[LRFlex] Old & New ( was: Leicanon - 80-200 zoom)

Our guru, Ted, offered in part:


There isn't any question about the amazing quality derived from R Leica lenses, on the 20D and I expect from other Canon digi cameras also. Certainly those lenses I've worked with more so than others for about 6 months, 100mm macro 2.8 and in particular the 80-200 f4.0 zoom lens.

The 80-200 is cutting at ASA100 as though I'm using super fine grain colour slide film. The smoothness of skin and colour shooting faces at 200mm, well OK some very attractive young model potential women, it's amazing. Not to forget edge sharpness of eye lashes and snap of highlights in the eyes.

I have completely given up on discussing the constant babble of digi numbers of what it will and wont do! Waste of time quite simply because I'm looking at the end product on major enlargements and not the constant babble of nit picking numbers.


As usual, Ted's comments are a victory for common sense. If it works for you, carry on doing it in the simplest way possible. My view entirely.

Fortunately I have the luxury of being an amateur, which means I can make up my own rules as I go along without any commercial pressures being involved.

Therefore I'll stick with Leica glass on obsolete film bodies. These work fine for me for what I'm doing, which is considerably less demanding than a pro regime.

My excitement Leicawise is to use elderly Leica kit to the best of my ability. Hence I was thrilled with the results that a camera and lens from 1926/27 can produce. And in the 'flex line, using an SL or SL2 is a very rewarding experience in terms of producing great results from film where the camera just seems to be an extension of your eye.

For the oldie angle, see the black-paint story at:

http://www.iol.ie/~corkflor/

It's not just nostalgia, but rather a different perspective.

I don't doubt for one moment, judging by the results posted, that the Leicanon marriage is a very happy one. But I suspect that any of the top of the range Nikon digitals would give this combination a run for its money - which is why pros use them so extensively. If there were a Nikon digital that offered the same Leica lens facility, then no doubt the threads on this group would be somewhat different.

So I suppose the Leicanon thread is looking forward, but we must take the history on board too. Given the high cost and relative inadequacy of Leica's digital compromise in the DMR back, I can see no way in which they''re going to survive in a market where today's product is already obsolete, and the product cycle is no more than a couple of years in length. Thus the supply of Leica lenses will ultimately dry up too.

So, folks, I'll carry on quite happily using obsolete equipment which is perfectly adequate for my needs. The miracle, as far as I'm concerned, is that I can get the negs from a 70 year-old Leica digitised straight to disk - which is as near to a digital camera as I think I'll ever need.

Best

Alex




--
Alex Hurst
Waterfall
Nr. Cork
Ireland

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