Long time Nikon guy just got his first Leica... whee!
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I think you're missing my point.
I KNOW how to check to see if the film isn't taking up after I close the door... The problem is, I don't want fiddle-fart around with the damned loading of the camera for 2 seconds longer than I need to. With my Contax, Nikon, Canon, Voightlander, and Pentax cameras, I don't need to even think about it. It just always works. Leica is a special little snowflake that for some reason decided that it would flout engineering conventions and go its own way... thereby forcing me to spend a couple seconds longer to load film. It isn't the end of the world. It's just a bit annoying.
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Good tip
Ok you established that the camera is junk. Send it to me and I will dispose it with dignity. Oh, yes include the lens too.
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Ok Steve. It's yours. Can you send me your mailing address?
Oh, also can you include a personal check for $3k?
Oh, also can you include a personal check for $3k?
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I got to the bottom of the Leica loading problem. Steve was right. The leader I cut works well for every other camera in existence but for the Leica, it has to be cut very precisely. Not only does the leader width have to be just so but the length of the leader. The tongue must be SHORT in order for the sprocket holes on the north side of the film to engage the northern sprockets. If only the southern (toward camera base) sprockets engage, the film does not load. In addition, the film edge must straight and pressed against the northern (toward viewfinder). It would be great if Leica went back to their old style removable take up reel (like my Contax IIa). But now that I know, I can deal with this finicky bullshit.
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It's shocking how consistently good the exposure is on this Leica. It really fits my process. I've had no bad exposures. None. This one is a perfect example of spot-on exposure:
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Also, the very inexpensive Chinese TTArtisan 50mm asph lens I used for this roll is as sharp and contrasty as my favorite Nikon (105mm 2.5) or any other lens I own. I have hard time believing a Leica lens that costs easily 10x this Chinese lens would be even as good, let alone much better.
Believe it.
It's shocking how consistently good the exposure is on this Leica. It really fits my process. I've had no bad exposures. None. This one is a perfect example of spot-on exposure:
Excellent! Indeed, the metering on my film Leicas consistently gives better results than the fancy 3d matrix metering on my other cameras.
Going back to film loading, I did a bunch of shooting yesterday on the northern Cali coast. Note - I only use regular 24 or 36exp rolls - no bulk loaded film. Super easy and quick film loading. Pull leader out, drop film into the chamber, close and wind on. That's it. Worked perfectly every single time following Leica's instructions. Plus I'd get 38 exposures per roll.
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with bulk loading, you have to cut your own leader. If you didn't know your leader had to exactly match a factory leader, you would find that your Leica was no longer easy to load. wrt lenses, I can imagine a Leica lens being slightly better than my cheap Chinese lens but certainly not significantly better, let alone 10x better. That's just inconceivable. My Zeiss lens has been said by many reviewers to be better than its leica counterpart after having shot with both. So now I am comparing the Chinese lens to the Zeiss and as good as the Zeiss is, the TTArtisan is better. Which means it is also better than a Leica... at a small fraction of the price.
There definitely is a case of diminishing returns. Twice as expensive does not mean twice as good. Most often, just a little bit better.
Perfect example is within Leica's own ranks. The Apo Summicron 50 is $8500. Regular Summicron 50 is $2500. When I compare actual photos online, maybe if I look extremely closely at the corners and edges wide open can I see a difference. Something that I would never actually consider to do if I shot a lens wide open. By f4 I cannot tell any difference anywhere.
And that is in perfect camera on a tripod conditions. In actual use there are so many other variables - camera shake, perfect focus, rangefinder calibration between lenses - that you are kidding yourself caring about the minutiae.
I use Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander, Light Lens Lab and 7Artisans lenses on Leica bodies. The 7A 35mm f2 is actually very very good and I especially enjoy using it because I can be carefree with its use as it cost me $200 used.
Where you do see differences often is not optically but in fit/finish/consruction. All my 7A lenses focus past infinity. They are still accurate via the rangefinder patch so I don't care given the price point, but it's things like that, that show the difference.
Leica lenses do tend to be much smaller than their rivals, every thing else being equal. And I really like that, it just makes the handling of the total package much more enjoyable and intuitive. A V5 Summicron 50 is tiny. Love that.
Perfect example is within Leica's own ranks. The Apo Summicron 50 is $8500. Regular Summicron 50 is $2500. When I compare actual photos online, maybe if I look extremely closely at the corners and edges wide open can I see a difference. Something that I would never actually consider to do if I shot a lens wide open. By f4 I cannot tell any difference anywhere.
And that is in perfect camera on a tripod conditions. In actual use there are so many other variables - camera shake, perfect focus, rangefinder calibration between lenses - that you are kidding yourself caring about the minutiae.
I use Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander, Light Lens Lab and 7Artisans lenses on Leica bodies. The 7A 35mm f2 is actually very very good and I especially enjoy using it because I can be carefree with its use as it cost me $200 used.
Where you do see differences often is not optically but in fit/finish/consruction. All my 7A lenses focus past infinity. They are still accurate via the rangefinder patch so I don't care given the price point, but it's things like that, that show the difference.
Leica lenses do tend to be much smaller than their rivals, every thing else being equal. And I really like that, it just makes the handling of the total package much more enjoyable and intuitive. A V5 Summicron 50 is tiny. Love that.
It is tiny. I got one a few months ago and was surprised at how small it was. Great handling lens with equally great image quality.
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Here is a case where the exceedingly bright sun reflection was in the middle of the frame and affected the exposure calculation of the Leica. The result isn't bad. All of the important detail got adequate exposure. The mid tones are slightly underexposed and chalky. This isn't the camera's fault. The photographer is supposed to recognize the specular highlight in the middle and then compensate by increasing exposure by about a third of a stop. I didn't, in my haste to get the picture and then rush off to my dentist appointment with the lovely Dr. Laura Sauvage.
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I suppose if it weren't for the Ziess, TTArtisan... and other high quality lenses, Leica wouldn't sell any cameras. Would you buy a Leica camera body if you knew that your whole system (including lenses you needed) were going to cost you as much as your car... or more?
Yes. Leica have been in existence since 1869. People bought them because of the Leica lenses. It is nice to have options though.
Leica - I came for the lenses and stayed for the bodies.
Leica glass and the compactness of the lenses was certainly a draw for me, but there's something about the feel/ergonomics/pure simplicity of an M film camera that I continue to find very appealing. Even if I no longer had any intention of using Leica's own lenses, I'd stick with the M system for the joy of using the cameras.
Years ago I had a leader template the folded over the film and allowed me to cut perfect leaders every time. Definitely worth getting if you are going to bulk load film.
Meanwhile... back at the ranch, selling your Nikon gear you say? What lenses?
The thing with the M mount is that is the most easily adapted for all those digital mirrorless cameras that Zeiss and Voigtlander probably sell more to that crowd than M users.
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People have had options in M Mount lenses from other makers since the what... 1950's? Prolly before Leitz lens prices went insane.
Using inflation calculators, it seems Leica prices always were insane. So nothing new there!
Anywhere we can see your pictures? Equipment lust is all fun and games until your shots get 3 likes...
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I've been posting in the gallery
And screw "3 likes" I don't give any kind of a care if you or anyone else likes/hates my stuff. I have a feeling you feel the same way about your stuff.
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Well said. I think what I'm trying to get at is that being popular can be nice and that also one can be unpopular within themselves as well.
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