kevin m.

"I cannot believe I had to read so far down the page before the phrase "people skills"

appeared. I've lost count of the number of photographers I've met that were so damn proud

of their kit, their technical knowledge, their p/p wizardry, the whole deal, and yet look at

their results and it is plain to see that the vital thing missing is any kind of rapport at all with

the actual living people they are supposed to be working for. "

This is the best post I've read on this forum in over a year.

Thanks for the link. Demonstrates pretty clearly how important post-processing is.

Pretty f-ing amazing that PS allows us all to be Ansel Adams even if we don't have a love-

struck lab assistant to help us. ;-)

"The new lens designs ARE more sophisticated: computer design, apo correction, aspherical

surfaces, moving elements. This is NOT advertising jargon at all."

My mistake. On first read I thought you were refering to the imaging from those lenses as

being sophisticated, rather than their design. :-)

For godssake, will someone quit "testing" the damned thing and go take some pictures that

are worth looking at? If this camera produces images that are "clearly special" (quote from

the Leica User Forum) is it only the camera owner who can see them, or can you share them

with the rest of the world? C'mon, already! ;-)

"...but as an older lens pales in comparison to newer, more sophisticated designs."

"Pales?" A bit of an exagerration, don't you think? And "sophisticated" sounds suspiciously

like advertising jargon to me.

"It also seemed to have a color rendition that was warm and, seemingly at least, pretty

accurate with what I saw with the naked eye."

<p>

I agree. The Summilux tends to be 'warmer' than other 50's I've used, but it looks more

'natural' too.

<p>

"I am also starting to think that the bokeh is also a little smoother and the image a tad

sharper in the center of the 'lux than the 'cron."

<p>

I think the center appears sharper in the Summilux partly because the corners are so much

softer, especially if you're shooting wide open, whereas the Summicron maintains its

sharpness out to the corners fairly uniformly, even wide open. The Summicron is also a

much contrastier lens than the Summilux wide open.

<p>

I prefer the Summilux over the Summicron because I think it's a better 'people' lens. It has

more than enough resolution for my needs, and isn't so contrasty that I need to 'fix' the

skin in every shot.

<p>

Here's a recent shot wide open on Fuji NPH. Full frame, straight from the scanner with

only a mild unsharp mask applied. The composition is boring, but I was doing a little lens

'test' to help me thin out my rangedfinder herd. ;-)

<p>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5247549-lg.jpg"></center>

I didn't know there were three versions of the Black Summilux, but I could be wrong. The two

versions I'm aware of are the early one with 43mm filters, 1 meter close focus and the clip on

hood; and the second version with 46mm filters, .7 meter close focus and built-in hood.

The early version is usually a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the newer, and it might be

easier to find one of those with a bit of wear on it to keep the price down. Make sure you

can live with the 1 meter close focus, though. ;-)

Yikes. What's the photo.net software up to now? I'll try the link again:

<p>

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?

BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63064248

Just a heads-up, Epson is offering factory refurbished R-D1's on their website again:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63064248

I called DAG and he says that he uses lapping compound on the helical threads to make the

focus smooth, so I'll be sending it off to him.

I'll post results of the fix when the lens is returned.

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5235918-lg.jpg"></center>

<p>

<center>Schoodic Point, ME</center>

I've recently tried out a 40mm Voigtlander Nokton SC and I'm pleased with the image quality, but the

focus is so stiff as to be nearly unuseable. Searching the archives, I see I have the first version of this lens

with the screws visible on the focusing cam.

Can this lens be fixed to make the focusing smooth, or does the "version 2" work any better?

Wow! Another M8 sux/the sky is falling on Leica thread. We haven't had one of those in,

what, ten minutes.

Someone page Al and Brad so they can supply yet another Jerry Springer moment and this'll

be another thread for the archives. ;-)

"...that were made in 2000 in limited quantities in screw mount"

2,000 sounds like a small number, until you actually see 2,000 of 'anything' in one place. ;-)

In five years, maybe Al will learn how to post a working link.

:-0

Thanks, David. I should have added "IMO," of course. I could never get used to the long, stiff

focus throw on my 90 Summicron, but I realize that others, as your pics demonstrate, get

good results with it.

And, BTW, the Hexar RF will go about 6 months on a set of batteries with moderate use, and

a spare set takes up less room than a roll of film.

"i can't stop thinking about the moment i will lose a photo because the battery flatlined"

Sometimes I wonder what would happen if my heart were to stop beating, but then I snap out

of it and get back to work.

The fast portrait lenses are too bulky and slow to focus on the M body. The 90/2.8 lenses

are light and quick handling if you can live with f2.8. I'm sure the 75 Summicron is nice, too,

if you have the money. But who says you need a long lens for portraits, anyway?

<p>

<center><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5194434-lg.jpg"></center>

<center><i>Voigtlander 21, Hexar RF, Fuji NPH</i></center>

Before the camera was introduced I was hopeful that Leica could pull off something special

with the M8. I based that on the quality of the imagery I'd seen from the DMR, in particular

the dynamic range. But problems aside, I have yet to see any pics taken with the M8 that

look at all "special." In point of fact, everyone I've seen looks like a rather pedestrian digital

snap shot. I hope that this problem with the M8 proves to be solveable, but I'll be damned if

I'll pay 5k for a camera that delivers results that look so run-of-the-mill.

"Are they more prone to flare?"

The Summilux is almost flare proof, and the .7 meter close focus is a bonus.