Hello, 35mm friends,
a brief self-introdcution! I have recently bought a (black) Leica R5, including a 50mm Summicron-R (Made in Canada, R-only) and a 135mm Elmarit, complete with all front and rear lens covers.
So far, the whole kits seems to be in sound condition; I have removed some dust and cleaned everything a bit. A dry run revealed some irregular shutter lag (I am aware of the general problem, but my camera seems to display a somewhat erratic behaviour in that respect), but repeated firing of the shutter seemed to have cured the matter somewhat. The seller (professional vintage Leica dealer) was friendly and offered to take it back if I wanted him to.
First impressions: a somewhat typical 1980s 35mm SLR. Of course, the logo and the red dot might suggest that this camera is something special, but, compared to the current Ms which I had a closer look at in our local Leica boutique, it is quite an ordinary camera (not in a bad way). Compared to the R7, 8 or 9, to the SL range and to many others, it is quite compact. It is a camera which I am going to use, carry with me, bang around, maybe drop or even lose. The white logo has become yellow-ish, the leatherette seems ok, all functions seem to work as they should, only the plastic film transport lever is a bit of a disappointment, it simply looks a bit cheap. On the other hands it is quite impressive in what a good the camera is, given its age.
I went to the Leica boutique to "upgrade" the camera with an original Leica hipster-ish rope-type camera strap (which cost 1/3 of the entire body of the camera) and so far I am a happy man. I look like one of those Influencers but on a shoestring budget.
I do not expect any wonders; it is a 40 year old kit, and it is not the camera but the photographer who "makes" (not "takes" - A.A.) the photo. Still, handling the camera makes me happy, and while it is not a MP, or M6, or M3, it is a nice camera made by an important manufacturer, and I picked up the whole kit for the price of 1/2 Iphone. What's not to like?
I would be happy to update you about my progress and also answer any questions.
a brief self-introdcution! I have recently bought a (black) Leica R5, including a 50mm Summicron-R (Made in Canada, R-only) and a 135mm Elmarit, complete with all front and rear lens covers.
So far, the whole kits seems to be in sound condition; I have removed some dust and cleaned everything a bit. A dry run revealed some irregular shutter lag (I am aware of the general problem, but my camera seems to display a somewhat erratic behaviour in that respect), but repeated firing of the shutter seemed to have cured the matter somewhat. The seller (professional vintage Leica dealer) was friendly and offered to take it back if I wanted him to.
First impressions: a somewhat typical 1980s 35mm SLR. Of course, the logo and the red dot might suggest that this camera is something special, but, compared to the current Ms which I had a closer look at in our local Leica boutique, it is quite an ordinary camera (not in a bad way). Compared to the R7, 8 or 9, to the SL range and to many others, it is quite compact. It is a camera which I am going to use, carry with me, bang around, maybe drop or even lose. The white logo has become yellow-ish, the leatherette seems ok, all functions seem to work as they should, only the plastic film transport lever is a bit of a disappointment, it simply looks a bit cheap. On the other hands it is quite impressive in what a good the camera is, given its age.
I went to the Leica boutique to "upgrade" the camera with an original Leica hipster-ish rope-type camera strap (which cost 1/3 of the entire body of the camera) and so far I am a happy man. I look like one of those Influencers but on a shoestring budget.
I do not expect any wonders; it is a 40 year old kit, and it is not the camera but the photographer who "makes" (not "takes" - A.A.) the photo. Still, handling the camera makes me happy, and while it is not a MP, or M6, or M3, it is a nice camera made by an important manufacturer, and I picked up the whole kit for the price of 1/2 Iphone. What's not to like?
I would be happy to update you about my progress and also answer any questions.
