There's some very nice shots here but I can't help thinking that in going from film negative to print we are getting it second-hand and then from print to scanner for the forum, we get it third hand and I wonder just how good the scans are compared to say what would be done with a LF negative and a drum scanner. I've some beautiful shots I'd like to show but can't do them justice and so don't bother. Also I worry about putting a file that size up.
And the other problem is that FSU lenses are cheap and so we don't take them seriously enough. I bought a Summar a while ago and it was useless. Having paid good money for it I quite happily paid even more to get it tested etc and, in the end, spent a fortune to discover someone had wrecked it by regrinding etc two surfaces and attempting to coat it. Speaking to the technician I was told that getting a guaranteed one (ie a Summar) would set me back ever more but that they sold them.
And he had a high opinion of the FSU lenses but I shuddered to think what it would have cost to have all mine tested and set up exactly. And for my usual 8" x 12" stuff it doesn't really matter as I seldom shoot wide open. I guess that, like the rest of us, I know what works well enough on what camera and leave it at that.
Just my 2d worth. Regards, David