Frank, all of your arguments are valid. I just have to keep asking myself why they sound like sour grapes. Sharp is fine but I wouldn't waste my time with a 4X5 to get it anymore.
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Who's arguing anyway? I was poking fun at this constant cat-call of "oh, it's just trendy," as if this entire forum wasn't dedicated to a medium that is "trendy" compared to the modern era of cameras, and even more trendy within THAT trend.
I actually have to admit that I wouldn't mind a nice 110XL or Ebony ;-) I do think there are trends within the large format community, that's why certain items get popular/expensive, just like in the fickle broader photo world. If these items weren't "trendy" then you wouldn't see the large price fluctuations.
But it is smaller audience and if someone posts about how wonderful a certain lens is - and presents some excellent work to back it up - then the price goes up. Smart marketing Jim!
Either way, any lens makes an image, and it's how you use the tools, not the tool itself, that defines whether or not the photo is successful. I never got a good image from my Verito so I sold it. I still would like to have another one every time I see an amazing image made with one.
I have zero interest in exploring soft focus just for the sake of doing soft focus. If it's 'trendy', then the trend has completely by-passed me. Still, a photograph either works or it doesn't, and a lot of sf shots work so who am I to criticize it for being 'trendy'? If I shot portraits, ever (not since high school), then I would certainly be interested in experimenting with vintage portrait lenses instead of vintage landscape lenses. Either way, I'm amusing myself with obsolete tools to do a job that I could do better with some other tool, but the process is a big part of what keeps me shooting. I realize a lot of people will argue that if I were doing portraits, there simply are no better lenses than the vintage ones. That's possible, I don't know because I haven't learned everything there is to know about photography.
Eh just shoot ;-p
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...well, all this said, fall is out there,
endless october portraits....
start november homework soon !
Miguel, that's fantastic.
Don't pander to them, it might be fall over there but it's autumn in Europe!
Pete.