owen w.

Frontier Constabulary Border Outpost, Mohmand Agency, Afghan border<div></div>

Street scales<div></div>

IMHO, it really is less about what lens is good on the CLE as it is what perspective you most like. I love my CLEs. I use any of 13 lens I've acquired since I bought the CLEs new. The CLE is particularly good for wide angle, given that great VF. Your thoughts are really about which FOV is right for you, not right for the camera.

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I got lucky on a good deal for the 24 ASPH, and it is a very special lens. It is really a question of whether you would be happy at 28 or want that slightly extra reach of, say, 25. You now have several valid options. The intrusion into the VF field is not really a problem in my experience, but it is good to have it pointed out.

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YMMV, but I would go for the best and fastest lens you can find/afford at the FOV that you like most, be it 28, 25 or 24. If 28 will keep you happy, that Hexanon is truly excellent value. Lots of good suggestions already here. You won't really go wrong with any of these. Cheers, Owen.

Hey! My Mom still lives in Manhattan, Kansas. Any chance this got dropped at her house? But, it wouldn't do me any good. She's such a nice sort. She'd certainly make sure it got to where it was supposed to. What street was it delivered to? Owen

Alan,

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Oh, dear. What I take from this is that my years and years of habit, once yet again, are utterly wrong. Rocking back and forth, as I am wont to do, in my pathetic best efforts to secure the best focus is now obviously the wrong thing to do. Sigh.

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Well, I hope that I am never too old to unlearn yet another bad camera habit. So, now I wonder if I just rock it much further -- inwards if shooting wide open and outwards if stopping down -- before moving (just) to convergence will achieve this same optimum goal?

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As an added benefit, this will also give me a reason (inspire me?) to carry the 90/2 APO, instead of the much lighter 90/2.8 Tele-Elmarit. Guess that chrome 24 is staying behind!

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Thanks. Owen

Hay there<div></div>

Both of the only new Leica bodies I've ever purchased were defective out of the box. The M6ttl had electronic problems, the M7 had a number of mechanical and electrical problems. Yeah, I was both amazed and really annoyed. On the other hand, Leica was very professional and nice about their servicing. The M6 was repaired with a full CLA and the Passport warranty was extended by 2 years. The M7 had more serious problems, and Leica not only replaced it with a new body, but extended the warranty to an incredible 9 (NINE) years. Sure, they should have been perfect out of the box, but life ain't purfect neether.

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Being annoyed is totally reasonable, but Leica will work with you to assure you are pleased with the end result. Like a fine sportscar, the Leica bodies require fine-tuning. Make lemon-aide and go for the best response from Leica you can get. Talk directly to them about handling the return via your dealer. Why not? You can only win.

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All those opinions about the fact that no such steps should be required are correct. On the other hand, responding in a straight-forward, no-nonsense sort of way generally leaves you off much further ahead. I've also found that Leica has responded to my occasional small requests for other things much more nicely, because of our track record. (Honey being more effective than vinegar, and all.)

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IMHO, YMMV. Owen

The issue of storage is one that vexes me deeply. For many years, I've had half my life in one country (Thailand), while I've been working in another (Burma, Laos, Pakistan, etc). These are tropical countries, as well. I am less worried about the cameras I carry, as I can do my best to keep them in decent conditions. My concern is about cameras and lenses left behind in storage. I have generally moved to storage in plastic boxes with desiccant, but there is a concern about keeping them TOO dry. Recently, when I took my M6 in for a slight rangefinder adjustment, my bench man said the lubricants had dried out rather quickly. This M-body hadn't even been stored in those conditions very often nor for very long. Thus, I now worry about those that have been in storage much longer. In the tropics of South and Southeast Asia, or any other tropical setting, is it better to risk too dry (sealed boxes w/desiccant) or too wet (skip the desiccant and pray)? In my life, so far, perfection of storage environment seems to always elude me, and I have more than my share of "paperweight" and "doorstop" condition equipment to show for it.

Rats! Can one of those duplicates please be removed? sorry. That was an M6 shot, but I don't remember which lens.

I hope this doesn't post twice. Anyway, this is my 8 year old.<div></div>

My 8 year old daughter.<div></div>

Could we actually do it?<div></div>

Imran,

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Thanks so much. Keep us posted on your results with these new lenses. The Thambar is a unique lens. Enjoy and share the pleasures. Cheers, Owen.

Kohistan, Pakistan (last week)<div></div>

Hi Imran,

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Thanks for the info. Sounds great. I wonder if he would have bits of mirror? As I understand, any mirrored glass in the correct thickness will do. (I could be wrong about this, tho?) My IIIa is in great condition otherwise. In the meantime, I've just limited myself to a 35 Summaron with a VC external viewfinder.

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Given that film stock would be important in testing your classic lenses, what film are you choosing? I also presume that film choices and processing must be much better in Karachi than up here in the wilds, eh? Keep us posted on the results from those lenses.

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Owen

So, Imran. Where did you send your IIIa to be repaired? My IIIa really needs a new mirror in the rangefinder. Did you have to send it out of the country? I'm sitting up in Peshawar, so I'm just curious about the options. Owen

Peter,

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Congratulations on the exhibition. These are really excellent images, and I'll bet the prints are even better than the images on my screen. And thanks for the heads up on the new IQLabs location. Now they have three, none of which are particularly convenient for me. Unfortunately, I'll not be back into Bangkok before the exhibition comes down, but I have both friends and family that I'll send to see it.

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Any chance you'll tell about what film you're (mostly) using? Just curious.

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Cheers, Owen

Best MAD project yet. Better than a soap opera in making me keep looking for updates. I rather like the clear backing idea. Hide too much and it would almost be anti-climatic... .Owen

I have both the 24/2.8 and a .58 M7. Generally, what is said above is correct. It CAN work when you need it, but it is less than ideal. I broke my 24 VF, snapping it right off the foot. I survived for a period without, but finally broke down and bought a CV25 VF because working w/o the external was often just not satisfactory.

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One point not mentioned is that the 24/2.8 brings up the 35 VF lines. This annoys me greatly, as it would be easier to look past the 28 lines than the 35. Yes, you can hold the preview lever. But, it is there.

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SO, the .58 can work w/o the external viewfinder. It does work if you are moving fast and do not need precise framing. It is close, but inexact. Moving slow, you can frame by leaning back slightly and then leaning forward to shoot. In the end, however, as much as I do not like the nuisance of external finders, the external viewfinder IS much nicer for framing. YMMV.

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Owen

Swinger<div></div>

Matt,

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You should drop Mike Dixon a line. He was/did/is(?) living in Pusan, Korea. He was teaching, among other things. Not sure if he's still there, but some recent photo posts suggested he may still be. Either way, he'll be a great source of local information for you. My own experiences in Korea are limited, but it was definitely a very interesting place.

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Are you going to divulge what it is that you'll be doing in Korea? Besides, of course, taking photos?

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Cheers, Owen

Hi Imran,

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Thanks for the heads-ups on local film stock options. Sounds similar to Yangon. Lots of standard 100asa consumer stuff, small amounts of slightly better stock and practically little else. I do schlep a lot of film stock back with me from any visits to the USA.

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I am curious about your experience with poor quality local prints. If Fuji is handling their franchise bizness well, you should be able to find good printing. I say this only because Iﾒve spent so much time in Myanmar, which is a much smaller and poorer market than yours. I found a rather wide range of quality, including dismal, and, after finding the better-run franchise shops, really outstanding quality and low prices.

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This is almost entirely about C-41. One shop did very careful E-6 work. The prints from E-6 were good, but not great. For really good prints from E-6, we would go to Bangkok. Bangkok street corner labs blow most US consumer (note: not pro labs) out of the water, and at 30% the cost. (One or two Bangkok pro labs hold their own against US pro labs, too, and again at half the price.) In Yangon, the cost is 50% of the Bangkok cost.

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After getting used to paying a couple of dollars ($1.50 to 3) for a 36 print roll of 4X6 plus a CD, I am always pretty shocked to pay $10-20 for the same thing in the US. And, the quality is generally lower, not to mention service. In Asia, every shop sleeves the negatives and puts your prints into a small folder. In the US, the negatives are usually loose and youﾒre lucky to find those folders for an extra $1. The best part is that 5X7 and the larger prints are a whole lot cheaper, and much better, too.

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Before I get creamed by the "you have a Leica, so why do you mention processing costs" gang, these are merely observations. Anyway, I was finally able to afford to move up from my trusty CLEs because of all that $ I'd saved in processing costs.

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So, Imran, I'll know more of my schedule in a couple of weeks. If it happens, I'll drop a note. It's always nice to make new friends. Cheers, Owen

Hi Larry,

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I will agree with most of what has been said here. Although it basically breaks my heart to see old photo kits broken into tiny pieces for sale on da auction site, it IS, absolutely, the only way to get return to you as a seller.

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On this forum, most of us are of the old school that will suggest you not act too rashly to sell, as you have a great kit there that can bring a lot of enjoyment to you, or even your children (one day).

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I bought a IIIa, partly by accident and mostly as an impulse. It has been a very nice mistake, and I have really come to love using it. I have just come in from using it to snap my daughter and her pals sledding in the new snow. The Leica Barnack cameras, of which the IIIa is the best and last, are wonderful little instruments. But, you need to be of the sort that wants to tinker with cool old toys. It ain't "auto" anything. But it IS really cool. And you have some very nice pieces in that kit!

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SO, if you really must sell..., heed the advice to sell every single little item separately. The IIIa body should go for no less than $200. If really clean, more. Do not include a lens with it, as the return to you will be lower than if sold separately. The viewfinders, particularly that 35, may bring several hundred alone. The Summar shade will bring no less than $60-75, and maybe quite a bit more, based on both condition and timing/luck. I've noticed a pretty wide variation on the sales of those.

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Best advice, as already given, is to haunt the completed sales listings on the auction site for each item. Search with different descriptions (and word spacings) to find a full representational view. I do hate to see heirlooms broken up in sales, but, then again, it is exactly how I acquired the lovely little IIIa that I have now.

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Best of luck to you. And be sure to tell us about that "missing" Summar lens!

Hi Imran!

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I'm curious. Are you in the north or south? What are the types of film that you can buy in the market there? What is the range of local developing qualities? I'm sure there are cheap local kiosks for low-end C-41, but is better quality processing available? If B&W labs are fading away, how about E-6 processing? Still there, or have they closed, too?

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I ask, as I may be spending some time in the north soon.

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Thanks. Owen

In case anyone missed the announcement:

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New Software Yellows Neglected Digital Photos Over Time

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February 8, 2006 | Issue 42ﾕ06

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ROCHESTER, NYﾗEastman Kodak released an imaging software package that

yellows, fades, and even loses digital photos over time Monday. "With

the click of a mouse, Fotomatshop will make your digital photographs

crease, develop fingerprint spots, and even stick together in their

'virtual shoebox,'" Kodak president Antonio Perez said. "It even has

motion-blur and redden-eye features." The software takes a week to

process 26 digital photos, and charges $9.95 per use.

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See: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/45122