andrewlamb

<p>Hi Dave<br>

I've been buying from MW for the last ten years. I think they're really great guys.<br>

I see that there have been a couple of complaints. Maybe, I've been lucky but I rate them. Of course, it helps that I live in London and can visit them personally. Having said that, I think they are the most honest and competitively priced dealers, in the UK, I know. If you don't like something you've bought off them just send it back.<br>

The two most recent purchases I've made off them have been in the last month. I bought a Leica CL, with 40 Summicron lens, hood and leather case for £400. The other was a pristine Super Isolette with a leather case and push on lens hood for £200. <br>

The CL is wonderful and I've just seen the test roll from the Agfa. It's a gem. I've owned two Super Isolettes before and this is easily the best condition one I've owned. <br>

So, recommended!!</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I've tried contacting Bill Maxwell to see if I can buy one of his focus screens for an R6 but haven't heard back from him. Is he still working and does anyone have a recent email address for him?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>Andrew</p>

<p>I think the way you have worded the question gives lie to the the answer you're looking for.</p>

<p>As for as I understand it, Billingham originally took the photos of his family as studies for an intended series of paintings. If the pictures were published with his family's consent, is there a probem?</p>

<p>Harry,<br>

I'm sorry to hear that you're not happy with what you're getting from commercial labs. It can be a bit of a lottery. I'm really pleased with what I get from Snappy Snaps, in Kentish Town. They're great people there.</p>

<p>Snappy Snaps is a franchise so it's possible not all of them are good. I know that the one in Wardour Street, W1 gets used by a lot of pros. </p>

<p>I agree with you about the 5D, it's a wonderful camera but for personal work I'm happiest when using my M3. It's nice to have the choice. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Groan! My first roll of film with the Icarex and I managed, somehow, to wind on the roll until the film snapped out of the cassette. I've never done this before and I'm slightly puzzled how it happened. The film was Fuji Superia 1600. </p>

<p>Luckily for me, there wasn't anything of great significance on that roll. I blame that concave front element.......</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The little I've read about the Icarex suggests that it's not one of the best SLRs ever made. However, I am fortunate in that the previous owner took particularly good care of this camera or hardly used it. I've been walking around with it in the snow (London's heaviest for 18 years) and I think the viewfinder takes a bit of getting used to. Nevertheless, I am really pleased with it and I'm getting a kick out of the relative rarity of the Ultron. Of course, rarity does not mean it's good or special but it makes me happy and proves I'm a lens geek!</p>

<p>I definitely want a lens shade for it, though. I've got a filter to protect it but it's the hood that I think will help matters. Time to venture out into the snow again........</p>

<p>R.C. I've got an Icarex BM which it doesn't have a removable prism. The lens says Carl Zeiss and Ultron on it. As I said before, the lens has a concave front element which means it's the original Voigtlander design. I haven't checked to see whether the meter still works. To be honest, I wouldn't use it.</p>

<p>I had the chance to buy a 35mm in BM mount off the guys who sold me the camera but I just don't need it. It's the Ultron which really intrigues me. It enjoys a very good reputation and I'm looking forward to seeing the results from the first roll.</p>

<p>How are you getting on with your Icarex? </p>

<p>Thanks, r.c. it looks like it's a great lens and I'm certainly going to start shooting without a lens hood but, in the long run, I would like to get one.</p>

<p>BTW, I've just been told that it's not the same as a Hassy B50 -darn!</p>

<p>Mind you, it's a nice looking camera with a very nice looking lens..........</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I've just bought a really nice condition Icarex with a 50mm f1.8 Ultron from MW Classic. The Ultron has a concave front element with a bayonet thread and I would like to get a lens hood for it. <br>

From searching around the web, I think the ultron is a B50 bayonet mount. Is this the same as the Hasselblad B50 mount? I'm not concerned about finding the correct Icarex lens hood, just something that works. <br>

Any ideas?</p>

<p>Andrew</p>

The real question is; does any serious top-level photographer beat him or her self up about a camera that may or may

not exist in the future? This really does sound like the proverbial bad workman blaming his tools.

So what if Leica does produce an M9 that is full frame and provides a heavenly chorus every time you press the shutter.

It's not going to turn you or me into: H C-B, Andre Ketesz, Gary Winogrand, William Klein, Robert Frank, Saul Leiter, etc,

etc, (delete as applicable).

Next step of Leica? Shouldn't the question be: next step of photographer? Apologies if this sounds like a lecture from the

academy of the blindlingly obvious.

Is this thread really going to hit to the 500 mark? Doh!

Ron

I would love to try out an M8. The truth is that rangefinders don't really work for what I do professionally. For my own

stuff, I prefer to use my M3. I don't think they ever bettered that camera but I haven't used every single M to make a full

call on that.

"Everyone deserves an opinion and if you own an M8 and have an opinion then it is a valid opinion. If you don't own an

M8 and have an opinion then it is just that."

Not necessarily :) I know plenty of people who own various items, whether they be cameras, computers or cars, and

whose opinion on said item I wouldn't feel inclined to respect.

Surely to make a really valid call on something like the M8 you need to know what else is out there and how it

compares? Apologies for the pedantry.

Don't know much about bikes but I think what Triumph has done is interesting. I like their product mix of classic-retro

bikes, like the Bonnie, along side the modern stuff, like the Speed Triple.

Ron

I don't think Harley are so doing so well now.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/harley-davidson-takes-its-lumps/?

Ron,

Apologies for the tardiness of my reply. In March, I met up with Leica people from Germany and the UK at a hotel in

London. The reason why I was asked was crushingly simple. I had done work for the PR company that represented

Leica in the UK and Leica needed to speak a jobbing photographer.

I know they had been going around the UK talking to all manner of people in the photographic business. No doubt, they

have been doing the same way all around the globe.

They simply picked my brains about what I used, what other pros were using and so forth and so forth. Maybe they

asked me because I had bought Leica products in the past. I don't know. I'm ashaed to admit, it was fun telling them

what I thought of some of their recent offerings.

They then asked me for my thoughts on some products they were thinking of developing. I was then shown a mock up

of a camera underneath the table. It was a mock up only!!! Having said that, I liked it and was genuinely intrigued by how

they were going to price it and so forth.

I have no idea, of course, how far down the line they are with this and the other stuff they mentioned. They alluded to

stuff to coming out at Photokina but were understandably coy and I didn't press them. Maybe the board has thrown out

everything?

I didn't sign a confidentiality form but I was asked verbally not to give anything detailed away. Besides, I didn't want to

upset the PR company as they are a client.

A few weeks later I was sent a camera, as a thank you present. Without sounding ungrateful it wasn't a lavish gift but I

appreciated the sentiment.

Incidentally, as far as I can tell, no one has come near to guessing what they are working on but I'm not exactly in the

loop.

A few months ago I had a meeting with people from Leica. I was shown a mock up of a camera. It was genuinely intriguing.

They are thinking long and hard about the way forward. It's not all doom and gloom. Having said that, they came up with

one proposal that was so weird it bordered on the imbecilic.

Don't Fuji still make instant film that is similar to Polaroid? That's what I've got in my

Polaroid back for the RZ.

For film sales, what about the small-ish Calumet store in Drummond Street, W1 (central)

or the flagship store in Drummond Street, NW1 (not quite as central)?

As for mugging, I second David's comments.

I agree with Mark. The R4 is definitely not a collector's camera. It's a very cheap way to start

using R lenses.

I just bought an R4 for under $200 and I have been pleasantly surprised by it. However, I

must admit my expectations were very low. The viewfinder is better than I expected but it

aint no Leicaflex SL.

Robert,

I think you'll find that Jeff Ascough has been shooting with whacking great Canon DLSRs for

a while. Isn't there is an interview with him on Photo net where he talks about his digi work

flow?

What about Linhof & Studio? Admittedly, they are slightly outside of London. Failing that,

what about Teamwork?