william_m._carson

I just read your posting Tod and I sympathize with you; Leica gear is costly and the price should not really be an issue because of it's quality and performance levels. Yo pays yo money and yo takes yo choice! Incidentally, will you point me in the right direction to obtain a one of your so-called "High-End" digital cameras for $850.00?? The last time I spent a little time with ShutterBug, they were still going for several thousand dollars. Regards, Bill Carson

Regarding the sharpness of "Mackenzie": I have a 20 X 30 of this image and it is SHARP! The "Mackenzie" that you see has a little bit of >Blur>Gaussian at about 1 Pixel Radius to soften this photo of a little girl. Needle sharp is not always appropriate for all pictures in my opinion. Thanks for your commentys. Bill

Here is , I hope, a smaller 'package' -- Leica M-6, 50mm Summilux-M

and Ektachrome 200. A Halloween Princess, No less!<div></div>

WOW! What a response to my posting!

 

Many thanks to those submitting thoughtful and constructive comments regarding my image. I am sorry about the apparent size of the posting: I believed that it would be OK being in 'jpg' format and sized to 4 X 6 with 72 dpi resolution. But, something obviously went wrong? I felt that something was wrong when it took quite a bit of time to download.

I fully agree that this projects less than a positive example of the use of PhotoShop and again, I fully agree that such corective programs are used entirely too much and often without appropriate skills. I really did use very little PS on this print: I selected the sky area, which was a perfect rectangle, and moved the 'cloudy sky' into place and those two steps were IT! Sorry about the imposition and to reply to Mr. Todd Frederick's question regarding my ownership of a Leica camera: Yes, I do have a Leica -- My first one was acquired in 1936 and was a IIIa w/F.2.0 Summar and presently I own several with a few current lenses. Regards to all respondants, Bill Carson

Taken on the Beach w/ M-6 Classic, 50mm Summilux-M and Ektachrome 200.

A little work w/PhotoShop. Do you like it?<div></div>

I think the Viso III system with the M camera is much better than the R-8. I have been an old Nikon user and I bot an R-8 which I really thot was a disaster! Say what you may, Nkopn has come a long way since the F and ALL the way they have been leadsersx. Think about it! Bill

You've got a lot to learn about TRI-X! If you process it with D-76 1:1, for 7½ minutes [agitatiuon 3 or 4 sec. at 30 sec. intervals]at precisely 68°F on all solutions including wash. Try it; you'll like it!

You'd have had a much better exposure if you had waited until the people in the background finished their walk up the steps and got out of your view. The white is quite distracting (I think).

Don't fix it unless it's broke - Good Advice.

In Leica, it's easy to find your way among their lenses if you remember: Elmarit = f.2.8, Summicron = f.2.0 and Summilux = f.1.4.

I am very surprised that noone has mentioned the champion of all time, Panatomic-X!

Wall Street Camera was a great store and they SURVIVED! I remember them

from the 1930s - Willoughby's, Macys, Aremac, 42nd Street Camera were a few selling Leicas in those days.

Here is a Leica photo taken in NYC a couple of months ago. Hope the

posting comes out??<div></div>

I think that you have figured things out very well.

The ""F=" reflects the viewing frame for a lens of that focal length. 13.5=135mm, 90=90mm, 50=50mm, etc, etc.

The downward angular change of the viewing 'scope is a correction for parallax or the difference in the field that your lens takes and the view that your the 'scope sees --- as you get closer, the 'scope must point downward more to compensate for the difference in the elevations of your eye and the camera's lens.

Sounds like you have a good outfit to begin enjoying Leica photography! Good Luck. Bill

A comprehensive instruction as to just how a photo and title are uploaded to the Forum would be most welcome; how about it from one of you gurus?? Bill

Hi Josh: Where is "about an hour North of Seattle?" Welcome and Regards, Bill

Beth: I HIGHLY recommend B&H or Rich Avila, Villiage Camera --- Both in NYC. Buying in Germany is something of a problem and the dealers seem not to care very much if you do not buy! I located a new Leica M-6 Titanium with 35mm-f.1.4 Summilux-M ASPH lens for equivalent of US$3,750.00 in Hamburg a month ago. It should have been elligible for about a $600.00 refund of their VAT but the Dealer [Wiesenhavern Video-TV]could not be bothered to assist in obtaining a refund and they WOULD NOT mail to the US. So, that was that! If you want Rich Avila's address contact him at

photovilla@aol.com. Good Luck, Bill

I've just returned from six weeks in NYC, Halifax, Southampton, various UK destinations via cruise ship and five days each in Hamburg and Copenhagen. I carried only my M-6 and 50mm-f.1.4 Summilux-M and 35mm - f.1.4 Summilux-M and a Leitz Table-Top w/Ball Head. I never had the 50mm out of it's leather pouch! Oh yes, I also took my Nikon 995 and used three 128Mb CF chips. At no time did I miss the 90mm or the 21mm optics. What I had with me was ideal. Bill

My guess would be that you are talking about the last pre-ASPHERIC model. I have a 35mm - f.2.0 ASPH that is S/N 03810XXX and I bot it new a couple of years ago. Bill

That 35mm Suumilux-M - f.1.4 is quite a lens ---- Either ASPH or NON. Go for it and you will be very pleased with what you can accomplish with that lens. Bill

As I calculate, if the Dealer has a gross margin of 33% discount from the List Price, he will just about break even on a sale at $1,362.00 ---- that is one tough way to make a living! Bill

I speak as an amateur photographer who started using the Nikon F when it came out about 1959. Since, I have used the F-2, F-3, F-5 F801s and N90s and have had many Nikkor lenses from the old 8mm-f/8/0 (FishEye) to the 500mm Reflex-f.5.0 and f.8.0. I have also always had Leicas; I bought my fist one in 1936 which was a brand new IIIa Refugee and I presently have M-6 equipment. Because I had obtained a 400mm Telyt that would not adapt to my M-6s, I bot an R-8 along with a 50mm-f.2.0 Summicron-R and spent some time getting acquainted with this reflex camera and the 400mm and 50mm lens equipment.

I do not think that the R-8 measures up in any way to the Nikon stuff; I found it difficult to live with and got rid of the three Leica

R items that I had bot.I think that your Dad would like to get acquainted with the M-6 (or M-7) but he would laugh at you for trying to sell him the R-8!

----- and, that's just the way it is! Bill

I am told that your cousin does not wear underwear? Is this true? She'd get very cold in Alaska in February.

The price, since you ask, is $1,725.00 plus pp&ins B.

LEICA is the ONLY way to go!!