[Leica] Grand Canyon lens?

[Tom Finnegan <TomF@piengr.com>]

I just returned from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon where I used a number
of lenses,  the widest being a 24mm Elmarit f 2.8... a lens that I love. Of
course,  the question I had concerned the theroretical best ultra wide lens
for such  a  dramatic landscape.

I'd appreciate your thoughts/experience  about the  "best" ultra-wide angle
for this terrain... with minimum  distortion, able to grasp the immensity
and the perspective?     Steve
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The view of the Grand Canyon is what one might call 'pretty gosh darn huge'.
I think the reason that most people are disappointed with their pictures of
such a scene is that they try and squeeze this mind-boggingly immense view
down to a little 4x6 print. It just doesn't look quite the same though.

What you need to do is forget all these pitifully small print sizes and go
large. To go large you'll then want as big a piece of film as is practical.
I'd suggest 8x10 as you can still get enlargements. The larger film sizes
tend to be limited to contact prints. Who wants a wimpy little 20x24 print
of the Grand Canyon when you can have 48x60?!

Now that you have your 8x10 camera, Ries tripod, darkcloth, and holders full
of Velvia, what lens do you put on? Well, I don't know any specifics of this
lens, but Lens and Repro in New York has a 60mm Goerz Hypergon advertised
that they say covers 8x10 and has an angle of view of 135 degrees. For
comparison, the Cosina 12mm Ultra-Wide has an angle of view of 121 degrees.
So I guess that would make the Hypergon a Super-Ultra-Wide.

Another option would be to use one of the old Cirkut panoramic cameras like
was used to produce the following picture,

http://home.adelphia.net/~cirkut/Morgantown1919.html

Tom Finnegan
Seattle