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Re: [OM] Henri Cartier Bresson - OM equivalent to Leica M + 35/2?

Subject: Re: [OM] Henri Cartier Bresson - OM equivalent to Leica M + 35/2?
From: "Simon E." <sje@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 17:31:02 +0000
> I do not think there's anything such
>as THE decisive moment in a universal sense, but all photographers should
>be decisive about what moments they choose to open the shutter curtains
>to. 

I agree - surely it is what you choose to capture on film which is the
issue.  The tools you use should be appropriate, but without a vision of
some sort, a goal in terms of what you are trying to express, you won't have
any *reason* to take photos.  Sometimes it's too easy to press the shutter
without having really thought about why you are doing so.  How often have
you zapped off 36 shots in an afternoon and when you scan the contact
sheet/slides realised that only half a dozen are even worth a second look
(as opposed to being works of art)?  Too often, in my case.  I try to ask
myself why I am about to photograph a subject, what does it mean to me?
Sometimes I don't even take the camera on walks, so I can just look around.
Two friends who now use large format 5x4", restrict themselves to 2 sheets,
and it is quite a discipline.  I'm not recommending this for 35mm, but it
really makes you think "is this worth it"?

>I don't see why OM's can't be as "inspirational" as Leicas. 

all cameras do essentially the same job.  If you are more comfortable with
one that another then that's ok.  I wouldn't swap my OMs for any other 35mm
make, because I don't think I would take better photos with anything else.
The weak link is me, not the camera.  I try not to be too sentimental about
OM gear, I do like using it.

Fave lenses: I have taken the vast majority of my shots on 35mm and 50mm,
often I only take these two, but I do wonder whether a 40mm is that perfect
in-between focal length...

Simon.


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