cosmo_genovese

Ray Moth,

 

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It's hard to tell whether the reviewer knows the difference

between "its" and "it's" since in the M7 review he uses "its"

correctly--there aren't any occurrences of "it's" in that review;

it's in the M6 review where he uses "it's" for "its". I'd give him

the benefit of the doubt and chalk up the M6 Review's use of "it's"

to typographical error.

July 3, 1987.

 

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http://www.cameraquest.com/mtype.htm

I agree: that's a lot of gear. For another take on this much-

discussed personal preference, for example, my travel gear consists

of a minimum, and even then it's too much to lug around, namely--an

M6 Classic w/ 50mm Summicron loaded with Tri-X, a Contax T3 (35mm

lens) also loaded with Tri-X or some color slide or neg film, and an

Olympic Stylus Epic,loaded with color neg. "Peripherals": Y2, K25, OG

16 filters, "Cripp's DX Recoders", lenshoods, non-descript 'camera

bag'. That's it. My wife generally carries the Epic in her purse and

I carry the other 2. Even with this minimalist approach, I sometimes

venture out with only the T3 with b&w (formerly a Rollei 35SE) and

the Epic with color.

Sybil,

 

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Everyone has given you good advice, especially about renting first

and trying out Leica--it's quite a jump from an FM2. As to choice of

lens: you know what you like in terms of "lens space". If you're

limited to one lens, then you'll be giving up a lot of range that you

now have with the 28-80 zoom, so you've got to decide where your

visual acuity lies. Finally, if you don't do a lot of flash

photography (or none at all, like a lot of the "purists" on this

site), then forget the M6TTL and streamline your choice by buying a

late M6 Classic.

 

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Suerte, <<Tartaespañola>>.

Penultimate 50. Tab. Period[.]

The stamp "925" is the universal standard for Sterling silver--i.e.,

925 grains/1000 grains of silver (Ag); the other 75 grains are

alloy. "1000" would be "pure" silver. It's the same for gold (Au),

except "karats' are used instead, 24 karats equaling "pure" 1000-

grain, unadulterated, unalloyed gold. Thus, 18 karat gold = 18/24 x

1000 = "750" (grains) whereas 14 karat gold would be 14/24 x 1000 =

583 (grains). Thus, for gold to equal the "purity" of Sterling

silver, it has to be (x/24) x 1000 = 925 where "x" then = 22.2 karats.

The Contax G2 has the right idea: it gives you the option of either

(1) setting the main switch to "AEL" or (2) as one of the

programmable "custom" functions, it allows you to set autoexposure to

lock each time you press the shutter release halfway and hold it down.

I haven't experienced any vignetting at all--prints from both color

and black & white negs are superbly uniform corner-to-corner.

The Mamiya 645AFD supports film and digital: It takes 120/220 film magazines, Polaroid backs and digital backs (Leaf's C-Most, for example).

Though not specifically responsive to your inquiry about these

particular films, as far as I'm concerned (and informed minds will

differ), there isn't any better combination for everything (no matter

what, but especially for portraits) than Tri-X 135 & 120 (TX & TXP) @

EI 200 [w/ OG filter for women in contrasty light (a waste of film

speed in flat light), green for men (when appropriate, but especially

under tungsten light)] processed in D76 1:1 with benzotriazole

(liquid). I use to use a lot of Plus-X also and agree that it's a

fantastic portrait film, but it doesn't give me the "look" I want in

the final print.

Never settle for what you don't really want; life's too short and you

can't make it up. You'll wind up constantly overspending because your

disappointment will get the best of you and you'll go out and buy the

black Leica after you bought the chrome one which you sold at a loss

to finance the black one. More important than the money involved is

the TIME you'll SPEND haggling, haggling, haggling over and over in

your head about how to rectify your bad choice. TIME. Get the

picture? Here's what happens: choosing what you don't like with the

idea that down the road you can modify it into what you do like won't

work because, for example, the chrome Leica you paint will always be

just that--a painted chrome Leica. And, in the back of your mind

there'll always be this nagging complaint (taking up your TIME) which

you'll rationalize accepting one day but regret the next and then re-

rationalizing it round-and-round ad nauseam. Face it now, you'll

never be happy with the ersatz black Leica; it'll make you miserable.

These are truths; I speak from experience (or maybe from just from

another set of arbitrary idiosyncracies). And it works with

absolutely everything. That's why it's best to have only what you

want. Otherwise, forget it. Period.

Elliot,

 

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Here's a good reference site where all the T3 maniacs hang:

 

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http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=005ic4

 

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I've had a T3 for some time now and carry it wherever I go. It's one

helluva piece of equipment and a very versatile tool. The optics are

superb and the results I've had are excellent. My only picayune

complaint is that I'd've preferred a 38mm (like the T2) or 40mm lens

instead of the 35mm. Otherwise, there ain't anything like it out

there in terms of size, weight, quality, and versatility--like filter

capability, off-camera "flashmatic" feature, and customized settings

[now we'll hear from all the Minilux (40mm), GR-1 (28mm), and Rollei

(38mm) adherents, but I'll stand my ground on this one just because

of the T3's other attributes]. By the way, I have the titanium black

(charcoal) version which, as any real photographer knows, will take

better pictures than a chrome, silver, or champagne-colored camera

any given day.

Hmmmmmm . . .

John, I think the ghosting is caused by not having your eye directly

centered in the viewfinder and/or not having your eye close enough to

the viewfinder.

The Contax takes a Lithium battery. See

http://www.kyocera.co.jp/news/2001/0102/0001-e.asp

Don't degrade your images with cheap filters. The optics of the 124G are good enough to warrant high-grade (perhaps even multicoated) filters from, say, B+W and Heliopan. They're a little more expensive, but I think they're worth the money.

I carry my M6 Classic in my hand when I'm out and about, fastened

securely to my wrist. How? I tie a clove hitch in the shoulder strap,

slip it onto my wrist and hold it in my hand ready to shoot. This way

the rubber "Leica" part of the strap actually winds up on my wrist

which prevents the strap from cutting off my circulation. (And, no

kids on mopeds are going to yank it out of my hand either.) If need

be, I can quickly release the clove hitch by slipping my hand out;

then I'm free to sling the strap over my shoulder. This works well

when the shoulder strap is first adjusted so that its length, when

used on the shoulder, is about one inch lower than my crooked elbow.

That length makes the wrist strap arrangement unobtrusive because

when you tie the clove hitch it takes up most of the slack when it's

on your wrist.

 

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For storing the camera while out, I use a small (23cm H x 25cm L x

10cm W), black cloth shoulder bag, inside of which I have a blue

ripstop nylon bag with a drawstring that has bubble wrap inside and

in which I actually place the camera when not in use. Inside the

cloth bag there's a small pocket where I keep 3 filters (OG, R25,

Y2), some Cripps DX-Recoders, and an extra battery. In the cloth bag

I carry a few extra rolls of Tri-X, a plastic ziplock bag large

enough in which to seal the camera in case of inclement weather, and

maybe my Contax T3 or Olympus Epic.

If it's tight headshots you want, use an SLR and spend your time

composing the shot as you see it instead of cluttering your mind

with "hmm, if I shoot this vertically and I want it slightly off-

center, do I place the nose of my subject to the right of mid-center,

or . . .". Like everything else, if you're using the wrong tool for

the job, the results will suffer. I struggled for years with the

Hasselblad reverse-image viewfinder until one day I just said "to

hell with this" and bought a prism finder. Whew! Things changed after

that and when I tilted the camera to the left or right, I could

actually see what the result would actually look like instead of

wasting time thinking about it. Leica Ms are fine for portraits where

you're framing head and shoulders, but I've found they suck for

actual headshots, 90mm, HCB, and all that notwithstanding. A Nikon

with a 105 f/2.5 or 180 f/2.8EDIF, a Hasselblad with a 150 and 16- or

21mm extension tube or 180mm lens, a Pentax 67 with 200mm, all are

excellent choices for what-you-see-is-what-you-get portraiture.

The site "www.globetrot.com" appears to be incorrect since my server

says the site cannot be found.

Try Here,

 

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http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=003Fj5

 

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and here,

 

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http://www.photographyreview.com/Point+and+Shoot/Contax+T/PRD_84796_31

08crx.aspx

 

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I owned one of these (in black) when they first came out. I loved

that camera, but it is a little hefty. The beauty of it is that it's

a true, focusable rangefinder (although some have problems, I've

heard, with alignment; I never had that problem even at f/2.8). The

other nice thing about the Contax T* is that it has a 38mm lens which

I personally prefer over the 35mm. The downside to the T* compared

with the T3 is that the T* doesn't take filters, is subject to flare

(at times), and is considerably heavier, especially when you have the

flash attached. That's another thing: the flash is separate and

screws into the left side of the T* (like the Olympus XA-series

flashes) and makes the camera a little unwieldy. And, if you have

large hands it can be a little difficult to grasp the focusing ring

on the lens because of the fold-down door/lens cover (a la Minox 35

models). Nevertheless, it took great pictures with superb contrast--

I'd still be using mine today if I hadn't dropped it in the Aegean

Sea while on vacation one year.

See also, www.shooter.net/dxcodes.gif

Four alternatives to setting EI: (1) the T3's +2 to -2 exposure

compensation dial, (2) "Cripps DX Recoders" (non-reusable), (3)

making your own recoders with aluminum foil and ordinary "Avery

Labels" (reusable), and (4) scratch and block according to the "DX

Code Exposed!" table found at http://members.aol.com/dalphotopr/dx.htm

Black electrical tape eventually slips and slides and leaves a very

sticky film. Instead, I use "Scotch Photographic Tape" (12.7mm

version, Product Code: UPC 021200-60639-7; 25.4mm version, Product

Code UPC 021200-60643-4).This tape is flat black so it blends in more

with the background texture of a Black Leica. It's also opaque and

lasts a long time without slipping and sliding.

By the way, here's a site where other T3 fanatics gather:

 

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http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=005ic4

I find that the T3's parameter allowing for setting the autofocus to

lock in when the shutter is depressed halfway greatly reduces any

shutter lag compared to any other highend point & shoot that I've

owned or tried out. Plus, as Rolfe pointed out above, I also have

mine set to "flash off" so that when I turn the T3 on I can take the

picture instead of scrolling through a list of settings. But, if I

need flash, I only have to push the flash-setting button once and

there it is. The only thing I wish the T3 had was a 40mm-50mm lens

instead of the 35mm.