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david_kieltyka1

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Posts posted by david_kieltyka1

    VC Nokton 40/1.4 Classic SC Test Shots

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    >> It doesn't however sound as useful for the RD-1 as it's going to be something like 64mm, which sort of negates the advantage of it being a supposedly "slightly wide" lens. <<

     

    Well, with the R-D1 you just adjust to the fact that 40mm is no longer slightly wide but rather slightly long. I've used the 40 'Cron-C as my RF normal lens for the past couple years. In the late 1990s I used a 60mm Macro Elmarit as my Leica SLR normal lens. Different views but equally useful...and I like 'em both.

     

    -Dave-

    Summary of Asahi Camera Review on Zeiss ZM lenses

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    IMO there is no objective "better" or "worse" lens. Choosing lenses *should* be subjective. Use the lenses that render images the way you like them to be rendered. For you those are the "best" lenses.

     

    I get the impression lots of folks are more interested in which brand wins the "sharpness" sweepstakes than in which lenses might be more useful for their photography.

     

    -Dave-

    Biogon T 2/35 ZM ... Opinions?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    I've also been very happy with my various Zeiss lenses, both RF and SLR. The 28/50 combo looks appealing for the R-D1. OTOH I really like the 40mm 'Cron-C on that camera. The 35mm frameline matches the lens perfectly and the lens' high res, medium contrast optical character works well with the camera's sensor. If I could mount my old Zeiss 21mm f/4 Biogon, or the Leitz f/3.4 Super Angulon, on the R-D1 I'd be all set with a 21/40mm pair.

     

    -Dave-

    DOF for digital camera/lenses

    in Mirrorless Digital Cameras

    Posted

    I honestly don't notice any significant difference. Instead of using an 85mm f/1.4 for most portraits with my Contax film SLRs I use a 50mm f/1.4 with the 20D. Virtually the same field-of-view with both lens/camera combinations, and while there's a bit more DOF with the 20D & 50mm (just over half a stop at identical apertures) this has only a minor effect on the look of my photos.

     

    The difference in field-of-view with various lenses is what I did notice when I first started using the Canon 10D in early 2003. I had to adjust a bit. The 50mm replaced the 85mm, the Canon 24mm f/1.4 replaced the Zeiss 35mm, a 17-40mm zoom replaced a 28-85mm, etc. But I'm familiar with the Canon gear and the smaller format now so it's no longer an issue.

     

    -Dave-

    R-D1 Frame Lines & Other Questions

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    The R-D1 feels solid. The lack of a back door for loading film helps in this regard, plus the camera is well-built to begin with.

     

    Ian is correct about the framelines. I'm using a 40mm Summicron-C and find the 35mm frame to be just about perfect for it at all distances. If I had one of those rare 58mm Sonnars (maybe Zeiss, maybe not) in LTM it likely would be a spot-on match for the R-D1's 50mm frame at distance if not at close range.

     

    I'm finding the R-D1's meter to be very accurate, much more so than the meters in my Canon D-SLRs. High ISO performance is very good. I've found under tungsten/incandescent light at ISO 1600 it helps to run the blue channel of your photos through Neat Image or other noise reduction software. The blue channel can get quite noisy under such light, and smoothing out this noise improves the appearance of both color and b&w photos. This is also true of other digital cameras I've used.

     

    -Dave-

    Fisheye lens for EOS camera?

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    I have the Canon 15mm fisheye and use it on both film and digital bodies. It's a good lens...photos are crisp with Canon's typical neutral-to-warm color. AF is non-USM but then again AF isn't important with a fisheye lens. I zone focus unless I'm using a wide aperture with a very close subject. I took the 15mm on a recent trip to NYC and ended up using it more than I'd expected to.

     

    -Dave-

    Tamron 1.4x compared to Canon 1.4x teleconverter on 300D?

    in Canon EOS Mount

    Posted

    I tried out the Tamron SP and the Canon with a 200mm f/2.8 and couldn't tell the difference between the photos. So I bought the Tamron since it works with lenses, like the 100mm f/2, you can't physically mount on the Canon. I've never used any other Tamron 1.4x converters.<p>

    An example photo taken in October 2003 with the 100mm/Tamron SP combo:<p>

    <a href="http://home.twmi.rr.com/davesden/Graphics/Whitetail.jpg">

    Whitetail deer</a><p>

    -Dave-

    120 minutes with the Epson RD-1

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    >> To me it seems that there's a kind of mass hysteria about this camera. <<

     

    Any mass hysteria that exists is on the part of folks falling all over themselves to trash a piece of photo gear they have no actual experience with. If someone posts overcompressed pics the camera is ripped for soft image quality. If someone posts sharp pics the camera is ripped for "cut and paste" edge transitions and "harsh and uneven" tonality. I can assure you my 8x12" prints from the R-D1 look every bit as good as my 8x12" prints from scanned 35mm film. Not that this probably means anything to you. You *want* this camera to be subpar, therefore no matter what its actual qualities are you'll interpret them as subpar. Whatever...life to too short to argue with mantra chanters. I'm off to take photos.

     

    -Dave-

    120 minutes with the Epson RD-1

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    35mm and 40mm Lens Comparo

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    I used to own an original 35mm 'Lux. It's very flare-y and low in contrast wide open. But actual resolution isn't bad. For certain subjects, people for instance, it does "the Glow" as well as any lens around. Stop it down to f/2 and it turns into a 4th gen. 35 'Cron.

     

    The Noktons both look good. Illumination across the frame at f/1.4 appears to not be as even as with the 35 'Lux ASPH, but I imagine this clears up a couple stops down. I like a bit of vignetting wide open anyway.

     

    I own a 40mm 'Cron-C...it's my favorite lens in the 35-40mm region.

     

    -Dave-

    Using Carl Zeiss lens on Canon EOS 1Ds

    in Mirrorless Digital Cameras

    Posted

    Stop-down metering means the camera's meter takes its reading with the lens' aperture diaphragm physically set to whatever diameter (f/2, 2.8, etc.) you plan to use for the photo. Normally SLRs meter with the lens wide open and then calculate a proper exposure based on the aperture setting. Then when you press the shutter release the camera stops down the lens to that aperture just before the shutter opens. This capability is lost with a Zeiss, Nikon, Leica, etc. lens mounted on a Canon camera. The camera has no control over the aperture.

     

    -Dave-

    ?Pondering the RD-1?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    >> I've long wished for a digital camera with a great optical viewfinder, basically what the RD-1 seems to offer, but lately I'm questioning the point of the whole thing. Especially the price point. <<

     

    This is an issue everyone interested in the R-D1 needs to decide for her/him self. There is no universal answer. For me the camera was the right one. For you...maybe not. 'Net forums are bursting at the seams with people telling other people what they need and what they want. IMO it's mostly less-than-worthless dogma spew. Better to weigh your own genuine needs & wants and then act accordingly.

     

    -Dave-

    ?Pondering the RD-1?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    >> Ben makes a final and very good point. It's not an easily available item. You can import them via *bay from Japan....at that point you can kiss any warranties good-bye. <<

     

    You can also buy one in the U.S. from B&H or Calumet. Officially imported, with warranty, by Epson USA.

     

    -Dave-

    ?Pondering the RD-1?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    >> Is the screen there just to give you an alternate composing device or to review captured images? I suppose both. Since focusing must be done through the optical system, once you've got a beat on a subject you're not going to be looking at any screen until you are done with it. <<

     

    The screen is mainly for review of images you've taken and for accessing the camera's menu system. When I'm taking photos with my R-D1 I fold in the screen and forget about it. The meter is accurate enough that you don't need to constantly refer to the histogram display. This is something I can't say about either Canon D-SLR I've owned (10D & 20D). The R-D1 with its simple centerweighted meter consistently nails exposures that the Canons, with their allegedly "evaluative" modern marvel meters, still screw up after multiple generations of D-SLR models.

     

    -Dave-

    ?Pondering the RD-1?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    >> I found the RD-1 to be incredibly slow to work with. The image buffer needs to be about 4-8 times the size it currently is to make it practical. <<

     

    The buffer could be larger for sure but I haven't had any issues with it in actual use. With a fast SD card it clears pretty quick, and I'm not a machine gunner anyway. What kind of photography are you doing with an RF camera that would result in the R-D1 being "incredibly slow?"

     

    -Dave-

    ?Pondering the RD-1?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    >> I am confused as well - if I put a 28mm lens on the camera, do I get the same image as a 28mm on a Leica body, or am I getting an image equivalent a 42mm on a Leica body? If a 42mm effective focal length, why are there brightlines for 28mm (and not 42mm) on the camera? How does a 28mm brightline on the camera work with the 28mm lens if the sensor is x1.5? <<

     

    Optics 101: focal length does NOT describe coverage. There is no such thing as a universal "28mm view" or "42mm view" or whatever. A 28mm lens on the R-D1 gives you the same field-of-view as a 42mm lens on a Leica M. The 28mm frameline in the R-D1's finder simply shows you what the lens will record, just like any frame in any Leica (or Bessa, Konica, etc.) RF camera. The lens you're using is a 28mm so the frame is also labeled "28mm." The behavior of a 28mm or 42mm lens on a Leica M camera is meaningless in this context. You're not using a Leica M, you're using a camera with a different format.

     

    -Dave-

    Another Bessa R2 post!

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    >> While we're on the subject. Not long ago someone made reference to "better made" Bessa models. <<

     

    Cosina has upgraded the fit & finish of each new Bessa model. The R should do you just fine but the R2 is sturdier and more refined. The R2C and R2S are sturdier still. The R2A & R3A have a quieter, vibration-free shutter as does the Epson R-D1. (Previous Bessas have a bit of shutter recoil, which doesn't affect photos but causes the camera to slightly jitter just after you've exposed the film.)

     

    -Dave-

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