Would you replace a 90mm and 135mm with a 110XL?

[JPlomley]

Not to get off the NH beaten track any further, but going back to the non vs. single vs. multi coated lenses, I see images like this and I have to wonder if it is the scanner/post-processing or what because the "only" other images on the net that I have seen with this level of color depth and beauty are shots with modern multi-coated lenses.

The original image was scanned on an Imacon 949 at 2,040 ppi (16-bit) and tweaked in Photoshop (3 stage sharpening with PhotoKit Sharpener, curves etc). On the saturation front, the original capture was on Velvia 50 which is one of the most saturated E6 emulsions available. Add in the WT-polarizer and you really do not need to saturate any further in PS (maybe 5-10 on select colors only). In fact, the chrome and the final print (on Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl) compare favorably.

[I]

I find it a real PITA to use 52mm filters on the back of the lens.

/I]

Jay, I prefer to use a 67/77 SUR for mounting filters on the 75 Grandagon and would take the same approach with the 110XL. In fact, all of my lenses have SUR's on the front (Heliopan, I find the B+W's bind far too easily), even the 300mm (100/105 SUR). When I need to use a GND/Polarizer combination I use the Lee wide angle adapters in a single slot configuration with the polarizer 105mm mounting ring on the front. I have not experienced any vignetting with this configuration down to 75mm. For the 55 APO Grandagon, I can add a 86/105 SUR to the CF when I need to polarize (not recommended when there is sky in the image). There is no vignetting with this stacked combination, but there is a ~ 3 stop light loss. If I need a GND filter as well, I just tape it to the front of the polarizer. The 67mm Lee wide angle adapter and single filter slot vignettes on the 55mm, and of course you lose the CF which is essential for this lens when shooting chromes.

The IC of the Rodenstock is only slightly larger than the Nikkor (277 v. 250 at 1:1).

Ted, my specs say 200mm IC at life-size magnification. I'll have to go back and double check that. A 180mm is out of the question for field work given the 360mm of bellows extension required for 1:1. It would mean having to swap the bellows and the added draw would be deleterious to the stability of the rig under field conditions.

[Jack Flesher]

You can cover a lot of territory with a 110 and a 210...

I have trimmed significantly to what I use regularly enough to justify keeping: My current kit is 75 SA, 110XL, 150 APO S, 150 G-Claron (uber tiny, love the look and it does great at 1:1), 190 Kodak portrait (for nostalgic look/portrait only), 210 Kowa and 305 G-Claron.

For the odd times I feel the need for a tweener focal, I simply move my feet a little. If that doesn't work (which occasionally is the case), I go wider and crop later. IMO the 110 is so good optically, even when cropped down to 135 FoV is still very good. I find the 110 uses about 3"x4" of the full frame to render the 135 FoV to give you an idea of the amount of total crop I'm talking about.

[JPlomley]

Geez Jack, I could have sworn I saw a FS ad you had placed a few months back for the 110XL. What made you change your mind?

Not to go too far off topic, but are you hosting a workshop sponsored by Leica? I thought I read something about this on one of the other hundred or so forums I belong to? If so, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the M8 and predictions for the R10. I'm currently using a Mamiya 7 for my B&W street work shooting XP2, Delta 400 Pro, and Neopan 1600. I just picked up some HP5 Plus to try reverse processing at ISO 1600 (dr5). However, I would rather keep the ISO low and open up the lens (difficult with the Mamiya optics as they all start at either f/4 or f/4.5. I'm thinking an M8 and 35/1.4 LUX would be a deadly combination.

[Jack Flesher]

Geez Jack, I could have sworn I saw a FS ad you had placed a few months back for the 110XL. What made you change your mind?

I was bidding on one, then saw a great Buy-it-now on another, so I bought it, then ended up winning the other auction so ended up with two

Not to go too far off topic, but are you hosting a workshop sponsored by Leica? I thought I read something about this on one of the other hundred or so forums I belong to? If so, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the M8 and predictions for the R10. I'm currently using a Mamiya 7 for my B&W street work shooting XP2, Delta 400 Pro, and Neopan 1600. I just picked up some HP5 Plus to try reverse processing at ISO 1600 (dr5). However, I would rather keep the ISO low and open up the lens (difficult with the Mamiya optics as they all start at either f/4 or f/4.5. I'm thinking an M8 and 35/1.4 LUX would be a deadly combination.

Yes, we have a workshop and Leica is sponsoring it. BUT any camera make and type is welcome. (Details here: http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21)

As for the M8, it has its share of warts, but I still love it. Moreover, one of the warts --- a slight amount f IR leak onto the sensor --- actually turns out to be a huge BENEFIT for me and from the sound of it, proabably you too... Seems the additional IR makes for outstanding digital B&W conversions

As for glass, you should come over to our leica forum and do some reading. The 35 Lux is a phenomenal lens, but like most fast glass does suffer from focus shift as you stop down. This can be an issue when your main subject is relatively close to the camera, and as clean as the M8 files are, you can easily see the exact focus plane when you pull the image into the computer. Personally, I prefer the "look" from the older version 4 Cron (f2 max aperture) so that is my 35 choice, but the 35 Lux is a very tight second. However, focals run a bit weird on the M8 with its 1.3 crop --- For example, I find that my preferred focal lengths are the 28, 50 and then the 21 for most subjects, so the 35 does not get used much.

Anyway, in case your interested we still have room for Moab and the reps will have spare M8's for you to check out on the workshop and every piece of Leica M glass you can imagine will be there too. Both Guy and I shoot the M8 as do our two assistant instructors, and of the folks already signed up, 6 shoot with a Leica M --- my point is it will be a great opportunity to rub shoulders with other users and learn about and use the M8 before you buy

Best,

[JPlomley]

Interesting, I never really considered a rangefinder for landscape work. Have always used them as a discreet reportage tool with incredibly accurate focussing capabilities for wide angle lenses shot wide open. My most used lens on the Mamiya is the 65mm, so given the crop factor of the M8, it looks as though I would be better off with the 28/2 Aspherical.

Funny you should mention the 35 cron v4. There is a fellow that just listed one on the rangefinder forum. I would have thought you would need the aspherical elements for that M8 sensor.

I'll check out the link and the Leica forum (I do get the Leica International Fotographie from time to time and have always been impressed with the articles. That new 75 Summarit seems to be getting excellent reviews).

Cheers,
Jeff

[JPlomley]

The 35 Lux is a phenomenal lens, but like most fast glass does suffer from focus shift as you stop down. This can be an issue when your main subject is relatively close to the camera

I read about this also being an issue with the 75mm SA and Grandagons on the Ken Rockwell site. If the ambient light is suitable, I will focus the 75mm at f/8, otherwise, my foreground elements have tended to go a bit soft. At first I thought it was an inadequate loupe, so ended up buying the Silvestri tilting loupe to brighten up the top of the groundglass when doing a rear base tilt. Made no difference to the final image, but focussing the top of the GG sure was easier than with the Schneider 4x.

[Jack Flesher]

Interesting, I never really considered a rangefinder for landscape work. Have always used them as a discreet reportage tool with incredibly accurate focussing capabilities for wide angle lenses shot wide open. My most used lens on the Mamiya is the 65mm, so given the crop factor of the M8, it looks as though I would be better off with the 28/2 Aspherical.

This shot was done with the M8 and 28 Asph on our Yosemite workshop (click for bigger):


,

[JPlomley]

Nice, and I guess since it is digital, getting the positioning for GND filters is no longer a guessing game as it typically would be for film RF's. But I don't know, how large can you really print from a 10 MP camera, even with Leica glass? Thats the reason I went LF (wel, the ability to make large prints, but also control perspective and optimize the plane of focus).

[Jack Flesher]

Nice, and I guess since it is digital, getting the positioning for GND filters is no longer a guessing game as it typically would be for film RF's. But I don't know, how large can you really print from a 10 MP camera, even with Leica glass? Thats the reason I went LF (wel, the ability to make large prints, but also control perspective and optimize the plane of focus).

I can print the M8 files to 16x24 and they look excellent. With digital, you don't need SND filters A technique we taught in Yosemite was digital blending for that very purpose. The image above is a blend of two frames, one exposed for the sky, the other exposed for the foreground. The two are then optimally blended to maintain tonality throughout the image, and the composite then is processed for final color, contrast and saturation. When done, you end up with the image above.

Sky exposure:


Foreground exposure:


Note that in my foreground exposure, the reflection of the sky in the water has lost its color, just as it would if a SND were used. Since I was digitally blending instead, I was able to preserve most of the reflected color from the sky exposure in the final composite. IMO the blend process makes a much more natural appearing final image than SND ever did.

Cheers,

[Frank Petronio]

If the M8 approached 4x5 quality then many of us would probably be shooting with one.

Roughly speaking, it's like medium-quality medium format. Damn impressive but not real close to what you can do with even a cheap 4x5 outfit.