0.1> <39F79D6C.EE03FF72@home.com>

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a repaired Leica lens.  The guy who run the shop
also
did some Photographic work for a couple of advertising agencies. We got talking and
he showed me some of his work. He used only the best available equipment and the
resulting images showed it. One of the color prints.  about 1.5m x 60cm (in landscape
form)
showed a City skyline with a great big airplane superimposed on to it. The print was
that sharp, you could see at the right upper edge looking out of a sky scraper
window, a bloke picking his nose. It was about the sharpest macro contrasity most
impressive print I had seen. I was just overwhelmed. After doing all the right aaahs
and oohs, I left and promptly forgot all about it. I see this guys work sometimes at
the airport terminals, when I arrive after a flight. I look at it, and  worry if my
luggage arrived.


Last week my wife and I went to a small french cafe shop in the centre of Melbourne.
Inside on the walls where about 40 or so prints by Henri Cartier Bresson.  Looking at
this prints, and you could not help it, made me feel like I was somewhere in France.
At times in the country and at times in the city.  Now, this guy used photographic
equipment
which, by the modern technocrats would be knocked and despised as old and unusable.
When looking at this prints, at no time was I overcome by the urge to go with my
magnifying glass to check if the edge sharpness was up to scratch. Nor did I see
anybody else rushing over to do this.   The images made you look at the relevant
area. They  where full of feeling and haven't left my mind since I saw them. I really
believe, that if this pictures where taken with the latest 500000 lines/mm super
contrast apo-dapo lens, the result would have been less impressive.

What I trying to say is: There is a place for all the different photographic
equipment.

It depends what your needs are. I suppose for today's professional, it is a must to
have the latest and best equipment. The professional can not afford to take chances.
it is his lively hood.  The professional in his spare time or the amateur (who of
course also likes to have the latest equipment if he can our could afford it)  can
use existing, sometimes fairly old equipment and get results. Often the results don't
match up technically to the ones taken with the latest equipment. but if the motive
is good and the picture has the power to
impress, who cares if it is not technically perfect. By the way, who decides what is
technically perfect.

The above was in no way intended to knock or belittle the latest lens or camera
performance. Not at all. The intention was to defend the notion, held by some, that
only the latest in technology is usable and all the rest is crapp and that only the
lines/mm count.

I maintain, that I get a better and more pleasing print  when taken with my (luckily
coated) Summar, than with the latest Summicron when shooting an extremely contrasty
scene.
Example: A bright sunny day in a forest when the sun comes from the side, or of an
Australian dusty dry country town. Try it and you may agree. On the other hand the
Summar can often not compare with an evening scene, taken wide open with the
Summicron.

Replies: Reply from "Tony Salce" <NadinaTony@bigpond.com> (Re: [Leica] Horses for Courses)
In reply to: Message from Tina Manley <images@InfoAve.Net> (Re: [Leica] Some history)
Message from Ted <tedgrant@home.com> (Re: [Leica] Some history)