don_dory

I'm 6'4" and for things like weddings and plays being above the crowd is and advantage. For pure street photography, it is a serious disadvantage. When your head is bobbing above the crowd people see and notice you. Without actively working to be inconspicuous there is no way to take peoples images without their knowledge and consent. Your question made me realise why I purposefully take images with the subject looking into the camera, most of the time I don't have a choice.

I am pretty sure that the various West Side Camera locations have Frontier machines on site.

I have the original Elmarit for the Leicaflex and a series 7 3 cam Summicron in the 90mm focal length. My lenses prove Bower incorrect. The Elmarit is very sharp and contrasty from 2.8. Edges are rendered crisply and fine to very fine detail is rendered until well out from the center of the frame.

 

The Summicron on the other hand has moderate to low contrast while wide open and only resolves moderate detail until about F4. Edges are rendered smoothly but without a crisp seperation at the demarcation line. Again, past F4 or so it becomes a very nice lens.

 

So, if you want a "portrait" lens then the old Summicron would be the ticket. Likewise, if you are trying to do landscapes with a softer, dreamy look then the Summicron used around F2 to 2.8 would provide an alternative look.

 

However, if you want to create landscapes with some bite to the image then the Elmarit would be the proper choice among those you asked about.

 

Don

Compared to the SL the SL2 has a flat back. The back opens with a

Nikon F3 release; push a tab and lift the rewind crank as opposed to

the SL pushbutton and slide arrangement. The viewfinder in the SL2

has a finer groundglass with a split image/microprism versus the

microprism in the SL. I understand the Leica will still install

either screen in either camera. The SL2 adds aperture to the

viewfinder information and can illuminate this with a button on top

of the viewfinder

 

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The SL2 meter is much more sensitive(4 stops?). Also the mirror box

(SL2) has been adjusted to use the 19 an 35 F1.4. I find the SL2 to

be enough easier to use that I almost never pick up my SL's