anon_terry

Actually Phil, all things considered you may in fact be right.

Almost none of my posts here really have anything to do with "Leica

Photography" as discussed in this forum (equipment fetishism and what

Lord Puts says in his bible). I tried to get some interest going in

a serious photo club locally whose members would leave their

equipment at home and just bring their pictures and assignment

ideas. No response. I suppose it's true that most "photographers",

like audiophiles, car freaks, etc., just use their equipment for

Viagra substitutes instead of what they're supposed to be used for.

I'm going to stop wasting my time posting here and get cranking on

some of my projects. Thanks for the revelation.

<p>And don't worry, I won't let the door hit me on the way out.

<i>Plastic has many mechanical advantages over metal, when used

appropriately. </i>

<p>When used appropriately, indeed. For buttons and body casings,

maybe. But for a part subjected to repeated back-and-forth stresses

like an on-off switch? Sorry but I think metal would be better in

this case. I'd also prefer the rewind knob to be (softer) metal,

because even if it gets bent it can still work. If the plastic (or

brittle metal) one breaks, good luck getting your film out of your

camera.

<p><i>Plus a cost advantage, I would have thought. </i>

<p>Bingo! Too bad the cost advantage isn't reflected in the retail

price! But that's another post altogether... :-)

I'm not sure which edition you have, but "The Photographic Essay" was

first published in 1989. I have the 1991 (2nd) edition, and on the

back cover, as you already mentioned, the only other book mentioned

in the series is Demarchelier's.

<p>In any case, I highly recommend William Albert Allard's recent

publication <a

href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0792264185/qid=1020088106

/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_67_1/103-8183051-8448607" target="_blank">Portraits

of America</a> if you want an expansion of the material covered in

your book.

<i>And I'm bid how much for my Leitz M6? </i>

<p>Don't be so smug. My last Leica to bail out on me was none other

than the "legendary" Leitz Wetzlar M6. I discovered during an

important shoot that 1/15 was occasionally (every 4th to 10th shot)

firing at 1/8. No big deal as I was shooting print film, but

potentially disastrous had I been shooting chromes.

<i>Can I put it in my pocket like my Leitz M6, Elmar-M 50mm f/2.8?

</i>

<p>Can you hide your Leitz M6 in your palm or pretend to use it as a

cellphone like my Ricoh GR1V? Can I pretend I'm lighting a cigarette

with my GR1V like I do with my Minox 8x11? Sheesh.

<i>Erwin just bought a 50mm Elmar-M to go with his new M7.... </i>

<p>Yawn...

<p><i>IMO as a Leica and Hasselblad user, if you want the medium-

format look, look to medium format.

<p>If you want spectacular medium format look, pick up an old

Rolleicord or flex for less than the cost of the Elmar.

<p>You cannot produce a true medium format look w. 35mm.</i>

<p>Finally, some reality and common sense in this forum. As an ex-

Hasselblad user (503CW/80f2.8), I strongly suspect that people who

claim that they can get "medium format results" from Leica (or any

35mm for that matter) have never actually used medium format.

Trying to squeeze the most quality out of your 35mm by using slow,

fine grained film? The faster lens is almost always the better

performer. My Nikon 28/1.4 for my purposes (handheld low light

photography) is sharper than the 28/2-M ASPH and kicks the pants off

the 28/2.8-M. When the last two are riding the edge at 1/15 and 1/8

respectively, I'm getting 1/30. That makes for a big, consistent

difference in sharpness in the final result. "Yeah, but which one is

sharper, bolted to a wooden Ries tripod?" I'd venture to guess the

28/2.8-M, all things being equal (although I have heard that it is

superceded by the 28/2-M ASPH due to an improved optical design, I

can't confirm this as I <b>haven't tested them myself</b>). But then

you're barking up the wrong tree, get yourself a Mamiya 7.

Your local supermarket. It comes in single- or two-ply, I prefer the

latter as it's more comfortable ;)

<p>Seriously, if you're going to spend good money on a book, try <a

href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0714839388/103-8183051-

8448607" target="_blank">this one</a>, <a

href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0714838217/qid=1020003869

/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-8183051-8448607" target="_blank">this one</a>,

or <a

href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0792264185/qid=1020003897

/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-8183051-8448607" target="_blank">this

one</a>. Buying a book of somebody else's lens tests, especially

when that someone is well known to be a cheerleader for the brand

they are testing, is the worst waste of money I can think of. If you

really want to give your money away, at least give it to a <a

href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/help/index.html"

target="_blank">worthy cause</a>.

<i>The only Leica problem I experienced was that a screw fell out of

the front barrel of the 28/2 and it's now loose.</i>

<p>This is why I bring along a <a

href="http://www.wihatools.com/microset.htm" target=_blank">Wiha

Precision Screwdriver Set</a> when I travel. A bit expensive

compared to the 99 cent store knockoffs, but I've been using

precision tools a long time and believe me, you get what you pay for.

<i>In one issue I think from 1999 or 2000 they were talking to a

National Geographic photographer ( I cannot remember his name ), who

was quoted as saying that he was having problems with the Leica SLRs

he was using and that for this one long assignment he took 8 bodies

with him. By the end of the assignment all 8 had failed one way or

another. On his return to his base, he apparently sold all his Leica

gear and replaced it with 2 Nikon 801 bodies and he said he was now

happy.</i>

<p>I believe you are referring to James Stanfield.

I can't help you on Alexandria, but the exhibit is available in book

form at Amazon.com:

<p><a

href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0792276892/qid=1019729772

/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_71_4/103-8183051-8448607" target="_blank">Women

Photographers at National Geographic</a>

<p>I was at this same exhibit in NYC a while back, where Jodi Cobb

gave a talk. Very enlightening.

<p><b>EXHIBITS</b>

<p><u>Another Vietnam: Pictures of the War From the Other Side</u>

<p>Photographs of the Vietnam War taken by North Vietnamese

photographers and photojournalists.

<p>Explorers Hall

<br>National Geographic Society

<br>Washington, DC

<br>April 17 to August 11, 2002

<br>Info at <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorer" target="_blank">www.nationalgeographic.com/explorer</a>

<p><u>The September 11 Photo Project</u>

<p>Traveling exhibition of the open forum of photographs and

words in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11,

2001. This is the exhibition that began in SoHo, New York.

<p>The Woolworth Building

<br>K Street Mall

<br>Sacramento, CA

<br>April 26 to June 2, 2002

<br>Info at <a href="http://www.Sep11Photo.org" target="_blank">www.Sep11Photo.org</a>

<p><b>WORKSHOP</b>

<p>Deadline for application to Barnstorm XV: The Eddie Adams

Photojournalism Workshop is May 15, 2002. This is a free,

intensive photo workshop with 150 working professionals for

students, professionals with three years or less

experience, and military photographers. The workshop is

held in Jeffersonville, NY from September 9-13, 2002, with

an assignment on September 11 - New York City: One Year

Later.

<p>Info at <a href="http://www.eddieadams.com" target="_blank">www.eddieadams.com</a>

<p><i>Courtesy of Nikonians.org newsletter #20 4/23/02</i>

I live in L.A. But to be honest, I'd be more interested in a serious

photo group that met once every couple of weeks or a month to

brainstorm and vote on an assignment, which is then individually

carried out, and critiqued at a subsequent meeting. No contests or

equipment stroking, just a friendly get together for the sole purpose

of improving photographic technique.

btw two other features in this issue were also shot by Leica M

photographers:

<p><a

href="http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0205/feature4/index.html

" target="_blank">Catfish Hunters, photographs by Randy Olson </a>

<br><a

href="http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0205/feature7/index.html

" target="_blank">ZipUSA 60614, photographs by Nina Berman</a>

For those of you who were following Paul Chefurka's thread <a href="http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=008fuz" target="_blank">More M stuff in Nat Geo</a>, some of the pictures from the referenced National Geographic article are now available for viewing online:

<p><a href="http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0205/feature6/index.html" target="_blank">Italy's Po River</a>

By the way Sait, what exactly was your contribution to this thread?

I think I lost your point somewhere...

It may not be the most valid source of information but it sure as

hell is the most comprehensive of its type on the net, at least that

I know of. There are some examples of "reviews" that are clearly

attempts to soothe the writer's buyer's remorse, but for the most

part they are level-headed and on the mark.

<i>Mediocre was maybe a bit too bad but it is not up to the quality

offered in the m series. It is a good lens but nothing special as was

the conclusion of an independent lens test in the leading

photographic magazine here in Holland a couple of years ago. </i>

<p>Yet another example of how "lens tests" aren't worth the paper

they're printed on.

<i>Makes me want to arduously support Sharon though... </i>

<P>Funny, after seeing these I feel exactly the opposite...

<i>Output in the range of +/- 2 stops of "normal" can be set via the

SCA adaptor</i>

<p>Ah hah, that's why I couldn't recall having the exposure comp. I

used my 32Z-2 with standard shoe on a non-TTL M6. Thanks for the

info.

The Metz is a good unit but I didn't like using it on an M6 because

it completely throws off the balance, tilting it forward and then

upside down. The forward torque on the hotshoe can't be good for

rangefinder alignment either... although I was fortunate not to have

experienced any problems there, I have heard of it happening.

<p><i>I didn't find a possibility to reduce the power on this

model.</i>

<p>Sure you can, in fact there are several ways to do it. I don't

recall a flash exposure compensation control on the unit if that's

what you're talking about, although I could be mistaken. But even if

there isn't, there are at least a couple of ways to accomplish the

same thing. You can take the flash out of TTL, i.e. use it in "A"

mode, at ISO 100 you have f2, f4, and f8 to choose from. Set the

flash at f2 and the lens at f2.8 or f4. Your background will be

darker of course, but drag out your shutter speed to compensate. You

can also shoot in "M" mode and have complete control (not unfamiliar

territory in Leica M photography anyway). Yet another way is to just

leave it in full TTL and trick the whole setup by turning your ISO a

stop faster than what you've actually got loaded. There may be

others but these are all I can think of for now.

I've owned four current optical design 35mm f2 Summicron-R lenses

(two pre-ROM, two ROM) and I would hardly say they are "of no more

than mediocre quality". Why four? Because although the lens wasn't

fast enough and I kept selling it to get faster, I kept coming back

to it because of the phenomenal and consistent sharpness and

contrast, edge to edge and throughout the aperture range. If you

look hard enough you can even find exc pre-ROM examples with mint

glass for about $500 or so. It's one of the best lenses I've ever

used, and I've shot with plenty in this range (including 35/2-M ASPH,

35/1.4-M ASPH, 35/1.4-R, Canon EF and FD 35/2, EF 35/1.4L).

I like the Domke Film Guard bags. Not too heavy, velcro closure. I

don't bother asking for a hand check, if they want to see it they'll

ask. I do have the film out of their boxes, in a ziplock baggie in

each lead bag though.

Whine all you will, but Leica's problem is this: they are not only a

business, but now they have shareholders to keep happy. The main

issue is that our generation is slowly being phased out. The current

generation is being brought up in the digital/automated age. With

this, the demand for fine mechanical instruments is going down, down,

down. G-Shocks are all the rage. Pretty much nobody in highschool

or college knows what a Blancpain is. With Leica's prices staying in

the stratosphere, it won't be likely that the young'uns are going to

venture there anytime soon. Voigtlander, praise be to them, may

actually be helping our cause, and therefore helping Leica rather

than competing with them.

<p>I think Nikon got it right with the FM3A (but O Spot Meter Where

Art Thou?) Aperture AE on demand, with full manual (and batteryless)

operation if desired, all in one model sporting a revolutionary

hybrid shutter. Leica, wake up!