[Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

B. D. Colen said :
Subject: Re: [Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...


 > If you're shooting in a dark setting in which there are highlights - say 
in
> a room with candle light, there's usually plenty of light on the subject -
> maybe a face - to shoot at 800, maybe 1600 - at a 1.4 at 1/15th, maybe 
> 1.4.
> Obviously it's advantageous to shoot at f 1 because you can up the shutter
> speed.<<<

Hi B. D.,
The higher shutter speed in most cases is the reason I use it simply because 
I can get away with hand holding at 1/4 or 1/8th, but always living 
dangerously. But if at f 1.0 I can get 1/15th the chances are I'll have an 
exposure that captures the scene without any shaking.

> However, when there is essentially no light on the scene, whatever you 
> shoot
> with you generally get a flat, dirty image. So f1 or no f1 - what's the
> point unless you absolutely must get that shot of Ahmed Chalabi passing
> documents to Dick Chaney?<<<<<<<<<

And that's exactly why mine has been used on occasion. Basically being able 
to get an image of something happening that shouldn't be happening.

> If it's dim and dark to your eyes, the final result is going to be dim and 
> dark - Noctilux or no Noctilux.<<<

Absolutely! Even where I could get an exposure I thought was cool, when we 
printed it, it became crap and never saw the light of day.

One must use some intelligence with the lens under extreme light conditions 
and the reason for trying to shoot. As I said above, sometimes it's to get 
an image no matter how grungy it looks. The other is getting a picture where 
it actually does work and creates quite an effective image.

Another reason for my using it is, when I shoot indoors even with a fair 
amount of light I can work with slower speed film, therefore higher shutter 
speeds and possibly better looking prints. In colour or B&W.

> Again, it seems to me the real advantage of the Noctilux is its allowing 
> you to shoot
> at one shutter speed faster than you might otherwise shoot - which can be
> the difference between getting and not getting a useable image.<

No question!

ted