mike_pry

I got into photography cause I couldn't handle the competetive aspect of sports.

I am new to the Leica world and as a particpant in the realm of the 8X10 LF world I am slowly coming to grips with my newly aquired M5. Oh sooooooobig you all say, to big! Well coming from 8X10 I can assure you it is not!! I absolutely love the whole rangefinder experience and am really enjoying it wholeheartedly. One of the reasons I aquired the Leica was to have a "small" camera to provide myself with high quality family pictures. I am fussy about quality -hence the 8X10, hence the Leica. I have enlarged some hand held shots made at 1/15th second to 16X20 and all I can say is WOW! Please don't misunderstand me as to the family picture thing I am very serious about my photography and in no way do I imply I bought it to take "snapshots". I am in no way minimalizing the Leica. The use of it for family pictures was for one of the intended uses. Which brings me to the flash question.....I have an old Vivitar 273 that I have tried to use with the M5 and all I can say is..Horrid! Vile!!UGH!!

I have been cruising around trying to find an answer and I think I am lacking in power-GN100 w/ASA 100. I was considering a Vivitar 285 with an Omni Bounce. Is this a plan? I would like a Metz but remember I have a family and it is right after Christmas! I don't use flash very much but when I do I would like to enjoy better results than what I have had. I have also read in more than one place that getting the flash off the camera is also a big help. My pictures that I have used a flash with have all the classic "deer in the headlights look" and seem really flat as well. I thank anyone in advance for any attention given this matter and have learned so much already from this wonderful forum. I know this is long winded and I am really excited about Leica and their optics.........I am one with Bokeh.

thank you again so much.

Hoyin,

I broke in to the world of Leica about 5 months ago with a M5. I am a

proffesional painter and traded a fella some labor and a little money

for the camera. It needed alot of work which I knew going into it and

I came out really good on the deal. I sent it off to Sherry and she

is a magician! If you want to hear endless praises about the M5 talk

to her. I have never even touched a M6 so I can't compare the two but

what really intigues me is the sensitivity of the M5's meter. That

little rascal is so dead on it is amazing. It is almost like having a

spot meter at your disposal. It is so solid and well built it is a

pure joy for me to use. I recently took my daughter to the American

Girl Place on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago and took a pictur of

a group of dolls hanholding @ 1/15 of a second and blew it up to

16x20 and am in disbelief! Now I have never used a M6 but this alone

made me a believer. I wouldn't let this go for anything the M5 is

here to stay. Have a Merry Christmas.

I viewed an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago featuring

Westons "Last Years at Carmel" and true to form they put it in the

basement(where arts bastard child, photography seems to always rate)

and the lighting was repulsive. They could have gotten aluminum

reflector lights from True Value and have done better. The book put

out by them is excellent though and I would highly recommend.

Am I a slow learner or does it take awhile to come to grips with AZO?

I have been playing with it as time allows for about 8 months and only now is it starting to impress me. I heard all this stuff about it and really was interested so I bought a 100 box off 8X10 and at first wasn't impressed like everyone else claimed. I shoot 8X10 and 5X7 Ilford HP5 Plus. At first it looked rather bland but after playing and playing and then stumbling on Michael and Paula Smiths article on it it started getting better. His tecnique on "outflanking the print" is just what I needed. All I can say now is WOW! But it makes me wonder if I am the only one who didn't see these almost magical properties at first? If you haven't tried it I would really recomend it as it is very cool. The pictures especially the 8X10 contacts look as if they are 3-D. Also a big thanks to everyone in this forum for helping me get onto the large format thing and imparting a wealth of knowledge.

I just got my M5 back from Golden Touch(Sherry is really good) and was really itching to try it out and didn't have any "good film" so bought a roll of Kodak Gold 100 from my local Walgreens and popped it off at my lunch break. I shot a bunch of stuff in town particulary harvest/halloween decorations at an outdoor market and alot of fall colors. I didn't expect the result to be that great really just wanted to see how the camera worked. Well when I got the film back I was blown away with the colors! I couldn't beleive my eyes. They were just stunning. My lab guy says he uses gold because it is easier to filter when processing. I've seen his work and it is true it really looks good. I ave always used Portra and I must say the gold is nicer. I am confused. Is this due to the Leica glass or what? I never hear anyone recomend Kodak Gold but has anyone experienced this? Thanks to all who respond to this and past posts as I have been able to gleen a wealth of info and am really grateful.

Tom,

The bleach will work fine but I would rinse it with good ol vinegar

after which neuteralizes it and removes any bleach residue that

remains.

 

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Mike

Not a question but yesterday my son and I were in Chicago and I have always wanted to see Central Camera on South Wabash and see it we did! What a wonderful experience to go into a store that has done business for 103 years and by the same family(3rd generation). Personally I like old stores run by friendly knowledgeable people. It was a refreshing tonic in this day and age of retail spaces made up of unfriendly/unknowledgeable people that could care less if they make a sale or not. I was trerated with respect and as if I was the only customer that day! Big thumbs up for Central.

 

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Michael Pry

I just had a question as far as mounting goes that maybe you could answer. I have a Burke and James and the lensboards are roughly 6x6 and composed of wood. The lensboards are 3/8" thick. The lens does not have the type of retaining ring that has a flange with screw holes that screw into the lensboard so that the retaining ring is mounted as its own entity to the lensboard(like the old Ilex shutters). Rather it is more like a threaded ring that simply screws on to the back of the shutter. So here is what I am thinking of doing..........First off the wood is to thick for the amount of threads given on the shutter so I propose to use a small router to plunge out the backside of the lensboard to lessen the thickness of the wood so I have enough"bite" on the threads when I screw the retaining ring on the shutter. I would make the routed area in a circular shape slightly larger as well and then drill a hole all the way through for the threaded collar of the shutter to go into and screw the retaining ring on from the back to complete the installation. Can you follow me on this? Does this sound like an acceptable solution ? Any help or advice would be well received. Actually the wood I am making the lensboard out of is not exactly 3/8" it is 9mm I believe and it is baltic birch plywood used for model airplanes and the like and has 8 plys so warping is not even an issue. Thank you in advance to any considerations given this matter!

 

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Mike Pry

Jim,

I went through the same dilema and tried slosher trays, shuffling and

ended up on the HP Combi Plan tank system. It is really good perfect

negs svery time. It is a daylight tank so you can work in room light

once the film is loaded. Good Luck!

 

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Mike

I was eyeballing a WF Ekatar(10") and the fella wants 450.00 for it. Is this a fair price in good condition? It is mounted in the Ilex #5. He says there are slight cleaning marks.MMMMMMMM

Thank you in advance for any attention you give this!

Mike Pry

Would anyone be interested in trading filmholders? I have a nuber of 4x5's and would like a couple of 5x7's. Thank you

First off I am new to the site and it is truly fantastic! I am new to the Leica world as well as I recently aquired a M5. I don't see hardly anything about it even mentioned. Is this like the step child of the Leica world??????? It really puzzles me as to why there is nary a mention about this camera and what I think is a really fine piece of photographic equipment. I almost feel a new sense of freedom with it as I shoot mainly 8x10 and wanted something smaller for loose street photography. Just a questioning kind of thought. Thank you all again for the wealth of information on this site!

 

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Michael Pry

I have an oppurtunity to aquire an M5 trading my labor(sweat equity) and upon inspection of the camera as I fired the shutter and then advanced the film advance lever it would go really smooth and then like a little clunk would happen at the very end. Is this normal as I don't have any experience with Leica at all. Maybe clunk is a little harsh of a description but I was thinking this was the way the shutter cocked for the next frame or something. Any help at all would be most helpful! Thank you

Dan,

I have used both the 4x5 and 120 format and have just followed

Ilfords guidelines and the results have been very nice. I don't use

those developers (I am enjoying PMK Pyro at present) but just

extrapolate the data from Ilford and you will be allright.

 

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Hope that helps..........Mike

I have an old B&J and it came with a 30" octagon rail. I have to place the front standard up close to the front of the rail so not to have it appear in the image area and consequently the back or rear of the rail sticks way out and is very much an incumberance! I have a 12" lens so the only time I really need that much rail is when I do 1:1. I have been tempted a few times to lop it off but haven't. Are these hard to find maybe I could have an extra or something. Has anyone faced this dilema before? Thank you in advance.

Mike Pry

ooops it is a 12 inch not 14 sorry!

Can anyone give me any info on this lens and "self cocking shutter"?

I have an opportunity to purchase and was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about it? I don't have a whole lot of money to part with and I'd really like to learn to use the 8x10 I have and all I lack is a lens. Thank u all in advance !

Mike Pry

Hi Dean,

The time called for is 10 mmin.@70 f. I have just used PMK twice and

I really like it. My contact prints are amzing. Remember to pour the

used dev. back in after fixing for two min as well. After years of

tossing it it is hard for me to remember to save it and put it back

in after fixing!

All the best, Mike