elmar001

I agree. My real name is Ansel Adams, but I thought you would think that is a fake! Just a little joke. Sorry, I do take this seriously.

 

BTW, I was chastised by the forum system for using three exclaimation points in a post! What is that all about? Seems petty with the name thing going on.

 

Lawrence

I have the lensbabies 3G Carol and I find a bit of the same problem. I have fairly small hands and it took some time before I could hold the camera and focus the lens at the same time. Once I got the hang of it, I found it went better. One thing I haven't figured out is what aperture to use. As the aperture is slow to set, and the lens is mainly used for portrature, my subject often tires and goes on to something else while I am adjusting everything, like catching a bus out of town, growing up and getting married, or just wandering off! LOL

 

Lawrence

Andy:

 

I doubt if USPS will be any help, they are only shippers from the US. You need to look at the Dutch post-office web site and determine what service you want, something like Global Express Air would be from here. Then you can pick a service knowing the cost. I hope they have English!

 

Lawrence

Mine do the same thing. I believe the exposure is still locked. Leave it to Leica, never do anything the easy way. LOL

I spend most of my time studying sales on eBAY. It is impossible to say what is a "good" time. The way to find out is to do an advanced search on completed listings for the equipment you wish to sell. Look at the bids and prices they actually sold for. If the items did not sell, see how high the bids went. If sale prices are below your expectations, keep the equipment.

 

You can also decide what you need to get for the equipment in order to make it worth your while to part with it. Then list the items with a reserve slightly below your expectations. If it doesn't meet your reserve price, then you still have your equipment and are just out the listing fees.

 

You can't tell what you will get. If you don't want to be rid of it at any price, then use the reserve to protect yourself.

 

Lawrence

I have shot two rolls of VC over Xmas. I was happy with the results printed in both color and b&w. The contrast is good and no sign of grain in the scans. I have never used UC.

 

Lawrence

I can tell you what I wouldn't buy. Anything running vista. The HP laptops with the very shiny screen, anything else with a shiny screen.

 

Both are real pains.

 

Lawrence

Speaking of the LEICA R4, this might be a good time to emphasize to anyone thinking of getting a film camera what a nice camera this is. They are dirt cheap on eBAY ($200-$300) for one that is practically new. One body I bought needed seals, but a seal kit from the seal guy on eBAY solved that in a week or so, very easy. Some accessories are dirt cheap as well, motor winders under $50, motor drives under $100. All including grip. For the price of a new camera, you can have a few bodies in the drawer under your socks where your wife never goes, and if one breaks or falls overboard, chuck it and pull out another one.

 

The camera itself is an excellent film unit. It is compact and when I take out my R8 it seems big and awkward for the first little while after using the R4s.

 

This post is an attempt to drive R4 prices up on eBAY in line with my New Years resolution to NOT BUY ANY MORE CAMERAS. LOL

 

Lawrence

Sorry Fredrick, I see that you thought he was refering to a different R4. Apologies.

Sorry, tried the empty R4 and it too locks without film.

Frederick, please YOU read the manual again and carefully. Both of what you say is completely wrong.

 

The R4 in selective metering mode (A with circle) measures the area of the circle in the middle of the viewfinder. Not a very small "spot" but a spot nonetheless.

 

Second, in this mode pressing the shutter release lever down to the second pressure point locks the reading. Film MUST be in the camera, and the shutter may need to be cocked.

 

"The measured value is stored by depressing the release button beyond the initial pressure point to the second pressure point, the value storage remains intact. As visible sign of value storage you will notice that the symbol A will become extinguished."

 

This is from the manual I have for one of my two R4 cameras. I hope this will clear the matter up for you.

 

Lawrence

Not a pretty sight, soon to be turkey soup,<div></div>

Our two-wheeled friends.<div></div>

Nice work Pamela. What can I say? Do you also do babies in context, or mostly portraits? Sorry I can't offer any suggestions, seems great to me.

 

Lawrence

I love questions like this. You have been given a variety of answers, all good. You dream is to own an M8? Well, then you should buy one. But not for photography. Put it in a case and look at it. My reasons:

 

- An M8 will not make you cool. You are either a cool guy, or not. Cameras and cars will not make you cool.

 

- This camera has not received good marks on image quality. Also ease of use. Also value for money spent.

 

- If you buy this and are then broke, the lenses you have will be all you will ever have. Why buy an interchangeable lens camera you can't afford lenses for?

 

- This is not the camera for flower and landscape photography. The M series is most useful for on-the-move pictures of people and events where subtlety is the word. All of the cameras mentioned above will do very well in the situations you are involved in. An slr is what you want for these motifs, the M is a bear to take closeups with and camera noise never frightened a landscape away.

 

Buy it if you must. But why ruin a hobby when you obviously have enough talent to win prizes. Keep doing what you are doing, expand your kit if you feel the need. There is so much good stuff available. You can buy a lot of stuff for the price of an M8 and 2 Leica current design lenses.

 

JM2CW

 

Lawrence

M3 M6 R4 R4s R8

I have never heard of the explanations given here for chimping. It goes like this. You camera is on a tripod, and an eagle flys by. You grab camera and tripod in your arms and run like hell, taking pictures as you go. Looks like a chimp stealing bananas or something. ROFL

I just checked both my R4 bodies and they both have very firm, precise DOF levers.

 

I would recommend sending it back. R4 bodies are plentiful on eBay so they are no doubt available other places as well. The camera should work properly, no telling what else is wrong with it. This is why one would buy from a firm offering return if not satisfied. You would need to check the foam seals on the back and around the film canister as well.

 

Lawrence

Thank you all for your helpful advice. I hope to get out and check out the Fisher Price model before Christmas. I do not mind spending for a regular digital for her, I am just afraid of the possibility of it being dropped, which the F-P would take more kindly. Hopefully the roads will be clear of snow soon and I can do some shopping.

 

The printer idea is a good one. I have a Canon Selphy that I don't use, I could donate that after Christmas.

 

Thanks again and happy holidays.

I am here.

Hello and happy holiday season to all.

 

Our 5 year old grandaughter had Santa visit her kindergarten today, and she

sais all she asked Santa for was a camera. I know she is being honest, because

she loves to take pictures with my digital. So I was thinking of getting her

the chaeapest digital I can find.

 

My question is, is this a good idea? As far as developing an interest in

photography in her, is it too early for a "real" camera. I would appreciate

some ideas as it is getting very close and I don't know what would be the right

thing to do.

 

Lawrence

www.shutterbug.com has lots of tests and reviews on bags that were published in their magazine. Good luck.

I also have the same question. I can use the 35mm with the goggles on the M6, which gives me the 35mm view in the 50mm frameline. I wonder if I could remove the goggles and use the 35mm frameline in the M6. I have read on this forum that the 35mm lens will not focus correctly without the goggles on the M6, and also that once the goggles were reinstalled that it wouldn't focus properly on the M3! Pretty scary stuff. So I haven't tried anything. But I would like to hear from someone who has what the resuts were.

I have an M3 DS with the 35mm f3.5 with goggles. It is a fine camera, easy to focus and the pictures are very good technically. However, with the goggled lens and the MR4 meter on top, it turns a very light, beautiful camera into a lumpy ugly duckling. I much prefer the M6 for that reason. I would go with those who suggested using 50mm and longer lenses on the M3. I have a collapsible 90mm that is easy to focus due to the bright rangefinder on the M3, and I really like to use it rather than the 35.

Having done a lot of business on eBay, I am familiar with trends and prices of Leica. Since I have been following prices, I have not seen anything I would call a trend. Prices on auctions are driven by supply, demand and bidding pressure (circumstance.) However, there is no shortage of M3 and M6 cameras. Prices are consistently between 500-800 for an M3, 900-1400 for an M6. Buyers are smart, the ones offering no warranty don't sell nearly as well as ones that are covered, regardless of price.

 

There are three broad catagories of purchasers. Collectors are there, but usually want pristine or unusual items. The collectors don't drive the market for abundant, used cameras. I just saw an M7 Titanium go for over 7 grand, that is more like a collector driven sale.

 

The second category is users, people who need another RF camera because that is what they use. They are looking for bargains, working equipment at a price. They provide strong underbidding, not always winning but keeping those that do honest.

 

The third category is the interesting one. These are the "I always wanted one of those and now that I can afford it, I am getting one." This group is buying everything in site on a nostalgia ticket. Harley Davidson motorcycles, Tektronix oscilloscopes, old cars, British motorcycles, Fender, Martin and Gibson guitars, and, yes, cameras. They wanted a Leica when they were younger, but couldn't afford one. So now that they are retired and have money stashed away, they are going to have one. That demographic drives many of the purchases on eBay, for example. Without an enthusiastic underbidder, everything sells for the opening.

 

I don't agree that RF = collectors, nor that "rich" people are stupid buyers. People want what they want, and most of us have learned that buying something because we think it will be worth a lot more in the future is folly.

 

JM2CW

 

Lawrence.

Just looking in my bag(s): extra cell phone, cell phone batteries. Spare batteries for everything. GPS. Maps. Point-and-shoot digitals. Zippered pouches from Home Depot for anything that fits. Clips to hang things on outside of bag. Window clamp, various clamps to use as camera mount. Backs for cameras with interchangeable backs. Film film film. Spare flash unit. Caps for lenses, bodies etc. Spare cords. A couple of neck straps as I don't use them normally on the cameras. Spare motor winder, spare battery clips. Extra glasses. Sunglasses. Aspirin, Tylenol, antihistamines. Manuals for stuff I don't use very often. Jeweler's screwdrivers. superglue. And a partridge in a pear tree.

 

Wow, what a lot of junk! No wonder my back is killing me! LOL