Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/05

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Leicas on Tripods
From: Darrell Jennings <darrell_jennings@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 20:45:28 -0700 (PDT)

Like a number of people on the list I have Hasselblad
and Leica. Leica can do lots of great stuff the
Hasselblad can't (like being small, subtle, and
quiet...OK the SWC does these well if you want wide,
but a 500 series is about as subtle as a M1 Tank)...

But sharper than a Hasselblad? Physics comes into
play, and good big is going to give a sharper image
than good small. I am happy with my Leicas, but I
would never say that they are "sharper" than the
Hassy's.  They are both great cameras and have their
places, but it's streching pretty far to say a Leica
is sharper....not any of mine are, including lenses
like the 90 APO which is pretty well known to be OK
when it comes to sharp. If I am printing a 35mm shot
with the 90 vs. a 6x6 shot with my 150mm it is obvious
in the final product well before 16x20 which one is
which. 

- --- Mark Rabiner <mark@markrabiner.com> wrote:
> John Brownlow wrote:
> > 
> > On 7/5/02 4:19 PM, "Mark Rabiner"
> <mark@markrabiner.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > I'm not sure a Hasselblad shot looks sharper at
> 11x14 than a Leica shot.
> > 
> > Possibly not, because the grain can make the
> smaller neg look sharper. A lot
> > of 4x5 newbs (like me) are surprised at the
> apparent softeness of their big
> > negs... Closer inspection shows they are indeed
> sharp but they sure look
> > different.
> > --
> > John Brownlow
> > 
> We get used to looking at the grain to ascertain how
> "sharp" the image
> is but I guess we are looking at how sharp the grain
> is instead. There
> may be a correlation between the two. Id like to
> think so.
> Like you say the smoothness of an apparently
> grainless image gets
> confused for less sharpness.
> But the richness can not be ignored.
> 
> I may be that we somehow think a "richer" image
> (that one gets from only
> magnifying your negative very few times) ..a richer
> image makes for a
> less sharp image.  We've seen so many thin sharp
> images. Printed on
> Brovira 6. Developed in Rodinal 1:100
> 
> 
> Mark Rabiner
> Portland, Oregon USA
> http://www.markrabiner.com
> --
> To unsubscribe, see
http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free
http://sbc.yahoo.com
- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html