Dante Stella on the Transition from Film to Digital

 

A Different Spin, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 640, f4, 1/180 sec

 

Dante Stella recently wrote an interesting piece about the world's transition from film to digital photography.

 

(Click Here) to read it on The Machine Planet.

 

In the post, Dante refers to the loss of the analog world's science and research - volumes of data on the specifics of light interacting with various components and chemicals, instructions to allow the home enthusiast to develop their own film (with potential for poisoning themselves with color developing). One of his strongest points is that while there is some maintenance level production of film going on, we've lost any hint of further development, of creation, that companies like Kodak were so good at back in the day.

 

Dante also mentions how even those of us who still shoot film mostly use a hybrid analog/digital process. I certainly do. My negatives are never printed in an enlarger any more (and if they were, most processors now use laser printing anyway). I scan them, and from there it's completely digital.

 

I found the piece very insightful, and successful at not covering the same old ground and arguments about film versus digital.

 

Dante's piece ends with a quote:

"Se vogliamo che tutto rimanga com’è, bisogna che tutto cambi."

 

Using the best digital technology at hand (Google Translate), I found that this means:

"If we want to keep it this way, everything must change."

 

I find that pretty appropriate. I would not have stood a chance at translating it without digital technology.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

When the Magic Happens - Howard Grill's Sunrise

Image Source: http://www.howardgrill.com/imagestorypages/pittsburghparks/528sunriseivstory.html

This is what I love about photography. You can go to a place many times, but only occasionally do you get to experience the perfect light and color to make a wonderful image.

(Click Here) to read Howard Grill's short story about the image above.

Below is one that I made in Key West several years back, at sunrise. I must admit that I used a blue/gold filter on this shot, one that I picked up in a purchase of several Cokin filters and holders. I haven't really used any of those filters since. I'm just not a filter type of guy. I occasionally use a polarizer, but usually limit myself to a yellow or orange filter for better sky contrast in black and white, and sometimes a neutral density filter to get the exposure I want.

Key West Pilings, by Reed A. George

Nikon D200, Nikkor AF-D 35mm f2 Lens

iso 100, f22, 10 sec.

 

I guess the filter really helped out in this shot.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Dreaming in Monochrom(e) - Leica M4-2

More results from my experimentation with shooting my (film) Leica M4-2 exclusively with black and white film.

 

The first few are from the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, a place that I always find challenging to photograph:

 

 

 

 

And here are a couple of shots I grabbed at our last Vienna (Virginia) coffee house meeting of local Leica enthusiasts.

 

 

I enjoy establishments that provide large tables that are shared with other parties. It just feels a lot more social to me.

 

All of these were shot with the M4-2 and Kodak TMax 400 film, processed by The Darkroom.

 

(Click Here) to visit The Darkroom. Great processing at great prices.

 

I am thoroughly enjoying this project. In terms of testing whether I really want a digital Leica Monochrom, it's been convincing, but probably not in the way you think. It's convinced me just how satisfied I can be with a great old film camera and black and white film.

 

My digital M9 is going to be coming home from Leica Service USA (where it's getting a checkup and thorough cleaning after quite a lot of use in 2013) in the next couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to having it back, but have been doing just fine with my old M4-2 in the meantime.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

One Lens That Didn't Make It Into Whole Lotta Leica Last Year - Leica LTM Summarit 5cm f1.5

Autumn Color, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summarit 5cm f1.5 LTM Lens

iso 200, f6.7, 1/60 sec

 

One of the lenses that didn't make it into my monthly feature of Whole Lotta Leica (WLL) last year was actually the second Leica lens I ever owned. Come to think of it, my first Leica lens, the 90mm f4 Elmarit didn't make it either. Both of these lenses are in great shape, but have a little haze that needs to be dealt with.

 

Here's my Summarit:

Leica Summarit 5cm f1.5 LTM Lens (ca. 1953)

 

These lenses are notorious for coming with lots of "cleaning marks," aka scratches, on the front element. The coatings were apparently quite soft, and they are easy to scratch. Mine has essentially no marks on the elements, but does have some haze. I have hesitated to send it for cleaning, worried that it will come back with scratches. So, I live with the haze. The lens renders very interesting images, with lots of center sharpness and wonderful bokeh (out of focus areas).

 

For me, the Summarit is a special lens, not one I'd want to rely on every day. However, it can produce some very special results.

 

What got me thinking about this? A post on Rangefinder Forum, by member "tester."

(Click Here) to read tester's thoughts on the lens on Rangefinder Forum, and see some very nice example images shot with his (her) Summarit.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Quick Test of my New Wartime Leica IIIC

 

Wartime Leica IIIC

 

A few years ago, I purchased a beautiful Leica IIIC wartime model (ca. 1942) from a friend of a friend. At the same time, I got an uncoated LTM Summitar 5cm f2 lens (1939). Both the camera and lens turned out to be favorites of mine. The wartime IIICs are characterized by a little step up on the top plate, where the rewind lever sits. Therefore, these cameras are sometimes referred to as "steppers." I always have my eyes open for these models, both because the wartime IIICs are usually in better shape than postwar cameras, due to issues with chrome plating after the war, and because they really are little pieces of history. They don't come up for sale all that often.

 

Recently, I saw the camera above on one of the forums, another wartime IIIC from 1945-46, with a matching Elmar 5cm f3.5 collapsible lens from 1945. I paid a little more than I should have for it (not really bad though, as these cameras go for very little money these days). I had to have it serviced by Youxin Ye to get the slow speeds working, but that's really an investment rather than a cost. Youxin also recovered the camera and cleaned up the Elmar very nicely. It's now all fixed up and working well.

 

In order to just do a quick test of this new camera and lens, I popped in a cheap roll of Walgreens 200 speed color print film and gave it a shot. You'll see that this film is quite grainy for 200 speed, but otherwise I guess it's okay. All of these were shot with the Elmar that came with the camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried to use a variety of shutter speeds to make sure the shutter's operating properly. I don't see any problems here at all.

 

So, I've now got a second wartime Leica and matching Elmar 5cm f3.5 lens. Checking with the expert on these cameras, Jim Lager, who I met through my membership in the LHSA (International Leica Society), I learned that this camera was most likely sold to an Allied soldier at the end of World War II. The serial number indicates that it was made late in the wartime camera production era.

 

Surprisingly, I've now found an even higher serial number IIIC on the same forum, and purchased it. The seller tells me that this one fires well at all speeds, so hopefully it won't need the same level of service as the one pictured here. Again, this younger stepper IIIC was probably sold to a US or Allied soldier at the very end of the war. I'll share pics when it arrives.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

DC Area Photographers - Chinese New Year Walk, Sponsored by Leica Store DC

Chinese New Year, DC, by Reed A. George

Leica M8, Zeiss Biogon 25mm f2.8 Lens

iso 320, f8, 1/125 sec.

 

 

After living in San Francisco, I must admit that Washington DC's Chinatown is a bit underwhelming. However, on the Chinese New Year celebration, it does liven up quite well. Tomorrow (Sunday, Feb 2), the DC Leica Store is hosting a photo walk at 12:45PM.

 

(Click Here) to get the details from the Leica Store Event page.

 

I'm planning to meet several of my friends there for the walk. One week later (Sunday, Feb 9), we're planning to have a local LHSA (International Leica Society) meetup and then head over to the Leica Store to see and share photographic results from the walk

 

If you're in the area (whether you're a Leica user or LHSA member or not), come join us for some fun!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

A Little Live Music with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

I've been working a lot lately, and not getting out for enough shooting. I have roughly kept up with my posts, but it's been a stretch.

 

Last night, after a full day of science, I headed out to see Jake and the Burtones at LoCo Joe's Coffee in Purcellville, VA. Here are my favorite shots from the evening.

 

Forgive the brevity; I'm a little short on time this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This final shot was made with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 and Series 2 kit lens at iso 6400. Not bad. The remaining images were made with the Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4 and Olympus 75mm f1.8 lenses at iso 1600 and 3200.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com