charlie_chan2

<p>Spencer,<br>

Keep your Leica M2-R and 50 lux. Sell the Rollei and your other old cameras to fund film. Buy a film bulk loader and save on film costs that way. Use your Leica all the time. Don't worry about only having one lens. It's a great discipline to learn to shoot with one lens. Use your feet to "zoom". Once you've used the M2 for a while, you won't want to shoot with anything else.<br>

Charlie</p>

<p>If this was used as a handheld camera for photo-reconnaisance sorties, the subject (ie the ground) would effectively be at infinity. There would be no need for a RF to help focus - just set the lens at infinity (indeed it might even be pre-set there in order to ensure that the images were in focus, when the plane returned).</p>

<p>Charlie</p>

<p>Well maybe I should look at the Kodak SLR as well. I have two DMRs for my R9 and R8 and seven batteries. Hopefully that will keep me going for a while.<br>

Charlie</p>

<p>If you want real (yes, real!) vulcanite, the send it to Peter Grisalfi at CRR Luton in the UK. He is one of the best Leica techs in the world and looks after our Queen's Leicas. He will recover with real vulcanite.<br>

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/Leica/</p>

<p>I doubt the Leica 180/2 is cheaper. The last couple went for about GBP2200-2400. It's a rare lens and so copies don't come up too often.<br>

As for IQ, I've posted a reply on your other thread.</p>

<p>Best wishes,</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

<p>The 180 cron is my favourite R lens. Weighs a ton, but handles like a dream. Focus is smooth and easy to do with your thumb and the IQ is pin sharp with lovely bokeh.<br>

<p>Here's some of my shots taken at F2 and F2.8. I've put the link rather than small jpg images, so you can see a bit more detail. Hope that helps. Oh, by the way, although it's heavy, it's well balanced and easy to hand hold.</p>

<br>

http://topoxforddoc.zenfolio.com/p457330359/h3ff7d397#h3ff7d397<br>

http://topoxforddoc.zenfolio.com/p457330359/h3ff7d397#h33574d8f<br>

http://topoxforddoc.zenfolio.com/p296350808</p>

<p>Bets wishes,</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

<p>Stuart's right. I have both and they are stunning.</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

www.charlie-chan.co.uk</p>

<p>I bought my Focomat IIc two years ago for GBP350. It was complete with several masks - sadly it had the 100 V-Elmar rather than the Focotar, but hey that's fine at that price.</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

www.charlie-chan.co.uk</p>

<p>XTOL for me. It is cheap (GBP6 for 5L - enough for 30 films at 1:1 dilution), fine grain and very flexible. My standard film stock is HP5, but I do use FP4 and Neopan 1600. The great thing about XTOL is that it produces great results if you decide to push process. So nowadays, I only use HP5. I shoot a lot of low light stuff and so rate my HP5 regularly at 1600 and develop appropriately in XTOL with minimal grain (unlike Rodinal).<br>

If you want to see HP5 rated at 1600 in XTOL, then have a look at the pics in my Berlin, Royal Opera House & Madeleine Peyroux sets on my website below.<br>

Charlie<br>

www.charlie-chan.co.uk</p>

<p>Adrian,<br>

If you want to shoot people, then get an 80/1.4 summilux. Not cheap, but it is one of THE standout R lenses. (The others are the 19/2.8 version 2, 100/2.8 APO, 180/2 and 180/2.8 APOs, 280/4 APO). If you're happy with a zoom, then either the 35-70/4 ROM or 80-200/4 ROM lenses are excellent quality and reasonably priced.<br>

Good luck,<br>

Charlie<br>

www.charlie-chan.co.uk</p>

<p>The production of the XPAN was stopped following EU legislation banning the use of lead and other toxic metals in electronics manufacturing. The PCBs and soldering on the XPAN was all done using old fashioned lead solder; I believe a significant amount of work would have to have been done to get the XPAN compatible with EU legislation and it wasn't worth it commercially (although the XPAN sold pretty well for a MF camera).<br>

Charlie<br>

<p>The Rollei 35 cameras are great if you can live with the limitations. Otherwise, my favourite light small(ish) walk-around camera is my Minolta CLE with the 40/2 Rokkor M lens. It fits in a jacket/coat pocket, has a great lens and the metering is almost always spot on (it's my kodachrome body).</p>

<p>Best wishes,</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

www.charlie.chan.co.uk</p>

<p>Ron,</p>

<p>Tom A knows Mr Kobayashi, but also knew Walter Mandler. Those who know Tom personally, would agree that he doesn't have any axe to grind, but merely wants to provide a balanced view.</p>

<p>Best wishes,</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

Cheltenham, UK</p>

<p>Dave,</p>

<p>If I were you, I would get a R8 and then try and find a 28-90 asph zoom. This lens is just fantastic and every bit as good as the primes (unlike the other standard zooms, bar the latest 35-70/4ROM).</p>

<p>Charlie</p>

<p>Barney,</p>

<p>At that time, Leica was buying a share in Sinar (who made MF backs). Imacon made the DMR back for Leica. When Hasselblad bought Imacon, there was conflict of interest and the DMR was no more. Even though the DMR is now 4 years old, used samples are fetching up to 75% of its original cost - amazing for a digital product.</p>

<p>Charlie<br>

www.charlie-chan.co.uk</p>

<p>I've tried the Leica 1.4xAPO converter on my 180/2 summicron - doesn't fit due to protruding front element from the converter. The 2xAPO converter does fit and works well. Why do you need the 1.4x on the 180 summicron? It would be easier and cheaper just to walk a few paces closer to the subject. If not, use the 2x and fill the frame.<br>

Best wishes,</p>

<p>Charlie Chan<br>

Cheltenham, UK<br>

<p>"Don't need to meter at full aperture" is fine for some. For myself (with stage and motorsport) and Doug (with his fast flying birds), I don't think we could wait for the indicator light on a D700 to come up!</p>

<p>Charlie Chan<br>

Cheltenham, UK<br>

www.charlie-chan.co.uk</p>

<p>Don't think the 5D with an adaptor will come anything close to this. My DMRs produce fantastic quality files even now. Can't wait to see what a new R body will deliver.</p>

<p>Charlie Chan<br>

Cheltenham, UK<br>

<p>80 lux for me - it's like the nocti for R cameras</p>

<p>Charlie</p>

<p>Charlie Chan<br>

Cheltenham, UK<br>

www.charlie-chan.co.uk</p>

<p>sorry pics here</p>

<p>Charlie Chan<br>

Cheltenham, UK<br>

</p><div></div>

<p>Doug Herr has his 80-200/4 (latest ROM, but retrofitted to 3 cam) at USD600 - bargain! The 80-200/4 is Leica's R bargain lens - almost the performance of the legendary 70-180 APO at a fraction of the price.</p>

<p>Charlie</p>

<p>Like Doug, I'm a DMR user. However, I like my M2 and M6TTL (as well as my CLE!). They are different beast though. I just love my M2 - buttery smooth and just silent (unlike a M8 or M8.2). Now if the M9 were silent, now that would be a different matter. But then again, there's something fabulous about B&W film.</p>

<p>Charlie</p>

<p>Alex,<br>

Some of the lenses will rotate past the infinity mark; some of my R lenses do that. That's not a problem though.</p>

<p>Charlie</p>

<p>William,</p>

<p>It would help if we knew what you have already and what you desire. The Bessa body has been mentioned. What else do you have and what's on your wish list with a budget. If you shoot wides and normal lenses, RF focussing is much easier than manual focussing SLRs. Used Voigtlander and older Leica lenses are generally reasonably affordable. It just depends on what you want. My personal carry around system is just a M body and a 35/1.4 and a pocketful of film.</p>

<p>Charlie Chan<br>

Cheltenham, UK</p>