So,
One lucky listmember should be receiving their new (to them) 24mm f2 any
time now. I have had an epiphany, forced to utilise only "normal wide" (ie.
35mm f2) and longer lengths at my last couple of shows - [I shoot mainly
live bands]. The "standard" rocketed back into my good books this week,
saving the day. Spot metering, available light, fast lenses, fast film - the
only way to travel: light.
Incidentally, I shot most of this last week's gigs with said trusty 50mm
1.4, eschewing my usual suicidal position at the edge of the stage for a
couple of steps back, and the enprints from the new XP2 Super are sharper
than some 100 speed panchromatic prints I've seen recently. A good film just
got better and, for what I do, there's nothing to equal it. It rates at 800
with good neg density, yielding perfect, near-grainless 8 x 10s in the
darkroom, but even better than that, the minilab enprints are good enough to
scan for small reproduction sizes!!! Absolutely brilliant. This and Neopan
1600 are my mono staples, although I'm awaiting the return of a proof roll
of the new Delta 3200. Colour is normally a bit of a no-no with the rapidly
changing lighting, but I'm itching to burn thruogh a roll each of the new
Provia 400F tranny and Konica Centuria 800 print films. Just to see. You
know how it is.
It's frightening to think that the primary critical factor in lens choice
for this sort of work, actually, is the way the stage and photo areas have
been laid out. The physical distance from oneself to the act on stage will
determine focal length, A) because I only use primes, for their superior
quality, lower weight and ease of handling and B) I have feet, and therefore
don't need zooms.
The Zuikoholism seems to be ebbing a bit though ... I have re-affirmed once
more after watching a colleague labour under 2 kilos of Ni*on F4 plus flash
and accesories in the same pit as myself only to yield photos softer and
less punchy (contrasty) than mine (ha!) - One 16 yr old saw us both prepping
before curtain-up and quizically said to me "his is so much bigger than
yours!" ... In some ways, the story of my life, but then she was just a kid
and still has much to learn about the ways of the world ...
The person behind the lens is the critical factor in this caper, and that if
I really want the ultimate in quality, it's not another Brand I should be
looking at, but another format. Medium format is calling, which may mean the
sale of some Zuiks ... don't worry you guys will know first.
Methinks I'll be sweating over my lovely Maitani designs for some moons yet,
though. It never ends, does it.
Reuben.
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