I have officially joined the Leica club

Kyle M. · Oct 24, 2015

So after several years of really wanting a screw mount Leica I took the plunge and bought one complete with CLA receipts from 2 months ago. As of today I officially have in my Possession a very nice 1951 IIIf black dial. I had never previously handled one and had only seen them in photos, I can't believe how small and light it is, and thats a good thing. I've yet to get a Leica lens and as soon as I find a nice 3.5 Elmar or a Summitar for under $350 (yeah I know not likely) I'll get one. For now I'm using my Industar 61 and judging by the test roll I shot this morning there might be a tiny bit (3") or less of back focus at 1 meter at f2.8, or I could have just wobbled a bit. Any further distance and it's fine wide open. I very rarely shoot apertures larger than f8 or subjects closer than 10 feet so this most likely won't be a problem while I wait for a deal on a Leica lens. For the most part I'm just extremely happy to have a Barnack Leica, I'm still getting used to the leader trimming and loading process though.

frank · Oct 24, 2015

Also consider vintage Canon RF lenses and modern CV ltm lenses.

Hatchetman · Oct 24, 2015

I love my III and Summitar. I have about 20 working cameras and if I had to pare it down to 3, that would make the cut.

Sirius Glass · Oct 24, 2015

Enjoy

frank · Oct 24, 2015

An Elmar 50 is nice too. Consider an external finder for a better view.

georg16nik · Oct 24, 2015

Congrats!

IIIf and Elmar 3,5/50 is a good place to start and makes for the most compact kit to carry around without sacrificing optical excellence.

cliveh · Oct 24, 2015

Kyle M. said:
So after several years of really wanting a screw mount Leica I took the plunge and bought one complete with CLA receipts from 2 months ago. As of today I officially have in my Possession a very nice 1951 IIIf black dial. I had never previously handled one and had only seen them in photos, I can't believe how small and light it is, and thats a good thing. I've yet to get a Leica lens and as soon as I find a nice 3.5 Elmar or a Summitar for under $350 (yeah I know not likely) I'll get one. For now I'm using my Industar 61 and judging by the test roll I shot this morning there might be a tiny bit (3") or less of back focus at 1 meter at f2.8, or I could have just wobbled a bit. Any further distance and it's fine wide open. I very rarely shoot apertures larger than f8 or subjects closer than 10 feet so this most likely won't be a problem while I wait for a deal on a Leica lens. For the most part I'm just extremely happy to have a Barnack Leica, I'm still getting used to the leader trimming and loading process though.

Welcome to the land of tactile perfection.

Alan9940 · Oct 24, 2015

It's a slippery slope my friend!

Have fun!!

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Oct 24, 2015

you bought a rolls royce without engine and tires , rolls engines are handmade and expensive , soon you will discover . Buy the engine , dont try to put audi or toyota engine. You have to take thousand pictures and think what the hell is going on. Force the lens , find best colors , grades , night portraits , strong light shots , winter city pictures and please look to every picture , difference with others stradivari to 5 dollar plywood violin. Dont judge the lens , let it teach you to what to look at. Dont sell your camera , dont buy external finder , dont buy fu..in skopar , canon , zeiss. Than start to buy rembrandt , da vinci catalogs , take your pictures at their light , soon you would discover that you bought art history not a camera.

Xmas · Oct 24, 2015

You need some bulk film and FILCAs.

I normally use Cosina or Canon lenses they are a lot cheaper and better.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Oct 24, 2015

yes they are lot cheaper and cheaper.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Oct 24, 2015

and dont become an ignorant idiot.

frank · Oct 24, 2015

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
and dont become an ignorant idiot.

Really?

cuthbert · Oct 24, 2015

frank said:
Really?

You didn't get the memo? Those who use Cosina lenses on Leicas (like me, I have a Nokton) are idiots!

And those who think a Nokton 1.5 is a better lens than a Summicron II (again like me) are double idiots!

Sirius Glass · Oct 24, 2015

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
and dont become an ignorant idiot.

Is that some kind of requirement for people who own Leicas? I never heard of that before.

Ko.Fe. · Oct 24, 2015

Good entry.
Summitar is too huge one on Barnacks, IMOE, Elmar or Cron (They are well under $400 in LTM).

blockend · Oct 24, 2015

Your Industar is aluminium and radioactive! Much more space age than brass. I really like mine, especially at the wider settings.

bdial · Oct 24, 2015

The Nikkor LTM RF lenses are quite nice as well, and a bit less dear than the Leica glass.

tony lockerbie · Oct 24, 2015

Hard to load, but really special to use...enjoy. You should be able to get a reasonably priced Elmar, or a CV Nokton, but they are really too big for the Barnacks. I have an Elmar and a Summitar, plus an F2 Nikkor, which is probably better than the others...hope that doesn't make me stupid

Kyle M. · Oct 24, 2015

At this point I'm looking at eventually picking up an Elmar or one of the Canon 50mm 1.5's. I'm gonna shoot it with the Industar for awhile and see how I like that combo before I do anything. It's a perfectly good lens and I don't see why I need to break the bank to enjoy my camera. As far as Mustafa I think he's trying to say that anyone who uses anything other than a Leica lens on a Leica is an idiot, again I don't think I need to break the bank to enjoy a camera. Also he can't use the "if you don't buy Leica you buy junk thats gonna break" because it's simply not true, there are many cameras out there that will outlast there owners and they're not all Leicas' and Hasselblads'. It's just one of those things I get really tired of hearing from people.

Sirius Glass · Oct 24, 2015

Mustafa thinks that any equipment that was built by the Japanese is junk. That is pure bunk and he has been called on that many times in APUG.

MartinCrabtree · Oct 24, 2015

Beat him about the head and shoulders with an F5 and then blast through 36 frames documenting the results in under 5 seconds. Empirical evidence is always irrefutable.

Fixcinater · Oct 25, 2015

The 50/1.5 Canon is a nice lens, the 50/1.8 is even smaller and much lighter and while it is not a Sonnar formula, it still takes very nice photos. Quite inexpensive and not too-out-of-place on the screw-mount Leica bodies.

frank · Oct 25, 2015

Fixcinater said:
The 50/1.5 Canon is a nice lens, the 50/1.8 is even smaller and much lighter and while it is not a Sonnar formula, it still takes very nice photos. Quite inexpensive and not too-out-of-place on the screw-mount Leica bodies.

And I was thinking that the 50f1.5 is pretty spendy.

Another vote for the f1.8.

OptiKen · Oct 25, 2015

I have a IIIf as well and, to me, there is no camera more comfortable to shoot with.....everything just fits.....everything is placed right on the camera. Welcome to the group.

I have officially joined the Leica club

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