Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/06/17

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Subject: [Leica] Good bokeh from 135 APO
From: "Zeissler, Mitch" <mzeissle@gannett.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 13:38:54 -0400

All...

I recently picked up a used 135 APO and am slowly getting familiar with it.  So far I have not had many opportunities for candid portraiture, but have been practicing instead on flora.  Below is a link to the best shot I recently took of some irises at a local aquatic plant / pond / koi center:

http://members.aol.com/zeissler/private/images/images/Scan284a.jpg
Specs for the shot are: M6/135 APO, Portra 400 NC @ EV 220, 1/1000 @ f/5.6

I am very pleased with the bokeh and painterly color rendition of this image, as it reminds me of the watercolor images I used to create many years ago and is similar to the imagery I can get with the Noct.  

As far as immediate observations of the 135 APO are concerned, I really like the weight savings it has over the 1974 135 f/2.8 goggled version I'd been using and that it isn't as bulky; not only does my back appreciate it, but I can hold it up for very long periods without my arms tiring.  Most of the shots I've taken with it appear to be much cleaner than those I took with the goggled version, as if some lens flare has been removed.  I do miss the framing of the goggles, though; even with my M6 0.85 and the 1.25x magnifier.  I don't find the half stop difference between the two [f/2.8 vs. f/3.4] to be significant; both are *way* too slow to be used handheld at slow shutter speeds in low light with slow emulsions.  The SF20 bounce setup I cobbled together works as well with it as with the goggled version.

Any comments are appreciated.

/Mitch
________________________________________________
Mitch Zeissler
  zeissler@directvinternet.com
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Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@markrabiner.com> (Re: [Leica] Good bokeh from 135 APO)