At 03:45 PM 3/14/1998 -0600, Tim responded re: Joel's statement that Oly
optics seem to have great latitude:
>Do you have any techniques that bring out and
>illustrate that latitude you mention?
>
Not really, and I'm perhaps not a suitable person to canvas on this point.
Really strong colors often seem out-of-tune to me and commercial. I'm more
interested in the compositional aspects of photography (which sounds more
hoity-toity than I mean it to), which is not to say that I'm not disturbed
by green skin and yellow sky. But I often feel that the Olympus image is a
little softer and more realistic. I don't care for colors that overtly call
attention to themselves. Of course, perhaps I just don't like films that
create that kind of result. Some people shoot Velvia at ASA40 because they
find it too garish at 50! (Personally, I think that ought just to find a
different film!)
>
>I bought the Nikon a year ago in a weak moment because I was unhappy with
>the Oly... my photos just weren't sharp and lacked snap. I later discovered
>that the main problem wasn't the camera body but my technique, or lack of,
>and the fact that the three Zuiko's I owned (past tense) aren't the three
>the reputation was built on, i.e., 35-70 3.5/4.5; 75-150, and 50 1.4.
>
>Now I use a tripod, shutter lockup (on the OM1 and self-timer on the 4T),
>and prime glass and my work has taken an enormous leap in improvement.
>
Have you also tried the tripod, mirror lockup, etc. with your old zooms? I
get pretty good results from the 35-70 when I treat it like an expensive
prime. There is an interesting correlation sometimes between the "advance"
to primes and the "advance" to better photographic habits. We start with
zooms to get the bang for the buck and then move up to primes when we start
using tripods and other good habits more seriously. I suspect we often don't
really find out what our zooms can really do because we reject them at just
the moment when we get good enough at the craft to find out. All the zooms I
own -- Olympus and Nikon -- produce outstanding results. I tend to like
primes because -- what a concept -- they're lighter!
>
>Anybody still use Kodachrome? If so is there a time of day or a situation
>that it works best in? I like the vividness of the Fuji products but not
>all the time. And I would take exception to using Fuji in the desert
>Southwest, favoring Lumiere and it's earth-toned bias.
>
I like Kodachrome during the first and last hours of daylight. No filter,
except occasionally a cooling filter when taking sunsets, especially over
the ocean. I like the colors of Elite II, actually.
>I'm still looking for the film/lens combination that excels. Or is that a
>dumb and fruitless search and rather should be "film and situation and
>processor" combination?
>
I don't think it's dumb or fruitless at all. You're establishing your voice.
Go for it.
Regards,
Joel
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