Leica Mx + just ONE lens for 12x16" enlargements. Which lens you choose?

[nom]

You need to shoot a number of photos of an island for an assignment but you are only allowed to use one lens of one focal length! (so, NO Tri Elmar please!)

Quality is VERY important and the photos will be enlarged to (about) 12x18".

You can use a tripod but it's sure that you will walk for miles in difficult areas in high temperatures. (No, I am not going to hell - yet!) :O)

1) Which one lens would you use on your Leica M?

2) Would you choose to use your -heavy- medium format camera with one lens instead?

3) Would you leave your tripod at home?

 

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Greetings from Greece,

Jordan.

[karl_georg_wolf]

Hallo Jordan,

 

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hope your island has a darkroom and/ or a filmprocessing plant.

Otherwise yozu might end up looking at unprocessed filmrolls.

 

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I don´t think i would take a tripod along, but my camera would be a

LEICA M with a 35 mm Summicron- lens. Together with the proper

lensshade and some filters, especially a polarizing one.

 

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Happy journey

 

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K. G. Wolf

[karl_georg_wolf]

Hallo Jordan,

 

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hope your island has a darkroom and/ or a filmprocessing plant.

Otherwise yozu might end up looking at unprocessed filmrolls.

 

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I don´t think i would take a tripod along, but my camera would be a

LEICA M with a 35 mm Summicron- lens. Together with the proper

lensshade and some filters, especially a polarizing one.

 

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Happy journey

 

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K. G. Wolf

 

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(I just try a second posting. Do not know if the above message was

submitted)

[andy_piper2]

1) Either 35 Summicron pre-ASPH or 21 Elmarit P-ASPH, depending on

which island.

 

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2) No, even if I had one. 8^)

 

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3) Depends on nature of assignment, but either no tripod or tabletop

tripod with ball head.

[mostly sports]

Andy, I'm curious why pre-ASPH Summicron? I would assume landscape

would be shot at f/8 or f/11, with no concern for bokeh.

[damond_lam]

M6 with 35/1.4 Sumilux ASPH. Tripod is a must. Remember to always put

on lens hood and remove any UV filter during shooting.

[jackflesher]

Jordan:

 

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It would really depend on the specific nature of the assignment,

but...

 

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1) 35mm asph Summilux.

 

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2) No. Especially since you won't be enlarging much beyond 11x.

(However, if the assignment was for a mixture of geography and

people, and I did not expect to have to do any real low-light work, I

might be tempted to take the very light-weight Mamiya 7 with its 80;

and if the assignment was primarily for the geography, and not any

people, I might be tempted to take my 4x5 - with tripod! - and a

90mm.)

 

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3) No. I'd bring my lightweight Gitzo 12 series -- that is unless I

knew for sure people (street) were the only thing I was going to be

photographing...

[albert_smith]

If this is a hypothetical exercise, then fine. But if it is a real

situation, then from a practical point there would be no hindrance to

using two lenses if we are talking about a Leica M as the camera.

Both the 35mm and 50mm Summicrons just about fall within the physical

size of a roll of film, (and I am sure you are not just bringing one

roll of film), so I would bring both. They both exhibit the quality

desired, both are universally useful in most situations, and their

profile (size / weight) is optimized for unencumbered trekking.

 

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As far as the hypothetical exercise, for me it would be an M6, with

the 50mm Summicron... no wait, the 35mm... no, the 50's good... no....

 

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If you were not restricting the enlargement size to such a small

print, but had the same criteria, (one lens, one camera) I'd use my

TLR RolleiFlex 3.5F with Planar lens and 220 film capability. With

the neck strap pulled tight, and camera pressed into the chest, no

tripod is required usually.

[william_mitchell]

Jordan,

From my travel experiences on the Greek islands [ over the last 43

years], I'd suggest that you (1) select the 75mm Summilux , together

with the heaviest tripod you are willing to carry (ala the 3-series

Gitzo,plus a table top model should you be in a village setting, for

example;) or (2) I agree with the earlier suggestion about

considering the Mamiya 7, with either the 150 lens. Again take a

tripod. While they may be tapering off now, the "meltemia" (trade

winds) can still be a challenge--even with a tripod. So, consider

taking empty "bean" bags that you can fill with dirt/rocks on

location to help stabilize your tripod.Given your stated

requirements, the tripod is a must.

Happy shooting,

BILL

[wilhelm]

What kind of oddball print is 12x16? Do you mean 12x18, or perhaps

10x15?

[nom]

My friends,

 

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Thank you all for your interesting answers.

The size I am talking is "about" 12x16 inches! that is: 30x40cm or

30x45cm !

 

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Bill, it is obvious that you know a lot about my country! It also

looks like we are the only who would consider a non-wide angle lens

as our one lens!

 

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It's not a big surprise though, as most people would use a 35mm lens

(or wider) for landscape. (But landscape is not the only theme in an

island of course.) And even in landscapes I love tight compositions

too.

 

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2) So, you think that for 30x40cm prints the Leica M will have no

visible differences from a 6x7 negative?

What about the color "sparkle" and "punch"?

I am ready to quit the medium format game and to invest this money to

digital, so, this IS important for me! If Leica M could deliver equal

results up to 30x40cm I would be really happy. BUT, I don't think

sooo!...

 

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Jordan.

[andy_piper2]

Phil - I was thinking of an island as in David Alan Harvey's CUBA -

I'm a people photographer primarily. And as to why the pre-ASPH,

because it's the one I already own.

[mark_johnson3]

Jordan:

 

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I have not been to Greece, but I would probably choose a lens based

on the lighting conditions. If it was low light, I would use my 90

Elmar otherwise the 90 Summicron. If a tripod was an option, I would

leave it behind and use the weight for a second lens, 28 Elmarit.

Like others, I prefer a short telephoto for people shots. Handholding

an M is not a problem hence no tripod. Another question would be

what type of film to use. I would probably shoot with transparency

film for the narrow exposure latitude and leave the color choice away

from the lab doing the printing.

 

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How about posting some pictures of this Island for us to see?

 

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Mark J.

[Rob F.]

I should think the 75mm or 90mm would be a bit restrictive for many

shots. I think I'd be wishing I'd at least taken the 50, if not the

35. I wouldn't go wider than 35 if taking only one lens. A wider

one would make it hard to isolate the important elements, when

necessary. 35 or 50 for me.

[tim_robinson]

Not so much the lens but the FILM. That to me is a big print

froom 35mm. Tropical islands to me need grainless photos if

you are shooting for the travel industry. Velvia is the choice for

transpariencies but for col neg i don't think any one makes a

good film for that size prints. 160 NC is a tad less grainy than

160 VC and 100 gold is a tad less again. I shot a job in the Cook

Islands with 160 VC on my R6 and M6 with 35 cron and i thought

the saturation was not good enough for the tropics and the grain

was noticable on full magazine page shots. I am packing my bag

as we speak to do a job in Fiji. I am taking M6 with 24mm and

35 cron and my r6 with 60mm macro and a widelux. Film ????? I

still don't know but it will be between VELVIA ,RDPIII AND REALA.

My film scaning person hates reala to scan and wants me to

shoot 160 VC again. I think i would rather do a print from the

REALA and then scan that. Ease of exposure is my only reason

for shooting Neg.I would shoot 3 times more film to makesure i

got the shot if i was shooting tranny. I still have not ruled it out

though. To answer your other Question there is no substitute for

neg size. You are better of shooting as big as you can. The

FUJICA 6X9 will beat any leica any day. (only 8 frames per roll

though.)

[tapas_maiti4]

Hi Jordan

 

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You want quality for landscape photos - medium format without a

doubt.

 

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I would use a Hasselblad with 60mm/100mm lens (or maybe an SWC

depending on the shots I wanted to take) and a tripod - not that

heavy to carry, I've carried heavier up mountains with no problems.

 

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I would use Agfa 25 developed in Rodinal, no 35mm will touch this

combination.

 

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35mm = convenience, speed and surprisingly good quality but on

quality alone - medium format kicks it way into touch.

 

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Tapas

[victor_randin]

For best quality of the 12X18 prints I would take with me:

 

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1) a Linhof ST 23 Vb & a SA 65mm/f5.6 & a Super Rollex 6x9 & tripod;

 

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or 2)Linhof 220 (a little worse due to cropping from a neg 5x7 to the

ratio of 2x3, the lens is 95mm/f3.5,), with no tripod;

 

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or 3) Hasselblad 500-serie with Distagon 60mm/f3.5, (cropping too

when an A12, no cropping when an A16), with or no tripod;

 

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or 4) any Rolleiflex 2.8 or 3.5 with a Planar or a Xenotar (need

cropping too when printing), with no tripod;

 

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or at least 5) any Leica M-serie with any 35mm Summicron/'lux.