fred_mueggelhopper

Thomas, look closely at the Rollei 35RF. It is the same as the

R2 series, not the R3A. Still not a bad deal for the money with a 2

year warranty. Looks pretty nice as well.

Steve: The Hexar RF fit and finish is much much better than the Voigts. It very

closely approaches the fit and finish of the Leica M. The .6 viewfinder magnification

didnt agree with my eyes, other than that it is a great camera. For the long haul, I

prefer the M6 overall.

In the spirit of minimalism, several years ago I used to travel with

only a Minox 35. It was nice and light, and the pictures were very nice.

But after awhile it was boring. Then again, 2 years ago I went for a year with

only a Hexar RF with the 50 Hexanon. And once again the pictures were

very nice, but I was bored with just one lens for a year. So now I have gone back to

another M6 classic with a 75/Lux and a 40/Cron. And Life is good for a while

untill I become bored again. But this time I will not be adding another lens.

I think that it would be nice to move into the current millenium and get a good

film scanner.

Jim is that a genuine lawn jockey? The politically incorect kind?

I think that he deserves a proper placement in the front yard! Nice shot!

The 35 ASPH LUX is my favorite among the 35's. When this lens was introduced,

I attended a "Leica day" slide show at the old Colonial Camera in La Grange IL. The 35

ASPH Lux images stood out from the crowd. For me the images it produces outweigh

any size or handling disadvantage. I had 3 or 4 Summicron 35's, but was never

really satisfied with them except for one from the M5 era. It had a tab that protruded

from the barrel to set the aperture. Ungainly to use, but nice images. Good luck in

your search.

Alan; can you tell us a bit more about the 40 Sonnar?

What mount and what it originally was used with? Thanks.

It sounds interesting>

Here is what works for me . Nikkor 105/1.8AIS, Nikkor 85/1.4AIS, and Nikkor 35/

1.4AIS. They are very nice lenses. AIS lets you use all of the FA's capabilities. I would

sell the 50/1.4 and the zoom. You will not miss them after you add these 3 lenses to

your system!

On a trip like this with your family I would keep it very simple.

I would take an F4 with the 35-70/2.8 and leave the rest at home.

Benjamin; why bother with adaptors? If you like the R mount glass why not buy

a good working used R body?

If I were spending your money and managing your equipment

here is what I would do. I would sell the M6 TTL and the 35

Summicron. I would buy a used asph 35 Summilux. Then I

would wait and save until the Zeiss 15 M lens is available and

buy one of them. I would rather have the glass variety than an

extra body. I fully expect that my 86 vintage M6 will function for the

rest on my lifetime, and be passed on to my children and their

(future) children. You are now probably happy that I am not

spending your money.....

May I suggest a camera outside of your chosen two? How about a Hexar RF with the

Summicron 40? It is a nice combination. No you do not have the full size viewfinder,

but this is a nice travel setup. Lots more camera than either the CL or R3A for about

the same or less money, and travels well.

The original Elmarit 90 used to be teriffic for head shots when teamed with the long

obsolete Ektar 25 film. It is still a great lens today.

The Zeiss website states that it expects these ZM lenses to surpass the

quality of the Contarex lenses. The Contarex lenses are among my very

favorite

lenses. During 45 years of photography I have found none that I prefer to

them. A few of the Leica M + R lenses come close. So hurry Zeiss, let us see

just what all this "kerfuffel" is all about.

Gil, thanks for taking the time to post your R-D1 review.

It is a camera that is of interest to many folks here. If Epson can bring the price

down to the level of a top prosumer or entry level DSLR range they will sell all

they can build and then some. The current price point is too high for this

camera.

In the past I had 2 different 35 Summicrons and sold both of

them. I like the 40 Summicron much better. The 35 asph Lux

produces outstanding 35 mm slides. But If I were in the market

now for a 35mm M lens I would wait to see what the new Zeiss

lens is all about before making a purchase.

Are you sure that you will be able to meet the EPA mule emmission

standards? And you were worried about the potassium cyanide!

This camera looks a bit like the Hexar from the front. The brochure states that

the lenses are designed with a digital future in mind. It will be great to see

some head to head comparison shot from the Zeiss, Hexanon, and

Summicron lenses. The new 15mm should prove most interesting.

Waiting almost patiently.....

The lithium battery in my P645 was last replaced in 1992. It is

still working just fine. You can replace it yourself using a small

adjustable spanner wrench.

When it comes time for service or warranty issues, Canon has it all over the Sony.

Sony is strictly by the book(their interpretation) on warranty issues. Canon recently

repaired my powershot 3 years out of warranty at no charge without me asking them

for a freebie. They will keep my digital business for a long time to come. Based upon

recent warranty issues with Sony, I will be buying no further Sony products of any

kind. Buy the A80!

Mounting your MF slide in the Gepe glass mounts will keep them

from "popping" out of focus as you project them. Some of the early Rollei,

Realist, and TDC projectors had carriers for MF and 35MM slides. They might be

worth seeking out.

If you really would like to see the Zeiss lenses produce the"magical 3-D dimension",

shoot some 120 slow speed transparency film, then mount and project the images.

You will find what you are looking for. If you buy the Mamiya you WILL get tired of

lugging it around, and sooner or later you will regret not buying the Hasselblad.

Will we ever see an affordable self contained walk around and shoot

digital back for the 500 series cameras? Photokina will be here soon. Any hope that

we might see one there?

Just a thought here. The 285 is not exactly a new flash. Could the

clear lens have started to yellow?

Vibration from mirror slap should really be pretty much

a non issue with your Pentacon. The mirror goes up just

before the exposure is made, but it does not return to position

until the film is wound again. Yes it is loud and noisy, but not

nearly as vibration prone as the instant return mirror MF slr.

Have you thought about buying a "parts" body and using the grip

from it?