jeff_guthrie

I have and shoot the Leica M4 (and M2/M3/M6) as well as the Nikon S2/S3/SP. I wouldn't call one a Chevy and the other a Mercedes

Benz, the cameras are simply different.

The Leica has superior fit and finish, the Nikon has far better precision and reliability. You will often hear the term "CLA" when talking

about Leica cameras. The Leica M series does require service from time to time to keep in top shape, particularly the rangefinder, which

can be jarred out of adjustment if you bump the camera or drop your bag. The mechanical design of the Nikon is incredibly reliable, and

seldom, if ever, requires adjustment or service. A clean S3 will be every bit as smooth and quiet as a Leica M, the 1-1 viewfinder in the

Nikon allows you to shoot with both eyes oen, and lastly, the S3 can be wound and focused with just one hand, which doesn't sound like

a big deal, but really is when you carrying a bag or an umbrella in your other hand.

Nikon lenses are top notch, and are far more scratch and haze resistant than Leica lenses. The millenium Nikkor is an excellent lens, the

35/2.5 and 35/1.8 wonderful lenses, and I also enjoy using the 28/3.5.

You van't really go wrong with either camera, I shoot both systems, but the Nikons have a special place in my heart.

On these old medium format cameras I usually check the focusing accuracy with a ground glass. You can get a idea of

how sharp the lens is this way. Sometimes these cameras have had their lenses and shutters apart for cleaning or repair,

and the lens is not properly spaced when the camera is reassembled. I use a 6x6 ground glass from an old TLR camera,

and first check the focus at infinity. If I can't get a sharp image on he ground glass, I will turn out the rear element a bit to

see if that helps. If the image gets worse, then I need to find a way to tun it further in. This can be done by removing spacers, or simply tightening the rear element a little more than it was. It's not a difficult adjustment to make.

The two Leica M cameras I bought which still had the seals intact didn't work. I sent them to two different non-authorized

Leica repairers in Japan, both of whom did a great job. Both cameras returned sporting new L seals.

The seal means nothing.

<p>The old Zeiss Ikons are the best bet, and you get a lot of quality for your money. Another 6x9 option is the Mamiya Press. Several types of Press cameras were made, the basic Press, the Super 23, and the Universal Press. The original Press is the least expensive, and offers interchangeable lenses, backs, and accessories. The 100/3.5 Mamiya Sekor is an excellent performer, and is the standard lens. The Press cameras usually come with 6x9 backs, but can also come with a 6x7 back. You can also get the early 6x9 back which can accept inserts to shoot different formats. <br>

For myself, I like the Super Ikonta with the 105/3.5 Tessar lens. Prices for these are all over the ballpark, one popped up on eBay some weeks ago for $100, and I got it before anyone else did. The camera arrived with a dirty lens and rangefinder, but these were easily cleaned, and now it works flawlessly, which was a surprise considering it's age. </p>

I too am a fan of the M4. I have several LTM cameras, and quite a few M's, but the M4 is the one I generally shoot with if I

plan to carry a single camera.

The M4 has a useful array of frame lines, is easier to load than many other Leicas, and the rewind crank is much faster

than the knob of the M2/M3 cameras. And the M4 still has the "feel" of the classic Leica camera. I was never able to

become attached to the later M4-2, or M4-P cameras, nor did I bond with the M6TTL.

Focus and metering are no longer issues after having shot a few thousand images. I generally shoot at f/8, and zone

focus. I have used an MR4 meter, and a handheld meter, but these were used not to provide me with the correct light

readings, but to verify what readings I happened to guess at the time. You can read the light with a fair amount of

accuracy over time. The MR4 meter is a little difficult to adjust to at first, because with the the meter attached, the

direction of the shutter speed dial is reversed, which can cause a bit of confusion and delay when shooting.

A hand held incident meter is always more accurate than the built in meter in any camera. I use a hand held meter in the

studio, even though my DSLR has quite a fancy metering system. Incident metering is quite easy to do. If I am walking

down the street, and am photographing something in front of me, I hold up the meter with it facing over my shoulder, so

the same light which is hitting the subject is also hitting my meter. Very simple and easy.

Cutting a new beam-splitting mirror is rather difficult, but then so is finding the blank mirror material. I found that i could

salvage the mirror from a Canonet GIII and fit it into a Minolta A rangefinder assembly. The only difficult part of the job is

removing the mirror from the Canonet rangeffinder. The mirror is glued into place, so I soak the glue with lacquer thinner

for several minutes, and then bend away the metal support which contacts the glass. Don't try to pull on the mirror itself, it

will almost certainly break. The Canonet mirror is slightly shorter and less wide than the Minoolta mirror, but if centered

carefully, it will fit, and give good focusing contrast.

You can use Permatex spray-on gasket remover. Start by wiping the parts with lacquer thineer to remove grease, excess

dirt, and fingerprint oil. Spray the gasket remover until the part is covered, and wait for about 10 minutes, the paint should

lift away fully from the metal. Scrape off the paint with a plastic scraper, and clean the parts with wet steel wool while

rinsng in clean water. Wear gloves and glases, this stuff is nasty.

Another nod to the CV Nokton 50/1.5 lens. I have used all versions of the 50mm Summicron and Summilux, as well as

the Canon LTM lenses (mainly the 50/1.4 and 50/1.2). The CV 50/1.5 has a great balance of contrast and sharpness, and

it is a great value. They are solidly constructed from brass, and my old black paint lens is quite brassy (which matches my

beat up black paint M4). The only Sonnar-type lens I have used on my M cameras is a Nikon LTM 50/1.4, which is also

one of my favorites.

Thanks for taking the time to post the tutorial, it takes a bit of courage to get inside a Copal shutter and try to clean it

up. But on the other hand, your method is not one which I would recommend doing. These shutters require certain

parts to be dry (oil free), while other parts are going to require the right type of lubricant to the right places.

To do the job more correctly, the shutter should be completely from the front standard, and the self timer and slow

speed mechanisms removed. These can be put into film containers filled with lacquer thinner to soak out the old

lubricants. The release levers and small parts can also be removed and cleaned the same way. I also remove the

shutter and aperture blades for proper cleaning as well. Taking it all apart is easy enough, putting it back together is a

bit more of a challenge. A little watch lubricant applied with a syringe to the link points and axles is necessary for these

parts to move smoothly.

The first time I took a leaf shutter apart, I never got it all the way back together. Taking pictures step by step as you

take the shutter apart will make reassembly easier. The second time I attempted the job, it went a little better, the

shutter actually fired at most of the speeds. Now having done it a few times, it only takes a couple of hours to do the

job properly.

Next time you might jump a little further into the deep end, you are halfway there already.

My advice is to shoot it as much as possible. I generally shoot 35mm Leica gear, but the latest and greatest which

Leica makes simply doesn't come close to what a Rolleiflex does. I simply love the negatives and prints I get from my

Rollei. If I could carry it as easily or unobtrusively as a Leica, I would use my Rollei even more.

Your camera dates to 1969, so it should be either satin-chrome plated, or black enamel paint. Black-chrome cameras

were produced later. If you see brass under the chipped paint, it is a black enamel model, or was refinished in black

enamel. I have a few M cameras, some are originally black, a couple I have had refisnished. I also have a couple of

chrome ones. I do prefer the black, especially if the paint has a lot of wear.

I love shooting with an M4, it just feels better than the later cameras. On the other hand, I prefer the viewfinder in the

M3. I just got my M3 refinished in high gloss black paint. Everyone who sees it thinks it is an MP. But now it looks too

nice too shoot...

On the top right side of the camera there is a round cap with a slot in the middle. You can put a coin in this slot and

turn out the cap to the left. The meter may or may not work, it's an old camera, but even if it doesn't, you can still take

photos with it.

I usually use 400 speed film, which is easy to find. For general use in daytime, set the f-stop on the lens to 8. You

need to choose the shutter speed depending on the light. For subjects in direct sunlight, set the shutter speed to 1000.

For cloudy days, or subjects which have the sun behind them, choose 125. For hazy days which are bright, but the

sun is not direct, use 250 or 500.

You can also buy a handheld meter, these are essy to find, many don't require batteries, and sometimes they can be

found cheap.

Enjoy shooting your camera,

A good camera. I have a similar one. The original lens on my camera was heavily scratched and marked, so I installed

a Mamiya Sekor 100mm f/2.8 lens in it's place. Of course I can't fold the camera with this lens in place, but it is a

beauty to shoot.

I used the 15mm SWH lens for awhile, but found it to be too wide for m taste, I sold it and bought at 21mm Skopar,

which I think is a great lens. I also shoot the 50/1.5 Nokton, which is a wonderful lens, and seems to perform better

than my 50mm Summilux. The 21/4 Skopar is a better lens than my old Super Angulon.

Here is Masa's email. He speaks English, and usually replies quickly,

masa-saita@ac.auone-net.jp

I use a Schotky diode adapter with an SR44 battery. It gives me the same readings which I get with the last of my

National MR9 mercury batteries.

I had Masa Saita paint two cameras for me. He also CLA'd both cameras and installed new shutter curtains. The first

was a beater M4, the next was a good looking, but non-functional M3. I had the M4 painted with a semi-gloss finish,

and it came back perfect. I had the M3 painted with a high-gloss black, which also looked beautiful. But the paint had

some orange peel effect around the flash synch sockets. The best thing about using Masa is that I had both cameras

back in my hands only 5 days after shipping them to him.

There are others who may do better with the quality of their paint, but Masa's paint looks as good as my original black

paint cameras, and his turnaround time can't be beaten.

I also have a 1000 DTL, but it is a black model. Unfortunately, the mirror has stopped working, so I can't shoot with it.

I would love to see what kind of pictures it could take, I love the quality of my Mamiya medium format gear.

I chose a couple of old manual cameras. I just rebuilt the shutter on the Makina, so it should work for another 80 years

or so. The M4 MOT still purrs along, the only of my Leicas which has never needed service. Since the world didn't

end, I took lots of photos of my dog,

The most pocketable spot meter is probably going to be the Pentax digital spot meter. These are not very small, but

they will fit into a pants or coat pocket.

I will be shooting with an old Plaubel Makina II with the 100mm f2.9 Anticomar lens. I got the camera last week in

"junk" condition, with a bad shutter. After major surgery I was able to track down a bent pin and a bad spring. The

shutter now seems to work fine. The old sheet-metal roll film back is rather a pain to load, though winding it is nearly

as painful, but it works.

I plan to shoot a couple of rolls today, the weather is gloomy, which suits the shutter's top speed of 1/200 just fine. I

hope the photos come out well, and that nothing else breaks or stops working on this 83 year old camera.

The Nikon F is definitely the king of the hill. The F is the camera upon which Nikon built their reputation, and it was

well-earned. Nikon seemed to spare no expense in the construction of the F. The body and mechanism were made

ruggedly enough that the camera could be used as a blunt weapon to fend off angry bears, and still take pictures

afterward. Pros quickly picked up on the F, and it became the legend that it is today.

Canon copied the F qute closely when they designed their F1. I love the F1, and I shoot with one occasionally, but the

F1 is simply not quite as good as the Nikon. I also dislike the locking collar on the old FD lenses. It's true that the new

FD lenses did away with the collar, but I like to use my old lenses, and it sometimes takes a bit of fiddling around to

change lenses.

The Minolta SRT cameras are very simple, sturdy and reliable. I also like the old MC Rokkor lenses, though there

aren't so many to choose from. What I don't like about the SRT is the lack of interchangeable focusing screens, and

the "universal" compatibility that the Nikon F has.

The old Pentax M42 cameras like the SP, SV, S2, etc. are small, simple, and easy to use. I also love Takumar lenses.

But the shutters often stick on these old cameras, and the cloth shutter curtains are sometimes burned or rotted. Also,

the battery cap is also prone to sticking permanently.

For a compact SLR, the Olympus OM cameras are tough to beat. They are truly professional quality, and some of the

lenses are simply outstanding. The 90mm f/2 macro is one of the best lenses I have ever seen by any manufacturer. I

love the small size, smooth operation, and beautiful viewfinder the OM sports. But the meter in the OM1 requires

obsolete batteries, the mirror foam deteriorates, and I have seen a lot of sample variation in OM lenses. Later OM

cameras are not so reliable, and the better cameras (the OM3 and 4) are quite expensive.

Having owned and used hundreds of cameras (terminal G.A.S.) and still owning a hundred or so working models of

just about every type, I have to say that the Nikon F far outshines everything else in terms of quality and reliability. I

have had to have numerous Leicas serviced or repaired over the years, the slow speed mechanisms get gummed up

in the Canon rangefinders, and the top shutter speeds have malfunctioned in two of my Canon F1s. My Olympus M1

works beautifully, but the prism has deteriorated a bit because of foam insulation. The focus knob has broken off my

Autocord, and the old Pentax SLRs are prone to having their shutters sticking open. I restore and repair cameras as a

hobby/small business, and I have worked with just about everything.

I have never had a failure of any kind with a Nikon F, and my main workhorse has never required service or

adjustment over it's 50 year life. I have a few old Rolleiflexes, the 2.8A, 2.8C, and 2.8E. All are solidly reliable, though

a couple are getting a little squeaky, I guess the grease should be replaced twice per century or so.

I have used the Pentax 67 for years, and I highly recommend it. It is a much easier camera to use than the Mamiya

RB/RZ series. It handles just like 35mm SLR, and the lenses are excellent.

I love shooting medium format, and my main weapon of choice is an old Rolleiflex 2.8E. I use an Epson 750 scanner,

and it gives wonderful results. I get good A3 size prints from 35mm negatives, but as might be expected, results from

larger formats are even better. It's important to make sure the film is flat, and that the holder is the correct height. My

original holders needed a little adjustment to get the best results.

As mentioned, you'll probably get best results at f/8 or f/11.