film grain or lens quality?

[dshugar]

Hi group - I'm still eagerly awaiting my first Leica(s) in the mail and so you'll have to excuse my total ignorance on this subject. I've noticed a lot of the B&W photos take with Leica cameras, especially on the RFF website, seem to be very, very grainy. Is that some optical quality related to the famed Leica glass or just people shooting fast film?

 

[Dektol Dan]

Grainy minds

Grainy minds

There are lot of folks who insist on shooting faster film than they need and many like that lithographic stone imagery.

The traditional B&W finer grained films like Panny-atomic X, Very-chrome Pan and Plus X are history. Black and white films that are dye release like color negatives have taken their place. There are some nice European fine grain B&W films that take advantage of the good glass.

As far as I am concerned, grainy film erases any lens signature that the lens may have other than distortion, and what sharpness (if any) there is left from edge to edge.

I shoot exclusively color now and any Leitz glass from late 1930 on will do a good job showing itself off in its glowing splendor.

 

[Bryce]

Choice of film and developer have a huge impact on the appearance of B+W pctures. Add to that the fact that virtually all B+W images are altered at least tonally, and you'll see a wide variation in image quality/ aesthetics.
The lens has no bearing on film grain.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Film. Shoot XP2 and you'll have a lot less grain (dye image only -- no silver).

Cheers,

R.

 

[sirius]

Hi, congratulations on your purchase. They are lovely cameras and lenses to use. I'm sure that you will be very impressed with them. What people said about grain above. Welcome to RFF!

 

[MikeCassidy]

There are lot of folks who insist on shooting faster film than they need and many like that lithographic stone imagery.

The traditional B&W finer grained films like Panny-atomic X, Very-chrome Pan and Plus X are history. Black and white films that are dye release like color negatives have taken their place. There are some nice European fine grain B&W films that take advantage of the good glass.r.

I still use Plus X.