Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/12

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Subject: [Leica] Formats...was 6x9/6x7/6x4.5..
From: Peter Miller <peter@silverprintpress.com>
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 19:23:37 -0400

><Snip>
>>  larger format, say the 5x7,  for a formal response. The book is a
>>  perspective of  Vermont land and the people who care for it. It is
>>  history and the larger format may be the best way to go.
>>
>  If I had only one camera, it would be the Leica...Peter Miller

>  > --
>  >
>  >
>I loved that cover shot for the Vermont People which is a squareÖ 
>The two heads
>at the bottom. What bummed you out on squares?
>You'd be able to back your Leica up with a Rolleiflex 2.8 F if you didn't have
that detestation..Marc Rabiner

Yes, the cover was shot with the Rolleiflex. I am not bummed out at 
the square format so much as that years ago I sold that Rollei 2.8 
Planar.  I miss the low angles and the bokeh is that what you call 
it? I believe the Planar was a 80mm. I use a 135mm Macro on the 6x7 
Pentax which allows me to get closer to people.  Pentax makes some 
good lens, particularly the 75mm. The 135mm is okay and serves the 
purpose. I have the old Pentax 6x7 and it is a bugger to focus and is 
a scary camera to shove into someone's face.

The layout of the Plains book was horizontal so it could accomodate 
the 6x17 format. I have a tendency to fill the frame and I backed off 
with the Mamiya 6x6 so I could end up with a horizontal or a 
vertical, rather than a square, giving the designer more latitude in 
laying out the 9x12 pages. So in effect I was not utilizing the whole 
frame.

The other day I was photographing a woman for the Vermont Farm Women 
book. I was shooting black and white with three Leica M6's, as I try 
to keep from changing lenses. Some pix screamed for color and I just 
didn't want to carry a Nikon. Got to thinking. Maybe that Contax with 
a zoom lens if they make one would be a good sort of point-and-shoot 
color camera.

Peter Miller




- -- 


Vermont People, People of the Great Plains, and The First Time I Saw 
Paris, books by Peter Miller, can be viewed at 
http://www.silverprintpress.com. Peter Miller's stock photography can 
be searched at http://www.yankeeimage.com. 

Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabiner.cncoffice.com> (Re: [Leica] Formats...was 6x9/6x7/6x4.5..)