Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/03/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> Those of you older than a certain age who visited New York's Grand Central > Station will remember the Kodak exhibit that occupied one wall in the > concourse. Every month a seasonal scene was featured on a giant backlit > frame measuring 30 by 20 feet. Almost invisible in the corner of the frame > was the original Kodachrome slide which was enlarged to make the picture. > Back of envelope calculation reveals that it was a 240X enlargement. Of > course you had to look at it from 40 feet away. > Larry Z > In a photo class I learned there is such a thing as a "viewing distance" A kind of ideal distance to view a print with which to my amazement has really something to be said for it . And no they are not saying it is not ok to view a print at any distance you want. 240 x 2 if you're using a 50mm 2 inch lens. Magnification x focal lens in inches in this case 240 * 2 = 480 inches viewing distance. 480 / 12 = 40 feet viewing distance. I tried this out and there is something satisfying from looking at a print form the proper viewing distance. At 40 feet your not going to be studying the grain clump formations like you would be if you were 2 feet away. But if you were shooting with a 24mm one inch lens your so called proper viewing distance is 20 feet away. And with a super wise 12 it would be 10 which is proably not a good distance nor lenes to be using for such murals. As a matter of fact I bet they try to use teles. So it feels perfect looking at them from clear across the terminal. This always gets flames on a list. People will swear I'm telling them there is only one distance you're allowed to look at a print. I've been through this 4 times in 15 years. [Rabs] Mark William Rabiner