Electrofy your life

[frank granovski]

After getting my first set of pics back from my Leica CL (coupled with

a 40mm Leica lens, I noticed nothing sharper compared with pics from

my Yashica Electro GSN. Granted, nothing was blown up. The pics were

just 4 X 6 border-less prints. Both cameras are difficult to focus, I

find; more difficult than my Nikon FM2T. However, with the 3 Nikon

lenses I have, the CL and Electro do make sharper prints. In

conclusion, my $10 Electro and my $799 CL are pretty much on par

concerning sharpness, from what I can tell. But then I'm not an

expert. Have a nice day and ELECTROfy your life today. Info here:

http://www.yashica-guy.com

[brian_southward]

<P>Frank, that's a hoot! If it were true, we'd be fools to spend more than $10 on a camera.</P><P>Wait a minute, that's what I usually spend...</P>

[frank granovski]

Hehe. I guess I spent too much on the CL. I wanted to say that I should go back to buying $10 cameras, but I think I own enough of of them. My wife thinks there is something seriously wrong with me. :)

[mskovacs]

Leica is too dear for this fellow too. How do the wide open shots compare?

 

Our classic photo contest seemed to stir lots of positive attention on the Leica forum. Why not post this there? ;)

[mark_wilson4]

I'll pay more than $10 if the camera has lots of

doo-hickeys and stuff.

 

My Electro 35 GS HAS an unused mercury battery (5.6V?), but

does NOT HAVE some fiddly little part that a repairman has

been trying to track down for me. I think the shutter defaults

to 1/500, so if I use 400 ASA film, I can do sunny 16 calcs easily.

Still, I want him to fix it because the automatic exposure

system is well respected for that camera. (Or so I read on the

Internet, so it must be true.)

 

M.

[paulh]

Mike K

 

Do you have a link to the discussion on the Leica forum. I'd like to take a read ;-)

 

Paul

[dfstone]

Mark - your GSN that only works at 500th. I had a few of those too. I learned how to replace the "pad of death" and I have three working cameras now (2GSNs and 1 GS). You can read about it at http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4384

 

Hope it helps. The phots from my GSNs are really sharp...

[jonathan_stark]

Don't spend more than $10 on a lens, either. A couple of years ago I got a freebie LTM Jupiter 8, the seller threw it in with something I'd purchased, probably thinking she couldn't get anything for it. It's beat up on the outside, and has webs of very fine scratches on both the front and back elements. It makes surprisingly sharp pictures. I've been ignoring its condition and shooting with it, and haven't regretted it.

[mskovacs]

Sorry Paul, I gave it an honest try. I can't locate it in their archives.

[mark_wilson4]

Thanks for the tip, Doug. Those postings

are comprehensive.

 

I think I sense an interesting thread from the description

of the Russian Lens: "What is the best performing lens with

the worst cosmetic optical flaw?"

 

I'll bet some people get great photos from scratched or

separated lenses for some inexplicable reason.

[richard_oleson]

I like your damaged-lens idea, Mark:

 

I have a 50/1.2 Nikkor made completely of salvaged parts I considered unacceptable from other repairs: terrible looking i-don't-know-what on the front coating in about a 1" diameter circle, a small edge chip on the rear element where someone had dropped it and bent the AIS tab into the glass... had it not been all free leftover parts I wouldn't have bothered spending the time to assemble it, and I was uneasy about wasting a roll of film to see what it would do.

 

The darn thing is not only sharp but contrasty! weird.....

 

:)=

[dan_fromm2]

Frank, how the expletive can you tell anything from 4x6 prints?

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[rob_murray]

I did some testing with a GSN I repaired myself, I think I paid about

$15 for it..Nice crisp, colorful shots even wide open, stopped down the corners were excellent right to the edge..accurate enough metering

for slide film also.

[mr.wind-upbird]

I used the site referenced above to replace my "pad of death" a few days ago, and now the camera works better than when I got it. I used a hobby knife to cut a chunk of a toy rubber ball down to the correct dimensions and attached it with super glue. It was quite a satisfying repair experience.

[frank granovski]

Re: "Frank, how the expletive can you tell anything from 4x6 prints?"

 

Exactly. ;*)

[dean_williams]

I glanced over the header for this post late last night, (way late) and thought it said Electrofy your Wife. Things are much clearer today, and less felonious, too.

 

I've had a number of Electros, and they never fail to impress. Was the first brand new camera I ever bought, back in the seventies. Still have it, but it's had a very hard life, many knocks and bruises, and finally gave up the ghost. It still has a place on the shelf, for old times' sake.

[paulh]

Mike

 

I found the thread: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BUqa

 

Most civil they were :-)

[frank granovski]

I was lucky. I bought 6 off e-bay (from different buyers). One I never received, 2 were junk, but 2 were brand new---never used---and one was like used maybe once or twice. The 2 new ones I still have in their original boxes with everything inside. Even the straps were never put on. I use the one that was used once or twice.

[vivek iyer]

Frank, I can use a Leica CL. How about I get you a few elctrofying yashicas and you trade me your CL/40mm Summicron for that?

[frank granovski]

Sorry, this pack rat says, everything is all mine. ;*)

[dan_fromm1]

Oh, come on Frank, be a sport.

[frank granovski]

Can't. ;*)

[frank granovski]

If I sell that I won't be allowed to post in the Leica forum anymore. No, really, if I sold my CL, it would be hard to replace. I spent a month snooping around for a CLE in good condition. Nadda. I only found a junker for the same price as my near-minty CL. Maybe one of these days I'll get a MP or a MP2. Then I might sell it. Maybe. ;*)

[vivek iyer]

"If I sell that I won't be allowed to post in the Leica forum anymore."

 

So, your claim about "electrofying"is B.S. Who would know the difference (if your claim is true) if the Electro 35 performs like a 40mm Summicron on a CL?

 

Web posts demand even lesser quality than a 4x6 print!

 

BTW, how come Leica CL is not a classic and the clunky Electro 35 is?

[frank granovski]

Re: "So, your claim about "electrofying"is B.S"

 

No. I truely love my Electro GSNs. It's also a great indoor/flash-less rangefinder because of its 45mm F1.7 lens. The shutter is so smooth that hand-held snaps at 1/30th is possible with good results. Regarding the CL not being a classic, I beg to differ. ;*)