ph.

A wise saying has it that "the best is the enemy of the good", but perfection certainly propels consumption. Stepping back from the features race might even provide more useful and cheaper devices. Featuritis is no longer a problem for the silver halide users, but Digital cameras might profit from emulating practices common with film. Wait patiently to have pictures developed = no rear screen, No wifi, more hit and miss, and -usually- miss.But more effort put into evaluating subject, composition and light. Savings made in the software department by shifting development of raw files on to the customer, but by eliminating cine ability, no neeed for hyeprfast, battery consuming in-camera storage and conversion except what is needed for the viewfinder Only problem; no large market, unless a renowned photographic fashion accessory firm makes it. p.

Since the forum has no easy way to send messages, I have to fall back on more cryptic methods to communicate with Subbarayan P. It turns out that the speech I gave at the Indian Institute of management was in 2008, so a fair decade after you left. You asked me how to get in touch, to reach my email, use my christian name@ surname dot co. (Not com). yours ph.

The ancient threads here are a goldmine of technology.history infomation. Inspired by this post on page 300something, I was tempted to post a snap of my DDR cameras, My early Praktiflex with hand- engraved "Germany" on the rear of top cover below the winding knob sits on the right . An interesting device on one of the the praktica-FXa is the prism fitting inside the flip-up viewing hood, Not the Zeiss Jena variety, but engraved KW. Its lens is not original DDR, but the worlds smallest 135mm (a Fujta) . p.

on my slow amble through ancient posts about even more ancient cameras and lenses, post no 290 found this takumar eulogy. it might be interesting for history buffs to know that the swiss company ALOS modified cameras for use by phone companies as register cams (like the post Leicas) at the time when there were analog counters clicking up for each call-minute. ALOS used Alpa11a (somewhat like the model 11si) and then when Pignons folded, Canons newF1, but consistently with takumar 35/f3,5s labelled ALOS.in a fixed mount. set for a fixed distance for use with their flash system . p.

I have used a PenF for about 5 years, found the stabilization excellent, but manual focussing most frustrating since the focus and metering point kept moving when supporting heavy lenses . (Pressing the unfortuantely placed focus-point-moving-control) Using superglue was not an alternative since one needs to acess the menu to set stabilization data. (I dislike autofocus since the exact point of focus is better chosen by myself than by the camera even when using lenses made for MFT .) A strong plus point is that almost all kinds of optics will fit MFT and that the Metabones speedboosters deliver extra performance when needed. Even my normally useless old Canon auto lenses can be used and will have their aperture correctly set (fisheye 15mm and apo-lanthar 90mm). The PenF focus problem made me decide to switch to a Nikon Z, this has a less pernicious focus- and metering point movement, but still it moves "on its own"; however in this case superglue will be able to solidify the offending control without ill effects-. Now I only wait for a simple Zmount to MFT adapter (even though the old 16mm cine lenses I have adapted to MFT only have an image circle suitable for half the frame, the pixel density makes enlargement viable. p.

More info please ad the new edition. When and by whom? Presumably a C/Y mount and not the original M42. GIven Kyoceras posession of the trademark and its exit from the camerasbusiness I presume that this was part of marketing the Cx RTS and not any more recent. p.

An ancient thread may well be as functional as an ancient camera, provided it is carefully used .. In this case, both appeals to freedom of repurposing, as well as reflections on the current state of "features" versus simplicity + users making efforts to master the basics, will be relevant. p.-

one that fits in a pocket (but not the Minox, too small negatives, and the 35mm variety was prone to failed shutters although its lens was quite good) I switched to the more fiddly handling Rollei 35 after giving up on several Minoxes. For digital, the Olympus pen is acceptable excdept for its wrongheaded focussing arrangement. p.

On the current background of incfreased phonecam-use and traditional companies giving up, this past discussion on technology, business practices, fashion and cultural change deserves resurrection. Potential new discussants might keep in mind that faster and cheaper production of devices performing similar services constructed with less labourious methods and of cheaper materials is an ancient art, rather like when individually rolled beeswax candles were displaced by frames dipping severfal wicks in less expensive molten wax, Plastic is not just of the fragile and less precise type, cf. the last Angenieux amateur optics. What gives cause to reflect, however as moulding takes over is whether precision mechanical production skills litke those needed i60years ago might be needed in the future Also, annual changes of style and profit-increasing, but non-essential frills like cigarette lighters, radios and cup carriers added to cars is an old phenomenon, so similar initiatives to increase camera sales income should not be unexpected -Hats being replaced by hoods and horses by cars also springs to mind. . A well documented reference to industry history comes from page 42 of the excellent zeiss registry of mr, Berdt Otto and from pages 193-201 of Hans Jürgen -Ku`c s book on Contax where they detail the phletora of self-competing products that drained the finances of the Zeiss-Ikon-Voigtländer cameraworks so that the Zeiss foundation could not fund them any longer.. p.

SP: I tried in vain to send a PM, but the site claims that my message does not have an approved format, NO info available on how to fit a messages in the box provided and zero option for corresponding with the site owners. As to your question , I cannot offhand recall the dates, but I visited together with a colleague from another Norwegian govt. department, , deputy permanent secretary .of the ministry of financeThorvald Moe as well as mr. Kalbermatten from the secretariat of one of the relevant UN agencies. We spoke about sustainability.. Since the proceedings were printed, it should be easy to find data on myself- If you manage to outwit the PM system I will providde you with my emailadress.. yours ph.

I decided to look through the archives of old mails regarding classic equipment and discovered the commented pictures of this genius from Karnataka, "SP". photos accompanied by local knowledge are so much more interesting than technically brilliant snaps in screen format: A few years ago. Bangalore had become just a copy of any badly planned metropolis when I was there to give a lecture at the Indian Institute if managemen so t quicly absconded to Mysore.."SP" texts invite to look closer into how India has changed. Also the info contained on DDR eqipment is most welcome, especially as one by now has more info on how Zeiss Jena , KW and others succumbed to speedy revaluation of the currency plus privatixation that made so many highly skilled and talented people lose their jobs-. p.

the rear filters are not "plain glass", yes., they are plane.parallell and a form of glass, but in the documentation following this lens Minolta specified that a particular filter should be used, while their tables also showed other of their fclear ilter types fitting the rear thread.. I assume that they wanted specific indexes of refraction and dispersion even when rays exiting the lens must be assumed to go fairly perpendicular to the surfaces. p.

For lens colelctors, there are three complete gorups of Allpa mount lenses from wide to telephoto (french&german then takumars and finally cheaper japanese where the labels said Auto-Alpa . The latter seem to be rarer.and en exceedingly rare example dates from after Kern Aarau was submergesd in the Wild-heerbrugg company and the last macro switrars were monted in japan. p.

My various Alpas live safely stored,not "maintained" but still work. The meter cicuit is of the bridge coupled type, so voltages do not matter,BUT the instruction book warns asgainst using any conventional oil when servicing, since that will destroy all lubrication inside. p.

My R for use is an R8 while my R9 sits in a secure place waiting for the Westlich auctions to put an indecent price on it. However, the electric contacts have no effect besides guiding the flashlight device, so scrartching them should not be a cause of worry.. I use an ancient 60mm macro and an old 180 apo-c without rom sontacts with no problems on the R8-. (On the other hand Iam barbaric anough to not have any qualms about filing the rear end of my 21-35 in order to clear a canon digitalSLR mirrror, , but I do have respect for not modifying or destroying photigraphic antiquities. )p.-

My R8 IS OK but not that brilliant. It has an unfortunate tendency to think it should expose the same scene twice if I do not take my finger off the button quicly enough. No problem with the optics, except for size and weight, the Leitz designs are truly excellent (even if they changed the Label after a fiancial disaster). I am not using the R8 flash innovations or any other of its modes except spotmetering and the auto time setting. Except for its viewfinder brightness and auto shortcuts,, as far as I am concerned, a working Praktica L with a lens adapter might serve the same purpose ::i.e. taking the snaps.I want-. p.

Strictly speaking, the pen is not the only interchangeable lens option; the Swiss Alpa produced a fau\irly rare half frame body which took a large number of interchangeable lenses.- p.

I agree with the erudite comments a few posts above on the need for accurate focussing and firm support,but would like to add one factor common to all long lenses: Due to their reach there is a temptation to picture far-away scenes. This introduces another cause of fuzzy images; the atmosphere. Really distant scenes are best pictured on a cold winter day. Even then, heat from a less well insulated roof will introduce wobbly air that can interfere with your motive. With older mirror lenses there is yet another cause of unsharpness; some have been opened to clear out dust by well-meaning amateurs with no collimation equipment. Remember that where light makes 3 passes internally before leaving , accuracy requirements for reassembly will be three times as important as with ordinary optics. As mentioned above, fumbling while fosussing is an important factor. one technical feature that I have found very useful, is the focusing lever of the LeicaR/Minolta 800mm; it moves very smoothly as opposed to the helix type focus of the shorter catadioptrics. p.

I have stuck my M6 on a wall as a decorative piece. M and R lenses still do excellent servive on an Olypus Pen F, No space consuming fake prism on top and commendably silent. Focussing is a problem though. No need for looking at the back of the camera as with other digitals,, A look through viewfindeer like you are used to with a focussing aid. However, The focus point and spot metering point supposed to sit in the middle, where you instantly obtain a selectable 14x magnicfication. although more accurate than the split image of the Ms or even better than the visoflex II, , moves in unpredictable ways when you hold the camera and unavoidabl ypress the inconvenient rear wheel. An extra bonus of the Pen F is a 50mp+ high resoulution mode that Leicas lenses can take in their stride (tripod or firm foundation needed) A bonus of the last 80.200 R is that it acts like a macro at the longest setting. In camera stabilization by jiggling the sensor actially works to provide stable hand held shots.. The summicron 50 version iV that originally came withe M6 will continue to serve you well. BUT,. if you use the super angulon, be prepared to encounter difficulties. The 35mm might not like the 4mm thick cover glassses in front of the sensor, Leica has put in a vey thin version and rearranged the sensor to be less sensitive to skew rays, so for wider glass (not the retrofoci\us R wides) M9 might serve you better. The leicas have the advantage of not having a myriad of buttons that need pressing. Raw files give you the same opportunities to pull or push development as juggling developer concentration, timing and agitation, only easier and fasteron the computer. p.

the question is similar to whether the beer with the hijacked name Budweiser. The beer made in the Us does not conform to the <germn purity laws, So an urquell in Eurrope is something else than abroad. Trade mark disputes h\keeps the markets separate.. So it was with Zeiss.western exports, sometimesThey had just jena and T for tessar and S for sonnar. on the front rings. same contruction as pre war.. Pancolars were recalculated. Quality issues centers on the grease used on the helix often quite stiff. some oils spilt over on the aparture blades, making them stick.. Some later zeiss west for the ZIV Icarex were produced by the zeiss-Voigtländer factory in Braunsshweig, but also marked Carl Zeiss. The C\Y mount zeiss for the Contax were produced by Kyocera in Japan, Yashica was taken over by them. No systematic defects seem to occcur.. p.

I would guess that the foggy R lenses have lived in a hot& moist clime. My northern ones are entirely clear. With the proper adapter, R optics will also fit most digital cameras and do perform well. No experience with R7, but my SL2 and R9 work as well as the day they left the factory. Unfortunately Ernst Leitz GMBH was swallowed by the equally high- precision- optical instrument specialist Wild Heerbrugg and has bought several other companies such as American Optical etc. All in all, it has been through a number of mergers and demergers and abandoned the R series rather than go broke. Mechanical issues can - at a price- be fixed by a skilled repairer. Electronic faults in integrated circuits long out of production is another matter. Nowadays Leitz microscopes, geo-measuring instruments and cameras+ binoculars reside in three different companies with different owners and the Leica badge is a matter of licencing (and keeping high quality standards) . If Leica had not tilted its business model towards being a fashion accessory, the camera part might not have survived at all. Leica optics are still first class although their cost is quite high. This reflects high development costs, low production runs, a need to remunerate those who put up the capital as well as the marketing expenditure. Conclusion: Do not hesistate to get the more recent R-optics. p.

I just looked at the German site. That camera looks like a model 133 (light meter window) from before 1955, so it would seem strange that the consumer survey quoted above took place with an old model. Maybe the had surveys a couple of years apart, There might well be better sources than Prochnov. I am neither a Voigtländer collector nor an expert, I just have used some Voigtländers in the past which now sit on a shelf, among them a Vitessa model 125 and find topics such as the history of technology interesting. p.

So to confirm that it is a type 140 from 1958 you just have to have a look at the fasteners for the film channel pressure plate. p.

The fairly detailed (26pages) description of the Vitessa varieties in Claus Prochnovs 320page Voigtländer Report volume 1, does not mention any other colours than black. Your specimen seems to be the model 133\96, produced between 1954 and 1955. Prochnow states that the light-meter window changed to this type in 1955. Model 140\96 was produced from 1956 to 1958 and looks the same. Some also, -like this one,- had Weston meter numbers (WES) which were common on the previous model. He states that internally the 140 is "improved" and can be recognized by having two catches for the film pressure-plate above and below the film gate. p.

And if the Complan had been kept, there would have been complaints about its depth of field and questions about why it was not f 1,4 with a longer measuring chain fit for portraits. p.