50 Sumilux Sharpness and Canon 17-40

[John Elder]

Hi Folks! I am not a wedding photographer, but sometimes get stuck shooting weddings for very good friends as the primary(often only)photographer. I shoot Leica M bodies. It is easy to shoot a Leica M with a flash. I use a cheap, but reliable Vivtar 2000( less than $ 30.00). I shoot the flash off camera, it is a tiny flash easily held in left hand. I only use the flash when availble light won't let me shoot at 1/60 or faster. I zone focus a 35mm lens for 5ft to 12ft at F8. The flash has 2 auto setting and a manual setting. The strong auto setting exposes well between 5ft and 12ft at f8. I hold the flash off camera connected by a 12 inch pc cord. The flash is small enough to put in my left pocket while focuing ( when not zone focusing) or I can hold the flash while focusing also.
When I shoot my left hand is holding the flash 2 or 3 above and to the left of the camera. This system works great. I would also suggest testing whatever small flash you use with a flashmeter at home the night before the weddiing and wright down the fstops for different distances. Write this info on masking tape and tape the information on the side of the flash tested. You can get studio type lighting effects using this technique. You do not need TTL flash metering!

 

[x-ray]

300 DPI scan? i don't know how you can print an 8x10 from a 35mm scan at 300dpi Would only give you a print equal to the size of the neg if yuor printing at 300dpi.

I don't know what scanner he's using or you are but the Imacon that I had and the Fuji Finescan 5000 that I currently have scan at 300 DPI or whatever DPI you want up to 5000 and then after selecting the DPI you select the percentage of enlargement or reduction that you want at that DPI. The final output is, for example, 300 dpi at 1200% or a specific size can be set at a particular DPI.


An 8x10 at 300 dpi is a rather small file compared to the 11x17 300 spi file of the 1DsII. Full frame on 8x10 would probably be 22 or so megs vs 47.5 megs of the canon file.

 

[Innerimager]

sounds great John. Bet it looks better! thanks for the tip....Peter

 

[rolo]

Peter55,

I've been around the same circle. Until last November, I was shooting with an MP and an M3 with 35f2 & 50f1.4 & 90/f4 lenses (since added a 24mm f2.8). Espcially with the M3, I felt I was getting too knotted up with gear and responding too slowly to fleeting opportunites. So I bought a Canon 1D MkII N + 24/70 & 85 F2 & 16/35. All quality gear.

Since last November I've used just the Canon DSLR and as I look back at the results I can tell they are not as good as the Leica photos I've created. On the Canon side:

- I get more absolutely sharp pics
- I don't worry about the number of pics I take 6-800
- I crop in-camera more quickly.
- it's much quicker to get into the computer (which I always do with the Leica)
- the post processing takes longer
- cropped images break down more quickly
- I rush image taking
- I use flash far more

For the Leica:
- the images are smoother
- there are substantially more 'great' shots
- skin tones are excellent
- the level of subject awareness is far less
- volume is down to 350 frames
- colours rarely need balancing
- I never use lash and rely on the lens at 1/8th if needs must.

My best results came from combined use of the Leica & Mamiya 7 combination with the Mam 7 being used for the big group shots and the M's for everything else. For quality, I'd prefer to go back to this and may well do in the near future.

Regards

 

[Peter55]

Wow, too many responses for me to answer all tonight.
I will keep the Canon gear and use the Leica M5 and 50 Summilux for those unobtrusive moments.

Does anyone know what would happen if I mount a Canon 580EX on the M5?
Will it hurt the flash? I have used it on a Pentax K100D and it was fine.
If I can use the 580EX on my M5 then I can control the flash intensity with the onboard flash controls. Then I could also do a little more with my Leica than available light shooting.

 

[Peter55]

Hi Krosya,
I agree with you. Many systems can help. 35mm film and DSLR's.
I'm also thinking of getting a new Copal shutter for my LF Crown Graphic Camera. That's a start on a bigger negative formy groupshots,
or maybe the 1Ds Mark II can handle this, I'm sure it can.

 

[Peter55]

Hi ywenz here are the links. Since my original post I have reviewed these with another photographer and together we figured out that the scene is not really close enough to be a direct comparason. Also they are only web versions so again comparason is a waste of time. So my original post was in error.
Leica M5 50mm f/1.4 Summilux at @f.5.6:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artist_eyes/416451290/
Canon 1Ds MarkII at @ f/8
http://www.flickr.com/photos/artist_eyes/416451293/