Forum Replies Created
I've been following these reports with great interest and can say that I'm very impressed with the direction that Leica is taking…both on the S and M lines. As a Leica shooter it's gratifying to see that Leica has listened and responded to the needs/wishes of its existing user base. I can't think of a single change they have made that leaves me wondering “why would they do that”. Also glad that my concerns about stratospheric pricing for the new stuff were unfounded…except maybe for the 30-90 zoom 🙂 For those of us who have a substantial investment in Leica (is there any other kind ?) its comforting to feel that they will be around for a long while and that we have chosen wisely. All that remains is for them to ramp up production and deliver the promised goods!
Thanks guys…glad you liked them.
Al, it's tough to beat the Leica glass but there are some alternative lenses out there worth shooting with if you're willing to do a bit of extra work and forego the convenience of AF. I've got the Hassy 110/2 and just reacquired the 50/2.8 after testing it out. Kurt already knows this and has been doing it for a while with stellar results.
Kurt, my lighting skills still have a ways to go. Keep in mind that the only shots of mine that you see are the ones that came out well. You won't be seeing the shots I took where I metered for ISO 100 and forgot to reset the camera from its previous setting of ISO 3200 🙂
I've been fortunate to have the advice and guidance of my good friend Andre Rowe who truly is a master of lighting. Also lucky to have good friends at Broncolor who help me acquire good used equipment at a relatively affordable price. Top notch lighting gear can get expensive quickly. The girl in the red swimsuit is one of my favorite models and a regular member of my weekend boat crew. It probably took her six months to work up the courage to shoot but now that she's seen the results she's enthusiastic about doing more.Jack, thanks for making the effort to improve that image with the sepia toning. It just never occurred to me to try it but it's not something I will forget. And the model loved it…although she still thinks she doesn't look great in this shot. I get that a lot from my models…they don't look at the photo as a whole but focus on one aspect of their face/figure that they're not happy with. Had a shoot with a girl with almost flawless skin who asked me if I could smooth it out, and in this shot the model doesn't think her legs look good. Had to crop it for her just below the bathing suit. Glad I had the file size to work with. When I shoot near or in the water and need my pack close I put it in a small raft. This works well enough with the not so heavy Mobil unit…not sure I'd want to try it with 40+lbs of Verso though. And I've got a few stands that I use when they need to go in the water.
Glad you posted that second shot Jack…I think it's very well done and remarkably good considering the gear that was available to you at the time. When you compare that image to the one taken with the S2 the improvement in the tonal range is dramatic…at least to my eyes. And I like your newer sepia toning even better than the earlier version. Really nice shots…good to see someone using the S2 to it's full advantage.
Jack,
I think this crop works very well as does the sepia toning. Also agree that the triptych does not work well with this image as the vertical breaks in the panels interrupt the flow of the horizontal lines. Did you have a predetermined size in mind when you took the shot?
It would be interesting to see what the print looks like when it's been hung on location.
David
Beautiful…
I will be testing the HC 100/2.2 next week with the new adapter with an eye towards seeing how it compares to the legendary 110/2 with the dumb adapter. My intended use for this focal length is portrait/beauty shots. For me the primary determinant will be how accurately the AF focuses the 100mm lens. Even with the micro prism screen it's a challenge (for me) to nail focus on the eyes from any distance other than a close-up.
Marc, looking forward to some images from you when you have time. Would also appreciate your thoughts on the relative merits of 110mm vs 100mm.
Arif, if you can share any images taken with the zoom it would be appreciated. If I go down this road that one is on my short list.
Thanks to my friends at Hasselblad for providing me with a test lens and also to David and Josh for holding one of the new adapters for me to play with.
Interesting comparison Marc. I find this kind of thing much more informative than the more scientific apples to apples tests. I've been doing similar comparisons with the Leica S2 and D800E. I prefer the shot taken with the S2. There are subtle differences between the shots which are attributable to a variety of variables aside from the lighting. I sometimes find it difficult to express what it is that determines my preference…but I know it when I see it. Nice work and thanks for sharing.
I like the bike shot too and have thought about doing something like that for a while now. Unfortunately, I'm the one driving the bike 🙂 Maybe time for a second shooter…
Glad this tip got things resolved for you. Always nice when the community can help each other. Credit should be given to my friend Roger Dunham who originally made the suggestion to me.
No problems here with any of my Leica lenses but I did have an issue with a third party lens recently and was advised to double check and make sure the focusing screen was properly seated. It's worth a look…
Well done Marc. Glad to hear the S2 is doing the job…but I think you deserve the lions share of credit. Always enjoy reading about your lighting solutions…
The flower shot for me too Mark…well done.
I'll add my welcome as well Stephan. Your presence on the forum speaks well of Leica's continued commitment to answering it's customers questions and addressing their concerns.
Good to see you're out there shooting Jack. Very nice images and a great write up. Agree with David about the shot with the water…well seen.
I've been spending some time lately trying to improve my LR4 skills and stumbled upon a series of tutorials by George Jardine which I have found worthwhile (and reasonably priced). The guy really knows his stuff…
