chris_henry1

I had a Nikon Coolpix 950 before I went out and replaced it with a higher

megapixel Canon. The Canon is better, obviously because of the bigger

sensor, but for web photos, I think the Nikon was just as good, especially for

macro. Look at www.refurbdepot.com for prices on Nikon Coolpix 950, 990

and 995 cameras.

Don't bring a cheap camera; bring a Leica MP and a summicron 35mm lens.

(When are you ever going to go there again?) And who knows, the view

might surprise you. You want the best possible image for the weight carried

with the least dependence on electronics possible. If the camera seems too

dear, sell it when you come back (you won't want to, though).

The Canon GIII-17 QL is a great example, and there are plenty of them

around, on ebay, and probably in used gear shops. 40/1.7 lens,

autoexposure, and flash metering with Canolite flashes. Expect the foam

seals (back) to be gummed if they haven't been replaced. Ricoh also made

some good cameras of that type and so did Minolta.

No but yes. There is the visoflex option for Leica rangefinders. You could do

macro with it and even some very nice work. But it is an expensive and

cumbersome way to use a rangefinder to do work that a proper SLR does

much better.

No Jay, it is a Hasselblad. You just don't want to believe it.

The question goes to the heart of the idea of branding products. With optics,

there once was a significant difference between manufacturers in the quality

of product and the skill of the manufacturer. Design experience, CAD/CAM,

precision molding, centralized glass production, subcontracted design and

subsystem manufacture, ISO 9000 standards, have changed this, obviously.

Is a Leica binocular manufactured in Portugal any less a Leica? I don't see

how. Is a Hasselblad badged as made in Sweden but clearly from a design

originating in Japan any less a Hasselblad? I don't see why not. For good or

ill, the brand is nothing more than signage, hopefully representing a standard

of quality and performance, and hence a justification of value. If there is

nothing different between two brands of lenses except the fact that each lens

of one brand is tested to meet the standards of its brand, and the other line is

sampled, there is a difference, although you might never tell the two apart.

 

As for cars, there is some similarity. A subsystem manufacturer builds to the

specifications of its buyers; Bosch or GKN or BASF make the product that VW

or Ford or Daimler/Chrysler request.

To take photographs or to juggle?

Comes with a free poodle.

The last dealer that really carried a selectiion of used Leica gear sadly

passed on about nine years ago, and his shop in Bethesda went with him.

Stop in New York on the way. Or L.A.

You are giving up TTL flash control, if that matters. You are giving up the

angled rewind crank for the retro knurled knob crank (and for a mere $175

you can add back a crank handle) and you lose the "ergonomically perfect"

shutter speed dial (Leica's quote, not mine). You are getting the chance to

buy a painted body (assuming the body you have is not a special edition

painted M6TTL). You are getting an improved optical viewfinder, some say.

 

I agree with the poster above; only the M7 is really an upgrade. (keeps TTL,

adds DX, electronic shutter, aperture priority, on-off switch. The MP is a

buffed-up retro camera.

Lowepro Medium Format Magnum AW.

Only Rollei.

" I mean, I'm not really being held back by my 5 at all, I often wish I could have

the higher shutter speeds when I'm using my F1.7 in bright sunlight"

 

Try some high-quality neutral density filters and a lens shade.

The Maxxum 5 is a great small body; the Maxxum 7 is much bigger.

Data storage is a marginal benefit. Data imprint is far more useful.

Still, it will contain no information of your particular decisionmaking at the time

of exposure (fill flash, filter, etc.). Have to use the noggin for that.

Plenty of choices nowadays with a lot of MF gear on the market. I suggest you

buy used; that gives you the least exposure should you decide MF isn't your

cup of tea.

 

As for a hiking rig, you know that whatever you are going to get will weigh

considerably more than the equivalent small-format setup, and have no more

automation than the average new 35mm SLR, and probably less. If you are

determined to experiment, have you also considered Pentax? I suggest you

read the reviews and comments of posters here to give yourself the benefit of

considering the range of 645 outfits available. I am only assuming that you

want an SLR, otherwise I would suggest the Mamiya 7-II, which gives you a

generous 6x7 and is pretty lightweight. Not cheap, though, and as a

rangefinder not so good for closeup, macro and telephoto applications.

Not to quibble, but you didn't mention whether the camera was working when

you bought it or whether the camera arrived with a defect not mentioned by

the seller. Not having a CLA is not a defect, and the seller shouldn't be

faulted for not providing this service. Not having a working meter is a defect,

and should be mentioned by any honest seller.

 

Your choosing to have electronics replaced at the recommendation of your

technician in advance of the meter and diode actually failing is a preventative

choice of yours, perhaps a wise one, but again, not a fault or omission of the

person who sold you the camera, unless they told you otherwise.

 

$1,000 for an M6, if working, seems like a good deal. $500 for the labor of an

experienced professional technician involving replacement parts and

disassembly of the rangefinder doesn't seem out of line either. I don't see a

cause for caution here. These are normal and expected costs of buying used

equipment. Buy new if you want warranties to cover any repairs. The way I

see it, you have still come out ahead.

The XPan is scarcely larger than a Leica and has automatic film handling,

switchable from 24x36 to 24x66 mid-roll, TTL metering, rangefinder focusing

and is reasonably rugged. It couldn't be any more different to a 4x5 with the

exception that you might crop a similar-sized negative from the sheet to give a

panoramic aspect ratio. Why is TTL metering a problem more than handheld

metering? Bring a spotmeter if you are worried about exposure. A fairer

comparison is the Mamiya 7-II with the panoramic 35mm insert.

Or the Contax 645, which can take a Hasselblad Zeiss lens.

I have a 7 1/2 glove, medium size hand. I don't see a problem with the grip model, but if you are on the fence, get the standard model. It works nicely, too. Remember, you are buying it for a case. If what you really want is a grip rather than a case, consider just a grip alone.

I have both, more or less. The "grip" model is a development from a case

Luigi had made to accommodate an M body with the Leica hand grip

attached. It was deep enough to fit the bottom of the grip and the handle. The

new grip is about the same size as the old grip, but has a solid filler instead of

room to fit the Leica grip. The standard case has a little rise in the front of the

case where your right hand fingers can grasp the front of the camera. The

standard case is less bulky, but because it is smaller, provides a less secure

grip. Still, I think I prefer it to the grip model, just because it is a little more

compact. I don't think the operation of the camera is affected by the larger

grip. One thing I can do is hold the camera with my right hand fingers alone

with the grip model, something that can't be done with the standard. I would

hesitate to call that an advantage, since it is probably not a very secure way to

hold the camera.

What version of the standard lens are you including and what version of a

back are you including? (You haven't said.) If the lens is a 80/2.8 CFE and

the back is the latest version A-12 (i.e. with insert holder), the WLF and all

caps and strap are included, all instruction books and boxes, and there is no

damage of any kind, then I think you would be lucky to get your $1,750, IMO.

Resale hasn't been all that good lately on a lot of Hasselblad items even

newish.

 

If your gear looks used or is incomplete as a kit would normally be, you are

better off selling the items individually, keeping the WLF with the body.

 

I suggest you look at comparable prices at KEH for a guide.

First of all, are they even interested in photography? (Never mind Minolta manual-focus film cameras)

 

This is probably sacrilege here, but maybe you would be better off selling the gear and buying them decent digicams. Minoltas, if that would make you feel better. The feedback is much faster, learning less frustrating and there is negligible cost to experiment. Invested as I am in film, I do not believe it is the way of the future nor do I believe that it is necessarily the best first medium for a beginning photographer.

The Metz is TTL.

Why get the CLA right before you sell the camera? You would be wasting

money. As long as the camera is working--no defects--then sell it as is. Let

the new owner decide whether the camera is worth the cost of a CLA. You

won't get more for the camera just because you had it serviced, and you

almost certainly won't get your money back for the CLA through a higher

selling price.

If you are looking for a cross-platform flash compatible with your Canon and

Leica, think about the Metz 54 MZ-3. You can order it with the Canon module

and get a Leica module accessory which can swap out with the Canon

module. Yes, the flash is big relative to the M6, but it is a high-power shoe

mount unit, and any comparable Canon unit will be just as big.