alexander_rosser

In 1970 I bought a Leitz Focomat enlarger, and for an enlarging lens used a Summicron f/2.0 50mm. It unscrews and the lens part together with a Leitz adapter goes into the enlarger. I do remember years later some expert advising against using a camera lens as an enlarging lens as the heat of the lamp will damage the adhesives joining the lens elements together. "Except for Leitz lenses, they don't have that problem." I would comment that that lens gave excellent results. F/2 for a nice bright image for framing etc. I usually used f/4 when exposing as the wider aperture gave exposure times too short to expose accurately, not because of lack of definition. After 50 years it is still a very good enlarger, though I confess to being more digital these days.

I don't have a Monochrom (yet) but I'm sorely tempted. Not for technical reasons, but being constrained to B&W changes ones mind-set. One has to think mono from the start. And having the viewfinder show mono helps the process.

The Leica M8 is pretty sensitive to IR. Leica had to offer IR cut filters to those who complained that their blacks were magenta tinted. Re lens markings. Few have an IR setting, I have a 50mm lens with the IR mark beside f2 on the DoF scale. That's the f2 on the infinity side of the scale. So having focused using normal light, shorten the distance by that amount. Elsewhere I've seen a recommendation to use the f5 mark.

Ron, did you get an IR filter for your old 'lux?

<p>I don't have a Monochrom, though I am contemplating getting one.</p> <p>Apart from the motives put forward by others on this thread there are two additional reasons (for me anyway)<br> 1) If ones camera ONLY takes B&W, then you HAVE to think in B&W. Every scene needs to be evaluated in terms of composition and light/shade. Too easy to click and shoot in colour.</p> <p>2) I am also a bit of a stargazer. The extra definition and ISO makes a big difference. Also, a star is a single point of light, so a well focussed lens will have that light hit a single pixel - red, green, or blue. Makes for pretty pictures, but quite unreal. Some astro-photographers defocus slightly so that several pixels, not just one, are exposed.<br> <br />On the negative side, if the new Monochrom uses the same IR filter as on the M, then the Hydrogen Alpha line is reduced by 90%.<br> <br />I don't think the Monochrom supports electronic triggering (needed to eliminate tripod shake and take multiple pics over several hours) or an external power supply (needed as batteries at low temperatures need frequent recharging)</p>