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Hi,

If we're comparing a Leica to other rangefinder 35's then it's a matter of quality and precision.

I've owned some really crappy Rangefinders like the Canonet 28, Zorki 6, FED 3, Voigtlanders' , and similar cool junk, - and made photos I really like with all of them. The Leica is just such a fine machine though. All the buttons, switches, and dials have only one function each. Everything on a Leica is finely machined and silky smooth. The range/viewfinder is clean and precise. Lesser cameras seem rough and crude, because they are.

Once you learn the controls, it's all muscle memory. You don't think about the camera - you just photograph.

Yep, you can take great photos with any number of cameras: cheap or expensive.

The Leica is just better. As someone once said, it's a perfect example of good industrial design.

Hi,

I also have a Yashica A that I like alot. MOF, it's my only film camera. I do all my personal work w/it.

This comment is about your prints though - not a critique - just some advice.

I see that a few of the pics have vignetting in one corner??? My guess is either your new filter, a too small lens hood, or your enlarging lens is to blame.

Also, there are uneven streaks in your negatives. Weak film or print developer maybe???

And finally, there are milky/fuzzy looking spots in the sky of at least two prints. This is definitely dirty condensers or dirty spots in the enlarging head. Try disassembling and cleaning the condensers - and let them dry throughly before re-installing. If you have a glass negative carrier, it could also be the culprit.

Hope this helps, and thanks for sharing your photos.

Just acquired a Nikon S. Shutter drags at all speeds. Pin hole in

1st curatin. Anybody know who can repair these?

Thanks.

Al Kaplan's point about film was entirely missed. It's about Permanance folks! Digital

images are by design NOT archival. They may be in the future, but a lot of work still needs

to be done in that area. Tri-X negs definitely are Permanent,( if correctly stored).

Point taken, and I agree. However, I don't know where you live - but most places in he US,

prices of film cameras are "dropping like a stone". I'm a camera salesman and I've seen

prices of Mamiya TLR's,(and everything else) drop by half in the last 5 years.

John,

I also have a 1st year model, (1939) Summitar. I use it on my M3 w/ a screw mount

adaptor. I also have a Kodak 42mm to series VI adaptor. This is attached to a short Tiffen

series VI hood. I have no problems w/ it showing in the viewfinder. I can just barely see

the edge in the corner. A lot less intrusive than the vented or square hoods I've tried. And

no; it doesn't vignette.

Just a FYI.<div></div>

I'm a salesman @ one the last Mom & Pop shops in Atlanta, GA.,(USA). I'm not sure I can

mention the name, - so I won't. As per the comments made by the British man - I'm sorry

he's had those negative experiences w/ small shops. However, " customer service is now

on the web"??? On what planet? Not this one! We've been in operation since 1912. Service

is one of the main reasons we've survived. The big on-line retailers are notorious for poor

service. Buy a new digicam online and then call back for help using it. Go ahead, I'll

wait,....

Also, to be honest - over the decades we've played it smart. We have dozens of

government & school contracts. So even when retail business is slow - we show a healthy

profit from selling bulk supplies. We rarely have outta date anything. I've seen large

displays of outta film and paper @ the local "bigbox" retailers.

We also still sell vintage and collectable items hard to find at those places. And we can

help you w/ knowledge about those items. Say, Leica's for example.

You're right David, come to think of it. Boys don't seem to get a grace period. As

someone once said," Junior High is where the girls all look like cocktail waitresses,

and the boys all look nervous". BTW, great photos. Wish I'd shot the one w/ the kid

sitting in the helmet rack. Terrific.

For those you w/o kids - or those that don't photo them very often, - a 'tween is not

a teen and not a little kid anymore either. They're be 'TWEEN. Generally 8-12 year

olds.<div></div>

Don't be invisible. Act like you belong. If someone asks what you're doing, - lie! It's

none of their business really. But they might cause you trouble. So go ahead and lie.

My favorite; you're a photo student doing a project,(homework). Fortunately, I

legitimately do photos for both my neighborhood website, and a couple of small local

papers. And I tell people so, - if they ask. And I really do find the Leica helps. Oh, and

I only shoot w/ a 50 on the Leica, (no teles). My black Nikkormat w/ the zoom would

draw stares big-time.<div></div>

Fujichrome Sensia 100. I do a lot of

street/candid work and I like Sensia's moderate constrast. And it's cheap.<div></div>

I shoot mainly w/ a IIIf. Have also used an M6, and several M2's. Never an M3 tho'.

Have a friend w/ one for sale. This one dates from 1960. Is s'pose to be a SS, however

- once the film is loaded it works like a DS.Otherwise, w/o film- it works as a SS. Is

this camera actually a DS, or does it have a problem?

Thanks.

Matt comments how the 1st two photos were excellent. And, well yes they are - but the

"candle" photo is pretty much standard fare for wedding/event photogs. Technically

good but,..... The B+W is good docu stuff, but a little vague. Maybe it'd be better larger?

The winner here is the kid pic,( in my book). Perfect viewpoint, - and it's unique. Also it's

not the usual cutesy/innocent/ uncomplicated view of kids. There's a little personality

showing here. And a little mystery. What's she thinking? Well done.

Okay, I guess I didn't explain myself very well. I KNOW how to get the goggles on and off

the lens. The problem is the rangefinder patch is way off when the goggles are used, but

only then! The Summicron works fine w/o the goggles, (meaning the rangefinder lines up

and the lens focuses correctly). Why don't the goggles work?

I'm a camera salesman in a small shop. Everytime I think I've got a firm handle on Leitz

gear, - something will "stump" me. We've acquired a DR from about 1962. Both the lens

itself and goggles/glasses seem to be clean and mechanically sound. The lens mates

just fine w/ the rangefinder, - BUT, the glasses don't. They are obviously "off". We've

tried it on 2 different M3's and an M2 that we know to be sound. What's wrong???

Ditch the Nikon and especially the Minolta. If you can afford the M6, you can afford to

shoot w/ it all the time. Besides, eventually you'll get tired of toting those " tanks" once

you get use to your rangefinder. OR, ... you can try the poor boy route...... I'm a camera

salesman @ athe last Mom & Pop shop in Atlanta, GA. I can't afford Leica's myself, ( tho'

I've shot w/ many), - so I bought a Voigtlander Bessa R, $250. I've also got a Leitz

Summmaron 35 f/3.5 w/ correct FOOKH lens hood, ($200), - a late 1950's Nikkor H-C

50mm w/ homemade metal hood, ($85) and a early 50's Leitz Elmar 90mm f/4 w/ FIKUS

hood, ($150). The Voigtlander has framelines for all three lenses. It has a very similar

meter, a viewfinder of equal brightness, (very !) and a solid, modern Japanese shutter.

The Bessa is not as quiet as your M6, nor does it have the build quality - but it's the equal

or better of your Nikon, and better than any Minolta. BTW, they also make a deluxe

model, - the Bessa R2; which has the Leica M mount instead of Leica screw mount. Have

fun.

As several folks have pointed out, IF Leica had not come to be - most, if not all, 35mm

cams wouldn't exist today. Martin Tai pointed to another fast, and relatively small

camera of that era; the Ermanox. However, here in the US, the Ermanox was uncommon

and I'm guessing difficult to acquire. If I'd been around then I might have "gone for" a

Rolleiflex, 2x3 Speed Graphic, or a Zeiss Super Ikonta. In particular, the Super Ikonta was

small and lightweight. Especially when you consider the big 6x6 neg it made. Also, the

Zeiss lenses were better anything else available at the time.

#1- To document what I see in the world.

#2- Ego.

#3 - Because photo.net is less annoying than most photo sites.<div></div>

Anyone here owned a C/V for at least 3 years? Any problems w/ mechanics or quality?

Any shutter problems? How about that plastic back door? The rangefinder alignment still

aligned? Have you dropped it yet? What happened ,- if anything?

Thanks !

Terrific night photo. Try cropping out the Hard Rock hotel though; it's distracting and

weakens your photo.