Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/05/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Nathan wrote, > I disagree. How much attention one pays to the > lenses has more to do > with one's dedication to photography than with the > choice of film vs. > digital. In the film days, people buying point and > shoots or entry > level-SLRs with some cheap kit lens also did not > care that much as long > as their drugstore 4x6 prints "came out" acceptable. I think that equally dedicated photographers may differ in the weight they assign to the nuances of lens choice and indeed to gear choice in general. Some find paradise in the ability to discern fine distinctions at high magnification (I can often found among them). Others regard the gear thing as the narcissism of small differences. At a potluck dinner party last weekend -- drinking plonk side-by-side with cru classe Bordeaux -- I met a photographer who has just finished a month-long stint as an artist-in-residence at a local college and who has been shooting and exhibiting widely for years. She currently works in digital and her work is highly-post processed in PS. I asked her what kind of camera she was using, and she told me the brand but was blithely innocent of and unconcerned with the technical details, including the model and the lens. She was, however, duly impressed when I revealed that I had a Leica -- she of course had heard of it, but never had the chance to actually *touch* one (naturally I wouldn't let her near mine). So, to cut to the chase, I don't know much from art, and I wasn't crazy about her photos, but they did represent a coherent body of work. That shows some dedication, as she has been doing this since college, has organized her life and livelihood around it, and seems to derive satisfaction from what could only be described as the life of a photographic artist. But perhaps proving your point: although I enjoy fondling my Leica (in a non-dedicated way), I also confess to enjoying my cheapo point and shoot cameras, both film and digital, and even use my local drugstore for 4x6 color snaps, as I haven't been able to figure out how to install Photoshop on my enlarger. Now, back to refining my lens collection, which will turn me into the true artist I know I was meant to be. :-) cheers Peter. SF, CA --- Nathan Wajsman <nathan@nathanfoto.com> wrote: > I disagree. How much attention one pays to the > lenses has more to do > with one's dedication to photography than with the > choice of film vs. > digital. In the film days, people buying point and > shoots or entry > level-SLRs with some cheap kit lens also did not > care that much as long > as their drugstore 4x6 prints "came out" acceptable. > In some ways, > digital imaging forces one to pay even more > attention to lenses because > the workflow includes looking at images at > magnifications rarely used in > the film world (for example, when spotting images at > 100% in Photoshop). > > And BTW, all my Canon lenses are "film" lenses, i.e. > regular Canon L lenses. > > Nathan > > D Khong wrote: > > Friends, > > > > All the recent discussions about lenses have been > meaningful and > > informative > > and brought back a few fond memories. As I > remember, the LUG was full of > > flavorful and healthy exchanges concerning Leica > lenses, cameras, > > accessories, and the odd OT stuffs like Tilley > hats, single malt > > whiskeys, > > etc. > > > > Digital imaging seem to have pushed the film > lenses aside as more > > discussion > > was on digital camera performances megapixels,and > image storage, > > manipulation and stuffs in that direction. Most > people who buy digital > > cameras don't even know, or ask or probably even > care what lenses or > > lemons > > they got with their shiny new toy. Film users were > a tad more > > knowlegeable > > or at least we were asked to make a choice between > some prime optic or > > those > > do it all zooms when we bought a camera body. > > > > I hope the M8 (or some competitor of it) brings > back new life into old > > lenses! > > > > Happy snaps. > > > > Dan K. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug > for more information > > > > > > -- > Nathan Wajsman > Almere, The Netherlands > > Opportunistic Image Acquisition > > General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com and > http://www.greatpix.eu > Picture-A-Week: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws > Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com > > Stock photography: > http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman > http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507 > Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com > > Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog > > > SUPPORT FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUY DANISH PRODUCTS! > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for > more information > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a PS3 game guru. 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