rjm photo

<p>After clicking on the links David provided I tried my Leica SF20 flash with my M6TTL using a Nikon SC-17 coiled flash cord and it works perfectly. The advantages of this cord are that it locks into the cameras hot shoe on one end and locks into the hot shoe of the flash at the other end for a sturdy and more flexible usage with your Leica, as the cord is over 3' long. The flash connection of the cord also has a provision for tripod mounting. As a side note - I even stuck the flash on the flash shoe of my Nikon D200 and it worked perfectly - perfect exposures.</p>

Raj

Some years ago I sent my Contax IIA

to a well regarded repair house in Los

Angeles Ca for CLA.

Upon its return, on the first roll of film,

it locked up when I attempted to use it

with self timer at 1250 shutter speed.

 

I refused to send it back and I ended

up sending to John at Focal Point in

Colorado. They were polishing several

lenses for me so I decided to ask if

they would CLA the Contax. They

agreed to perform the work so I sent it

in and got it back in several weeks later

and it still works perfectly six years or

so later. They reported that the reason

that the camera locked up was

because the previous repair party tried

to adjust the shutter without a thorough

cleaning and they ended up adjusting

the shutter too tight. I would give these

people a call and see if they would

consider repairing your camera sooner

than your previous estimate.

<p>I find my 1933 and 1941 50mm Elmar F3.5 lenses to be very well designed, manufactured and finished. That these lenses are timeless is demonstrated by the condition of many of these lenses going back 80 years..as well as the quality of the results these lenses are still capable of today. Many may criticize the pull out barrel design but I believe when these lenses were designed in the mid to late twenties the "smallness" and compactness of the camera/lens combination provided the desired selling points for a "miniature" camera. My 1937 Summar doesn't seem to be as robust as these lenses, and although it is in perfect working order and cosmetics, the design of the diaphram looks "iffy" to me. But one must remark that the Nikkor rangefinder lenses manufactured in the 1950's are remarkably well built, well designed and also have held up extremely well to this date. The fact that a lens is available today in very good condition is, I believe, the best confirmation that the lens was produced with the utmost build quality for a commercially made mass produced item. Additionally the coatings on the old Nikkor lens are almost always in very good or better condition...the coatings/glass held up much better to cleaning and fungus conditions unlike many of the lenses from Leitz of the time.</p>

<p>Last time I used flash bulbs, especially AG-1 (in a Zeiss miniature flash unit with folding fan), the correct shutter speed was 1/25-1/30...I used a Contax IIA color dial....this was in the late sixties - 1967 or 1968.</p>

I would consider spending the money

on a "G" lens to replace my 50 AFD or

85 AFD only because I purchased an

F5 last year. Though I also use a

D700, every modern lens I purchase I

would like to be able to use it with film.

<p>I'll continue to use the plastic one that came with my D700.</p>

Living in Northern California I am fully

aware of how hot it will get in the trunk

of a car many days of the year. I'd

leave the expensive lenses at home

and take a few AIS primes and the AI

80-200 push pull zoom. The zoom is

capable of terrific quality - it just isn't as

fast which you probably don't need for

daylight shots. It's cheap ( under $80)

and will survive hours in your trunk

without a worry.

<p>I had similar issues with my M6TTL a little over two years ago. It started reading several stops off in a semi dark environment and would not read at all in daylight - it would peg the meter (one of the arrows would be bright red). New batteries, cleaning the contact, twisting the ISO dial back and forth did nothing to help. My repairman, internationally well know Leica expert, replaced the photocell. He said it was the first M6TTL he had seen with a bad cell. It was replaced with a new photocell. It works better now than it ever did since I got the camera used in 2010 as it would always underexpose by 1 stop so I always set the ISO dial for the next slowest film speed to compensate. So now since the photocell replacement, I can set correct ISO and get a perfect exposure :) </p>

 

<p>I think that lately it has been a buyers market for M6 and M7......the prices seem depressed. I had thoughts earlier this year of selling my black M6TTL .72, but decided against it after I realized the price range similar cameras were selling for so I'll just keep it and its M2 companion.</p>

<p>In the late sixties and early seventies I can't recall that any of the professional photographers that covered the Vietnam War used anything but Nikon and Leica cameras. Nothing else could stand up to the harsh conditions the climate brought upon the heavily used / roughly used equipment.</p>

<p>Not knowing the exact timetable for Galen's Fiji trip, maybe he didn't have enough time to develop a "feel" for the camera and he asked too much from it in too short a time. After having used extensively F4S and D200, D700, when I bought an F5 I went out of my way to buy an original owners manual in order to grasp the full functionality of the camera - rather than putting film and batteries in it and shooting everything in "P" mode. I bought mine primarily to use film with "G" type lens (at all F-stops unlike my F4). I have not used my F4S since I bought the F5 ...... for film I use my F5 and F2 cameras when I am using Nikons...</p>

A few years ago I found an early

Nikonos ( early first version) that works

well. Takes pretty decent pictures no

matter what the weather and you can

still buy seals for it and other parts from

Florida. I bought an original lens hood

for the 35mm f2.5 which has always

been a decent lens.

Nice bit of humor Henry...thanks....I

smiled at the moment

You are correct BeBu. Next time I have

the camera out I will try it.

<p>According to the Nikon F2, DP-1 owners guide, the range of this meter with 50mm F1.4 lens and the meter set to 100 ASA (ISO) is F1.4 at 1 sec to F8 at 2000th sec.<br>

So the meter is more than capable of taking an accurate and quick measurement at 1 sec...and as I posted earlier, one that is in proper operating condition with good batteries installed in the camera will do it effortlessly (as mine does).</p>

 

<p>You might try getting a roll of the "cloth" electrical tape (non-vinyl and not shiny) and carefully wrap one layer around the inside surface of the lens hood.....of course then you might not be able to retract the lens hood but at least you would have a uniformly smooth and dull surface that should not reflect light.....but rather absorb stray light rays which might reflect from the glass.</p>

<p>Joe<br>

You should be able to meter 1 sec with that camera and finder rather easily. Mine reads a somewhat dim room, lit by a few scattered end table lamps (after sunset), at 1 sec / F5.6 this same reading verified by my Luna Pro F. If I close the lens down the meter moves as well as when I open the lens up....having set the camera on 400 ASA. Be certain that the red arrow on the shutter speed dial is on 400...and I also have "357" batteries in it. The F2 camera and DP-1 finder where CLA'd by the late Pete Smith about 7 yeas ago.</p>

Ray

Don't worry I have bought a lot of film

from B&H too and shipped in middle of

summer.

<p>Bill<br>

I buy film all the time from New York City (Adorama) and have it shipped UPS to Northern California (now 100 degrees outside) including Kodak Tri-X, Ektar, Portra 160, Fuji Acros and Pro 400H....never a problem with the film.</p>

 

<p>This isn't the answer you are looking for but in my experience the solution to the Leica II or III viewfinder intrusion problem is to use either the Leica 50mm viewfinder or the very excellent Voigtlander copy. I found a nice example of the latter a few years ago and at this point I consider it a mandatory (for myself) accessory when using any 50mm on this camera, whether there is viewfinder intrusion or not. It makes picture taking with the camera quite fluid and negates any viewfinder issue on my early Leica III's or on my post war samples with side by side viewfinder / rangefinder windows. Makes using the camera a lot easier regardless what lens you use....enables me to use on occasion the quite large F1.4 Nikkor lens.</p>

I have the Nikon 135 F /.8 AIS and an

AI'd Nikon 135 f2.8 Q. I find them

practically the same in terms of IQ with

maybe slightly more contrast with the

AIS lens. Though others rave about the

Nikon 135 F3.5, I have never used one

that was better than either of the two F

2.8 lenses.....and I have even tried the

range finder version which I believe is

similar formula to the non- AI 3.5 which

I have.

Brian

I think it looks terrific the way it is.

Nice shot

Thought I have been using different

filters for B&W photography for almost

50 years, I have to honestly admit that I

am surprised with the responses to this

question. Do users of digital cameras

use filters for convenience or just

greater consistency knowing the

particular results a certain filter will

provide (rather than using color sliders

in photoshop)? I have a few decent

digital cameras and the few B&W shots

I have taken with these I made

adjustments prior to printing. I do

shoot 75% B&W but it is all film.

<p>Kent - Currently owning and using all the Nikon F series professional cameras except the F6, I would have to recommend the F2AS. I have more than a few F's and a couple of F2's and after all is said, to hold and use the F2 is a special experience. I had Nikon in southern California CLA my F3HP a couple of years ago, but I just don't trust the electronics..and I find F3's more quirky than the F5 or F4 and even the F2, if the battery fails the camera is unusable expect for one shutter speed. The F2 has a stepless shutter in a certain range and allows for 1/2000 and well as fairly long exposures. It shares a few parts with the "F" and I feel there will always be parts and resources to inexpensively get them repaired (when they require repair which is a rare occasion). I have an M6TTL as well as M2 and screwmount Leicas and nice as they are, they require scheduled maintenance by a Leica technician - which can be very expensive and a PIA. A CLA on an F2 will last for years. I don't think the exposure meter on the M6TTL is anymore effective than even the simplest DP-1 or DP-11 finder on the F2....besides you don't seem to have much of an issue with exposure anyway. Your appreciation of older equipment just makes me believe you would welcome a decent F2. F2AS or any of the F2 varients are still not very expensive.</p>

 

I actually own the 35mm AFD F2 lens

and I have gotten excellent results with

it. It was nikons go to 35 mm lens for a

long time. I have found it completely

satisfactory throughout it range. To say

it is poor until F8 is incorrect. The 17

mm Tokina is a favorite of mine but it is

large comparatively speaking and heavy,

especially with the mandatory hood. I

would consider the 20mm AFD also if

you are looking for a smaller versatile

lenses. People like to call that a poor

lens also but why would Nikon still be

producing them today? It is a

reasonably smaller lens with hood and

very good on Dx. I have had excellent

results on my D200 with the above as

well as with FX D700 and film Nikon F5

and F4. These older lens can give

excellent results and they are small

and work on both DX and FX formats

should you decide one day to try a

wider format. I second the

recommendation of the 85 F2 AI and

105 AI as small and capable of

excellent results from currently owning

and using those. Best of all for the above lenses they are now inexpensive.