dieter_skagen

Don,

 

I use only two Lenses and two bodies a 28mm ASPH and a 50mm Summicron. The 28mm is always on my M6 with a 28mm finder...the 50 used to be on my M4P but I very recently traded in that body and my 3rd version 50mm summicron for an M3 and the 50mm Summicron DR. The 28 for me is my workhorse...I work as a photojournalist and I like the perspective I get with it...I have no problems with the 28mm finder or the standard in camera 28mm framelines, you just get used to how things work and dont think about it...sometimes I wish I still had my 21mm but I have found great peace of mind with the simplicity of two bodies and two lenses...my style of shooting has over the years honed its way to these two lenses...it works for me and editors arent shouting at me about my coverage, they just know what to expect from me and everybody is happy, well most of the time...but its different for everyone.

Keep in mind that David Fokos uses 8x10 sheet film format and crops to square.

BTW you can see it on the <www.rollei.de> website.

Eric...its the new Rolleilfex-wide TLR.

Hi all,

 

Any Street or shop sightings of the long awaited FW 4.0...its March

afterall...but as I wrote earlier, I heard grumblings that it may not

hit the shops until July. BTW...bought the Rolleiwide in Moscow this

weekend...if the lens delivers as well as I hope I'll be very happy.

I really like the angle of coverage and perspective of the 55mm...One

surprise feature is it appears as though I am able to focus a little

inside of 2ft...better than my Leicas...but of course a totally

different world of use.

The meter is unused in the box and the camera is almost the same...I think for $500. dollars I'll go for it and see how I like it with my 50mm...I know its off thread and I should repost, but I wondering if anybody has heard of Leica plans for a 50 1.4 ASPH. I have both the Summicron and Summilux and I find (which makes sense I guess) that the Summicron is quite a bit sharper and higher in contrast than the 1.4. A 50mm 1.4 ASPH that would focus to .7 or less is all I can ask for from Leica since they came out with the 28 2.0 ASPH...the only other lens I use.

 

D.Skagen

Thanks everybody for all your answers on my viewfinder question...I

found here in Amsterdam today an M3 in very good shape for $500.00

including a MR meter. Does anybody have experience or have knowledge

of well this meter functions.

 

D.Skagen

Finally I am getting it...quite interesting actually for someone like myself who is a bit slow mechanically. I am really thinking about putting an M3 finder in my M4P if I can find a finder. The guys name who does or did these mods is Tom Abrahmson or something like that, but my colleague who had this done with his M4P doesnt have a contact number for him anymore...maybe someone does and can post it here. Maybe an M3 body is the answer but I dont know how it differs from the M4P so I would have to have in front of me to assess that possibility. Or a 50 accessory finder...do they exist?

 

Thanks again for all the discussion, really very enlightening.

 

D.Skagen

BTW how do you spell Peculiar? its one english word I can never get...I think I will look at an M3 just for interest...it might be something for me...and thanks Bert for the scientific respnonse...I knew there must be a technical reason...

I'm with Al on this.

 

Although as I said, I (seriously) only use the 28mm and the 50mm for my style of working, the use of frameline pre-view is and would be of limited importance for me, especially since for me lens choice is about perspective not cropping...its why I use the 28mm finder (with its peculiarities) always with my 28mm. Converging lines become more of a statment making tool than on a 50 or longer. Over twenty years I have obviously learned how to use the framing characteristics of my gear, but it does seem odd the way the framelines appear in the frame as broken...the 90 frame seems especially bizarre, but then I never use it.

 

Hmmmm...M3...I have heard of a person in Toronto who will put an M3 finder in any M4P or M6 camera, thus giving a better (larger) 50mm framing...I have thought about doing this...I think he is the same guy who makes the rapid winder. I'm thinking to replace my 20 year old M6 with either an M6 or MP(.58 VF) and then have this M3 finder mod done to my M4P...and that would be about all I would change in my system...unless of course Leica came out with a ASPH 50mm Summilux.

 

S.Skagen

After reading the post about Leica M improvement...I got to thinking

about the viewfinder framelines...I have been working profesionally

with my M6 and M4P for as long as I've had the cameras (Twenty

years), and I could never get why the framelines appear as they do in

the viewfinder...why they are not a connected rectangle rather than

broken up at the corners or simply just corners...My way of working

has boiled down to the use only two lenses...a 28mm (with a finder)

on one body, and 50mm on the other, so its less of a factor for me.

I know everybody gets used to and deals with the limitations and

peculiarities of their gear, but I am wondering why they are designed

this way...there must be an actual reason for it...it would be

rediculous otherwise.

 

D.Skagen

Well the price (since I dont have to reveal the seller) is $1,700USD. From what I understand the handmade nature of those lenses dictate that each of them can be somewhat different from the other, and as always is best to try a test roll or two, but its difficult as the owner is in Moscow. Maybe the thing to do is to buy and trade it up (if you can call it that) to the new FW. Speaking of the FW, I did some digging this afternoon and found a whole range of speculation on the price of the new FW. Probably the most reliable source is saying a minimum $3000.00 USD, but could be as much as $4,500USD, of course they said this could not be confirmed, and did not want to be quoted on this. Hopefully Roger you are right about the price...for me that would not be unreasonable for a tool I would use on a daily basis. This same source is saying that the March debut may be pushed as late as July or August. By the way anybody know if it possible that the viewing lens of a TLR is not matching the actual focus of the taking lens...I've heard this can be a problem on older TLR's but I dont quite get why that would be.

 

Thanks so far for the help...

 

D.Skagen

Hello,

 

I will try to be as clear and specific as possible so I can receive

the appropriate response.

 

I have been a working photojournalist for 20 years using Leica

rangefinders. Recently in Russia I borrowed a friends Rollei 2.8GX

for a personal project and fell in love with WAIST-LEVEL (Square

Format) photography. I love the similar qualities a TLR has to my

Leicas...quiet and smooth...no clunky mirror...no blind moment from

that clunky mirror. In fact for certain situation, I like it better

than my Leicas. My style has developed to point that when shooting

with my Leicas I shoot 80% of my work with a 28mm. Although I loved

the GX, the 80mm focal length is not really suiting my style and

would need a wider perspective. This brings me to my question: I

have opportunity to purchase a older Rollei-wide TLR with the 55mm

Distagon f/4.0 lens. I have looked at the viewfinder and very much

like the perspective of the lens, the camera has a new Maxwell

focusing screen and is very bright and contrasty...it seems exactly

what I need...even the price is in my range. Without being able to

test it, I am wondering about the sharpness and contrast of an older

lens like this, I guess this would be pre-multicoating. The GX 2.8

Planar was very sharp, not as sharp as my Lieca 28mm but still very

nice. I wonder if someone is having experience with this lens and

can offer opinion. I know that there will new Rollei FW 4.0 with the

50mm Schneider Super-Angulon but I am sure it will be a fortune...and

yes I know there is the Mamiya TLR, but I really did not like this

camera when I tried it. I am really interested in comments about this

particular lens.

 

Thankyou,

D.Skagen