Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/03

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Subject: Re: [Leica] 6x9/6x7/6x4.5 rangefinders
From: Isaac Crawford <isaac@visi.net>
Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 22:01:31 -0400
References: <20010503235733.YYUS28160.femail2.sdc1.sfba.home.com@[65.1.114.25]>

henry wrote:
> 
> >       I've always heard that the Mamiya 7 lenses are blazingly sharp, but
> >what about the other characteristics? I'm interested in how the bokeh,
> >transition from focus to out of focus, and color perform on these
> >lenses. Are the first two less of a problem because the lenses are so
> >slow? Inquiring minds want to know...
> >
> >Isaac
> I think they look like modern Leica glass like the 35 ASPH Summicron,
> etc. in terms of the overall rendering. 


	High praise... couple this with the fact that the M7 is a very quiet
camera and it may be a great landscape camera...

I don't own one, I rent one
> fairly often, as needed. The 65 is just spectacular. So is the 80. I did
> a group picture of 700 people using the Mamiya 7 and a 65 - all of them
> fit on the 6X7 area and all were totally recognizable! Never seen such a
> negative. Actually I pieced 3 negs together so there were probably only
> 500 on the center negative - anyway it was pretty amazing. I've not used
> the 43 but I'd like to. I hear it is spectacular as well. Some day I
> might own a 7 and the 43 and 65. For now I can rent far cheaper. For me
> its a special use camera.

	I kinda feel that way about medium format in general... I prefer my 4x5
if I'm going to put something on a tripod, if I handhold, the Leica
usually wins out.
> 
> Its a bit sketchy using these cameras as if they are big Leicas. I find
> the focus at close range (which is not very close, thats another issue)
> to be just barely good enough for wide open up close work giving far more
> mis-focus shots than a 35mm camera. Its just the nature of the beast.
> Stop them down a bit and don't push the close shooting. For a
> travel/scenic camera for maximum walk-around quality this could be the
> champ.

Does sound good...

Isaac
> 
> Henry

In reply to: Message from henry <henry@henryambrose.com> (Re: [Leica] 6x9/6x7/6x4.5 rangefinders)