It's all about the TONE (and Leica might be the McIntosh of the photography world)

[Alberto]

You know that I am a fan of "delicious sound" (i.e. great tone) over "absolute sound" (i.e. the 'correct' tone.)

I've been enjoying a revival of my passion for photography and shooting (and becoming familiar) with a new (to me) Leica Digilux 2 for the last couple of weeks. The history and fervent fans of Leica cameras remind me a lot of history and the passion audiophiles have for McIntosh

When I look at the resulting pictures and compare them to some of the photos I've taken in the past with different cameras, the thing I like the most about the Digilux 2 photos it is the "tonality" (if that's the right term) of the colors (and B&W shades.)

As an amateur guitar player (as well as an audiophile) I've always paid attention to acoustic tone and now, it appears, I've come to appreciate visual tonality.

To celebrate, I took a picture of my vintage Fender Stratocaster with emphasis on its two Tone knobs. The goal was to come up with a visual equivalent of the Strat tone I like and try to get - a combination of "bite" and "attack" (sharpness), with a bit of a rough edge (graininess) and an overall early-Van-Halen "brown tone".

The "infinite pool" effect of the guitar body disappearing into total darkness was intentional - to reflect the relatively fast decay of the tone - and was made easier by the Strat's sunburst pain which gets gradually darker at the edges.

I am pretty happy with the results. Next I will try my hand at capturing the "soul" of some of my audio components - not an easy task with the McIntosh glass reflections.

Alberto

[PHC1]

Great picture Alberto! I've always found the Zeiss/Leica optics to possess something very rich and eye pleasing about the way they capture the light and spectrum of colors. I've owned Zeiss optics in the past and even though my current Canon "L" glass comes close, it still doesn't quite match that "magic". It would be silly to compare digital and analog sound to cameras/optics but in my mind the difference is almost like comparing the CD to vinyl when it comes to Zeiss/Leica.

For the lack of better words, I found that similar "magic" in Lamm amps and I guess I am not the only one that compares optics to audio gear. Zeiss vs Leica

[PHC1]

I was reading the Leica X1 review at Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ and was very impressed with the sample picture gallery.

[jdandy]

Alberto.......As a Fender Strat owner myself, I love the photo subject. Those three little knobs can be versitile tone creators, too. What impresses me the most about the Leica photos you are producing, the essence of the photos go deeper than tone. The Fender photo reflects a vivid depth, almost approaching three dimensions. The clarity is outstanding. Your photographic skills, techniques, and concepts are becoming advanced, as well. Great photo.

[Alberto]

I am not sure I would go for the X1, but I might gift myself an M9 for my birthday ... although I am a bit turned off from a few too many reports of problems with the first batch.

Alberto

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Alberto.......As a Fender Strat owner myself, I love the photo subject. Those three little knobs can be versitile tone creators, too. What impresses me the most about the Leica photos you are producing, the essence of the photos go deeper than tone. The Fender photo reflects a vivid depth, almost approaching three dimensions. The clarity is outstanding. Your photographic skills, techniques, and concepts are becoming advanced, as well. Great photo.

Thanks Dan.

Alberto

[wakkz]

I have had my eyes on the X1 for quite some time, although I will wait until they make the next generation of that line, X2? :P

[Dj_AmTraX]

Digitalrev loves the Leica M9.

[Jerome W]

Alberto : beautiful pic ! You're right : the tone is perfect.
So here is my question : when will you go back to McIntosh ?

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by C220MC275

Alberto : beautiful pic ! You're right : the tone is perfect.
So here is my question : when will you go back to McIntosh ?

Hey Jerome,

How do you say "smart ass" is French?

For the record, I am still a huge McIntosh fan and I still have plenty of McIntosh in my house. Six components in fact: MDA1000, MCD201, C34V, MR80, MC250 and Mac1700 - and no plans to sell any of them.

That's compared to 4 Shindo components: Auriges, Monbrison, Montille and Cortese. No plan to sell any of these either.

And 2 pair of Tannoy speakers: The Mini and the Sandringhams.

Alberto