W/NW 2020 Pic-O'-The-Week #51

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

This week's W/NW begins with mostly new snaps taken with my M10-P (lenses as indicated) within the last few weeks. The exception is the last one - my go-to this time of year.

 

50mm Asph Summilux-M

 

CV 40mm Nokton f/1.4

 

90mm Elmarit-M (the latest w/ collapsible hood)

 

M6 + 50mm Summicron-M v.4

Taken this Summer. Leica M9, Summicron 90mm f2.

Happy Christmas to all (though it has been a strange year, and terribly challenging). Herewith my shots from a Christmas lunch we just had (and one from a post Christmas lunch). Again, all with my monochrom and go to 75 mm Voigtlander ( aka cosina) lens:

 

 

 

 

 

They are strangers to me, but agreed to be photo'd. Regards, keep safe. Arthur

Happy Christmas to all (though it has been a strange year, and terribly challenging). Herewith my shots from a Christmas lunch we just had (and one from a post Christmas lunch). Again, all with my monochrom and go to 75 mm Voigtlander ( aka cosina) lens: ...

They are strangers to me, but agreed to be photo'd. Regards, keep safe. Arthur

I with I had you knack for shooting faces, Arthur! You're a natural.

 

 

Leica C

Edited December 25, 2020 by luis triguez

Fed-3 / N-61, EDU 200 @ 125, Pyrocat HDC & V600 scan. Season Best to All & Aloha, Bill

"Contax II" [né Kiev] w Jupiter-9 85mm f/2

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The usual

"Contax II" [né Kiev] w Jupiter-9 85mm f/2

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Now that's an exceptional shot. Tell me more, the film. processing, blah blah. Is that a real contax, Or a kiev reconfiguration. Whatever, that is a great shot. Bravo. I have had indifferent results from the Jupiter 9. I have a number of examples. When it works, it's classic sonnar. When it doesn't, it's crap. The granularity of your shot is not intrusive, indeed, adds to it. Keep safe, enjoy Christmas, and remember its story, as told: at a strange point in time, the divine intruded into the mundane. Absolutely baroque and bizarre. But there you go. We live now in baroque and bizarre times. And enjoy the season. But above all, keep safe. Regards, Arthur

Nice one JDMvW - sort of the Bechers' meet Dali.

My traditional Christmas photo retreads. Leica M7 and 35mm Summicron. Happy Holidaze every one!

 

 

Is that a real contax, Or a kiev reconfiguration

 

It's a really, really "rare" all black "Contax II" from Ukraine. It started life as a Kiev, of course, but it works very well.

 

I discovered the Bechers later, but ever since I've been a big fan and done many conscious homages.

Edited December 26, 2020 by JDMvW

It's a really, really "rare" all black "Contax II" from Ukraine. It started life as a Kiev, of course, but it works very well.

 

I discovered the Bechers later, but ever since I've been a big fan and done many conscious homages.

The Getty Center in LA had a big retrospective of the Bechers' work, there were hundreds of photographs. It was a huge exhibit, and I love their work, but I was like numb by the time I got through looking at hundreds of images. But their photography was so clean, clear, and precise, its really a documentary and visual preservation of those structures they were so fond of. And some of those towers etc. are so interesting. I thought the style was similar in intent and style as August Sander's photos.

JDMvW: Did you have to do any reworking of the Jupiter-9 so that it worked well on your Kiev/Contax? I have a "No Name" 1963 Kiev that is so easy to focus that I think it might work well with a Jupiter-9 or the Nikon 85 f2. By the way, did you mount a Leica IMARECT for accurate framing?

Did you have to do any reworking of the Jupiter-9 so that it worked well on your Kiev/Contax? I have a "No Name" 1963 Kiev that is so easy to focus that I think it might work well with a Jupiter-9 or the Nikon 85 f2. By the way, did you mount a Leica IMARECT for accurate framing?

No reworking on the lens, it worked just fine on the Kiev (Contax) as well as working ditto on my real Contax IIa.

 

I don't have the 85mm Nikkor, but I do have the Nikkor-Q 13.5mm f/3,5. I confess I never got around to trying that one on the various Kiev mount cameras.

 

On the finder -- I can't resist making a minireport on the IMARECT. After all, I am still a Professor, and we simply can't help professing.

 

Here is a Leica ad for the product in the 1954-03 Modern Photography

Here's mine (note made in Germany)

But during WWII, Leitz New York made its own version:

I was actually looking for a "real'Kiev finder, but they are rare and cost more than I paid at KEH for the Leica model.

Edited December 28, 2020 by JDMvW

JDMvW: Did you have to do any reworking of the Jupiter-9 so that it worked well on your Kiev/Contax? I have a "No Name" 1963 Kiev that is so easy to focus that I think it might work well with a Jupiter-9 or the Nikon 85 f2. By the way, did you mount a Leica IMARECT for accurate framing?

I also have a Jupiter 9 that focuses accurately on Contax bodies. Be aware that while Nikon RF cameras and Contax/Kiev cameras share a lens mount they don't focus exactly the same. Nikon made versions of their telephoto (85, 105 and 135) lenses that have an engraved "C" on the focusing ring that focus accurately on Contax/Kiev cameras. I have the 105 and 135 Nikkor and they do focus correctly on my Contax cameras. The focusing error is inconsequential for wide angle Nikkors, and my 35 mm and 28 m Nikkors are fine on the Contax bodies. As for a finder, I have a Zeiss 440 finder that I like a lot. It covers 21, 35, 50 ,85 and 135 focal lengths and has adjustable diopter capability as well as parallax correction that is set manually. It isn't 100% accurate, but no separate finder ever has been in my experience.

have an engraved "C" on the focusing ring that focus accurately on Contax/Kiev cameras

Yes, thanks very much for reminding us of that.

Seeing your New York IMARECT I looked at mine and it is the German version. I also mounted my Steinheil universal turret viewfinder that has a magnifying lens for 85/90 focal length lenses. The finder is a perfect fit on the Kiev with additional 35 and 135 magnifiers and also has a parallax adjustment lever and ramp. It mounts very well and displays a bright image. Actually nicer to use than the Leitz as it is slightly smaller, sits lower, and is brighter with a larger image.

 

Leica users here were fortunate that Leitz USA was set up as a separate corporation and not seized as foreign property at the beginning of WWII. The wartime history of Leitz USA would be an interesting item. I understand the repair section was operating, but I've never seen the catalog for what was actually produced. What I do recall hearing is that Leitz USA continued to make filters.

One from today.

 

leica x summilux

Icy mud and slush, icy wind, and a out of control dog trying to bite me.

 

Hey Ho.

Icy mud and slush, icy wind, and a out of control dog trying to bite me.

 

Hey Ho.

Yes, hey ho. Regards, keep safe.