philip_wilson

I eventually bough a very good 28. f2 and I like it a lot. The lens hood is bulky but the lens does give a very special look and It works well with the rangefinder on all three of my bodies (M6, M8 and M240). It is even sharper than my 50 cron.

Kin. While JPEGs from the M240 are a lot better than from the M8 it is still a camera where RAW is a lot better.

Arthur. I want digital with Leica on your advice (I was contemplating Fuji) when I bought a used M8 a few years ago. I loved it but wanted full frame. I decided to hold off on the M9 and ordered the M240 when it was announced but I then had to wait almost a year ( and I was near the top if the list). I have had it around 18 months and I love it. That said I like the images from the CCD sensor in the M8 and the simplicity of the M8. In terms of the Canon TS lenses the 17 is amazing. The 24 mk II is also amazing but I could only afford one and the 17 with a 1.4x (it works with care) does. Pretty good job as a 24. For longer TS lenses I use Mamiya M645 lenses on a Mirex adapter and they work very well - giving me 35mm and up I have been playing with a canon FD 35 F2.8 TS lens on my M240 and it seems to work OK

Yes I have used most of the Canon FD lenses on my Leica M240 and they work well. Of the Canon 50 mm lenses the 50 Macro is easily the sharpest - although a bit slow. The 35 Tilt shift works quite well on my Leica as does the 15mm fisheye. Unfortunately with many of the FD lenses the Leica reveals a few weaknesses - although the best lenses (24F2, 35F2, 85F1.2, 135 F2 etc...) hold up very well

Arthur I have the M8 and M240 and like them both. Obviously the benefits of full frame a useful but the M240 is a bit more digital than the M8 as you have to use the menus more. In terms of image quality the colours are more accurate although I quite like the look of the M8 files and probably prefer the CCD sensor. In terms of resolution the M240 is clearly quite a lot better than the M8 but except for large prints this is not a big deal. The M8 is not a panacea - it will sometimes (probably about ⅓ of the time) give pink edges or an edge with the CV12mm but it is fine with wider lenses. The live view feature is useful but I mainly use mine as a rangefinder. Indeed to use live view I find you need the EVF as the rear screen is quite prone to reflections and had to see in bright light. I am currently playing with a R series zoom on the M240 using the EVF and it works well and still feel good to use. Personally if you can wait I would suggest that you keep the M9 and wait for the M240 replacement which is probably only 2 years away. I am not sure who suggested the 17 F4 Canon TS lens on the Sony but as an owner of this very good lens I would suggest that it is way to big to use on a tiny camera like the Sony - especially given the vulnerability of the front element. The 17 F4 will foul on the prism / flash of any Canon with a built in flash - such as the 7D!

I shoot quite a lot of ski racing - often with the old 70-200 f2.8 non IS and have no issues (I also used longer lenses) Occasionally I will use the 70-200 F4 IS and they will either be on a 7D or 1D body. I have not noticed any systematic issue with the slower IS lens but I do get more images out of focus. I have always put this down to the slower lens and less accurate AF with a lens that is not F2.8 or better. Your post does have me wondering if perhaps the IS also plays a role

Yves. Sorry I should be more specific - there are three versions of the CV 35 F2.5. As you state the first two are not rangefinder coupled - they are the screw lens and the first version of the M mount lens. I was actually referring to the second version of the M mount lens. This is officially called the 35/F2.5 PII and was introduced in 2004. This lens is rangefinder coupled and retails at $409. This lens or the CV 40 F1.4 would make a good starting lens. You can see the range here http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtlen.htm

Either make is fine - it really depends which system you prefer. In terms of bodies get the newer model if you can. The T5i is about 2 years newer than the T3i but not a lot more to buy.

<p>Forum in Rome and Unification monument</p><div></div>

<p>I have not seen this happen - I would look at the lens where the focusing screw meets the lens and see if it is engaging correctly. Sorry I can't be much help here.</p>

<p>The Snapshot Skopars are very good lenses in an M mount (for the price). They make a 35 F2.5 which is about $400 new so a used one will be in your range. They are CV lenses - try Cameraquest or KEH.</p>

Keh will sell you LN- for 7200 and this will be very close to new condition (in the past when I have bought LN- it was demo or even just older brand new stock)

Like my GX680 I found the RB / RZ needs a tripod most of the time

I cannot comment on the x series Fuji lenses but they make good lenses for Hassy and my GX680 lenses are remarkably good - especially the 180F3.2. That said if you want to shoot a fisheye, a tilt shift lens of a 50 F1 then you will have to shoot with third party glass

First the G2 is by definition a rangefinder since it uses the rangefinder long baseline triangulation method for its passive AF system. The difference is just that the computer / camera does the rangefinder measurement not the user. There are plenty of explanations of how the AF system on the G2 works on the internet if you are interested. In essence it uses an active infra red system (like a compact camera) get get approximate focus then an electronic (passive) rangefinder system to get accurate focus. In the real world the AF system takes a bit of getting used to. It is actually not much different from the AF performance of many SLRs of the day - the issue with the G2 was that unlike the SLR you cannot see if it is in focus. In practice you do a few things and generally have no issues. First you give the camera a chance by setting the AF on a good edge / high contrast change area. My suspicion is that the AF area is actually smaller than the window in the finder suggests so try and Center on your focusing edge. This is really no different (at least for me) than when I use my Leicas - I do the same thing I find a good edge to focus the rangefinder on and will then recompose once I have focused (I use the same approach with MF SLRs and even AF DSLRs as I usually just use the Center point) Once you have focus it just needs to be held locked. You either keep the shutter button half pressed or use the rear AF button with your thumb. Then you should get in the habit of keeping an eye on the distance setting - you get used to the scale in the viewfinder and can look at the top and read the digital distance in meters. In general the 90mm lens is the most difficult to get used to although I have never used the zoom. I generally shoot slides or colour prints with the G series and scan them. We have. G1 and two G2s plus the 21, 28, 35,45 and 90mm lenses and flash guns. In generally the G series bodies get a lot less use than my digital Leicas but they are great to hold and use. While they are different from Leicas the have a great quality feel. Your purchase method seems a bit risky - the lack of a know address may suggest that the camera is stolen.

Nice shots - what body do you use?

Sorry Robert I missed the fact that it was western Scotland. While I live in the Canadian Rockies I have spent quite a while hiking and climbing in the UK. Indeed I have done about 220 Munros over the years including virtually very one in the Skye, Ullapool and NW of Scotland. What ever you take I would take a couple of ND grad filters and if you plan to shoot water a polarizing filter. I would also be very careful to keep stuff dry given the fact it will rain. The only waterproof back packs I know are Arcteryx (and they are expensive - I have a 90 L one that works well). If you use a lightweight pack I would get a liner for the inside tom keep your camera dry. For Scotland I would suggest a combination of a vide angle, standard and perhaps a short tele (this is the least useful) As for a camera I would come back to my earlier suggestion of a 645 MF camera from either Pentax or Mamiya as they are very cheap used and robust. If you go Mamiya I would get a pro or pro TL as they are rugged. Whatever you get look at lens prices before you buy a system. KEH.com is a good place to look to get a sense of prices. For some systems wide angle lenses are still expensive. I would also suggest that whatever you get you take a spare back and batteries as there is not much retail in NW Scotland and even a courier used to take days (we waited 4 days on Skye for a replacement bike part in the 1980s - sent overnight!) If I get chance I will shoot a Fuji and Mamiya next to a 40L pack to give you some idea of what you are up against. I cannot show and RB as I no longer have one but it gets close to the Fuji in size. The Fuji is a lot more complex than the RB but does have the advantage of full front movement from the bellows - that said it would probably be the worst camera to use in NW Scotland.

About 6am. A couple of weeks ago. Sadly the sky was not very interesting except for the birds. Venice, Rome and other tourist cities are quiet very early in the morning

<p>Pantheon M 240</p><div></div>

Interestingly the G1 is slightly better for manual focus use than the g2. That said I never use MF on any of our G series bodies. The G1 MF is not as bad as many reviewers have stated, although it is not as good as the G2 and you don't get the separate control.

Robert one final point is that the RB and an extra lens will basically fill your 38 L pack. The smallest pack I can fit the GX 680 body into is 45 L although this is bigger than the RB. The other issue is that on the RB (it is also true of the GX) is that you have to take care that the bellows are not rubbing as you walk.

Robert. I have climbed and hiked a lot with cameras over the years and I have hiked with the RB and with the Fuji GX 680 that I replaced the RB system with. While it can be done you end up with the camera, a tripod and at least one extra lens. So you have added about 15 lbs of fragile equipment to your pack. For a day hike this is not a major problem and despite being over 50 I will occasionally still take the Fuji on a day hike (the Fuji is closer to 25 lbs). For backpacking even when I was younger I quickly switched to SLR systems for multi day or climbing. The real thing that you need to think about is the nature of your hiking / backpacking. If they are photography centric then I see no problem with your desire to take the Mamiya. However, if the primary objective is to summit or cover a certain route then you will find that the people you are with will quickly lose patience with the time it takes to stop and set up an MF kit. Then what happens is that it will stay in your pack most of the time. These days I usually take one of my Leicas and I also have a small Nikon 1 system. The Nikon 1 is very handy as you can shoot one handed on a climb although it is not great for IQ. My suggestion would be that if you want to shoot MF and hike a more compact system like the Mamiya M645 would be a better choice. This is not much bigger than a modern DSLR and is much easier to shoot handheld. It is also very cheap used and the cameras are very rugged. You can go with the Bronica or Pentax 645 systems as well ( Rollie and Contax are still expensive). Your other alternative would be a TLR and again Mamiya offers a very good one. I could give additional advice if you provided more information on the nature and typical distance / elevation of your trips

Allen one other point since you mention Zeiss. Not all of their lenses are about contrast - indeed their 50 F1.5 Sonnar is anything but. I own and love this lens in certain circumstances (and usually wide open). It is a very difficult lens to use and focus and gets a lot less use than my 50 Sumicron. But it produces a dreamy Bokah that almost looks like an abstract watercolour painting. It is very much a love or hate lens and I suspect would be difficult to use on a Sony or m4/3 body. If you have time I suggest you google images from this lens and see what a very old lens design (with modern coatings) can do - I assure you no one shoots it looking for high contrast.