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three and a half


Jamie Roberts

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A snapshot, really, but it was only there for a second then gone! It's also very nice to be able to use my 80 R Lux again--on a new 5d Mark 3 :) My how I've missed shooting that lens!

 

80 R Summilux @ f1.4:

 

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Thanks so much for the comments everyone--I appreciate them a lot!

 

I will try to post a little more frequently. I've been so busy though it's been hard to get to the photo forums lately!

 

Having my R lenses back in service sure do provide inspiration, though!

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on my screen it seems unsharp, not that this is the main criteria, but imho its too much

for that close up portrait. may be this lense does not give more, dont` know.

 

kr

 

m

 

 

 

Most probably, it's because it's focused on the child's left eye and captured @ f1.4. ...

 

but, I could be wrong.

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on my screen it seems unsharp, not that this is the main criteria, but imho its too much

for that close up portrait. may be this lense does not give more, dont` know.

 

kr

 

m

 

It's sharp. On my Eizo and NEC it's certainly sharp at the point of focus, which is the eyes. I may have missed maximum sharpness by a millimeter or two, but certainly nothing that would detract in a print.

 

What you're looking at on your monitor is downsized from 22 megapixels and I didn't sharpen it for the web :) I admit it could probably use some sharpening.

 

Azzo is right, though, too: it's shot at 1.4 up close with an 80mm lens, and that lens is just not an APO 90 ;)

 

But it's all relative: if you're looking for Leica APO 100 R sharpness, then that kind of 2.8 maximum resolution and sharpness is just not there, which is one of the reasons I actually like the 80 R Summilux. It's quite sharp but very low contrast wide open, with fabulous flare rejection and lovely Mandler-era aberrations. If I had stopped this down to f2.8, it would have been much more contrasty and sharper too.

 

So if you're looking for a modern Leica lens look (or even a modern Zeiss or Canon look), then this lens (or a Noctilux 1.0 or a 75 M Summilux) is not for you.

 

But it will print with sharpness with no problems at all.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Jamie, great shot, great color, and the fact that it is not screaming tack-sharp is great. What I like about the Summilux 75 is that you kind of have to hunt to find the point of focus in a print from it because the transition into perfect focus is sooo smooth. The picture just sort of melts together in, what I think, is a very pleasing way.

 

You start getting used to that lens again and brides will be loving it. The wide open shots with that lens are going to just jump off the film strip

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What I like about the Summilux 75 is that you kind of have to hunt to find the point of focus in a print from it because the transition into perfect focus is sooo smooth. The picture just sort of melts together in, what I think, is a very pleasing way.

 

+1. Very well put

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Can I just say one other thing without wearing out my welcome? That shot makes me think of an audio analogy - hope this analogy doesn't fall on deaf ears. :D

 

Anyway, here is the analogy: When I used to get a new stereo system I'd crank up the volume and then crank up the bass then have to crank up the treble and it would just sound fantastic... for a while... then my ears would start to bleed and I'd have to go back and turn all the settings back to flat where it sounded best to begin with.

 

It is so easy to hit that sharpening and contrast slider and the zowie-color-saturation slider and the... But, it sure is nice to just see a nice flat photograph for a change. And, that is a compliment.

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Thanks everyone for the additional comments on this shot!

 

Rick you are totally right about this lens and it's M cousin, the 75 Summilux. They really have a wonderful contrast signature that makes transitions very beautiful, IMO. Stop them down, of course, and they sharpen up considerably.

 

And for portraits (and for weddings) I also like the bit of "extra room" I get with a 75 or 80 too. They're both great Leica lenses.

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Jamie, a classic use of the 80 lux. That finite softness in this typical application is it's charm. The angelic 'look' of the child would be lost IMO if it were much sharper. As you say, it will print gorgeously. I need to break out a roll of film into my R8 to use mine.

 

The only way I can see to 'improve' your pic might be to convert it to B&W. Reducing the colour, which is slightly distracting to me, would emphasize the child's expression. But then his fantastic red hair would be lost. So many ways, this pic is destined to deliver great pleasure into the future.

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Thanks Erl for your very kind comments!

 

I will try it in black and white too--ultimately I think you're right about that. However, one of the reasons I kept it in colour was that I really quite like the combination of the camera with the 80R Lux (especially the skin tones), which was, to tell the truth, quite surprising for me.

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