bill_henick

If you wanted something in between the camera pocket and photo

runner, Lowepro makes the mini orion. I use it for an m6 three

lenses and there is room for a few rolls of film.

I like HP5+, and Ilford XP-2 super.

Many would agree that slr's are better for some things and

rangefinders for others. In this example, the basic metering of the

M6 requires more of an understanding of metering and its pitfalls.

I think this is an example of how using an M makes you a better

photographer because it demands more of the pnotographer. Instead of

relying on matrix metering and computer chips, the user will read

about the zone system, incident vs reflective metering and become a

more educated photographer. Neither approach is wrong. You just

have to decide who the photographer is; you or your camera.

You can apply these principles to the Nikon in the manual mode,

but most people but these cameras for the automation. Most

importantly, life is way too short to use anything but Leica lenses.

If you enjoy the precision and build of a Leica, you may prefer

the Linhof. I understand there is a significant rebate program going

on now.

Very easy to use. Light weight and not ultra expensive.

Sikaan,

I agree that it is very frustrating to spend a lot of money for

a Leica product and then have it be less than perfect out of the

box. In my experience, Leica will make good on their products, and

the repair folks in New Jersey are very good. No other manufacturer

gives a three year warranty as Leica does, and no other lenses do

what Leica lenses do IMHO.

Joy and frustration. I think you nailed it.

I have the 'cron, but after seeing Mike's photo, I wonder if I made

the right choice.

Mike,

You are my hero. HCB has nothing on you.

John,

I never put the lens through formal testing, but I agree with

the enthusiasm of the other responders. I wanted to mention that the

lens is quite flair resistant and some of my best photos are facing

the light source. I hope you enjoy it.

John,

I agree with your decision and the opinions of the other folks

who responded. If planning ahead, then a .58 for 35 and wider

combined with a .85 for the 50 and everything longer may be a

consideration. I used a .72 for a 35 and 90 system. Although the 35

with a .72 is ideal, the 90 was very difficult for me to use.

The .85 with a 35mm is usable (without glasses), but is terrific with

the 50 and longer. If I go wider someday, then an accessory shoe

or .58 may be the answer.

Try Sam at the Classic Connection. 1 888 LEICA SAM

After dealing with several other retailers, I found Sam about

three years ago. He is honest, informed, patient, friendly and I

would highly recommend him to anyone. No complaints. Great guy.

I just bought a 90mm lens and it too had specs in it. They gave me a

new lens. I do think that specs appear over time (and use) as well.

They probably have no effect on picture quality. Use the lens for 2

years, 11 months and have Leica clean it out or replace it under the

passport warranty.

Hi Eric,

After doing some research I ended up with a Gossen Starlite.

Good for incident 1 and 5 degree spot as well as flash. Very easy to

use.

Can I recommend a book? I think it's called " The Zone System

for 35mm Photography". I'm not assuming that you don't already know

the information in the book, but it helped me a lot both with in -

camera and hand held meters.

Hey Warren,

I too went to the M system after shooting with Nikon SLRs for

years. Sounds strange, but a 50 on the M6 feels to me like a short

tele. I don't know if the other responders feel the same. Anyway,

after using a 90 and 35 1.4 asph for 5 years, I switched to the

M6 .85 and added the 50mm summicron. It's love. I also bought the

new M motor advance. It hasn't been off my camera.

To answer your question... get the 50mm with the understanding

that you will want a 35 eventually. You could live without the 50

for a while if you had a 35 and a 75 or 90.

Hope you enjoy your stuff as much as I do.

Hi Daniel,

I am new to large format and have only been using a 210mm lens

with my TK45s. I just bought the Linhof super screen. It is a

fresnel with a glass over it. I think that it is brighter than the

Bosscreen, and if the fresnel lines don't bother you, i may be a good

choice. I've tried the tilting 6x Silvestri lupe, but I can't get

the tilting technique down. The Rodenstock 4x lupe appears brighter

and may be a good match for the Super Screen. Good Luck.

Hi David,

I bought the 120mm Macro for my 6008i for macro and portrait use. The lens is fine at about two meters. At infinity, the reproduction is verrrrrry soft at the edges. IMHO, this is a poor choice for landscape work. After discussions with the folks at Rollei, they prefer the 90mm for general and close macro work. The 90 will focus much closer without bellows or extension tubes. The lens will hold the edges in better detail at infinity than the 120 because of the physics of its optics. Don't get me wrong, the 120 is a great focal length. I feel that this lens is more prone to flare than other Rollei lenses I've used. My error was that I bought this Macro lens for double duty use; it is engineered to be used at close focal lengths.BTW, I love the Schneider 180 2.8. Great for protrait, landscape, adn although I don't own one, is ideal for use with the 1.4x converter. Good Luck

Chris,

You won't go wrong with the Hasselblad. I bought the Rollei, and would not trade it for a 'blad. It is very user friendly, and does have many features that you would pay considerably more in the Hasselblad system. I've never seen lower prices for a 6008i- check B&H or Adoroma. Good luck to you. Bill Henick

I must agree with the other posters; if you love architectural stuff,large format is the way to go. I use 35mm, medium format and large format. Each seems to have their strength. I think that you'll end up with 4x5 eventually, and it is probably cheaper than medium format. Good luck.

Hi Howard. I have an M6 and enjoy using it. I think there is a certain quality with Leica glass ( that disappears with significant enlargement). Bottom line; if it is not going to be enlarged, 35mm is easier. I also think that the use of an m6 has made me a better photographer. There is a learning curve with the m6- it took me about a year to get comfortable with it. There is a certain quality that I lose when enlarging to 8x10 and larger, especially in b&w that is not lost with the larger negative. I do appreciate the technological abilities of the 6008i- which I have been using for several years, but if 645 vs. 6x6 makes no difference to you, I would get the Contax. Fill flash works better, more frames to the roll, for a given focal length most of the Contax lenses are 1 stop faster, and AUTOFOCUS! Also, the prices of the Zeiss and Schneider lenses for Rollei are quite impressive. Good Luck.

William, I've been using the 6008i for about 4 years and have been considering the Contax 645. If you are going to crop the square negative to 6x4.5 anyway, why would you want the Rollei? The way I shoot, street photography would only benefit from autofocus. The contax lenses are 1 f stop faster for a given focal length in most cases, also an advantage. The Rollei cannot perform fill flash as the Contax (with the ability to easily control the amount of flash output- although it can be done). My reason for not switching is that I enjoy using and printing square images, but I do long for the autofocus convenience and the faster lenses. I hope that this will be the most difficult decision of your life. Best wishes for the Holidays and Happy New Year. Bill Henick

Thanks to all who responed. I feel like I have a large format

support group. Happy Holidays

I just bought a Technikarden 45S and am searching for the most compact backpack to carry the camera 2-3 lenses, light meter , dark cloth and several film holders. Looking at the big Lowepro packs has me a bit intimidated. I'm looking forward to your suggestions. Thanks in advance. Bill

My choice for asa 100 is Fuji Reala, and for 400 asa, I like Kodak portra NC. Both great films and readily available. Good luck

Hi everyone. I would like to be able to shoot outdoor fill flash

with the above outfit. Using the flash exposure compensation switch

at -1 stop seems to darken the background, but subjects at 10 feet

seem properly exposed. Am I doing this correctly, or can someone

explain an easier way. Thanks very much in advance.