Few years back I sold my P which I absolutely loved but needed the money.
The only rangefinder I kept around for a while was a Fed 2A and three russian lens. (though I really should have kept my CVs and vintage Canon LTMs ... but money... )
So when I went to reacquire a P, it seemed like the price was still up there considering. So I decided to see how I would like the 7, seeing as it's basically a P upgrade with a meter and different style viewfinder.
This one I picked up, while it did have a dent in the back corner by the rewind (possibly dropped, especially with a little ding by the lever), which was quickly resolved by the seller with a price adjustment.
Fortunately everything else appears to work, shutter speeds, meter, timer, advance, rangefinder coupling, viewfinder frames, etc. And I just adjusted the vertical alignment ever so slightly (was mainly lined up at less than 3 feet, but vertically off elsewhere, now it's spot-on for everything a little under 3 feet up to infinity, with only a sliver off the vertical under 3 feet). Coupling seemed good when I checked against a ground glass.
I haven't had a chance to go out and about with it just yet, but I have a feeling I'm going to like it just as much as the P. The P will always have a special place in my heart, but I think the 7 will grow on me just as much.
Right now I just have :
- Fed Industar-10 50/3.5 Collapsible (gaffer tape just behind the front to keep it from going back in too far when adapted on my olympus, fits the 7 collapsed as long as I mount extended first, and keep the "FED" logo at 12'clock when collapsing)
Was super-hazy and very very low contrast when I had it for a few years, the just recently decided to go ahead and open it up (very easy, two elements thru the rear spanner, cleaned up, no haze, good sharpness, decent out of camera contrast). Seems to work best on my Fed 2A.
- Industar-61L/D 55/2.8 which doesn't have the greatest focus ring gets a tad stiff going down to 2m or closer. Originally I thought there might be some kind of growth inside the lens, so like the I10 I disassembled it thru the rear pretty easily as before, cleaned which mostly seemed like dust, re-assembled and seemed fine. (Seems to have better contrast than the I10, but not as sharp).
- Jupiter 11 135/4 My favorite telephoto even on my Olympus E-M5 (micro-4/3rd) sharp as a tack at f/4 and good contrast.
But soon I'll have a Canon Serenar 35mm f/2.8 Mk I to cover my wide angle need on the LTM (would love to get the CV Ultron 35/1.7 back, but $$$, so I'll see how the Canon 35/2.8 does, least aesthetically it'll match the 7 like a charm)
Just thinking if I continue down the path of re-acquisition if I should try to get the Canon 50/1.8 Serenar I originally had with my P, or maybe look at getting a post-1950s Summarit 50mm, or perhaps some other variant of a faster 50 (f/2 or faster).
Without further ado, some pictures I shot of the 7 with the Industar-61L/D attached (Will do the same bit different setting once I get the Serenar).
The only rangefinder I kept around for a while was a Fed 2A and three russian lens. (though I really should have kept my CVs and vintage Canon LTMs ... but money... )
So when I went to reacquire a P, it seemed like the price was still up there considering. So I decided to see how I would like the 7, seeing as it's basically a P upgrade with a meter and different style viewfinder.
This one I picked up, while it did have a dent in the back corner by the rewind (possibly dropped, especially with a little ding by the lever), which was quickly resolved by the seller with a price adjustment.
Fortunately everything else appears to work, shutter speeds, meter, timer, advance, rangefinder coupling, viewfinder frames, etc. And I just adjusted the vertical alignment ever so slightly (was mainly lined up at less than 3 feet, but vertically off elsewhere, now it's spot-on for everything a little under 3 feet up to infinity, with only a sliver off the vertical under 3 feet). Coupling seemed good when I checked against a ground glass.
I haven't had a chance to go out and about with it just yet, but I have a feeling I'm going to like it just as much as the P. The P will always have a special place in my heart, but I think the 7 will grow on me just as much.
Right now I just have :
- Fed Industar-10 50/3.5 Collapsible (gaffer tape just behind the front to keep it from going back in too far when adapted on my olympus, fits the 7 collapsed as long as I mount extended first, and keep the "FED" logo at 12'clock when collapsing)
Was super-hazy and very very low contrast when I had it for a few years, the just recently decided to go ahead and open it up (very easy, two elements thru the rear spanner, cleaned up, no haze, good sharpness, decent out of camera contrast). Seems to work best on my Fed 2A.
- Industar-61L/D 55/2.8 which doesn't have the greatest focus ring gets a tad stiff going down to 2m or closer. Originally I thought there might be some kind of growth inside the lens, so like the I10 I disassembled it thru the rear pretty easily as before, cleaned which mostly seemed like dust, re-assembled and seemed fine. (Seems to have better contrast than the I10, but not as sharp).
- Jupiter 11 135/4 My favorite telephoto even on my Olympus E-M5 (micro-4/3rd) sharp as a tack at f/4 and good contrast.
But soon I'll have a Canon Serenar 35mm f/2.8 Mk I to cover my wide angle need on the LTM (would love to get the CV Ultron 35/1.7 back, but $$$, so I'll see how the Canon 35/2.8 does, least aesthetically it'll match the 7 like a charm)
Just thinking if I continue down the path of re-acquisition if I should try to get the Canon 50/1.8 Serenar I originally had with my P, or maybe look at getting a post-1950s Summarit 50mm, or perhaps some other variant of a faster 50 (f/2 or faster).
Without further ado, some pictures I shot of the 7 with the Industar-61L/D attached (Will do the same bit different setting once I get the Serenar).