Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/09/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Sep 23, 2010, at 9:41 AM, Chris Saganich wrote: > > Yea, contrast is a light thing. I keep proper hoods on always and it > helps. Here are some examples of DR images of varying contrast the only > difference being the light and exposure as I use the same film and > processing. > > > http://www.imagebrooklyn.com/street_pages_2010/bs026.htm > > http://www.imagebrooklyn.com/street_pages_2010/bs029.htm > > http://www.imagebrooklyn.com/Family%20Album/Friends%20Family%20Pages/FF%20284.htm IMHO this image above is a truly great photo, technically sure, but especially its content and composition, Steve > > http://www.imagebrooklyn.com/Family%20Album/Friends%20Family%20Pages/FF%20274.htm > > Similar era Elmarit 50mm/2.8 > > http://www.imagebrooklyn.com/Family%20Album/Friends%20Family%20Pages/FF%20298.htm > > http://www.imagebrooklyn.com/Family%20Album/Friends%20Family%20Pages/FF%20297.htm > > > > At 05:54 PM 9/22/2010, you wrote: > > > >> I agree A lower contrast lens is "poorly implemented". >> In most cases though its an old lens from many previous decades which >> people >> are loving the characteristics of through the filter of their nostalgia. >> The lens is just old. In many cases needs to be cleaned. >> In modern terms its just a lower end lens. A lens in which less money has >> been invested. In older terms a lens with no or more privative coatings >> and >> with a more primitive optical design from what they knew then with more >> privative glass choice possibilities. And no pocket calculators helping >> them >> out. >> >> To make an image from a lower contrast optic means we have to jack up the >> contrast in the end. Resulting in more grain or noise. We then deal with >> that. >> >> Lower contrast optics are lovingly descried as "easier to print" but I've >> always found them more difficult to print as I've said above.. And I've >> seen few actually examples of these "easier to print" lenses on my screen >> or >> in hand. >> >> I'm not sure if the Leica M 50/2 Dual Range Summicron is a classic example >> of a lower contrast optic or not. I don't think low contrast is the >> defining >> characteristic of this lens. I think it has a bundle of positive >> attributes >> and may be a tad low in the contrast end. I'd love to be using one. >> >> -------------------- >> Mark William Rabiner >> Photography >> mark at rabinergroup.com >> >> >> > From: Herbert Kanner <kanner at acm.org> >> > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> > Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:29:20 -0700 >> > To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Salgado S2 >> > >> > As someone who was once a physicist before I went really wrong and >> > became an incompetent computer programmer (Physics Ph.D. 1951, U. of >> > Chicago) I want to comment on what could make a "low contrast lens". >> > A lens per se cannot manipulate contrast, it merely refracts what is >> > there. But miscellaneous scattered light not coming from the image >> > will reduce contrast as if the film (or sensor) had been exposed to a >> > low level of miscellaneous distributed light before or after the >> > actual taking of the picture. It is the same phenomenon that we try >> > to avoid by using a lens hood: scattered light inside the lens. So, >> > in my opinion, a "low contrast lens" is just a poorly implemented >> > lens: failure to coat internal elements, shiny internal structural >> > parts, whatever. >> > >> > Herb >> > >> > >> > >> >> If Salgato is looking for a "low contrast lens" then it would have >> >> been >> >> better he took some photo courses instead of economic courses As that's >> >> photo dumb stuff 101. He's thinking a "low contrast lens" will give >> >> him more >> >> latitude he's wrong. Presumptuous of me to say? Well you do hear some >> >> real >> >> misconceptions about basic photo craft coming from some top level >> >> people old >> >> timers or young timers. People who go to school to methodically study >> >> something but when they switch to photography when they get out they >> >> decide >> >> they're just going to be self taught deal. With photography being >> >> mainly an >> >> avocation or self taught vocation there's going to be lots of wrong >> >> stuff >> >> floating around. And now we have the internet. >> >> >> >> -------------------- >> >> Mark William Rabiner >> >> Photography >> >> mark at rabinergroup.com >> >> >> >> >> >>> From: Richard Man <richard at imagecraft.com> >> >>> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> >>> Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 22:23:01 -0700 >> >>> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> >>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Salgado S2 >> >>> >> >>> Heh, my summary of the talk I attended by Mr. Salgado a couple years >> >>> which >> >>> has pretty much the exact information is still my most popular blog >> >>> post. >> >>> People still find it and link to it... >> >>> >> >>> There is no evidence that he has switch to the S2... yet. He said he >> >>> is >> >>> looking for "low contrast" lens so I'm not sure whether the S2 lens >> >>> would >> >>> do... >> >>> >> >>> On Tue, Sep 21, 2010 at 10:15 PM, Mark Rabiner >> >> <mark at rabinergroup.com>wrote: >> >>> >> >>>> " On a more technical front, Sebastiao Salgado spoke about film vs. >> >>>> digital. >> >>>> He no longer shoots with film as the reasons to go digital mounted >> >>>> up.?The >> >>>> silver in current medium format films, are currently at levels that >> >>>> 35mm >> >>>> was >> >>>> 25 years ago.?The 600 rolls of 220 he carried on shoots weighed >> >>>> about 60 >> >>>> lbs.?After 9/11 the security checkpoint that he goes through with >> >>>> exposed >> >>>> film (he told us 7 on the last trip) has affected the grain and >> >> contrast of >> >>>> the exposed film.?Plus there was the inevitable fight at each >> >> checkpoint to >> >>>> hand check the film. His assistant almost quit on his last trip from >> >>>> the >> >>>> constant battles.?So now it's a Canon DSLR for him. 21 megapixels >> >>>> strong. >> >>>> But he is also looking at that new LeicaS2 with 37 megapixels.?And >> >>>> his >> >>>> "film"? about 1.5 lbs of cards." >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >> http://www.examiner.com/photography-in-national/sebastiao-salgado-the-genesi >> >>>> >> >> s-project<http://www.examiner.com/photography-in-national/sebastiao-salgado-t>>>> >> >> he-genesi%0As-project> >> >>>> Or >> >>>> http://tinyurl.com/365nozf >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>> -- >> >>> // richard <http://www.imagecraft.com/> >> >>> // icc blog: <http://imagecraft.wordpress.com> >> >>> // photo blog: <http://www.5pmlight.com> >> >>> [ For technical support on ImageCraft products, please include all >> >>> previous >> >>> replies in your msgs. ] >> >>> >> >>> _______________________________________________ >> >>> 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 >> > >> > -- >> > Herbert Kanner >> > kanner at acm.org >> > 650-326-8204 >> > >> > Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, >> > for they are subtle and will pee >> > on your computer! >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > 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 > > Chris Saganich MS, CPH > Senior Physicist, Office of Health Physics > Weill Medical College of Cornell University > New York Presbyterian Hospital > chs2018 at med.cornell.edu > http://intranet.med.cornell.edu/research/health_phys/ > Ph. 212.746.6964 > Fax. 212.746.4800 > Office A-0049 > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information