m_elek

The definition of dilemma is when both outcomes are undesirable. It's more than a choice.

 

That certainly isn't the case here.

 

My suggestion would be to try to borrow your friend's medium format gear for a weekend and run through several rolls each of b/w and color. Either way, you should end up with something that should be quite a bit of fun.

... that would be a Rolleiflex SL66.

If you like the Carl Zeiss lenses and the 6x6 format, consider an SL66. Same great Zeiss lenses, great camera and plus you'll have huge muscles from lifting it. Seriously though, an excellent camera.

One possibility: The gears in the film back are worn and/or are not engaging properly. Check the gears on the film back inside and out. Open the back, remove the film insert and pull up the dark slide -- rotate the gear near the frame opening. It will only rotate a certain amount. Check for uneven wear.

 

Another: When you put the film insert into the back, you need to do it carefully so the gears mesh. Rotate the knob about 1/8th of a turn just to make sure they are meshing correctly before you close the back. You should hear a ratcheting sound. You have to use a light touch and be careful not to jam the insert into the back.

<i>My sources tell me that a 50mm f1.4 is in the works. It will be named in the best Zeiss tradition-- Sonnar.</i><p>

 

By chance, is this the same source who said the camera would be available Feb. 31 of the year NEVER?<p>

 

I would be surprised if Carl Zeiss opted for a Sonnar design over the Planar, as the Planar pretty much replaced the Sonnar as the 50mm lens of choice, beginning with the Contarex and running through to every Yashica/Kyocera non-P&S camera to the current Zeiss Ikon (which has shipped).<p>

 

Even so, I think it would be interested to see a modern-day f/1.5 or f/1.4 Sonnar. So I hope this information bears fruit.<p>

 

By the way, how was the sushi and sake?

Or for something in the "free" department, check out Google's Picasa software [ http://picasa.google.com/ ... only for Windows]. But definitely get a USB card reader.

I've ordered from them about 15 times in the past five years. In general, all good except for the misboxed zoom I bought years ago. They swapped it for the correct lens -- no problem.

 

More recently, I've bought film and developer. All delivered quickly and without incident. I really haven't had any problems with any mail-order outfit. Guess I live a charmed life (except for 2003).

A sensor tuned for all lenses also would need to make minute adjustments to account for the change in distance between the rear element and the sensor. However, this shouldn't be a problem as there should be plenty of storage capacity to hold these calculations.

 

Perhaps Leica should take the approach of the SLR manufacturers, independent lens makers and Carl Zeiss and develop a line of lenses that would be good for both digital and film.

 

That would have the dual effect of boosting sales of its lenses as well as addressing the light falloff issue.

 

In fact, if I were Leica, I would develop a full frame sensor and new digital-compatible lenses. The camera would accept older wide angles but with a sensor crop. With 50mm and longer (actual focal lengths would be determined through testing), the user could opt for a sensor crop or full-frame.

 

Newer digital-compatible lenses could be used either full or with a sensor crop.

James, one interesting thing is that the MP is just 1mm shorter than the Zeiss Ikon (77mm vs. 78mm). The width (138mm) and depth (32mm) of both cameras are identical. Others also have said they thought the Zeiss Ikon seemed larger. Perhaps it's the rectangular chrome plate that holds the lens mount that gives it a much larger appearance.

> This camera is essentially a Cosina product, and all of the prices on their previous cameras dropped quite a bit over the years, so I assume this will be the case here too.

 

As the late President Ronald Reagan once quipped: "There you go again."

 

This camera is not a Cosina product. Cosina is the contract manufacturer and distributor only. This is not Cosina's camera to do as it wishes. This is a Carl Zeiss AG product.

 

It may well be true that the price over time drops. However, it may also be true that the price doesn't drop. You cannot make this assumption. Pricing decisions will be made by Carl Zeiss and not Cosina, unless Cosina as the distributor or other distributors decide to sell at a loss.

I think it was in the late 1970s that we saw lenses divide into consumer and professional grade. For many years, camera makers made just one line of lenses, and in general they were very good. There were usually several different 50mm lenses: f/1.2, 1.4, 2.0, but not as much variation with other lenses.

 

I suppose for some camera makers -- in this case, Canon -- it makes economic sense to make a lens that uses plastic helicals and plastic lens elements and slower autofocus motors and costs less but provides sufficient image quality (i.e., "good enough") for the average consumer. That leaves more money for producing a much better product at a higher retail cost for the pro or advanced/knowledgable photographer who is willing to the pay the price.

 

And it probably works. As a seller, why put one of my expensive premium lenses on a camera intended for an amateur, who won't know the difference between good and average and in all likelihood will never buy another lens or if they do, it will be another from the bargain bin series? A kit lens is good enough. If they want a "real" lens, let let them buy one.

 

Personally, I think this hurts the reputation of a camera/lens maker, but I can see that it is an effective business strategy, and certainly Canon doesn't seem to be suffering from it.

I always write to the seller from the original listing. I've gotten two very good deals on nice gear.

 

However, for a while, I was getting another type of scam. I would get a threatening e-mail from a supposed seller demanding payment now or get negative feedback. Of course, the link always went to a non-eBay site.

 

I always forward those to eBay. EBay scams should be considered a capital crime and be eligible for the death penalty.

Claude, I am going to make my own conclusion, as your comments are now meaningless, as far as I'm concerned.

 

One of your final comments/insults last week described it as "aluminum junk" and "dumb piece of crap camera." Now, you say, "the camera is a nice piece of work." That's a huge jump from "piece of crap" to "nice" -- in fact too large to be of any value to someone trying to evaluate the camera.

 

The metal used is magnesium, as described in the Zeiss Ikon FAQ. And just about every Japanese SLR since the late 1970s has used a plastic take-up spool.

The Leica is a bit of a throwback but in a good way mostly. It continues to be a handmade camera with attention to small details and one in which the cost of manufacturing for better or worse is not the primary consideration.

 

The Leica will last a lifetime, which makes it oddly out of place in today's instant-gratification disposable society. And I'm not referring to digital, although digital is so far the ultimate reflection of that.

 

The M6, for example, screams quality. Although I'm not a fan of the three LEDs for exposure control, it otherwise is an excellent camera. Well made, controls at the ready. I prefer a slightly larger shutter speed dial, but the handling is top rate.

 

I've always been impressed by the Leica and its quality. The M's follow the tradition of the screw mount cameras. I also have a IIIf, and it's a precision instrument.

 

The question of Leica and its relevance in today's marketplace is a very differrent discussion but primarily centers around whether photographers see value in what is the lone "Made in Germany" top-shelf camera system and how much they they are willing to pay for that quality.

I would get a cheap roll of color print film and shoot a bunch of junk and process it.

 

Then do the same with the bulk loaded roll. It's possible that the leak is occuring either in the cartridge or the loading process.

 

Also, does the fogging extend past the frame and completely across the entire negative into the sprockets? Perhaps the negatives stuck together during processing.

that would be look through the rear of the lens. actually, a better thing would be a dark foreground.

I would check the front element for cleaning marks. Open the lens to the max aperture and look the rear of the lens at the sky (not the sun, obviously).

It appears that there is more than one way to skin a cat. What a horrible expression. The point is that Erin obviously has found a method that works quite well.

When you make a product under contract, you generally have no say in what the price is ... now or in the future.

 

When a subcontractor puts windows into a home under construction, he doesn't tell the builder how much the house should cost.

 

Agfa has no control over the price of film it made for others.

I also wanted to add that it accepts 39mm filters, so that's a plus if you have a collection in that size already.

This is a tabbed lens with soft detents for the aperture settings. The focusing action is very smooth, as Bill said, and the lens is surprisingly heavy.

 

The lens is stamped "Made in Germany." I've heard various rumours, including one in which the lens elements were made by Cosina and shipped to Rollei for final assembly.

 

Quality of construction is very good with the Rollei Sonnar.

 

The lens includes a removable shade that is very short. And removing it is necessary when attaching filters.

 

I've been very pleased with the optical qualities of this camera.

I agree -- I've never seen a Rollei-branded lens that 1) wasn't marked as a Rollei product, and 2) wasn't square. Maybe it is a Rollei shade -- I just haven't seen one like this.

 

I'm going to guess that it's aftermarket third party.

For P&S cameras, I agree that 4MP or 5MP was the sweet spot with these models. And I can't see any reason to further develop the postage-stamp sensor for the P&S market unless they are working on noise suppression.

 

In time, it would be a wise move to migrate the APS-C sensor to serve the higher-end P&S market for the advanced photographers who want better image quality but don't need/want an interchangeable-lens DSLR. That also might include the DSLR photog looking for a second/backup camera or even a so-called walkaround camera.

 

And let's face it, most P&S photogs probably are shooting family snapshots and events, send pics via e-mail and make some 8x10s but overall don't fret over such issues as noise, chromatic abberation or barrel distortion.

 

And many buy purely on specs -- so if 10MP is the latest and greatest, then 5MP must be ancient and unusable.

How far away will you be? That should determine the lens. If you're going to be very close, I wouldn't use a telephoto (50mm x 1.6 = 80mm). If you'll be shooting from further away, it might be OK or you might want something longer.

 

In general, I think if you use something about f/5.6-f/11 and probably from 1/5-1/30 at ISO 200, you should be OK. Obviously don't allow the flash to fire.

 

No need for autofocus -- I doubt you would want the camera to try to focus on that type of object. It probably would just hunt and you'll miss the shot.

 

But the best guide will be to simply try a few early in the show and see what works best. A great advantage to digital. A tripod would be good although not absolutely necessary.

I would offer that year-old impressions from handling a prototype camera for several minutes are no longer valid. If you recall, some of the lenses didn't even have glass beyond the front element.