Leica regret?

darkosaric · Dec 3, 2014

Can somebody explain to me Brassai? He used what film and camera? Not trying to troll here , I just look at his amazing work and I know there was no delta 3200 and DDX at that time. Flash?

blockend · Dec 3, 2014

darkosaric said:
Can somebody explain to me Brassai?

Tripod

Pioneer · Dec 3, 2014

darkosaric said:
Can somebody explain to me Brassai? He used what film and camera? Not trying to troll here , I just look at his amazing work and I know there was no delta 3200 and DDX at that time. Flash?

He focused the camera on a tripod, opened the shutter, then fired a flashbulb.

At least that is my understanding of his technique. Necessity is the mother of invention.

darkosaric · Dec 3, 2014

Thanks guys. I saw many of his prints in live - they are excellent, so I was wondering what was it. No magic bullet, as usual .

Anyhow - good idea for Sweden .

VisualDarkness · Dec 3, 2014

darkosaric said:
Can somebody explain to me Brassai? He used what film and camera? Not trying to troll here , I just look at his amazing work and I know there was no delta 3200 and DDX at that time. Flash?

He used the same model of camera is I do:

Voigtländer Bergheil DeLuxe Green by A.Sundell, on Flickr
He used a tripod, set the camera up for long long shutter speeds and had his assistant holding a magnesium flash. His work is great and creative but the fact is still that he didn't use "set it f8-16, zone focus and walk around and shoot", which was what was being discussed.

I have no problem with using other methods of shooting (or else I would not have gotten the folders) to try to be creative with the limitations, but people getting the "sunny16 and then zone focus and walk around" everytime as an answer when bringing up how to do street photography when it's not really workable for everyone is kind of annoying.

blockend · Dec 3, 2014

VisualDarkness said:
I have no problem with using other methods of shooting (or else I would not have gotten the folders) to try to be creative with the limitations, but people getting the "sunny16 and then zone focus and walk around" everytime as an answer when bringing up how to do street photography when it's not really workable for everyone is kind of annoying.

SP is based on the idea of candid photography. The Brassai images I'm aware of appear to be set up, or posed. They are two different genres of photography.

flavio81 · Dec 3, 2014

VisualDarkness said:
He used the same model of camera is I do:

Voigtländer Bergheil DeLuxe Green by A.Sundell, on Flickr
He used a tripod, set the camera up for long long shutter speeds and had his assistant holding a magnesium flash. His work is great and creative but the fact is still that he didn't use "set it f8-16, zone focus and walk around and shoot", which was what was being discussed.

I have no problem with using other methods of shooting (or else I would not have gotten the folders) to try to be creative with the limitations, but people getting the "sunny16 and then zone focus and walk around" everytime as an answer when bringing up how to do street photography when it's not really workable for everyone is kind of annoying.

Thank you VERY much. I always wanted to know how Brassai got away with such good street pictures. This explains everything.

Of course, you can't be too "candid" if you intend to fire an explosive magnesium powder flash at night

VisualDarkness · Dec 3, 2014

flavio81 said:
Thank you VERY much. I always wanted to know how Brassai got away with such good street pictures. This explains everything.

Of course, you can't be too "candid" if you intend to fire an explosive magnesium powder flash at night

"Picasso called him The terrorist because of the flash powder Brassai chose to use in capturing his subjects. It caused minor explosions in the dimly light bars and cafes that he frequented."
I can't imagine what would happen if you did the same thing today in Paris!

darkosaric · Dec 4, 2014

@VisualDarkness: you can try something line this in the dark winter nights:

Dead Link Removed

And you can use Adox iso 20 film - no problem. Just use f8-f16, zone focus and ... don't walk around, use tripod and make 10-20 multiple exposures of half second .

blockend · Dec 4, 2014

Nice work from Titarenko. I particularly like the constructivist, "nomenklatura of signs" series, and city of shadows.

VisualDarkness · Dec 10, 2014

darkosaric said:
@VisualDarkness: you can try something line this in the dark winter nights:

Dead Link Removed

And you can use Adox iso 20 film - no problem. Just use f8-f16, zone focus and ... don't walk around, use tripod and make 10-20 multiple exposures of half second .

I tried it recently with the inspiration of your post but mostly messed up the times as I afterwards realized how short the total was, but we'll see!

Pioneer · Dec 10, 2014

Street Photography is a style of photography, not a technique. In many respects a lot of HCB's work was also posed. In his case he found a likely location and snapped photographs when something happened.

Everyone comes to the party with their own technique. That is why this is such an enjoyable hobby.

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 11, 2014

The only camera that stopped working for me in the past year was a Leica M2 that was completely serviced within the last couple of years. The film winding lever just got stuck and wouldn't forward the film.

They are built well, and it will be repaired and good as new again. But it stopped working in a REALLY annoying spot where I could only carry so much gear with me. I spent the rest of the visit photographing with a Minolta point and shoot camera. Could have been worse, but the timing was super bad. We paid 200 dollars for four people to get a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's home Taliesin, which I happily paid. I picked the Leica specifically for its reliability so that I could take a few photographs there that I had wanted to take for a very long time.

The only other camera that stopped working on me was when it was -29*F on Lake Superior in February, with the air so humid (lake fog) that my exhale froze on the camera body. After slowly defrosting the cameras, a few hours later they were fine again.

miha · Dec 11, 2014

Well Thomas, your M2 was 50 years old when it stopped, wasn't it? You said the timing was really bad... but which car would you choose for an important business trip: you brand new Subi or your '59 Mercedes?

flavio81 · Dec 11, 2014

miha said:
Well Thomas, your M2 was 50 years old when it stopped, wasn't it? You said the timing was really bad... but which car would you choose for an important business trip: you brand new Subi or your '59 Mercedes?

I'd choose the '59 Mercedes if it was regularly manteined, definitely. I own two Mercedes, one is from 1982 and has never left me stranded due to failure. (Leaving the lights on and thus draining the battery can't be blamed on the car...)

If the Mercedes engineers had chosen to enter the camera business in the 50s or 60s, camera history would have been very different!!

I never fully understood the Leica popularity as "best" camera maker. I think it's more based on clever brand image than substance. The lesser reliability of some of their rangefinders is well known. For me, the really GREAT greman camera maker is Rollei. The Rolleiflex TLR and the Rolleiflex SL66 are a step above in build quality, reliability, and even aesthetics.

miha · Dec 11, 2014

I knew I should have left cars out of this discussion!

Pioneer · Dec 11, 2014

If I were to personally choose a camera to carry based on reliability then, from my own personal experience, it would not be a Leica. For me it would have to be my K1000 or my Spottie which belonged to my grandfather.

I love working with my Leicas, in many ways they are works of art. But I'm not totally certain that Leica ever really understood the concept of reliability as practiced by the Japanese. This certainly applies in the digital world as well. I have two 10 year old Pentax digital cameras that continue to work, and I have an old Canon 5D that looks as if it has been run through a cement mixer...twice! But it refuses to die and puts out beautiful photographs.

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 11, 2014

miha said:
Well Thomas, your M2 was 50 years old when it stopped, wasn't it? You said the timing was really bad... but which car would you choose for an important business trip: you brand new Subi or your '59 Mercedes?

My Hasselblad 500C is about that old. It's fine in spite of using it a LOT more. Hasn't been serviced in 5 years.
The Leica was serviced two years ago, a complete renovation.

I just thought it was odd.

blockend · Dec 11, 2014

These most reliable discussions are silly. A camera will encounter hard knocks, mechanical failure and water ingress if it's used in a sufficiently committed way, and for long enough. I can't think of any that would survive all of those indefinitely. A rangefinder camera is a relatively delicate tool, and a Leica is no exception. And chances are it's going to be a few decades old, at least.

flavio81 · Dec 11, 2014

blockend said:
These most reliable discussions are silly. A camera will encounter hard knocks, mechanical failure and water ingress if it's used in a sufficiently committed way, and for long enough. I can't think of any that would survive all of those indefinitely. A rangefinder camera is a relatively delicate tool, and a Leica is no exception. And chances are it's going to be a few decades old, at least.

There are tools that are more delicate than others.

There are tools that are reliable enough, and there are tools that are not reliable enough.

Jonathan Van Matre · Dec 11, 2014

If I were going to recommend a rangefinder that would feel "right in the hand" to a longtime TLR shooter, I'd suggest a Mamiya 6 or 7.

Leicas are marvelous tools, but there's a gravity/gravitas (both literal and psychological) to the Mamiyas that even the best 35mm rangefinders can't match.

flavio81 · Dec 11, 2014

Jonathan Van Matre said:
If I were going to recommend a rangefinder that would feel "right in the hand" to a longtime TLR shooter, I'd suggest a Mamiya 6 or 7.

Leicas are marvelous tools, but there's a gravity/gravitas (both literal and psychological) to the Mamiyas that even the best 35mm rangefinders can't match.

You know, Medium Format (MF) starts with M for Mamiya...

georg16nik · Dec 11, 2014

Thomas Bertilsson said:
My Hasselblad 500C is about that old. It's fine in spite of using it a LOT more. Hasn't been serviced in 5 years.
The Leica was serviced two years ago, a complete renovation.

I just thought it was odd.

M's are overly complex in its guts.
Barnacks are much more robust and simpler made.

Richard S. (rich815) · Dec 11, 2014

georg16nik said:
M's are overly complex in its guts.
Barnacks are much more robust and simpler made.

Agree. Too bad about the squinty finders though...

blockend · Dec 12, 2014

There was a reason so many famous photographers put a viewfinder on their rangefinder, and it wasn't all about focal length.

Leica regret?

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