Why Buy a Leica?

[David H. Bebbington]

Why dont you have (find/bye) a 'real' Leica.. Like my 'new' Leica II (1940) ... take a look at this link: http://www.fotokritik.dk/kritik.html?pic=353289....
Never had anything like that.....

Erik
(now in Jasper National Park (AL,Ca))

If anyone wants a real Leica, they should take care not to buy a Russian Fed 1, which is what you have (the giveaway feature is the shroud around the shutter release button).

Regards,

David

 

[Erik Hartmann]

If anyone wants a real Leica, they should take care not to buy a Russian Fed 1, which is what you have (the giveaway feature is the shroud around the shutter release button).

Regards,

David

No David ...My father have had this camera from about 1950.... he probaly had it second hand...... not sure.... but it is no russian.....
You are wrong.....

erik

 

[David H. Bebbington]

No David ...My father have had this camera from about 1950.... he probaly had it second hand...... not sure.... but it is no russian.....
You are wrong.....

erik

One thing to check is to take the lens off (unscrew it) and look at the rangefinder cam which lies just inside the lens mount at the 12 o'clock position. In a Leica, this will be circular, in a Fed, it is wedge-shaped (pointed, with the point facing forwards).

Regards,

David

 

[Erik Hartmann]

David
Thanks for you help and interest. Here is a pictgure of (what I still think is a Leica) with the lens off: http://www.fotokritik.dk/kritik.html?pic=353289-4

Or this http://www.fotokritik.dk/kritik.html?pic=353289

Erik

PS The picture is OK .... the text is wrong

try my other link and find picture #4

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Dear erik,

Your camera is interesting! I have a Fed 1 and Leica IIIa for reference (the IIIa is virtually the same as the II except for a slow-speed dial, max. speed 1/1000 and a focusing eyepiece). Your camera seems to have the same rangefinder cam as mine, the viewfinder mask is a bit different but is of a type found on genuine Leicas, but the shutter release button surround I am sure was never found in this form on a genuine Leica, only on Feds/Zorkis. It is entirely possible that your camera is genuine but has had this shutter release surround changed for some reason (as a piece of practical design, it is probably better than the Leica version, which has a small milled collar which you have to unscrew to fit a cable release). On balance, this is probably the more reasonable assumption!

Regards,

David

 

[Roger Hicks]

I'm sure a wrist strap works well for some people but, for me, it takes my right hand out of the equation for anything except holding the camera. Sometimes I need the use of both hands at the same time. Maybe to lift my glass of beer while trying to get the attention of the pretty young waitress to bring another round. So, I'll stick to neck straps. Besides, I can carry more than one camera at the same time that way.

Dear Lee,

Seconded! I have a couple of wrist straps from the 1930s (one I think is genuine Leica) but whenever I've tried using them I've found exactly the same problems.

As for the Great Shutter Release Controversy, once you've unscrewed (and lost) the original surround, which had happened before I bought my IIIa in about 1969, you can put all manner of aftermarket collars on them. As far as I recall this even includes the retaining collar for the valve on a bicycle inner tube, which would pass for the Leica original to all save an eagle-eyed collector.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Dear Lee,

Seconded! I have a couple of wrist straps from the 1930s (one I think is genuine Leica) but whenever I've tried using them I've found exactly the same problems.

As for the Great Shutter Release Controversy, once you've unscrewed (and lost) the original surround, which had happened before I bought my IIIa in about 1969, you can put all manner of aftermarket collars on them. As far as I recall this even includes the retaining collar for the valve on a bicycle inner tube, which would pass for the Leica original to all save an eagle-eyed collector.

Cheers,

Roger

I am sure this is the explanation - for good measure, Erik's camera has got a shutter speed dial from a Leica III, which of course makes no difference at all to its role as a family heirloom and its potential as a fun picture-taking device!

Regards,

David

 

[eddym]

Yes, THIS one: http://www.leicagoodies.com/ --> SLING

I like my wrist strap better.

 

[removed account4]

i have a leica mainly because
i like to wrestle with my film
as i load it into the back of the camera.
"other" cameras are too easy to load.

john

 

[eddym]

If you read the posts, you'll see that first Eddy called me "silly" for suggesting the use of a camera strap on a Leica, then went on to say camera straps are for big heavy cameras like Nikons - my only point was that not all SLR's are big and heavy. BTW -I have Nikons and a Leica and enjoy using them all equally well.

Me too. And of course the weight of my Nikons (or my Leicas) is highly dependent upon the lens attached. But the Nikons always come out heavier.

And I hope you didn't take the "silly" comment seriously...

 

[Roger Hicks]

i have a leica mainly because
i like to wrestle with my film
as i load it into the back of the camera.
"other" cameras are too easy to load.

john

Dear John,

There's the problem. You should be loading it into the bottom.

MUCH easier.

Just as easy as any other camera, in fact...

Cheers,

R.

 

[eddym]

I'm sure a wrist strap works well for some people but, for me, it takes my right hand out of the equation for anything except holding the camera. Sometimes I need the use of both hands at the same time. Maybe to lift my glass of beer while trying to get the attention of the pretty young waitress to bring another round. So, I'll stick to neck straps. Besides, I can carry more than one camera at the same time that way.

It's a wrist strap, not a hand strap. So the camera can dangle from my wrist whilst I use both my hands for... umm, whatever I need them for. It's really not a problem.

I have, in the heat of battle, used three Leica M's at once, each with a different lens: M6 with 50mm with wrist strap on left hand, M3 with 90mm on right, and M4-2 with 35mm on a neck strap. One does have to be a bit careful not to let the two wrist-strap cameras clang into each other...

I guess that's why SLR shooters like zoom lenses.

 

[dslater]

Me too. And of course the weight of my Nikons (or my Leicas) is highly dependent upon the lens attached. But the Nikons always come out heavier.

And I hope you didn't take the "silly" comment seriously...

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you have mostly MF Nikon gear. I believe that my N80 with to 50mm f/1.8 AF lens is lighter than an M body alone. Of course the M is much tougher, but that just isn't very important to me. I'm not a photojournalist or a professional photographer and can afford to treat my cameras gently.

 

[dslater]

It's a wrist strap, not a hand strap. So the camera can dangle from my wrist whilst I use both my hands for... umm, whatever I need them for. It's really not a problem.

I have, in the heat of battle, used three Leica M's at once, each with a different lens: M6 with 50mm with wrist strap on left hand, M3 with 90mm on right, and M4-2 with 35mm on a neck strap. One does have to be a bit careful not to let the two wrist-strap cameras clang into each other...

I guess that's why SLR shooters like zoom lenses.

Still seems a little limiting to me. I'm sure that you don't want the camera dangling from your wrist banging into whatever you are grabbing with your hand. Frankly my preferred method of carrying my camera is in a pocket. I generally use the strap around either my neck or wrist as insurance against dropping my camera while using it. Carrying on my wrist gets in the way and carrying in on my neck rapidly makes my neck quite sore. The other issue with carrying it on my neck is the camera ends up at just the right height to clock my son in the head anytime I bend down to him. I think the ideal way to carry a camera may be something based on a hip pack. Your hips are the best place to carry extra weight.

 

[removed account4]

Dear John,

There's the problem. You should be loading it into the bottom.

MUCH easier.

Just as easy as any other camera, in fact...

Cheers,

R.

roger,

i always wondered why i had so much trouble getting the back off,
i almost sent the darn thing to skgrimes !

i hope the screwdriver marks won't tank my resale value :rolleyes:

j

 

[jolefler]

. Your hips are the best place to carry extra weight.

That's not what my wife said when she was squeezing into a pair of jeans from her teen-age years!

Actually on subject, I've been carrying a Barnack, small meter, extra roll of film & my wallet in a very small fanny pack (usually worn on my left hip). Very convenient, especially as the II has no lugs...just throw it in the pack to free my hands...zip it for moving around.

 

[dslater]

That's not what my wife said when she was squeezing into a pair of jeans from her teen-age years!

You better never let her see this post or I suspect you'll be sleeping on the couch for quite a while.

 

[eddym]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you have mostly MF Nikon gear. I believe that my N80 with to 50mm f/1.8 AF lens is lighter than an M body alone. Of course the M is much tougher, but that just isn't very important to me. I'm not a photojournalist or a professional photographer and can afford to treat my cameras gently.

Sorry, but your limb is cracking....
I do still have (and adore) an FE2, but my other Nikons are F100 and D200. None are heavyweights, but f2.8 zoom lenses attached to them weigh a ton!

 

[eddym]

Still seems a little limiting to me. I'm sure that you don't want the camera dangling from your wrist banging into whatever you are grabbing with your hand. Frankly my preferred method of carrying my camera is in a pocket. I generally use the strap around either my neck or wrist as insurance against dropping my camera while using it. Carrying on my wrist gets in the way and carrying in on my neck rapidly makes my neck quite sore. The other issue with carrying it on my neck is the camera ends up at just the right height to clock my son in the head anytime I bend down to him. I think the ideal way to carry a camera may be something based on a hip pack. Your hips are the best place to carry extra weight.

It depends on what, where, and how you are shooting, of course. For the kind of shooting I normally do with Leicas (street work, dance and theater, mostly) the wrist straps are the ideal solution to my particular problem. The camera is right at hand, quickly accessible, and fast to shoot. It's a perfect tool for the jobs I use it for. Other tools work better for other jobs, and I use them when I do those other jobs.

 

[dslater]

Sorry, but your limb is cracking....
I do still have (and adore) an FE2, but my other Nikons are F100 and D200. None are heavyweights, but f2.8 zoom lenses attached to them weigh a ton!

Ahh - Zoom lenses - I have mostely primes and always forget about the zooms.

 

[branki]

I'm looking to buy my first M-body.

A user, no "shelver". My options are the M2 and the CL or the M4-P. Price is an issue.
I have been shooting bessa for a while now, and feel it's time to move on. I miss the metal feeling of my Zorki4k every now and then, and yet I wouldnt go back and use it anymore. So I realized I was probably (unconsciously?) looking for a Leica.

Suggestions?

 

[matti]

Leicas are pretty much the same. For me, the meeter in the M6 is practical. Otherwise, an M2 would be about the same. Of course, now that I think about it. As I never use anything else than my Summicron 50, I suppose I should change to an M3...
/matti

 

[waitew]

"Second, for short lenses, rangefinder focusing is more accurate than SLR focusing. Of course for long lenses, the SLR has the focusing advantage." Quote.

Except with short lenses you've got more depth of field so your rangefinder soars where it's needed the least! Great rationalization! Money well spent no doubt!

 

[David H. Bebbington]

"Second, for short lenses, rangefinder focusing is more accurate than SLR focusing. Of course for long lenses, the SLR has the focusing advantage." Quote.

Except with short lenses you've got more depth of field so your rangefinder soars where it's needed the least! Great rationalization! Money well spent no doubt!

Are you an experienced photographer? Anyone who had used 28, 24 or 20 mm lenses with both RF and SLR cameras would, I think, readily acknowledge that RF focusing is vastly more positive and quicker, whereas it is almost impossible with an SLR to avoid going back and forth over the ideal focusing setting. Depth of field with wide-angle lenses is considerable but not infinite!

 

[kapro]

I have both Leica and Voigtlander R4M. It's like holding young breast in one hand and silicone implants in the other....

Owning M6,M7,MP and R6 I have to say MP is state of the art.
Anyway, the most important part of the camera is that funny dude standing behind it