Shooting Leica for darkroom or PC/MAC?

[totifoto]

Ever since I started shooting (2001) Leica has been on my shopping list. I only got to handle one for the first time last year and got disapointed cause I did not like the finder, I had only been shooting slr and medium format to that point. Since then I have been shooting Yashica minister-d, Zorki and Fed 3. As I got used to them and have no problem focusing with them I have been thinking of getting a Leica.

My only knowledge of the Leicas comes from the internet and almost all of the photos I have seen coming from the Leica is a film scan on flickr.com or here on rangefinderforums. Sometimes the look very crapy and a scan from a russian rangefinder sometimes looks better. So I quess looking at filmscans on the internet does not give me any idea of how the pictures are coming from these cameras.

I just put up a darkroom at home and I´m bursting with happiness 😛
I have been shooting with Hasselblad for over a year and now for the first time I see the photos from it on papper and they look fantastic. I also have been developing some films from my Fed 3 and Yashica and I was amazed by the print quality from the Fed.

So my question is this:
How will the prints from a Leica, camera+lens, look on papper?
Will they be breathtaking? Will I get the same quality with my Canon+ L glass on it?

I remember a photographer saying that putting film on papper that went through a Leica camera+lens just dropped on the papper with millions of details and almost no masking needed.

Thanx

 

[Anupam]

No magic is going to happen, I am afraid. Printing a neg from Leica will be exactly like printing any other negative. It can certainly be as good as Canon L glass, but that doesn't mean easier to print negs.

 

[Tate]

Don't expect a Leica image to blow away one from from a Hassleblad.

35mm is very different from 120.

That said, Leica lenses are fantastic and have a signature that may appeal to you.

Only your eye will know.

 

[dpetrzelka]

A Leica body is not likely to do anything for your darkroom printing experience - there is only the possibility that it will change your experience in the field.

And many will argue that if you have in your hands a tool that works well for you, you will take more/better photos, thus giving you more/better photos to print while in the darkroom.

I personally prefer the Leica M body (M6 classic and earlier) to almost any other 35/MF film camera I've used - it works for me on many levels. But it has not significantly changed the quality of my negatives - practice, and methodology in my film development have improved my negs.

As for hardware, its the glass that will change your negatives. And I'm not prepared to argue that Leica glass is the way to go. Voightland and Zeiss will give you many of the same benefits over old beat up russian glass (just an example of difference- not saying either is better, nor judging what anyone owns/loves).

If an M mount Leica body will encourage you to shoot more - go for it.
If you have $ and want to see an immediate change in your negatives go for glass (and standardize your film developing).

 

[dpetrzelka]

I don't think there is anything that will improve your negatives as much as a standardized, well controlled, precise procedure for developing your film.

No matter what emulsion, developer combo you choose - learn to control the process as perfectly as possible.

Let that be your silver bullet for the month!

 

[Anupam]

I don't think there is anything that will improve your negatives as much as a standardized, well controlled, precise procedure for developing your film.

No matter what emulsion, developer combo you choose - learn to control the process as perfectly as possible.

Let that be your silver bullet for the month!

Quite true. A lot of people spend thousands for gear, but just a bit of time and patience standardizing film development can contribute hugely to the end results. If you feel like spending a bit, a densitometer can now be had for under $150, or can be put together in many DIY ways. Standardizing exposure and develoment pays of much more than lenses and bodies in terms of darkroom experiance.

 

[totifoto]

Thax all for the comments. I think this is just what I needed to know.
I have been shooting with Canon from day one and love working with them so I think I will keep on using them. But I will probably buy a Leica one day though 🙂