Peter Walker, writing at PetaPixel, has shown us two fascinating images of New York. The one he took in 2001 with his Hasselblad; the second in 2016 with his Leica SL. There’s no disputing his conclusion that the latest Leica mirrorless camera has surpassed the scanned 6x6cm medium format transparency in terms of resolution, colour and punch. But what I find particularly fascinating about his shots is the presence, in 2001, of the Twin Towers and their notable absence in 2016. So much has changed but, equally, so much has remained.
This is also discussed on the Leica Forum, in 2 separate places. Like William, I prefer the Hasselblad shot. Somehow it speaks more to me than the digital one. Well, I do have to justify the recent sale of my SL……..
There are so many variables here it is difficult to know where to begin eg, the weather, smog etc. In addition several of the contributors bring up the issue of the film scan quality. What is certain, to my eye anyway, is that the film shot is much more natural at the full image size whereas the digital shot is, dare I say it, over contrasty and almost ‘too sharp’. That is, of course, where taste lies in this ‘pixel peeping’ digital era. The sight of the twin towers is also very evocative.
William