fred_mueggelhopper

Well... fill flash works just fine at 1/60th, which is just one notch

down on your shutter speed dial. If you really really need 1/125

fill flash, Pentax makes two leaf shutter lenses.

If WLF and Ukranian lens compatability and $500. budget are

paramount issues, why not try a Pentacon 6 ? Just make sure to

get a warrany . Or simplify and get a Pentax 645.

I was given an Imperial 620 box camera in 59 at age 8. In 63 in

6th grade, I saw prints develop in a friends darkroom. It was

better than magic. My dad let me use his Contarex. The

Kodachromes still amaze me from that camera. Used a Minox

35 untill 86 when I got the M6. Also use Pentax 645 and Hexar

RF. I enjoy using them all.

The Pentax 645 was designed to be very low vibration for

hand holdability from the get go. You may be pleasantly

surprised at just how well you can shoot without the tripod.

How cheap is cheap?

I use on old Rollei Beta 5 flash. It can be used with it's flash grip

or hot shoe mounted. I use it on manual at 1/4 power for outdoor

portrait flash fill. It will work bare bulb or with reflectors. I often

use it with a little soft box attached with velcro. They have not

been made fore a long time, but are available at the camera

shows if you go.

Lake Summerset, Illinois

The square format is interesting, as is the viewfinder.

But 2 megapixels ? Most were already there a few years ago.

The original Pentax 645 is manual focus. It is TTL.

It uses pushbuttons in place of a shutterspeed dial.

These cameras focus very easily, you dont really need

autofocus. Mine is 12 years old, and still using the original

lithium data battery. The original Pentax 645 just could be the

best value in medium format.

Since you have been a Pentax user, have you thought about the

Pentax 645? They are much lighter and easier to use than the

6X7. They are also very inexpensive used as are the lenses.

They make nice pictures. They were designed to be very hand

holdable, with shutter vibration dampening that works very well,

much less vibration than the 6 x 7. Between $400 to $600 will get

you a nice MF starter camera.

Any 645 users here who use the 120 macro lens?

What do you think of the lens and what do you shoot with it?

I have heard that it is a great portrait lens as well.

Not many posts about the Pentax 645 system. Mine has served

flawlessly for 12 years now. Too bad Pentax doesnt

advertise it or publish Pentax News any longer.

You need to be more specific here, to address your quality

issues. What part of the results are you unhappy with,

sharpness, contrast, colors? You state that you are new to SLR

shooting, but have bought 7 lenses to improve. Have you read

any SLR instructional books, or taken the time to learn to use the

camera? Try Shooting the 50 or 28 only for a month or two until

you become thoroughly familiar with them.

Now about F11....it is not always the optimum aperture. It is

good for depth of field, but optimum sharpness can usually be

achieved at 2 or 3 stops down from maximum aperture. your

28/2.8 will be very sharp at f/5.6.

Do not buy anything else. Pick one slide film and one lens.

Read some books, and learn. Record your exposures. Enjoy!

I do not know if a Kodachrome day will "save" Kodachrome.

But I do know that my life has been preserved on Kodachrome.

I have Kodachrome slides that go back to the 1940's. They show

our family, our homes, our cars, important events, vacations, first American Flyer

under the christmas tree and they still bring back great memories when I

look at them. Black + White is OK, but not as nice. All of the other

old Ektachrome, Anscochrome and any other color slide film have shifted color and faded throughout the years. Kodachrome is still the film for

anything that I want to preserve.

35 Summilux ASPH 1.4, 50Hexanon/F2, and OLD Elmarit 90/2.8

Paul Simon

Do it the right way. Send these lenses to DAG.

If you want to learn to lube, be smart,learn on junk lenses.

The sleeping bugs look too nice to be sitting out in the snow.

Where are they?

Would the tailfins on the 57 Chevy Anniversary edition be

mounted above the viewfinder window? They might be in the way over the

rewind crank/knob. Since the MP is more manual it may be a better choice

for this anniversary model than the M7. But then again, if the M7 was the anniversary model, a little 57 Chevy tail light under the fin could light up to indicate that the power was on on the M7. Can we have 57 Chevy painted color bodies too? Tropical Turquoise. Or maybe 2 tones.

Sierra Gold with Adobe Beige. Burnout sound effects? Leica are you listening here?

Kodak/Kodalux still processes stereo slides. You can get lots more

stereo info at yahoo groups photo 3d. There is also a stereo camera club in Portland, and I believe that the NSA stereo convention is being held in Portland or Seattle this summer.

Alan. you may want to post your lens question on the Hexar RF

group at Yahoo, as well as this forum.

For most of those who use Leica M it is because of the glass.

To buy an M6 to put the Cosina lenses on is a waste of time.

Use the M Summicrons or Konica Hexanons. If money is an issue,

I would use these lenses with a Hexar or Cosina body, and save for the

M6 later. YMMV

The batteries in my M6 classic lasted over two years. I only changed them so I would know they are fresh. If one has to wonder if thay can depend on their M7 batteries in the cold perhaps the M7 is not the correct camera. M6 classic and Hexar RF both work great in the cold with no battery issues yet.

Craig,

Perhaps your Leica dealer wouuld let you try both lenses on your

body with your film in front of the store. A few images from each should

give you the info that you need to make a decision.

Once you try the Hexanon 50, you will not want to use any other 50.

It is a great lens. Easily equal to and or better than the cron.

Have you ever tried a diopter on the viewfinder in place of glasses?

You dont need to pay Leica prices to try it. I use a Nikon FM2 diopter reversed to press fit on to the viewfinder on a M6. It works very well for me. Give it a try.