ODDITIES FROM PHOTO AND LEICA LAND

BEFORE LEICA...

“WARNING:

It is granted that hand cameras are indispensable for such as street views, or on the beach, or on shipboard, but they are decidedly out of place for use as picture producers.  Therefore let us oppose all attempts to popularize the use of hand cameras at our photographic outings, the high standard of pictorial excellence to which landscape photography has attained being in great danger of reduction by the use and abuse of hand cameras.”

R. P. Drage, British Journal of Photography, vol. 37, 1890; p. 565.

I think we should all be glad that Oskar Barnack did not read this.

 

Typical "Field Camera" ca. 1890

TRUE STORY

“Can I help you please?”

“Yes, could you please put this roll of film into my camera?”

The customer hands over the most expensive 35mm camera at that time.  A moment later everything is done.

“Excuse me, Sir, I don't mean to tell you how to take care of your camera, but I couldn't help notice that your lenses are rather dirty.  All the extra performance that you spent so much money for certainly gets lost that way.

“Oh no, that's alright.  Someone who knows told me the best way to keep a lens clean is to lick it...”

another TRUE STORY

We pass along an article from LEICA POSTAL PORTFOLIO NEWS:

I should relate, albeit briefly, a little incident that happened in the shop a few days ago.  A customer (new to us) handed us a colour negative film for processing with the comment that he thought few of the pictures would 'come out', but even the bad ones required printing.  Accordingly we marked the order “print regardless' and tactfully inquired if we might help with any problems concerning his picture taking.

He told us that he had been taking pictures off the TV screen but that he did not think his flash was sufficiently powerful.  We explained that the more external light that fell on the front of the TV screen, the less the actual television picture would be visible – but we distinctly got the impression that he did not quite believe us.  Somehow he appeared to doubt our expertise.

“Anyhow,” he said, “even if I had not used the flash, they still wouldn't be any good.  I couldn't change the focus setting on my camera as fast as the TV camera crew did with theirs.  I simply couldn't keep up with them.”

We did not press the point...

Did You Know That...

...The US Air Force, for their top 35mm camera, used the Leicaflex for many years?

...and that a special production run of Leica M4s, dubbed the KE-7A, was made for the US Army?

The KE-7A was accompanied by a special instruction book which even included a special section on how to destroy the camera in case of capture by the enemy.  It was an intriguing process.  The first suggestion was simply to try to break it with a hammer, shovel, or other blunt instrument.  Apparently they realized how well built the cameras were, because the instructions continued, saying that if none of the first methods succeeded, to use explosives like dynamite.

I know Leicas are quite tough, but dynamite?

 

Leica KE 7A

The camera was originally supplied with an f/2 version of the Leitz Elmar called Elcan

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NEW FIRMWARE FOR LEICA SL AND LEICA Q

Leica has introduced new firmware version for both the Leica SL and the Leica Q.  According to Leica Store Miami the improvements are as follows:

Leica SL

The firmware version 1.2 for the Leica SL (Typ 601) has a few significant improvements. Most notable is the ability to use the AE/AF lock button (the joystick button to the right of the EVF) to quickly zoom into a 100% view and scroll around the image. This small change makes the use of M and R lenses, or any manual focus lens for that matter, extremely simple to use. The magnified view is crisp and detailed, allowing for precise and quick manual focus.

In addition, there are improvements to image quality and the EVF. The full list of changes, updates and fixes:

Improved handling for manual focus lenses: pressing AE/AF lock button/joystick now zooms into 100%

Improved overall image quality for images shot between ISO 50-400

Improved L-Log curve for use for internal 8-bit video recording

Improved overall image quality of electronic viewfinder

Bug Fix: Correct indication of the R-Adapter-M and R-Lens used in the EXIF data of images

Greater flexibility when entering WI-FI passwords (longer passwords can now be used)

The firmware can be downloaded here: Leica SL Firmware 1.2

Leica Q

This is the first firmware update available for the Q, and has a few minor bug fixes along with optimizing image quality. Leica Q firmware 1.1 offers the following improvements:

Improvement in overall image quality between ISO100-400

Exposure has been corrected in digiscoping mode after switching off and on again.

Adjustment of the Live View image in monochrome mode in combination with Auto Focus tracking. With the new firmware, the Live View shows a monochrome image. For proper focusing, the camera switches to color when pressing the shutter button half way

Leica Q Firmware Version 1.1 is available for download here: Q Firmware 1.1

________________________________________________________________________________________

To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.

All ads present items of interest to Leica owners.

                                             

www.mgrproduction.net

MGR STORE: NEW ULTRA FIT LEATHER CASE FOR LEICA M9/M6/X1

www.eddycam.com

http://www.eddycam.com/en/home/#&panel1-3

www.9days.hk

Inventive Camera Bags for All of Your Gear

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http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates.aspx?code=AP-969

For more information on KOMARU and for orders go to: www.taos-photographic.com

NEW  Komaru Colors

For more information and pre orders go to: www.lenstab.com

http://www.tamarkin.com/

Upcoming shows in Tamarkin's Rangefinder Gallery

http://www.tamarkinauctions.com/

Click on image to enlarge

Order: info@gmpphoto.com

Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography

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PHOTOGRAPHY WITH AVAILABLE LIGHT

St. Paul, Minnesota Winter Carnival 1992 Ice Castle

Plaubel Makina, Anticomar 100mm f/2.9

Agfacolor Optima 100, 10 sec, f/2.9

This terminology is self-explanatory; photography with whatever light is available.  During daylight hours, this is no problem.  Difficulties arise when light levels are quite low.  Under such circumstances faster lenses or higher ISO settings often become a necessity.  With film, higher ISO settings generally are accompanied with coarser grain and ISO 3200 is a limit that is hard to overcome.  Here digital technology offers considerable advantages with some cameras offering ISO levels many times higher.

This has created another performance evaluation besides camera resolution in megapixels.  Some individuals are definitely of the opinion that a camera isn’t worth considering unless it excels at super high ISO levels.  There is definitely an advantage to be had, but are levels of 10 thousand ISO or more really necessary or helpful for that matter?

I have been involved in several discussion about this and thus have come across examples where anything less than 10 thousand ISO just doesn’t cut it.  My enthusiasm of this is far more measured, but then I don’t photograph black cats in a coal mine very often.

 

"Boltergasse" Barntrup, Germany

Linhof Technica 70, Schneider Symmar 100mm f/5.6

Ilford FP-3 10 minute exposure

 

Lou Bellami, Penumbra Theater, St. Paul, Minnesota

Leica M6, 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M

Ilford XP-2 Super, ISO 800

The beginning of my photographic education is solidly anchored in the film days.  Over the years I have certainly done my share of available light photography, yet rarely did that necessitate ISO levels higher than 800 or 1600.  As a matter of fact, I am hard pressed to imagine a photographic situation where anything substantially higher is necessary, although I should add that the coarse grain of very fast films is often used as an artistic element.

 

Children's Day Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Leica Digilux 2 

ISO 400

 

Newton Fork Ranch, Hill City, South Dakota

Leica Digilux 2

ISO 100

 

Lake City Marina, Lake Pepin, Minnesota

Leica M8, 15mm f.4.5 Voigtländer Super Wide Heliar

ISO 160, 1/362 sec f/8

 

Weilburg, Germany

Leica Digilux 2

ISO 400, 1/4 sec f/2.1

 

Leica M5, 50mm Noctilux f/1

Kodachrome 25, f/1, 1/30 sec

I have always tried to keep film grain as small as possible which is the very reason why I used to shoot quite regularly with film speeds of ISO 25.  Obviously, that is quite limiting.  Combining small grain with a variety of film speeds led me to chromogenic films, mainly Ilford XP-2 and its successor, the XP-2 Super.  Unlike other black and white films, these have the advantage of offering a relatively wide range of ISO settings without the need of developing adjustments.  I regularly used the XP-2 and XP-2 Super at ISO ranges from 100 to 800.  This would be of no consequence if there were no apparent difference.  However, at lower sensitivity setting these films display a noticeably finer grain.  Since no development adjustments are necessary, there is the advantage of being able to change the film sensitivity as needed and take advantage of the finer grain at the lower speeds, all on the same roll of film.

 

Office Building Minneapolis, Minnesota

Leica Digilux 2 

ISO 100

 

Brentwood Estate, Alexandria, Minnesota

Leica Digilux 2

ISO 100

 

Private Japanese Garden, Plymouth, Minnesota

Leica Digilux 2

ISO 100

 

"Tecco"

former principal violinist St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, St. Paul, Minnesota

Leica R4. 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-R

Ilford XP-2 Super, ISO 800

Of course such considerations are of not much consequence with digital cameras.  Here we can change sensitivity setting at will, although the greater noise at relatively high settings, which does look very much like film grain, is something to consider.  Thus I still follow my old habit of using relatively low ISO settings in order to get the most out of my cameras and lenses.  With my digital cameras that generally is ISO 100 or 200.

Available light photography is considered by most as photography under relatively low light levels.  This naturally can result in fairly slow shutter speeds unless higher sensitivity settings are utilized.  Of course a tripod can be of great help when slow shutter speeds are necessary, although no tripod can overcome the need for faster shutter speeds with fast moving subjects.  I also consider a tripod very restrictive in the way I can use a camera.  I much prefer to use my cameras hand held.

 

Cindy Hillger, Don Shelby

Live Newscast WCCO TV Minneapolis, Minnesota

Leica M6, 50mm f/2 Summicron-M

Ilford XP-2 Super, ISO 800

Venice

Leica M8, 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit

1/20 sec ISO 2500

Venice

Leica M8, 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit

1/15 sec ISO 1250

Venice

Leica M8, 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit

1/11sec ISO 1250

For that reason I still employ the old formula that I learned in the film days, to use as the slowest shutter speed a setting which is the equivalent of the focal length of the lens.  With other words, the slowest shutter speed that the average person can safely hand hold with a 50mm lens is 1/50 (1/60) sec.  Subsequently, 1/250 sec would be the slowest with a 250mm lens, 1/30 sec with a 28mm etc.  This approach has served me well over the years.  Obviously there are times when this would lead to underexposure.  In those cases, bracing on a solid object will allow handholding the camera at lower shutter speeds.

Would higher ISO settings be of an advantage?  Of course!  As long as the image quality does not substantially deteriorate, why not?  But I would not make high ISO capabilities a major factor when deciding on a camera.  As long as my camera equipment offers good performance at ISO 1600 or 3200, I feel unrestricted.

Finally, I must comment on another advantage of digital cameras.  With relatively long exposure times, they don’t display reciprocity failure.  This is a definite problem with most films and, unfortunately, it differs from film to film.  As a rule of thumb, we can safely assume that reciprocity failure is of no consequence with exposure times up to one second.  After that the exposure response is not linear anymore and films require an increase in exposure.  Unfortunately, there is little choice than to consult the reciprocity information that should accompany the film.

 

Don Stolz

Old Log Theater, Excelsior, Minnesota

Leica M6, 50mm f/2 Summicron

Ilford XP-2 Super, ISO 800

All in all, photography in low light is no problem, as long as we take the necessary measures to overcome the problems associated with this.  Digital photography has the added advantage of allowing to experiment without adding to the cost of film and processing.  The results can be outstanding photographs, much beyond the usual daylight snapshots.

________________________________________________________________________________________

To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.

All ads present items of interest to Leica owners.

                                             

www.mgrproduction.net

MGR STORE: NEW ULTRA FIT LEATHER CASE FOR LEICA M9/M6/X1

www.eddycam.com

http://www.eddycam.com/en/home/#&panel1-3

www.9days.hk

Inventive Camera Bags for All of Your Gear

 Trifecta Backpacks

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates.aspx?code=AP-969

For more information on KOMARU and for orders go to: www.taos-photographic.com

NEW  Komaru Colors

For more information and pre orders go to: www.lenstab.com

http://www.tamarkin.com/

Upcoming shows in Tamarkin's Rangefinder Gallery

http://www.tamarkinauctions.com/

Click on image to enlarge

Order: info@gmpphoto.com

Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography

Click on image to enlarge

Order: info@gmpphoto.com

Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography

Click on image to enlarge

Order: info@gmpphoto.com

Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography