david_werbeloff1

Great photo's, Peter! I particularly like the artistic paving stones.

BTW I forgot to mention that I rate the Fuji 800 at 650 and like the results very much

Hello Anthony: I use Fuji 800 Superia or NPZ (now renamed) almost exclusively, and have found that it gives me coverage through just about every non-flash situation both indoors and out. Admittedly shooting at 1/1000sec @ f16 is not ideal with a Summitar or Summicron in bright sunshine but I find that most of the time I can juggle shutter speeds so as to stay between 5.6 and 11. I have had excellent results and can highly recommend the Fuji. No experience with the Kodak. Best, David

Eliot, in my experience as a harpsichord maker I use Japan colors to decorate the instruments. They are supplied as a super-saturated suspension of the ground color pigment in a solvent. This differs from regular paint in the concentration of solid pigment which is available for depositing on the painted surface and results in much better coverage.

Oh Mr. Mahoney, I see you've decided to move to this thread and spread your joy around.

Mr. Mahoney: A couple of things to straighten out here: I asked a question in good faith, and don't believe I deserve to be told that I'm spastic, deformed, and an orangutan for expressing a concern about projecting my finger into the lens field of view. I have been using Leica's for a very long time and am quite familiar with how to hold the camera and focus it. The concern which prompted me to post in the first place, is that I've never used a 28mm lens before and don't have a sense of its field of view. The knob on my lens is most definitely knurled, and the focussing ring is not. There is no other way to focus the VC 28mm other than to grip the little knob clearly meant for this purpose. I'm not sure what this forum is coming to. Almost daily people ask questions and post photographs only to get lambasted by people like you, for no good reason. If you're unable to adjust your medication dose so as to keep yourself civil, I could probably come up with the names of several reputable psychiatrists who could help you.

Ronald, I'm talking about the knuckle of my left forefinger as I grip the little knurled focussing knob on the VC. My pinky is well out of the way.

Hi All: I've had my VC 28mm (f=3.5) for a couple of weeks now and

have been running a film through the Barnack IIIa to which it is

mounted.

I haven't finished the roll yet, but I catch the fingers of my left

hand looking as if they must be in the bottom of the field of view.

As I'm sure you all know, the hood that comes with the lens is tiny

and doesn't flare out to give one a warning where to place the fingers

when focussing. I'm trying to relearn my focussing grip. Does anyone

have any experience with this issue? Best, David

Geez, what's this forum coming to? Ollie posts a photo of his cute dog, and while it's true that the sharpest spot seems to be the tag, it doesn't matter in the scheme of things, and Mr. DiGoliardi jumps down his throat in this really mean and offensive tone for no good reason.

When people like this spread their poison, it's offers no encouragement or incentive for folks to want to post their work here. This forum will ultimately fall apart. I say, "back off" Mr. DiGoliardi.

Hi Adrian and Colin: Having taken your words of warning concerning the fragility of the foot, I proceeded with extreme caution. I put masking tape around the wider part of the finder (this is the metal version) in case the file went at an angle, and gingerly filed a little metal off the left edge of the foot. I decided on a file Adrian because there was quite a bit of metal to come off, and I didn't want to remove the foot from the finder for fear of misaligment. Once I was through the chrome plating, it becomes apparent that the foot is made of brass, not aluminum as I had suspected. I can only think that you must have gotten a faulty one Colin, since brass is quite durable, and to some small degree, quite malleable. Anyway, I filed until the foot fitted with some degree of friction into the accessory shoe. A tiny bit of emery paper took off the fine file marks and broke the corners slightly, and I'm good to go.

Thanks for your responses.

Hi All:

 

My pristine 28mm VC finder just came from Stephen Gandy (the lens came

last week and I'm really hoping to take some pictures tomorrow.)I find

that the fit is REALLY tight with the accessory shoe of my rather

clean IIIa.

Do I grit my teeth and take a jeweler's file to the shoe on the finder?

I'd rather put tool marks on that than start manipulating the shoe on

the camera. Does this seem the right way to go? Just to be sure, I

tried the finder on my II and it's just a little less tight there. Oh

dextrous ones, I welcome your input!

Thanks, David

Hi All: I just took my 1939 II out of its case. The directions are in English. If the baseplate is standing on end, lock at the top, "close" is at 9 o'clock, "Germany" in smaller engraving at 12 o'clock, and "open" at 3 o'clock. This camera was bought by my father in London in June 1939; I have the original import document from E Leitz.

Hi All: Does anyone have an idea if this new Fuji film is a "true" 1600 or is the real speed somewhere around 1200? I've had good luck with the older Fuji 1600 color negative film rating it at 1200.

Rob, wonderful, mysterious photo! The more I see the results posted here on the forum, the more I think I need to try and get me one of them Summars. It would be a nice alternative to the rather clinical images yielded by my 1933 Elmar f3.5, and the sumptuous pics from my 1950 Summitar. Problem is where to find one with nice clean glass...

Best, David

Wai-Leong, I second Bill's opinion. I've really enjoyed reading your perceptions of travel and photography in the U.S. as seen through the eyes of an "outsider". Thanks for sharing, and please keep the Travels with Leica coming!

Best, David

Subhash, thank you for giving us the link to Tina Manley's site. I think some of her photographs of children are quite beautiful, and I would be well pleased to have produced images that came even close to what I see here.

David

Hi Josiah and All:

I'll preface this by saying that I've never seen so-called "cinch" marks in 30 years of using Leicas, both Barnack and M. I was so curious that I looked up the advice given to newbies in an owner's guide for the IIIf. "Insert trimmed end of the film under the clamping spring of the take-up spool AS FAR AS IT WILL GO". This confirms my recollection; that (as Josiah points) Leitz thought of this issue. The film will only insert under the spring a specific distance, and thus a specific friction is involved. Perhaps there are minute particles of dirt inside the camera body which deposit on the film, are held there by electrostatic force, and then retracted back into the film cassette when the film is rewound to leave longitudinal scratches in the emulsion. Just a thought...

Best, David

DNA sequence?

Bill, I like your first photograph. Since you ask for input, to my mind it could use severe cropping. The surroundings don't contribute to the interaction between the kids (which is what the moment is all about), and it would help to minimize the dark tree limb running directly behind the girls' heads. I'm curious; was it a very overcast day? I would have expected an image from a Noctilux to "pop" much more.

 

Best,

David

Ooops! I meant to address Larry in my previous post.

Craig, you lucky dog! Your photograph is evocative for me. Which estate?

Hello John: Thanks for starting this thread and for sharing your beautiful photographs! Please don't stop now!! I speak of course as a lifetime railway-head, and (needless to say) a Leica-head. It's been on my wish list for many years to get to this museum.

Best, David

Great photo Trevor! I wouldn't like to try that with an uncoated Elmar!

Hello Peter: I have a IIIa which I bought a couple of years ago from the big dealer in Atlanta. (they list two right now). It was advertised as "ex" grade and I couldn't believe what beautiful condition this little camera was in when I opened the package. I use it like you, carrying it in a jacket pocket. As someone above mentioned, it was the last model that Barnack developed for Leitz.

I feel that adds to its history; a personal connection somehow.

I also like the fact that the engraving on mine (1936 production) is just the slightest bit uneven compared to the postwar models, as if they hadn't quite figured out the process yet. It's a beautiful little camera and a masterpiece of industrial design. As for the eyepieces being together or spaced apart; I use mine with a SBOOI (1:1 Leitz brightline finder) and therefore have to jump from range to viewfinder anyway. It's part of the technique of using Barnack's. I'm sure you're used to it already.

Best,

David

Wow John, what a set-up! I didn't realize that the eyepiece and prism were meant to hook around the side of the camera body. It all makes sense now that I see that the accessory shoe is then oriented toward the top of the camera. Question is, if you're looking directly through the lens why do you need an additional 20cm viewfinder?

Great cat pics, especially the second showing the alert eye of the Great Hunter skulking in the bushes! I've used the 280mm with a Viso III handheld and that feels hard enough to hold steady and focus accurately. The PLOOT must be much more difficult, and yet your images provide evidence of the wonderful results.