[Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Sonny said,

>>Well of course!  I am just now learning the Noctilux, only used  it a 
>>couple
months, and there have been some disasters, but when the pictures  shine, 
they
are wonderful.  I am trying to learn how to use the lens to its  best
advantage, not as a freak lens.  It fits right into my desire to show 
everything
around me.<<

Hi Sonny,
It's a beauty to use and seems to grab moments in a way other lenses don't. 
What do I mean by that?  Heck I don't know technically, they just look neat, 
like it seems to give a scene a feel good feeling and different when yer 
right on the mark with it.

I know a good number of the lads have a problem with the weight, that's a 
given, because it's a hefty mother alright. But the cool thing is, the extra 
weight allows one to get a better heft to it, therefore making it steadier 
to hold at slower shutter speeds. ;-)

No question, it's a lens you have to learn how to become comfortable with 
and certainly not for someone who doesn't have the where withal to shoot 
wide open.

I can't ever understand why a person would buy the Noctilux, then shoot most 
of their pictures stopped down. Isn't it the fact it has a f 1.0 aperture 
for available darkness or seemingly so, the reason for buying this lens? 
Shoot where others fear to tread?

No you don't have to shoot everything wide open. I used mine simply as a 
50mm lens and shot lots of photos indoors or out at other apertures. But the 
"tool factor" is, it sure was a great tool to have when you needed something 
completely different from the Twinkie flashing shooters and their strobes 
flashing all over the place. :-)

I truly like the lens because you can do so many things with it compared to 
others. I use it as a working tool when I need major separation between 
subject and background, we see this so often in the beautiful work Steve 
Barbour does in the hospital environment time after time.

So Sonny, lot's of good fortune with it as I don't have any doubt you'll be 
blowing us away with it in short order. That is if you haven't already done 
that. And if that's the case, I apologize for missing it.

ted

Ted Grant Photography Limited
1817 Feltham Road
Victoria BC  V8N 2A4
250-477-2156