Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/04/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]excellent detail in the hair especially. Jay Ignaszewski -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+bonvini=optonline.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+bonvini=optonline.net@leica-users.org]On Behalf Of Philippe Orlent Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 4:37 AM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] Film/digital wars I do not understand this. Why should Leica's core be professional shooters? There are far more amateurs in the world than professionals. The digital war is lost anyway, and if I read all the replies on this subject, there's one constant: people shoot digital because they have to, because they don't have time anymore, because the market demands it, etc. But if it comes to real and pure photographic pleasure, they all use analog. As a kind of (almost physical) pleasure they grant themselves. What better tool for this than a Leica and its lenses? Maybe the company should focus a bit more on that. And forget about digital. This ofcourse will not make them the biggest photographic firm in the world, but then again, why should they? IMO A 50 people company making profit still is more interesting than a K people company making heavy losses. A Leica still stays the summum for many that love photography. I'm not saying the Herm?s approach was the good one either: that was just plain overpositioning and focusing on the wrong details. A snake leather cover doesn't make a Leica a better camera. Hey, maybe they need a good advertising campaign? About digital itself: true, quality is getting far more better than it ever has been in analog. But I'm starting to miss the organic feeling I always had with analog. Digital is getting so perfect, so overcrisp, that it is getting cold and for me almost unpleasant: as if it is lacking a soul. In most of the jobs I do (in digital), in postprocessing I strive to re-inject that natural feeling. Hell of a job, by the way. I had an interesting discussion lately with one of our production people concerning a B&W portrait shoot I directed. It was shot in analog on 6x6, for the grain, DOF and a certain softness. Then the negative was scanned an retouched, and digitally printed. He suggested to next time first print the image traditionally, and than digitally edit it. He said he was lacking the "softness" he expected for such a portrait due to the "harshness" of the scan. (We're talking about 1% differences here.) My guess is that, in advertising and fashion, there will be a (re-)hausse in analog shortly. This is one of the 4 portraits. I will let you decide for yourself if it's too harsh or not (CAUTION: BIG file): http://users.telenet.be/philippe.orlent/Ilse_final.jpg Photography by Benny De Grove (http://www.benny-degrove.com) for a client of ours, Telenet. This image is, ofcourse, heavily copyrighted :-) Philippe > From: MIKIRO <miki@arbos.net> > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> > Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 12:18:50 +0900 > To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Film/digital wars > > B.D. > > I am rather surprised to see not a few Luggers practically abandoning > film, although there may be no choice for pros. I once gave up film (and > thus Leica), but have recently started to shoot film again regularly. I > agree that doing all digital fails to give us something, and some > (including me) revisit film in due course. In fact I have parted with > D-SLRs and now live with a combination of M6 and R-D1. > > To keep more people with Leica film photography, we may paradoxically > need an M-mount rangefinder digicam with less compromise, be it M > digital, R-D2, or Zeiss Ikon D. > > MIKIRO > > B. D. Colen wrote: >> I'd suggest there's a point the digital naysayers here are missing - and >> that is that this IS the Leica Users Group. All of us are or were >> committed to the use of Leica film equipment, despite the fact that it >> is all essentially 1954 technology. This is not a general photo list, >> filled with technology geeks who only care about something being the >> latest and greatest. I have more money invested in M and other film >> equipment than many on this list, and far less than others. But I was a >> dedicated film shooter for more than 40 years, and shot film >> professionally. Yet... >> >> Many of us, dedicated Leica users every one, have learned through >> experience that digital offers us everything film offered us and more. >> We haven't made the switch because we're hooked on the latest thing, or >> because we're techies. We've made the switch as photographers who see >> digital offering us advantages that film didn't. Period. >> >> This is not to suggest that those who don't want to switch should - >> shoot film as long as you enjoy shooting it and can get it. But >> recognize that when the Ted Grants, and Tina Manleys of this list - >> fantastic Leica enthusiasts and very successful professionals - tell you >> that they can do things with their digital equipment that they couldn't >> do with their Leica film cameras, and that they are getting quality from >> digital equal to that which they were getting for film, they are not >> blowing smoke. And the real bottom line is that some of those people >> have forgotten more about film photography than most of us will ever >> learn. ;-) >> >> B. D. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information