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hoyin_lee1

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Posts posted by hoyin_lee1

    Leica M5 Thoughts

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    Ah . . . the M5; mine's been my favourite working camera after I had it refitted with the M6's viewfinder (with the 28mm frameline), rubber-rimmed eyepiece and leatherite.

     

    </p>The M5's 'large-spot' exposure meter is really something--it's the main reason why I bought the camera in the first place. Among the cameras I've used, the M5's meter proves to be the most accurate (as in less easily fooled by difficult lighting conditions); only the Nikon F3's meter is comparable (which, incidentally, is also a 'large-spot' meter). You see, I shoot slides almost all the time and I need a rangefinder camera with an accurate built-in meter (don't ask me why I can't use a SLR--that's another story). Yeah yeah, I know I can get more accurate results using a handheld meter, but I got fed up after missing too many shots with my M4-P and Sekonic/VC Meter combo.

     

    </p>About the size of the classic M body being optimal--I can't agree more with that. The M5 is a brick of a camera among all the M-mount cameras past and present (but still more compact than an average SLR). My M4-P, although more cumbersome to use because of the lack of a built-in meter, is easier and more comfortable to hold and shoot.

     

    </p>By the way, my M5 was originally a 2-lug model, but Leica threw in a third lug without me asking for it when they worked on my camera. It turned out not to be a good thing, as I find the third lug getting in the way of the trigger finger. The camera is actually more ergonomic without the third lug--if you don't mind carrying the camera vertically on a strap, that is.

    Girlfriend and small SLR (I have one, need the other)

    in Accessories

    Posted

    This is said to be among the smallest 35mm autofocus SLR cameras currently in production (with an unpronounceable name!): <a href="http://www.pentax.com/news/news_display.cfm?pressid=149">Pentax *ist</a>.

     

    </p><IMG height=150 alt="" src="http://www.pentax.com/eWebEditPro2/upload/IST.jpg" width=178 border=0>

    </p>Haven't handled one, and I'm not sure if it has arrived in stores or if it's within your budget though.

    bad experience with Tin Cheung in Hong Kong

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    Hi Ken, don't talk to a salesperson on the phone, go talk with the owner Mr. Li Ka-cheung in person and explain your situation, and I'm sure he'll work something out with you! This is one of the strange things about Hong Kong--that salespeople don't seem to deal well with customers over the phone. Always deal with Mr. Li in person when you need to exchange things as the salespeople are probably not in a position to make such decisions.

    recommend Nikon body

    in Accessories

    Posted

    Hi Mike, it sounds like both your FM and Nikormat are easily repairable--the latter probably needs no more than a change of the light-sealing foam. They're definitely worth fixing, but if you're really looking for an excuse to buy a new camera . . . ;-)

    Fast colour neg film in street at night. No flash.

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    I've tried Fujicolor NPZ 800 and like the result. The 120 format version was my first (and only, so far) experience with this film. It was used to test a 6x4.5 camera custom-rigged with a Super-Angulon 47mm lens. The setting was a dimly lit street at 3 am in the morning. Speed was 1/8 or 1/15 second with the lens wide open at f5.6. The only support I had was by leaning against a lamppost or a wall.

     

    </p>Looking at the contact sheet, the film seems to perform well under both incandescent and flourescent lighting. Images taken under a sodium street lamp don't show as strong a yellow cast than expected, and skin colour appears fairly natural under flourescent lighting. Grain is surprisingly good--not a single grainy shot, not even the under-exposed ones (then again, I was shooting medium format).

     

    </p>That's only my amateur's assessment of the film; others in this forum may have more professional opinions, which I would very much like to hear.

    M5-Two or Three Lug?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    2-lug M5:

    <br>

    <img src="http://member.nifty.ne.jp/KEN-ITOH/SM5W.jpg">

    </P>3-lug M5:

     

    <img src="http://www.leicagallery.com/images/m5frontsmall.jpg">

     

    </p>Mine's originally a 2-lug version. Leica added a third lug when I sent it in for an overhaul. The third lug allows the camera to be carried horizontally, which is better for handling. Unfortunately, the third lug, being an after-thought, is not located in the most ergonomic place--it presses uncomfortably into the part of the palm near the base of the trigger finger as you're holding the camera in a ready-to-shoot manner.

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