Gus Lazzari

Like Mr. Von Weinberg's link indicates, "Torpedo" viewfinders are typically single magnified and just One or Two frame views. Typically less expensive than the Leitz/Leica offerings, the Zeiss made units are amazing in their choice of materials & overall quality. Mounted to a Contax IIa and accompanying 8.5cm f/2 Sonnar This is the ultra compact & equally impressive, diopter & parallax corrected 'German' Zeiss model #438 "Torpedo" VF Featuring 85mm full view magnification with 135mm brightlines.

This particular model of Fujica SLR 35mm camera is very impressive (And still quite the bargain). Ahead if its time features like: An accurate 2,000th of a second Top shutter speed (Adjusted properly). Solid State LED lights metering (Using more sensitive & faster responding silicon photocells). Modern easy to obtain 6 Volt battery (Silver, Lithium or Alkaline). With their Fujinon lenses that couple to body's "Pin", WIDE-OPEN thread-mount metering. Fully lined FLARE-Resist mirrorbox lining. During its era, a very bright viewfinder. Wonderful EBC MultiCoated lenses.

The perfectionist/collector among us, appreciates the "Cherry on Top" portion of the repair, and actually doesn't have a problem paying a little bit more for this type of pampering. After-all, a Rolls Royce isn't for everybody, but for those who agree with their motto: "Small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thing", the extra cost is well worth it... In any case to clarify, long ago Germany & their repair dept. used the concave "L" seal (Shapley 'L' goes into the wax). The convex "L" wax seals (Bulged out), were produced by the 'New' camera production division. Fortunately, my shop has access to either one...

Odd (Design), micro lenses sensor, 'focus shift' &/or DOF - These 100% crops near the center zone, showed wood planks on a distant barn to be 'sharp'. But some other portions were also 'crazy' in-focus. Focused on the distant planks, both lenses were shot at f/2 !!! First is "Full Frame" (Showing its heavy vignetting & 'Glow'), an 8-Element 35mm Summicron shot at f/2 Both were shot with a Leica M240 digital. #2 is a 100% crop of the 8-Element 35mm Summicron Goggled-M f/2 shot @ f/2 (Yes, a very impressive 50 year old lens !) #3 is a 100% crop of the ASPH 35mm Summicron f/2 shot @ f/2 (Computer designed with modern glass)

That's too funny Bill - You're absolutely right ! I think "Goggles" fits best... Goggles - Googles - Bugeye - Rabbit Ears - Finder Attachment - Perm VF Anymore out there ? 8-Element mounted to Leica M3 - Serviced then sold...

I tested the "Cheaper" 35mm ASPH Summicron, and a serviced 1960's no coating damage 8-Element 35mm Summicron (Kind of rare to find due to soft coatings). Overall, it's still IMHO better than its modern 'great grandson' equivalent... Early 2018 North Carolina Snow 8-Element 35mm Summicron @ f/5.6 on a Leica M9

Other reasons NOT to use or buy the 'Googled/Rabbit Ears' version: The permanent viewfinder is RF focus calibrated individually. So if the 'googles' are slightly off, then your perfectly RF calibrated Leica M3 is now off. The extra six pieces of glass in the Perm VF, easily accumulate fog/haze due to age, environment and adhesive out-gassing. The 'Stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb' cumbersome design is easily 'bumped' causing a shock or impact loss of RF calibration. Though usable on modern mirrorless digitals, removal of Perm VF doesn't allow for proper LTM or M mount RF & film plane focus. Performing the labor intensive calibration of the lens elements and then also the Perm VF, raises the service fees approx 50% ! Below are images from the right-side edge cropped to approx 80% from Full Frame. All lenses have been serviced... First is the "Full Frame" with the best performer of the three samples (8-Element 35mm Summicron) shot at f/5.6 #2 is 80% of the 8-Element 35mm Summicron LTM-M f/2 shot @ f/5.6 #3 is a 35mm Summaron-M f/2.8 shot @ f/2.8 (Wide Open) #4 is a 8-Element 35mm Summicron LTM-M f/2 shot @ f/2.8 #5 is a 35mm Summilux ver.2 f/1.4 shot @ f/2.8

Actually, "denatured alcohol" has additives to make it poisonous. The least harmful to materials such as rubberized silk shutter curtains is the 'Safety Solvent' I spoke of. If you don't have any tetrachloroethylene on hand, substitute the flammable versions: Lighter Fluid/Naphtha

It's actually the August 1982 issue on page 107 where this "Rewind" comment is made. Always enjoyed those "Lab Report"s...

In North Carolina, we got a lot more cold & snow then predicted (Must be Global Warming ;-) ... Both shot with a Leitz 35mm 8-Element Summicron f/2 @ f/8 mounted to a Leica M9

Like owning a floppy disk IBM PCjr. model 4860 (unless you're making an 80's film), who would practically put one in use? As witnessed by the plummet in value on the pre-owned market, these Winder/MD's are nothing more than glorified grips. Film & processing costs are simply too high to *rattle-off our valuable 'niche' film... *'Spray n' Pray' is for modern day digitals... Now this is a Motor Drive

Sorry, but that's a bit of a contradiction. Assuming proper movement of the aperture towards doubling of the light intensity (As when going to the 2,000th from the 1,000th setting), the speed move, which you claim if measured was actually firing off at an out-of-tolerance 1,250th, would result in a 2/3 stop overexposure. Underexposing means that the shutter speed was actually faster than you thought...

If this is the case, then you're too late with a "good/proper screwdriver with a good grip". Drill it out or better yet, after again applying heat, use a 'Pin Vise' to grab the sides of the now marred screw. This method or when the screw was 'nice', Always Heat these camera/lens screws. Most all of these PRO go from-the-Sahara-to-the-Antarctic components, used some form of 'Loctite' substance to achieve that claim...

"not to count on it"? That's flat out wrong ! Especially on a super accurate Kyoritsu 3 sensor tester, I was always amazed how accurate and maintenance free those shutters were. In fact they rarely required ANY 2,000th re-calibration (It was consistently .5 to.6 milliseconds evenly across the full frame). i.e. This shutter was so unique & special, when I showed other technicians that a file couldn't even scratch the shutter gearing, they were blown away...

Here are the true baseplate differences between an OM2 & OM1n.. Bottom is the OM2

Here are some results using a Leitz Hektor 5cm on a Sony NEX-7 @ f/5.6 Pleasant near or far, with very desirable 'Old School' low contrast...

High Point, NC USA Shot with Leica Minilux Summarit 40mm f/2.4 @ 5.6 - ASA 200 Fujicolor Mid-enhanced scan from TheDarkroom.com lab - I added Google's Picasa 3 "Orton-ish" effect/action. "First Snow Sunrise"

At the moment of this entry, you can acquire a "Refurbished" Nikon D3100 for less than $200USD - Ebay has them for even less as Pre-Owned units. Damaging internal parts will likely cost you more as a "repair" than a 'replacement'. Best to 'risk' the force pull or better yet, force push. The "push" can only occur from the backside. Using commonsense manual dexterity for the teardown, this "push" is rather easy once the back cover assembly is removed. This exposes the frame of the SD card holder making it accessible...

Here's what Christopher is referring to: Leica M Film Body lubricants and glues <<< click

Being present in the same light as your 'family', like Wouter stated, simply point the K1000 (Meter) at your hand (Simulating a 'Grey Card'). This will avoid the Bright White Snow from fooling your camera into a reading that produces 'Gray Snow'... A decent hand-held meter has the ability to allow a reflected measurement (Like your K1000) OR, an Incident form of measurement (with a little milk plastic cap/cover) pointing the meter towards the camera as the meter becomes 'The Family'... Notice light reading differences - Incidence attachment being used and installed onto left side meter.

That's a very good question David. To illustrate an EXTREME, think of a 'less than perfect' Russian made lens. What with their poor centering, alignment, design and construction; there's a lot going on in them. Even so, with their wacky swirly backgrounds/bokeh, they can still manage an image with a correct focus plane/point. Of course beautifully engineered, designed and constructed modern lenses, aren't even close to inhabiting the deep 'pit' that these "crude" lenses of the past inhabit...

At 500th & above, it isn't the 'MOTION' of the IS Group that alters the shape of the Out Of Focus (Bokeh), its the alignment of the glass element at the moment of the shutter firing. In other words, with IS in a lens, there are going to be shutter firings when your entire optical path isn't PERFECTLY centered. So yes ever so slightly, this can affect the bokeh... Therefore, it's safe to state that in body stabilization alone, can't have this 'optical' variable bokeh issue.

Hi Martin, not sure if you're asking a question or showing something about the Leica D-Lux. In any case, because I've seen several units already into the shop for the same issue, a service warning: If you own this particular model, keep the body especially clean of debris (*Wipe with a microfiber cloth that is lightly moistened). This because of the intense vacuum created every time the camera is turned on (This zoom lens expands out a lot in order to take pictures). With this 'expand' function, the image sensor (Along with the rest of the internals) receives an inordinate amount of artifact contamination (Dust & lint on your digital images). So knowing that the camera seems to 'INHALE' the debris that is loose on the body surfaces, one should keep the camera *cleaner than the usual fixed lens or short zoom point & shoot design...

Wow Nick D., David's right. Talk about "focusing" in on the minutiae. You do realize that this zoom has 22 pieces of glass (elements) in it ? In fact, it will be difficult for any lens manufacture on the planet to exceed this zoom's 'bokeh' & overall performance (Yes even Leica). i.e. "in terms of sharpness levels, it outperforms them all, even those mounted on the Canon EOS 5Ds R" <<< click

Both shot with a Leica 135mm Elmar-M f/4 @ f/5.6 mounted to a Leica M9 just outside the 'shop' window... Where's Bambi ? - How many deer do you see ? And my Beagle puppy keeping a close eye on them...