guy bennett

Gotta admit I never gave it much thought.

I shoot mostly b&w neg film and make my own prints. The negative carrier inevitably masks a tiny part of the image, which is masked ever so slightly more by the easel blades.

Ah, you say: but what if you print full frame?

Admittedly I don't very often (which is why I've probably not been bothered by this before). On those occasions when I have, I haven't noticed any extraneous content there around the neatly blackened edges of the image.

My suggestion to the inaccurate: don't print full frame and crop, crop, crop!

Personally I could happily live w/out the engraved top plate (and in fact I do, since neither of my M6s have one).

My pet peeve is the over engraving of the *front* of the top plate. Both of my Ms say "Leica / M6" on the front of the camera, right next to the red dot that says - you got it - "Leica" again!

My preference would be for a blank, M2-type front and blank, M6-type top, with "Leica" and whatever else needs be said in small letters on the back of the top plate.

Such are my philosophical meanderings on this brisk Sunday evening.

"I tried a Noct for a few rolls, but decided not to buy one because I absolutely hate the deep vignetting and weird swirling comma, which is particularly visible when working with colour film."

FWIW, I never noticed the coma issue, since I only work in b&w where, quite honestly, it hasn't been a problem. As for the vignetting, yes, it can definitely be an issue when shooting evenly lit, light colored surfaces.

I have occasionally had shots marred by the heavy vignetting mentioned above, albeit only extremely rarely since I generally use the Noctilux in low to very low light, and of course in those situations it is not visible.

When I'm going to do a night or indoor shoot, I'll take both 50s, check out the light and select lens and film speed accordingly. Sometimes the Summicron with Neopan 1600 is fast enough. Sometimes it isn't, so I'll opt for the Noctilux.

"... the M7 in manual mode operates just like an M6. You do have a choice of how you use the camera."

You have a choice as long as the batteries don't die or the electronics don't malfunction, otherwise you're only shooting at 1/60 or 1/125. When the batteries in my M6 die, the shutter still operates at all speeds. That's a significant difference to me.

Personally, I'm not ready to give up the long lived dependability of the mechanical shutter of the M6 for the electronically controlled shutter of the M7. (Not to mention that we have yet to see how many M7s will still be working in 10-15 years...)

Now, the Nikon FM3A - there's a camera whose shutter functions indentically in manual and semi-auto AE modes. I wish that were true of the M7.

I got a Noctilux about a year ago. It is not my only 50; I also have a current model Summicron. When I need a 50, I would say that I use the Summicron about 60% of the time, the Noctilux the rest of the time. I'm not planning on giving up my Summicron - I like it too much - but when the light is low, you can't beat the Noctilux. Loaded with Neopan 1600, there's not much you can't shoot. I've seen Noctilux photos by one LUG member who used an M6/Noctilux combo with Delta 3200 rated at 6400 to take pictures outside at night in little to no light - pretty amazing.

As for my own experience, once I got the Noctilux, I didn't take it off the camera for several months. It's a great lens at f/1, but also at f/5.6 or any other aperture (though I only rarely stop down beyond f/8, whatever the lens). I know 3 or 4 people - two of them pros - for whom it is their standard lens and their only 50. Another friend, also a pro, uses it as his only 50 when he travels, and if he's going to be out all day shooting, takes only an M6 with the Noctilux.

While that's a little extreme for me, the fact that there are folks out there who earn a living with photography, and neither want nor need any other standard lens than the Noctilux suggests that is it not only a "special purpose" lens, as many believe. Sure it's heavier than the Summicron, but doesn't feel much heavier than some of my other lenses - the Elmarit 90 and 24, both which I have in chrome. And needless to say, it's downright dimunitive compared to a great many SLR lenses.

I rented one to try out before I bought it. Never regretted the decision.

The photo is in a feature called "Tom Abrhamson's Uncollectibles" on Stephen Gandy's website, and can be found at the following address:

http://www.cameraquest.com/TAnotcoll.htm

Scroll about half way down and you'll see the photo in question. It's the Alpa lens you mention mounted on a LHSA black paint M6.

What to say? There are so many fantastic places for shooting in Paris it's hard to go wrong. A few of my favorites include:

- The Canal St Martin in the 10e. It's where the book and film "Hôtel du nord" take place, and is also where Salgado has his studio.

- The banks of the Seine. Just go to the Ile St Louis and/or the Ile de la Cité, take the stairs down to the quays and walk around.

- The parks: Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin des Tuileries, Buttes Chaumont.

- The outdoor markets, particularly the Marché d'Aligre (in the rue d'Aligre) and - better yet though packed - the Marché de Belleville, and while you're at the latter, stop and have lunch in one of the Tunisian places (try Chez Benisti and get the leblebi).

- The subways, which are great places to shoot if you're discreet.

There are also a lot of great places to see photography. Check out the Maison européenne de la photographie, a museum that specializes in photography. Here's their address:

http://www.mep-fr.org/us/

Over the past couple of years I've seen major exhibits there by photographers like McCullin, Klein, Salgado, et al. If you're interested, get a copy of the Officiel des spectacles and look in the back pages for listings of photo shows in museums and galleries - there are always a lot of things going on.

If you're bookish, stop by La Chambre Claire, which is at 14, rue Saint-Sulpice in the 6e. (Tel. 0146 34 04 31). It's the best (though not the only) photo-bookstore in Paris. While you're there, pick up the little volume "La Photographie à Paris" for 5 euros. It's got a ton of information about everything to do/see/buy related to photography in Paris.

Finally, here are some links to Paris shots from an old site of mine:

http://home.lainet.com/~gbennett/photography/photography_metro1.html

http://home.lainet.com/~gbennett/photography/photography_courtyard.html

http://home.lainet.com/~gbennett/photography/photography_quay.html

Gotta agree with Rob Appleby on this one: go straight for the Leica 24. It is an outstanding lens.

FWIW, I had the CV 25 and sold it, mainly for two reasons: 1) it wasn't rangefinder coupled, and there were indeed times when I wanted to focus the lens (as opposed to shoot with the lens set to the hyperfocal distance), and 2) the finder has no brightlines and what you see is *not* what you get.

Image quality of the CV offering was very good; not nearly as good as the Leica, but at 1/4 the price, what the hell. The Elmarit is expensive, but according to most users I know, and I share their opinion, it is one of the top lenses in the M stable.

Marke,

Why the heavy duty gear (camera, tripod and flash) and small aperture (f11!), when you could have got the shot hand held wide open at 1/15?

Just curious.

Guy

I always use an external finder for the 24, though I wish it weren't necessary.

I wear glasses, and IME neither the internal VF window of my 0.72 or my 0.58 M6s are close enough to the coverage of the 24 to allow me to compose shots as exactly as I like to.

Funny you should mention cemeteries; they are a favorite subject of mine. I've got an on-going cemetery project, and have often bumped into the "what lens is best" problem when out shooting the dead (so to speak). I work with an M6, and have used 24, 35, 50 and 90 lenses on this project.

Personally, I've found that the 50 is the best overall focal length for the necrophilic work I've been doing. It allows me to get nice, general shots of graves and headstones, but also works for detail shots as I can move in close and capture details.

That said, for my next romp through tombsville I'll take along a 90 as well, in order to really close in on details that would be too small in the compositional space of the photograph if shot with the 50. This will also give some variety to the portfolio of images I'm putting together, as general views will alternate with increasingly tight close ups.

The wider focals I've not found much use for on this project, though I have seen some beautiful shots of cemetery statuary by Jeanloup Sieff made with a 21. (But then again, he's done some stunning portraits and nudes with the 21 as well...)

Not to be argumentative, but I shoot mostly indoors, in variously lit situations, with two different M6TTLs, and flare has only rarely been an issue for me. Maybe I've just been lucky, or could it be that some cameras are more sensitive to RF patch flare than others?

In my own experience, it has never been as devastating a problem as it seems to be for some, and I know of at least two pros who claim to have *never* experienced flare in their many years of shooting with M6s.

Well Jay, you don't know what you're missing.

IME, RF patch flare is a minor nuisance. Sure, I wish it *never* happened, but in reality, it happens to me only rarely, is instantly eliminated by moving my eye slightly or changing my position, and is quickly forgotten - I don't dwell on it.

In fact, were it not for the frequent discussions of the subject, I probably would never think of it.And frankly, should Leica ever offer a free fix - send them your M6/7, and they replace the VF and send it back - I'd never take them up on the offer. I'd be afraid of what real damage might be caused when they "fixed" my otherwise perfect M6.

Guy

Consider the Gossen Luna-Pro digital. It's small, has all the useful features, and comes in "plain" and "flash" models.

It's a reliable, pocketable (fits in your shirt pocket) meter that's easy to use and don't cost an arm and a leg.

Guy

To answer my own question, here's link to Tom A.'s Rapidwinder page, where you'll find a user report (with pix) on the new LTM Rapidwinder by Roy Moss.

http://www.rapidwinder.com/

Happy reading.

Guy (who was not in "peek" form when he wrote his preceding message.)

FWIW, I would send the lens off to an experienced repairman, since I like the Summarit very much and would be afraid to botch the job.

In addition to those repairfolk previously mentioned, consider Sherry Krauter. She does a great job with all Leica gear.

She cleaned a couple of my LTM lenses a year or two ago for a very reasonable price.

Guy

I've heard about but never seen this beast. Are there any images available anywhere?

TIA.

Guy

P.S. BTW, I've never found the film advance mechanism on LTM bodies to be problematic/uncomfortable/slow. A quick twist o' the knob does the trick for me. That said, I'd like to take a peak at the LTM Rapidwinder. Sure wish it looked like a SCNOO.

I've been printing some recent photos, shot with M6TTL/current 50

Summicron combo, and am surprised that the composition is off in a

couple of shots made from the minimum focusing distance.

In both cases, these are vertical images, made with the camera rotated

-90° (shutter release on top). The subject, which I had centered, seems

to have moved toward the upper right corner of the image.

These are not a problem to print, I just crop accordingly. I am

curious, however. Does parallax become a problem when shooting from

close up, even if the image as composed in the frame lines indicates

otherwise, or am I not as careful as I thought I was?

TIA.

Guy Bennett

AFAIK, the 28 Summicron is only available in black. I wonder if/doubt that it will ever be made in silver.

Though the 90 Summicron ASPH is now available in both finishes (as was its predecessor), the 28 Elmarit was only ever made in black, which leads me to believe that will never be offered with the silver chrome finish (though maybe the 28 Summicron will be different).

Who knows?!

Guy Bennett

Thanks for the link, John. Sadly, I'll miss the exhibit, but will keep an eye out for the catalogue.

Hervé's stuff intrigues.

Guy Bennett

P.S. Paris is a fantastic place for photography exhibits. Over the past 2-3 years I've seen major shows there by Salgado, Goldin, Eggleston, Franck, McCullin, et al. Los Angeles (where I live) is a lonely place in comparison!

This summer I stumbled across two books by Lucien Hervé, a photographer

I was then unaware of, and was very impressed. He has produced an

incredible body of work, much of it done for Le Corbusier;

architectural studies, environmental portraits, etc., all of which

generally tend toward abstraction.

He seems to keep a relatively low profile, and one does not hear much

about him.

Any thoughts or opinions on his work?

Guy Bennett

P.S. Though his main camera was a Rollei and he primarily shot in B&W,

he did use a Leica ... for color work!