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hoyin_lee1

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Posts posted by hoyin_lee1

    21mm Finders

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    I, too, find the plastic Leica 21mm finder the best. The Voigtlander is OK, but the Leica is more compact. I regretted buying the Leica 21-24-28 multi-finder--it's expensive, over-sized, and not as convenient as I had expected.

    Kobalux 21 or Voigtlander 21?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    I have the Voigtlander 21mm and not the Kobalux 21mm, although I have looked at one in a shop, and I didn't like it because of its size (the same applies for the accessory finders). The Voigtlander lens is more compact but a stop slower (f/4 compared to the Kobalux's f/2.8), but I rarely find this a problem given the quality of high-speed film (i.e., those of ISO 400 or higher) these days. Anyway, a comparison between the two lenses is mentioned here: <a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/koba21.htm">http://www.cameraquest.com/koba21.htm</a>.

    F3HP meter

    in Accessories

    Posted

    I have a F3HP, too--great camera! When playing with an unloaded F3HP, the meter will come alive after you have cocked the camera's shutter twice. And make sure the lens cap is off!

    Voigtlander 21, 25 or 28?

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    I have a Voigtlander 21mm, a Voigtlander 25mm and a Konica 28mm. I haven't done any scientific test, but based on slides and prints taken with these lenses, I'd say the 28mm is optically the best lens (excellent sharpness, good contrast and colour rendition), followed closely by the 21mm.

     

    </P>However, the 21mm is the most useful among the three lenses for taking pictures of buildings, especially in a tight urban situation. Pictures taken by the 21mm seems to be slightly more saturated than those taken with the 28mm.

     

    </p>As for the 25mm, it has no focusing coupling, and has to be scale-focused (it's not as difficult as it seems once you get used to it). As previous posters have pointed out, the 25mm has less distortion than the 21mm (mainly horizontal distortion--a person near the left and right edges of the picture frame will appear stretched!). I don't know if it's just me, but pictures taken with the 25mm lens seems to have a slight yellowish tint, which gives an unpleasant skin colour. (Has anyone noticed this problem with the Voigtlander 25mm?)

     

    </p>If you have to choose one among the three lenses, I'd go for the Voigtlander 21mm.

    mirror replacement

    in Accessories

    Posted

    Art is right, ignore the scratches. Replacement can be costly; it's more important to find a F3HP that has a high serial number (indicating age) and shows as little signs of heavy use as possible (with possible implication on the shutter lifespan).

    Nikon equivalent of Canon's T90

    in Accessories

    Posted

    The closest Nikon equivalent of the <a href="http://www.camerareview.com/templates/camera_details.cfm?camera_id=331">Canon T90</a> is probably the <a href="http://www.camerareview.com/templates/camera_details.cfm?camera_id=100">Nikon F801s (= N8008s in the US)</a>. The F801s, however, has autofocus (but considered slow by today's standard), and, like the T90, has no mirror lock-up. I have used this camera before, and compared to my friend's T90, it's every bit as good, especially if you ignore the autofocus. It can be had at very reasonable prices in the used market these days. The <a href="http://www.camerareview.com/templates/camera_details.cfm?camera_id=12">Nikon F90/F90X (= N90/N90s)</a>, essentially the successor of the F801/801s, has much improved autofocus speed, metering system and flash capablilities. If mirror lock-up is a must, then I think the <a href="http://www.camerareview.com/templates/camera_details.cfm?camera_id=15">Nikon F4</a> is probably the closest to the T90, feature and performance wise.

    Accessory - combined rangefinder and light meter

    in Accessories

    thing next to viewfinder

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    If your Leica is a M1/2/3/4, it won't have a contact in the centre of the accessory shoe (where you mount the flash) that triggers off the electronic flash unit as you press the camera's shutter release. Instead, the flash unit's contact with the camera is made via a small cable with a connector that plugs into the camera's flash synchronization socket, which is usually indicated with a lightning symbol. In the Leica M1/2/3, however, the flash sync socket is not the standard type, and you'll have to install an adaptor (this is what Roger was referring to) like the one shown below in order for the camera to accept the standard flash connector.

     

    </p><ctr><img src="http://www.camera-collectors.com/ShopSite/media/kaiser1313.JPG"></ctr>

     

    </p>Sometimes the flash sync. socket may be protected by a little plastic plug, which can be easily removed by pulling it off.

    Beginner needs advice

    in Accessories

    Posted

    Hi Ryan, what you really need is a camera with a good exposure meter--this is one of the important factors that contributes to the quality of photographs. I have a friend who had been using an old Nikkormat, which is a fine, sturdy mechanical camera, but the problem was the ancient clip-on exposure meter that he was using with the camera. The meter could be easily fooled by difficult lighting situations (he didn't realized it at the time), and, as a result, his pictures always seemed to have a whitish haze over them (it's over-exposure). Then he bought a new SLR with a top-notch exposure meter, and he was surprised with the sudden improvement of the quality of this photographs!

     

    </p>So, I'd suggest that you stay away from Zenit or any of the older cameras that come with less sophisticated exposure meters. The cameras you should consider are the less expensive models of the current Pentax ZX-series, Nikon N-series or Canon EOS Rebel-series. These have excellent exposure metering systems and are availiable in the used market at fairly reasonable prices.

     

    </p>Personally, I would recommend the ZX-M (price: around US150 new; go here for user reviews: <a href="http://www.camerareview.com/templates/reviews.cfm?camera_id=42">ZX-M Review</a> and the Nikon N-65 (slightly more expensive than the Pentax; review here: <a href="http://www.camerareview.com/templates/reviews.cfm?camera_id=381">N65 Review</a>).

    Lightmeters: Minolta CLE vs Voigtlander Bessa R2

    in Accessories

    Posted

    I have a CLE and I find its lightmeter, while adequate, can be easily fooled by certain lighting situations, such as when the sky appear in the picture frame or when there are other bright light sources. I haven't used the Bessa R2, but I have tried out a friend's Bessa T, and I assume that its lightmeter is the same as that in the Bessa R2. If that's the case, then I would say that the Bessa's lightmeter seems better than the CLE's, in the sense that it appears to be less easily fooled. I used the compact CLE as a backup for my bigger-size and heavier cameras, and if you're using the CLE as the main camera, I'd suggest an even more compact quality point-&-shoot, such as the Ricoh GR1s (with an excellent 28mm f/2.8 lens), as a backup. But if you ask me, I'd prefer to spend money on new lenses rather than camera bodies.

    Nikon F4 or FM3A

    in Accessories

    Posted

    The F4 is a very, very nice camera--easy to use, beautifully designed, loads of features, and has a vast range of accessories to adapt the camera for practically every photographic purpose. I especially like its well-damped reflex mirror, whose recoil was significantly gentler (and slightly quieter) than that of my F3 and FE2. I had the bulkier F4S version of the camera, and, as time went on, I found it too large and heavy for travel and for documentary work in the field. So I bought a MB-20 battery pack to convert it to a lighter and smaller F4, but it was still too conspicuous for my purpose. Eventually it became so infrequently used that I had to sell it off, and stick with the more compact F3 (which is about the size of the FM3A) instead, even though it is not nearly as nice to use as the F4. I'd suggest that you try carrying your friend's F4 in a camera bag and on a neckstrap to see if you find it too much of a burden; if it's not, the F4 is for you!
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