john_r._fulton_jr.

<p>Arthur, you are right about making prints in a darkroom. I guess soon we'll have a generation of photographers who won't know about making "real" prints. I was thinking the other day I could walk in a darkroom and not have to think twice about making a print. I no longer have a darkroom set up but I have the sink, cabinets, enlarger and all I need for a darkroom except the space. I am always excited to speak to a young person who was fortunate enough to go to a school where they still teach the "wet" darkroom. And I always see in their eyes that they get the thrill of printmaking.</p>

<p>I trust the M-E will be phased out?</p>

<p>I have two phone numbers and an aol eMail address. It's all old info though. I haven't been in contact with him for a number of years.</p>

<p>Yesterday (11/12/15) at Grand Haven, Michigan pier. Yes, the pier was closed.</p> <div></div>

<p>Thanks, Arthur, I appreciate the good word.</p>

<p>Arthur, if you wish, easiest thing is to go to my twitter account. I have been working on a Picture-A-Day project since 2008. I"m posting pictures from 2009 this year. So today's tweet would be November 9, 2009 - that is - the picture from that day. All Black & White. Click on the picture so you can see it full-frame. The M8.2 is outstanding for conversion to B&W. Thank you so much for your interest in my photographs.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/fultonjr/media</p>

<p>101,381 shutter activations on my M8.2 and it's a great camera. If the M8.2 were full frame I'd be happy as a clam (however happy they are). I suppose if I had the finances and a new M9P were available that'd be good. But I don't have the finances and an M-E wouldn't work for me. Only issue is wanting full frame. I am more interested in the quality of my photographs as opposed to quality of the sensor. The M, as is, is a perfect camera. Shutter speed dial, aperture, film speed, mechanical rangefinder - it all works so well together. The camera doesn't need a bunch of gizmos, doo-hickeys and extras. The M8.2 is as comfortable and easy to use as my first M2 purchased in 1966, that I still have. Good luck to all of you and your photography.</p>

<p>David Douglas Duncan use to shoot with a 25, 50 and 200. It seemed to work for him. Bill Garret, former photographer and editor at National Geographic Magazine use to say all a photojournalist needs is a 28 and a 50. I've always found anything wider than a 20mm to be too specialized. I mean when you *need* a 14mm there's nothing like it, but to carry it around all the time. Meh. Good luck with your photography.</p>

<p>It's been a while but that SBLOO 35mm finder is somewhat rare. When I was hunting for one it seemed like they were about US$400 or so. Market may have changed?</p>

<p>Leica prices are what they are. They've always been expensive. I was explaining to a colleague the other day that when you buy Leica stuff you have to think of it as funny-money. The amount of money you have to spend is usually so ridiculous that to try to consider it rational will drive you crazy. Therefore it's funny-money. It just is what it is. I have been buying Leicas since 1966 and still have every one except for a collector lens I had to part with. Everything I buy I use. Pretty hard. I am not a collector, but a user.</p>

<p>Picking up a pea with chopsticks is easy, especially if you use to use print tongs. A noodle at the bottom of a bowl? Tricky. Like pouring the contents of a 16X20 tray into a bottle. :-)<br> Proper focusing with a focus tab on the lens is to just use thumb and forefinger. Gripping the focus ring usually leads to gripping the aperture ring which isn't helpful. Obviously some Leica lenses have no tab so just try to keep your left hand palm up under the lens to focus. All of this leads to *not* getting your focus hand in the way of the rangefinder/viewfinder windows.<br> Good luck out there and take some photographs today.</p>

<p>Orlando--understood. Thanks for clarification.<br> I still stand by my comment that most 16mm pictures could be improved if cropped to 24mm.</p>

<p>Most who shoot with a 16mm FF? The pictures could be improved if cropped to 24mm equivalent. I won't even comment on the 35mm f1.4 being a "gimmick lens". (still chuckling over that insight) </p>

<p>Steve-- he said "not too expensive" :-)</p>

<p>James--refresh my memory on engraving the lens mount for 6-bit. All my other "modern" M lenses were done by New Jersey. I know there was a template for Sharpie-marking the engravings. That's temporary at best. Is there somebody who does the engraving. 'Seems a bit tricky. I'm in USA.</p>

<p>I use the 2nd gen 28mm f2.8 Elmarit. It works with M6, M8 metering fine. But it uses the old 21mm f3.4 hunky sunshade. It's a nice lens. It has f22 and works great. Problems? Yeah, it cannot be 6-bit coded by Leica. In fact, they no longer have rear mounts for it either. I'd hoped to get the rear mount replaced since I'd fixed it twice with Vice-grip pliers and their were teeth marks on it. But it works great and is a work horse (obviously from the treatment I've given it). As a reference the first gen has the extended rear element so meters don't work.</p>

<p>Every newspaper I worked at had Leitz enlargers. I bought a Durst 606 when I was a teenager and still own it altho the darkroom's no longer set up. They all worked great.<br> A couple of things about enlargers. The diffusion enlargers tend to be a flat light and thus not very contrasty. The condenser enlargers are contrasty but show every bit of dust and other faults. I had a Schneider Componon enlarging lens and it is one of the best. The sharpest f-stop with an enlarger lens is one stop from wide open. <br> Good luck with your new enlarger. It's a good one.</p>

<p>This post caused me to browse around eBay a bit. Under M9-P's I found this delightful camera from Japan.<br> <strong>Mint Leica Single Lens Reflex SLR Silver Halide Film Camera M9-P Body Only Black</strong></p> <h3 ><a title="Click this link to access Mint Leica Single Lens Reflex SLR Silver Halide Film Camera M9-P Body Only Black" href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mint-Leica-Single-Lens-Reflex-SLR-Silver-Halide-Film-Camera-M9-P-Body-Only-Black-/141725669336?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20ff8217d8"> </a></h3>

<p>I used the current camera of the day whether it was the F, F2 & F3, including the F3P. Then an N90 and I skipped the F4. I bought an F5 when I went to work full-time at a magazine. It was a workhorse camera. And the matrix metering just nailed the exposures. You could put it on "P" with a roll of Kodachrome and clamp on an SB24 and have the largest point and shoot. The transparencies looked great. I added the data back to the F5 so it printed my name between the frames on the roll of film. For photographers who liked to travel light the big pro cameras were a hindrance. Many went for the N90 or the F100. I still have all my film Nikons (with all batteries removed) but never use them. Some day when I get old (actually I AM old) I might try going back to film. THEN I'd like to try the F6. But that's for another day.</p>

<p>I use to have the Leica part # for the cover with the slot which IS a Leica part. I think it was used on one of the R-reflex cameras. It works great. Here's the Leica part # 442-299-805-009</p>

<p>All sounds good, Ray. Good luck with your camera and with your photography.</p>

<p>I am perplexed by this thread. A USA dealer is auctioning off Leica QM2 cameras that are basically seconds. This is common practice? And if it is why doesn't Henry P. know about it? And if it's common practice why can't the name of the dealer be posted? A lot of questions but few answers? </p>

<p>Seems to me a decent camera. I was pleasantly surprised when I read it had the built-in EVF. It's a bit bigger than some might want but a good have-with-you-all-the-time camera. Is it possible this is a precursor an M with built-in EVF? There'd be a lot of squawking about losing the mechanical rangefinder.</p>

<p>Here's the deal. Anybody can sell you stuff. B&H is good about taking stuff back and immediately replacing it if there's a problem. They have a huge inventory so they're good on this. Good luck.</p>

<p>If you just purchased a well-running Porsche 356 you'd probably drive it a bit but would get it in the shop for preventative maintenance. Now. That said I have two M2's purchased in the 1960's. I can count CLA's for both cameras on one hand. They seem pretty happy to just keep working. Keep an eye on shutter speeds. 1/1000th is a difficult one to keep adjusted correctly. 1/500th down to about a 1/30th stay pretty true. Those slow speeds (1/15th & down) can get hinky. At the first hint of inaccurate shutter speeds get it repaired. Make sure the self-timer is working correctly, too, if you have one. Before digital I remember a National Geographic photographer friend desperately looking for some solid M2's to use as backup to his M6's and MP's. He felt they were the best drop-dead/always-going-to-work camera when the going got rough. Good luck with your M2 and your photography!</p>