Just a quick post… I’ve been looking for an “affordable” Leica 28mm lens and was able to make the move last week as Leica has a $300 dollar rebate now available! I decided on the 28mm Elmarit F 2.8 ASPH for a few reasons:

1. It is really small and light and only blocks a very little bit of the lower right corner of  the viewfinder on my M7 when the hood is attached- none when it is not.

2. According to test reports* it’s damn sharp (I agree)… see print below / link. Additionally it has very little distortion and a very nice OOF (out of focus) rendering.

3. I had owned the Voigtlander 28mm F 1.9 Ultron lens a few years back and was not really that impressed (so I sold it) and the Leica 28mm F2 ASPH Summicron was out of the question due to the cost and it is a larger lens which blocks more of the viewfinder.

So how good is this lens….

Print 1: Full size print 9.5″ x 25″. Printed on Hand-coated Fabriano Artistico 640 gsm.

Print 2: Crop 4.5″ x 4.5″ of Full Size 9.5″ x 25″ Print

Print 3: Crop 4.5″ x 4.5″ of Extreme Full Size 19″ x 50″ Print!

Note:  The negative was scanned on an Imacon Scanner (wet mount) at 4725 optical dpi, 16 Bit… about a 500MB file. Film… Kodak Ektar 100.

Viva la Revolution-
Stephen

Want / need more information on the Leica 28mm Elmarit F2.8 ASPH… here is a link to a detailed review by Erwin Puts.

As promised here is an instructional video on how to hand coat your own ink jet paper. This video also explores the concept of creating a paper portfolio and making your own printer icc. profiles. (The video was broken into two parts due to a 10 minute time limit on Youtube so be sure to watch both videos.)

Part 1

Part 2

Additional Notes:

I always finish my prints with a coat of Premier Art Print Shield…always. In the video I also indicated that I would try to show a side by side of commercial ink jet paper compared to hand coated ink jet paper but the differences are just killed on the web. If you are in Vermont PLEASE stop in and I will show you the difference in person…it is huge!!! Also, always wear gloves when applying Inkaid…it’s just a good idea. Finally, experimentation is key as each paper is just a little bit different as to how it reacts to the ink jet coating and how many coats will be required but hey it is really fun…you’re making your own digital paper! Viva la Revolution!

Link to Article Resources:

• Erogsoft US
• Inkaid
• Bergger