Any Leica "nut's" hangin here ?

[4mal]

I came by a IIIf red dial kit (several lenses) and an MP4P w/ 35, 50, 90 & 135 plus a MR meter recently. I'm sitting here looking at this stuff going it's cool but Rangefinder ?

I have an 8008s and a digi-cam, thinking about going to the Nikon D70 ...

So, I understand that Leica / Leitz lenses are great but why the fuss over a range finder? I feel that I'm missing something here and I'm not sure I want to dispose of this stuff before I understand exactly what that might be ? Any thoughts ? I'm perplexed.

TIA, Mal

[Silverface]

Leica rangefinders are kind of like Teles. Relatively simple, perfectly balanced and will expose every danged mistake you make.

I have a iiif red dial that was just serviced, and it's a beaut. Also have a couple Tower/Nicca iiif clones that aren't half bad either.

You have to *want* to "photograph" things with a Leica. They're not for snapshots or casual picture taking (well, once you get used to them they can be).

Cool factor - pulling the iiif out of a pocket during my son's little league game and half the dads saying "Oh, man...look - a Leica"....

;-)

As far as rangefinder advantages - they're almost dead quiet and there's no shutter vibration like there is with an SLR. They can take far more precise shots. Great for taking portraits and nature shots, as you don't have the big "CLICK" happening, just a small "whoosh" of the shutter curtain. They were also much lighter than early SLR's and MUCH sturdier. You can't find a boat anchor Leica.

If you want to have it serviced and keep it, send it to Essex Camera Repair - they're THE place for Leica service. In fact, if you plan on selling it have it serviced - you'll more than make up for the service cost.

[Mik]

knock it off shuttahbugs, last thing I need now is photo-GAS, a Leica is quintessential cool for guys, like a vintage or classic bike, or a little black dress for gals,
Mik

[sticko]

My dad has an M2 from the '50s.

My buddy has tons of them. M2s, M3s, factory black, old screw mounts, sumicron lenses. He's a bit obsessed.

[bdkphoto]

Silverface has got the advantages of a rangefinder right, small, quiet, excellent lenses, and easy to focus, especially in low light compared to the older SLRs. The downside is a limited range of lenses (you wouldn't really want to shoot with anything over 135mm as the rangefinder is pretty useless) no meter, or just ok meters in the later models, no motor drive- if you do sports or action, a big disadvantage.

Run some film through them, you'll get it pretty quick-they're great "street" cameras. I 'm using the Hummer version, a Mamiya 7 (2 1/4) and I'm thrilled with it.

I'm also totally sold on digital, I shoot film, but scan the negs and do digital output so I have the best of both worlds.....next up is a D70, almost bought one yesterday, none in stock! Just keep in mind that lens sharpness is more critical for digital capture than for film. Get the best lens you can afford if you go digital.

[D in Conduct]

I also have a Nikon 8008 and a D100 along with my Leica M6 and M3. While the majority of my "work" (I do PR for live theatre in L.A.) is now digital, I still think nothing beats a good black and white wet-process print from a fine negative. Leica lenses make fine negatives.

I seem to "see" black and white images when I look through the Leica rangefinder, if you know what I mean.

[4mal]

Yep - coming from an 8008 with a reasonable assortment of glass the D70 seems like a sure bet, once they are actually available. I see B&W through the lens of an F3 which is my old workhorse. If I didn't already have a bunch of Nikon glass, I'd be all over the EOS10D. I like the way that one feels ... but not enough to replace all those lenses!

Once I figure out how to load the Leica's, I'm going to run a roll through each and see what happens. Guess I'll have to reacquaint myself with my old spot meter. It has been years ... I suspect that I'll dispose of the iiiF and keep the M4P as it is more recent and I suspect probably a better body. On the other hand, the iiif body has a vintage / coolness factor to it that the M4P lacks... Running a roll through each should provide some answers to the question of which to keep. Any suggestions on the best place to dispose of Leica gear? KEH, B&H ?

D IN Conduct, do you have any experience with Nikon's software 'Nikon Capture' or 'Nikon View'? The idea of having all the original camera settings embedded in the picture file is intriguing. It seems like having both JPEG and NEF file formats together would be a best of both worlds scenario. Seem's like it would be selling a lot of 1or 2gb C/F cards too... Do I need a copy of Photoshop CS to accompany the Nikon software ?

[Silverface]

Mal - Sent you a PM regarding the Leicas.

[Adam Waldron]

Not me, but my Dad loves Leicas, has a couple of 50's rangefinders plus some cool accesories. Very nice stuff.

Cheers,

Adam

[D in Conduct]

I use the software that came with the camera... Nikon View, I think. I like that it allows you to rename the files as they come off the memory card. I'll use a job number or a name and start with number 01. Then everything gets transferred to your hard drive with useable file names. I'm pretty sure exposure data is transferred along with it but I will have to wait until I boot Windows to look.

The one you have to pay for has other features. Some Nikon digitals tend to look underexposed. They aren't, they just use different levels for different brightnesses. You can load several custom profiles, depending of shooting conditions, to correct that. There are a couple of curves available on the net as free downloads. One will keep you from washing out a white bride's dress.

But to bring this thread back to Leica...

During the boom in the Japanese economy a few years back, vintage Leicas were being scooped up by Japanese collectors. Now we're seeing
vintage Telecaster prices go though the roof.

I'll never be able to buy a vintage tele or Leica. But there is now a digital Leica (probably made by Minolta) that takes Leica-M lenses. That might be nice.

[4mal]

I had head that the Nikon color curve was a little off and that explains the comment. It came from a pro photo journalist I met in DC a few months back. He was using the EOS1d and said that he could identify incoming work from other journalists using Nikon as he had to color correct them ... Basically it sounds like his system is 'biased' for Canon's interpretation of color rather than Nikon's.

The whole color profile thing is going to be interesting. I'm reading about hardware and software combinations that color balance your video card's color balance / white balance to your camera and your printer so that the devices all agree on what white is, what red, bue and green are. I have always needed that device for band mates who couldn't find the "1". LOL

I was playing with the iiif this afternoon. It really does have a coolness factor to it that my 8008 doesn't have. Just holding it (and struggling to get the file loaded ) is an experience. Without timely advice from SilverFace, I'd still be attempting to load it ...

On the other hand, the 8008 and I can go get a picture and I have my doubts about the roll I shot this afternoon. I'll have it developed in a couple of days. I expect my local guy will be giving me a hard time over it ... maybe this roll should go to Rite Aid 1 hour where they don't know me!

[The Snowman]

now were talkin major GAS...
I have a few M6's and a M-4 Black Lac....with about a dozen lenses........the main thing about Leica's is that when your making images....your looking thru your subject...not at your subject..that's the magic of a rangefinder....you can see things around your image, things coming and going thru the scene.....I'm not getting into the difference between film and digital...that would be a disseration that we don't need here but there's a magic with film that is delicious...and the Leica makes the image making process really scrumptious....I used to have a red dial 111F and it was a great camera...later, the late 60's I got into M series and that was the best time I ever had making images......if your really into image making...get a M series and you'll be in the darkroom for years...later don

[4mal]

Hi Silverface. Dropped you a pm a bit ago ... Thanks, Mal

[Jakedog]

I know less than nothing about cameras, but I saw this thread and told my mom I would ask you guys what was up. She was cleaning out a room in her parents basement a few months ago and found her father's old camera. The brand name is Zeiss, the model slips my mind at the moment. She wanted to know if it is worth anything before she starts dragging it around canyons and bouncing it off rocks on her hiking trips. I can get more details from her if you need them, I just need to know for now if the brand in general is somthing special, or just run of the mill stuff. The camera is from the 50's, my mother remembers her father taking pictures with it when she was a girl.

Thanx for any help,
Jake

[D in Conduct]

Zeiss stuff runs from run of the mill junk to fine equipment. Part of it depends on whether it was made in West Germany or the eastern sector. I could be wrong, but I think the eastern ones are marked Zeiss Jena. The Zeiss factory just happened to be on the wrong side of the line when they drew the Iron Curtain. But I think they set up manufacturing on the western side, resulting in two Zeisses.

If it's been sitting a long time, the lubricants may have hardened and the camera my operate erratically, if at all. Don't force anything. A good repairman can do a CLA (clean, lube, and adjust). It would be even better if he/she was in business when cameras weren't computers. That's when I gave up working on them myself. A reputable repairman will tell you if it's worth the effort. If he tries to buy it from her, think twice.

Zeiss used to make top-notch lenses used by several manufacturers.

Have her take pictures with it and see how it works. Just don't try to put new pickups in it or look for the initials TG .

[Tele-Bob]

Originally Posted by Silverface

Cool factor - pulling the iiif out of a pocket during my son's little league game and half the dads saying "Oh, man...look - a Leica"....

;-)

I HOPE you are at least joking about this.

Don't you mean "TOOL factor"?

That's about the same as the guitar bore at the open mic bringing his great show-off 1965 strat or Custom Shop what-ever guitar or boutique amp and barely making it through "Johnnie be goode"

or

"Oh, man...look - a HUMMER"

-give them the right of way.

[Jakedog]

For a little info there. I haven't seen it in awhile, (my mother lives on the other side of the country) but I do not remember seeing "Jena" anywhere on it. I know it works, we took alot of pictures with it when she was visiting in April, right after she found it. Some turned out good, some not so good, since I don't know jack about photography, I'm basically just guessing when I start fiddling with settings and stuff. There were several lenses with it as well, one of them looks pretty huge to me. I didn't mess around with them. I will call her this week and get a better description of what it is.



Jake

[4mal]

If you can get manufacturers, model numbers and a realistic view of the item's condition, then go to www.keh.com. They have an appriasal feature on their site. I'd say to treat it with a little skepticism, it's a little high in my opinion - but it'll give you some kind of ball park anyway.

[Silverface]

Tele-Bob - No joke. I had the Leica in the car, so I stuck it in a pocket and got it out during the game. I thought it was no big deal but I had a half-dozen dads drooling over it.

[Amos]

Silverface,

Good thing you didn't mention that you had to slide your custom shop Tele and Matchless Chieftain off the back seat of your Hummer to reach your Leica... 8)

[stevieboy]

A big part of the advantage of using a Leica rangefinder camera to me as I generally use them for "street' photography is their inconspicuos nature, in spite of Silverface's ballgame experience.

[Guitars]

Me too and also with a IIIF. They are semi-undiscovered jewels if you still don't mind the film factor.

[staxman]

Originally Posted by Tele-Bob

["]
Don't you mean "TOOL factor"?

That's about the same as the guitar bore at the open mic bringing his great show-off 1965 strat or Custom Shop what-ever guitar or boutique amp and barely making it through "Johnnie be goode"

:

Hey, I resemble that remark!

[lewis]

I've got a beater M4-P and M4-2. These are nice because I can use winders on them. I have a tendency to move the camera away from my eye when winding with my thumb and that can be a problem.
A couple years ago I took a once-in-a lifetime trip to China and all I took were those to cameras with a 28 and a 50 and 50 rolls of film. Why? Because they are small and relatively light, they look like point and shoots. I didn't want to look like the journalist that I was. The Nikons stayed home, too big and heavy.
The old 28 I have is a magic lens. It sees shadow detail I don't until I make the scan/print. Fill flash isn't necessary like it is with dit.
The writing's on the wall. Digital will take over, getting your film souped at Wal-Mart will soon be a thing of the past.
Leica (with Sony?)has developed a digital rangefinder but it falls short in the fact that your viewfinder is a small TV screen and it doesn't have interchangeable lenses. It's received good reviews so its "shortcomings" may be overshadowed.
I've loved Leicas since I was a kid but dit is the way to go whether it's the new Leica or a D-70.

[Dennis_UK]

But I do have a really nice Rolleicord twin-lens reflex. That has a certain "What the fritz is that?" factor...

[sticko]