charlie_chan2

Ann,

If you need some more info try John Waller's site in the UK. http://www.rolleicamera.com/

He does CLAs cheaply and well. My 35s was serviced by John about three years ago for

about GBP50.

Best wishes,

Charlie

The Rollei is a really nice pocket camera. I've had my 35s for twenty years now. The lens is

very good for its day and still competitive with todays lenses. The only thing is the zone/

guess focussing , but that gets better with time.

100 bucks is a bargain.

Charlie

Allison,

To be honest I've not missed metered manual on my CLE. When I shoot kodachrome on it,

almost always it's spot on. OK I've got my M6TTL to fall back on if I need, but the CLE is

pretty good most of the time - certainly better than I am!!

Charlie

Try John Waller at http://www.rolleicamera.com who is based in the UK. He services Rollei 35

cameras and did my 35S a few years ago. Really nice and reliable guy. He has some spares as

well and he's not expensive. If he doesn't answer straightaway, it'll be because he 's flying

with the RAF in his day job.

Charlie

Try a Minolta CLE - you get a M7 equivalent with a 0.58 finder, better film loading and it

accepts M lenses. Buy one with a 40/2 Rokkor and you should only pay USD 400-500. Just

make sure the electrics all work as it's difficult to repair. I've had mine for about 6 years. It's

the easiest M to use that I own (the others are a M6TTL and a M2)

Charlie

Alberto,

I usually use Ilfosol with my HP5. 7 mins is about right. Sometimes I'll extend the

development if I need to push the film slightly (eg when I'm taking theatre shots). However, it

depends on the metering and exposure of your film when you shot it. There's plenty of

latitude in HP5, so you should get printable negs without any problems at 7 mins. Good Luck

Charlie

Well, I'm glad that I'm one of the 3000 people who bought one. It has been a great item

producing excellent quality images on my R9. Yes, it has its firmware problems, but if you

shoot RAW, you can deal with those issues later. OK with the R9, it's heavy and bulky, but no

more so than an EOS1DS/II. Some of us at least are sad to see it go. But you're right, it must

be due to Hasselblad/Imacon.

Charlie

Martin,

Why don't you try your hand at developing the film yourself? Once you've done it yourself,

you'll never go back to sending it away. It's easy to do and you don't need any space for

film developing - unlike a darkroom for enlarging.

You'll need a daylight changing bag, a daylight developing tank, some measuring

graduates or jugs, a thermometer, a watch, pair of scissors, a film squeegee and an

opener for the film canister (food can opener works as well as a proper opener). If you

shop around eg on fleabay, you should get your kit for GBP30 or less. After that, each film

will cost you less than 50p to develop at home. It also means you can push your film at

will without paying extra.

If you want to read about it, Ilford used to do very good small handbook, or alternatively

try Michael Langford's 'The Darkroom Handbook'.

Best wishes,

Charlie

Hi Sotirios,

What sort of archaeological photos will you be taking? Wide shots only of the dig - or

close-ups of detail - what about artefacts eg brooches, coins, small vases etc?

If you need proper macro photos, then the R8/9 is the only way to go with either e 60

macro elmarit (cheap) or the 100/2.8 macro elmarit (stunning but more expensive). Add

say a 35 summicron for your shots of the dig.

If you are into wide angle shots only and weight is an issue, then go for a M body (eg

M6TTL) with a 35 summicron and then add on later.

Remember that a camera is just a tool, like an archaelogist's trowel/brush. You pick the

right tool for the job you are doing.

Best wishes,

Charlie

The archival nature of Kodachrome is why I still shoot my chromes with K'chrome. I've found

some kodachromes that my parents took of me 40 years ago and they look just the same; my

E6 slides from 20 years ago have now faded and gone yellow or green. B/W film, that's really

archival.

Charlie

I would look seriously at a MX. It's fully manual, requires no batteries (except for the meter),

is reliable, bullet proof and light. If you're backpacking, weight is a real issue. I took my MX

around Europe when I was younger, It still works flawlessly, although I hardly use it now, as I

migrated to Leica M & R 7 years ago.

Charlie

I have used the following with no problems on my CLE

standard 40 & 90 Rokkors, 90 Tele elmarit, 75 lux & standard Tri-Elmar.

I have to say though the 40 Rokkor is a fantastic lens and so compact. Ideal for a pocket

camera.

Charlie

It doesn't have any framelines, but has the longest rangefinder base. Hence it is the most

accurate for focussing longer focal lengths, esp if you're using 75 lux wide open.

Charlie

I started with a M6TTL and 50/2 summicron. Great combination. Some prefer a 35, and in

fact the lens that sits all the time on my M6 now is a 35/1.4 summilux. Have a look

through your SLR finder with 50 and 35 settings on a zoom or prime lenses and check out

which view you prefer.

In terms of buying, different models have different viewfinder magnifications. If you like

shooting longer focal lengths (ie 50-90, or even 135), then buy a body with a high mag eg

0.85 M6 or a M3 (0.9); these aren't great though if you wear specs. If you wear specs, or

prefer shorter focal lengths, either buy a 0.72 or a 0.58. If you like really short focal

lengths, get the 0.58. Most people are happy with the standard M6 0.72 as this seems a

pretty good compromise for most people.

Good luck

Charlie

Just email customer service at Leica (USA, Germany or the UK). I had my R9/DMR stolen last

year and emailed Leica UK. The stolen database is still kept by Leica, but unfirrtunately not

available to the public to check for stolen goods.

Best wishes,

Charlie

The best tripod is one that you are prepared to carry. OK, one might argue that a bad

tripod is not worth having, but a top class Gitzo ain't much good if it stays at home. Same

is true of a monopod. I bought a cheap Cullman monopod, not because it was great, but

because it is tiny when collapsed, I can carry it anywhere. and it slips inside my bag and

doesn't have to be strapped outside. For what you're proposing, most tripods will be fine.

If you're taking long night time/low light exposures or using a R9/DMR with a long tele,

then a rigid tripod is essential.

My tuppence worth

Charlie

I use a Ricoh GR1s and a Rollei 35S depending on whether I want P&S autofocus or P&S guess

and focus. Both are great cameras - just depends on how you shoot.

Charlie

Does your lens and body need servicing? If the cams are out on the lens or camera, then no-

one will get any joy out of your set-up. Only a thought.

Otherwise, I like my 35 lux which sits on my M6TTL most of the time. If you can't focus easily

with a 35, then longer focal lengths will be more difficult.

Best wishes,

Charlie

I second Doug's comments. The current 80-200/4 vario-elmar is one of the bargains (if there

is such a thing in Leicaland) in the R series lenses. One of the local UK leica dealers (who is

also a pro photographer) sold his 70-180/2.8 and uses an 80-200/4 instead.

REgards

Charlie Chan

My TA Rapidwinder. I bought mine from Tom whilst I was visiting in Vancouver last year. It

has made a big difference to the way is shoot.