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HPL posted:I find it's not the price of the bodies that keeps me from trying Leicas, it's the price of the lenses. Ouch. Keep in mind that Voigtlander cranks out some really nice LTM and M mount glass these days that won't break the bank. And some of the older Leica/Leitz glass isn't too painful. But yeah, recent Leica brand glass will sucker punch your wallet.
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Jul 24, 2009 01:05
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Clayton- Those old uncoated Summars look great with modern colour films. Yeah, the price continuum for current ltm/m lenses goes Cosina Voigtlander (Reasonable) -> Zeiss (Expensive) -> Leica (Absurd), with very little quality difference. There's plenty of Canon and Nikon ltm glass out there too, and it's quite good as well.
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Jul 24, 2009 01:10
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Clayton Bigsby posted:Keep in mind that Voigtlander cranks out some really nice LTM and M mount glass these days that won't break the bank. And some of the older Leica/Leitz glass isn't too painful. Considering that I wouldn't use a Leica as my main camera, it's hard to fathom spending that kind of money even on Voigtlaender lenses compared to the usual gang of old Japanese manual focus lenses. In other news, I'm in the middle of scanning a test roll from my Olympus OM-2SP. Wow, this is a fantastic camera. Exposure is dead on thanks to the spot meter. Taking photos with the camera is great because there's barely any shutter noise or motion. Even the program mode is great because you can set the maximum aperture on the aperture ring and it'll never go over that so if you're looking for faster shutter speeds, you can do that and if you're looking for max depth of field for the given light, you can do that too. My Pentax Super Program went the other way, keeping shutter speeds around 1/60 and twiddling around with the aperture more. I think this will replace my Pentax ME Super as my main carry-around camera. I've got a diagonal focusing screen and a 28mm f/2.8 on the way from KEH.
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Jul 24, 2009 01:12
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I wish I could find the link, but somebody did a serious test of the C-V (Cosina-Voigtlander) lenses vs current Leica glass, and the C-V ones definitely held their own, though the best of the Leicas are still the best. But we're talking a 5% improvement for 300% the price here. I have a ton of Supra 100 waiting to be used, though most of the time the M will likely see Tri-X or a C41 B&W film.
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Jul 24, 2009 01:13
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I want a Leica so bad I can taste it. I have just never been able to justify one considering I have 2 Nikon F100s that I never use. Someday...
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Jul 24, 2009 01:19
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Say, does anyone here have any experience with Yashica Electros? I have a 35 GT and managed to break the meter while tinkering with it, now it permanently undermeters and so when I take a shot, the shutter stays open indefinitely until I remove the batteries. Any ideas?
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Jul 24, 2009 02:56
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Mello Clello posted:Say, does anyone here have any experience with Yashica Electros? I have a 35 GT and managed to break the meter while tinkering with it, now it permanently undermeters and so when I take a shot, the shutter stays open indefinitely until I remove the batteries. Any ideas? Define "broke"? Broken leads? Did you break the aperture? The meter is top-left if the lens is pointing at you. I don't know what you were tinkering with, but maybe you just got one of the connections somehow?
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Jul 24, 2009 03:00
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While we are on Electros, I just got a GS. The shutter lock doesn't seem to work and just spins and spins, and the shutter doesn't really have a half press stop to check the meter. Is this normal/a common issue?
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Jul 24, 2009 04:09
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Paul MaudDib posted:Define "broke"? Broken leads? Did you break the aperture? The aperture's fine, it daresay I just got one of the connections. However, all I did was open up the lens to get some dirt out... I'll strip it down again properly and check all the wires.
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Jul 24, 2009 06:56
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Reichstag posted:Yeah, the price continuum for current ltm/m lenses goes Cosina Voigtlander (Reasonable) -> Zeiss (Expensive) -> Leica (Absurd), with very little quality difference. Don't forget the old LTM stuff too; Russian (dirt-cheap, nice if you get a good one) and Canon (pretty respectable) Clayton Bigsby posted:I should get an LTM -> M adapter tomorrow, and will be using my 1936 vintage uncoated Summar on it. Eventually I'd like to get a more modern, contrasty lens, but I think the Summar will be right at home even though the camera is a good 43 years younger... Sup M buddy. I'm currently rocking a $30 Jupiter-8 with cheap eBay adapter on my R3a. No problems with it as far as RF alignment or anything; I made sure to do some close-up, wide open shots to check. I've got a Jupiter-9 (85mm f/2) on the way from an RFF member; went through two stinkers on eBay (one heavily scratched, another with fungus and a wonky RF cam) before finding that one. From what I've seen on Flickr it looks like a nice performer. There are some other LTM lenses I want to pick up, but I need to send mine in to get the vertical alignment fixed first. It's usable now but goddamn is it annoying.
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Jul 24, 2009 21:39
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I've had a Jupiter-8 and a Jupiter-12 -- both good lenses and dirt cheap. My favorite of the russians might be the Industar-61 though. VERY nice glass. The Helios-103 is superb too, but not available in M/LTM mount. I have one on my Kiev-4 and it's wicked sharp and renders very nicely. I haven't used the J-9 on a rangefinder, but have it in SLR (M42) mount. It's "dreamy" wide open with some funky bokeh, and very very sharp at f/4. edit: adapter arrived, and Summar is on. Here's the M4-2 next to little brother.  And for laughs, a couple others tossed in. Notice how small the OM2 really is for an SLR... 
Clayton Bigsby fucked around with this message at 23:18 on Jul 24, 2009 |
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Jul 24, 2009 21:44
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There is so much weird, unique ltm glass out there, some of it has no information available online, some has only been written about once, in a catalog in 1947. It's a trip. The first lens I bought for my Bessa R was a Jupiter 8, and it was a fine performer. The only real reason I stepped up to my Nokton was for the speed increase. A photo from the J-8: 
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Jul 25, 2009 02:35
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So while Leicas are on the table, let me pick the collective brains here. A local pawn shop has a Leica, according to the S/N it's a circa 1937 IIIa. 50cm Cristar lens with a stuck diaphragm, the shutter works, the rangefinder is clear and bright and focuses easily, the body is in decent but not stellar shape. The asking (starting) price is $321, which is why it's been sitting there for a couple months now. So, worth persuing at all? Any ideas of actual value? I'm not paying anywhere near $321, trying to find a reasonable bargaining range unless you all tell me to forget that one.
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Jul 25, 2009 03:20
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Is there a medium format SLR modular style camera that you fellas would recommend? Something that's cheap and dependable, and could start me off in that side of medium format, like my thirty dollar Ikoflex TLR did, instead of what a more popular model would have costed?
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Jul 25, 2009 05:30
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The Affair posted:Is there a medium format SLR modular style camera that you fellas would recommend? Something that's cheap and dependable, and could start me off in that side of medium format, like my thirty dollar Ikoflex TLR did, instead of what a more popular model would have costed? If you don't want changeable backs, you could check out a Pentax 645. They're not badly priced at all. Obviously you won't ever get more than 6x4.5 out of it. Other nice 6x4.5 cameras include the Bronica SLRs. There's a Mamiya 645 that I would assume is nice. Other than that, there's the Mamiyas, the Hasselblads, and the Pentax 67. The 67 won't have changeable backs either. None of these are real affordable. Medium format system SLRs are expensive toys unfortunately. 
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Jul 25, 2009 05:59
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When looking for a medium format system, don't just look at the price of the bodies, look at the prices of the lenses too because you'll probably be buying at least two or three lenses versus one body. Interchangeable backs is a big plus. So is a metering prism. Honestly though, nothing beats a TLR for a cheap medium format camera. Of course you could get one of those Mamiya TLRs with the interchangeable lenses but that's not very cheap either. I went with Mamiya mostly because they are the only guys to make an affordable fast prime, the 80mm f/1.9 and the rest of their lenses are fairly reasonable too.
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Jul 25, 2009 07:50
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Gnomad posted:So while Leicas are on the table, let me pick the collective brains here. I would take a very close look at that lens; some of the Cristars can be very valuable. A IIIa in "user" condition assuming everything works ok, maybe $200. If you get it I have a recommendation on who to send it to for a CLA, something you want to do. Figure $70-90 for that. edit: make sure the shutter curtains look ok. They can be repaired/replaced but it might not be worth the hassle unless you get a REALLY good deal. Clayton Bigsby fucked around with this message at 16:04 on Jul 25, 2009 |
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Jul 25, 2009 15:10
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The Affair posted:Is there a medium format SLR modular style camera that you fellas would recommend? Something that's cheap and dependable, and could start me off in that side of medium format, like my thirty dollar Ikoflex TLR did, instead of what a more popular model would have costed? It depends on if you want 6x4.5, 6x6, or a larger format like a 6x9 folder or something. 6x4.5 is the cheapest, although I personally don't care for it; you get some of the PITA of shooting MF (fewer films, slower lenses, more expensive and hard-to-find processing) and the only real benefit is bigger enlargements, which I don't do. Still, if you want to go that route there are some nice bargains, both in bodies and lenses. I like 6x6 because it changes how you compose an image, which is a bit of a challenge. You can grab a Yaschica TLR for $100 or less, which is a fine introduction, although definitely not modular. As far as 6x6 SLRs Bronica is one of the cheaper systems to buy into since it's been discontinued; realistically there are a shitload of them floating around and parts aren't going to run out anytime soon. I wouldn't call them dependable but the Russian Kiev's are cheaper still. They don't seem to break down randomly on their own so much, but it can be hard to find one that came out of the factory in good working order. You can get around the dodgy QC by ordering a more expensive (still cheaper than most other systems) reconditioned model from Hartblei or Arax that's been gone over and brought up to spec. They take Pentacon-6 lenses, which include some very nice and fairly affordable Zeiss glass, as well as a Russian 30mm fisheye which is a screaming bargain at around $200 (price wideangles in other MF systems and you'll see what I mean). Of the Kievs there's the 88CM, which is a Hasselblad clone with interchangeable backs, and the Kiev 66, which is basically a giant SLR without interchangeable backs. The 66 is supposed to be the more reliable of the two. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 16:00 on Jul 25, 2009 |
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Jul 25, 2009 15:57
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The Affair posted:Is there a medium format SLR modular style camera that you fellas would recommend? Something that's cheap and dependable, and could start me off in that side of medium format, like my thirty dollar Ikoflex TLR did, instead of what a more popular model would have costed? If you don't need interchangeable backs, look at the Mamiya 645E. KEH currently has a kit in BGN condition for $251. Great cameras, and you get into the Mamiya system which has some wonderful optics. Built in meter/AE, great viewfinder.
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Jul 25, 2009 16:07
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Well I'm 2-for-2 on orders from photo-co and Canada Post tells me my third one is on the way so I would assume that whatever problems they've had before they seem to have ironed out.
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Jul 25, 2009 17:03
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Pompous Rhombus posted:I wouldn't call them dependable but the Russian Kiev's are cheaper still. They don't seem to break down randomly on their own so much, but it can be hard to find one that came out of the factory in good working order. You can get around the dodgy QC by ordering a more expensive (still cheaper than most other systems) reconditioned model from Hartblei or Arax that's been gone over and brought up to spec. They take Pentacon-6 lenses, which include some very nice and fairly affordable Zeiss glass, as well as a Russian 30mm fisheye which is a screaming bargain at around $200 (price wideangles in other MF systems and you'll see what I mean). Of the Kievs there's the 88CM, which is a Hasselblad clone with interchangeable backs, and the Kiev 66, which is basically a giant SLR without interchangeable backs. The 66 is supposed to be the more reliable of the two. I was considering making this recommendation, but I decided against mentioning it. The 88 is a gigantic pain in the rear end, with such incredible design as a shutter speed dial that will break if you turn it counter-clockwise or turn it without cocking. This is after the Hartblei repairs. I've also heard of problems with the magazines leaking light, although not as frequently. They do make it with the Hasselblad mount too so you can start collecting faggy German glass. e: My girlfriend has told me I need to look on the bright side more often. At least you won't have to worry about your body losing value! Paul MaudDib fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Jul 26, 2009 |
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Jul 26, 2009 01:12
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Paul MaudDib posted:I was considering making this recommendation, but I decided against mentioning it. The 88 is a gigantic pain in the rear end, with such incredible design as a shutter speed dial that will break if you turn it counter-clockwise or turn it without cocking. This is after the Hartblei repairs. I've also heard of problems with the magazines leaking light, although not as frequently. They do make it with the Hasselblad mount too so you can start collecting faggy German glass. Yeah, look on the bright side. People will think we're shooting Hasselblads. You can't put a price on that. But yeah, I expect mine to spontaneously combust whenever I use it.
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Jul 26, 2009 01:18
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The Kiev MF bodies are "fun" and "quirky" but gently caress me they are some serious pieces of shite in general. If you ever plan to do anything where you want the camera to work, get something else. Or carry 3-4 bodies around as backups. With MF gear so cheap these days there's no reason to use one.
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Jul 26, 2009 01:24
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I definitely got the Kiev for fun only. I wanted to get a taste of 6x6 MF. If I ever get more serious about it, I'll probably upgrade to a Bronica SQ series camera. I wish there were more 6x6 SLR options.
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Jul 26, 2009 02:16
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CanuckBassist posted:I definitely got the Kiev for fun only. I wanted to get a taste of 6x6 MF. I didn't want to come across as knocking down your camera at all, and I think it might look that way. Kievs are a lot of fun to use and play with and a good way to get a feel for MF gear. They just aren't very reliable and if it's your only camera on a trip somewhere and it jams up, well, things kind of suck.  For really cheap MF I always advocate the classic TLRs followed by the Mamiya SLRs.
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Jul 26, 2009 02:31
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Clayton Bigsby posted:I didn't want to come across as knocking down your camera at all Not at all. I tell everyone that asks about it how lovely it is.
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Jul 26, 2009 02:37
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Is there a place to get similarly cheap 120 film? That site doesn't seem to have the relabeled Tri-X in 120. e: "that site" being freestyle e2: Neopan 400 looks a little better at $3.09 per 120 roll, vs $3.79 per Tri-X roll. Freestyle seems to be a bit cheaper than B&H which is where I was doing my looking earlier. Paul MaudDib fucked around with this message at 03:59 on Jul 26, 2009 |
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Jul 26, 2009 03:11
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Not terribly relevant but would one of you MF nutters tell me if you can tell what camera Stuart Murdoch's using in this God Help The Girl video? He's a Photo Jenny so I'm sure he's using a Hassy but I don't know for sure. (Right at the start and more at 2:35) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7V5QwPqXOM 
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Jul 26, 2009 04:11
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Hasselblad 500c/m. You can make out the model number at the 2:35 bit.
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Jul 26, 2009 04:23
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Sweet, thank you.
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Jul 26, 2009 04:25
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Paul MaudDib posted:Is there a place to get similarly cheap 120 film? That site doesn't seem to have the relabeled Tri-X in 120. If you don't mind ISO 100 and a no-name brand, I know the frugal photographer has Shanghai GP3, a Plus-X clone under $2 a roll if you buy a brick of 50. I haven't tried it myself, though.
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Jul 26, 2009 08:31
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Snaily posted:If you don't mind ISO 100 and a no-name brand, I know the frugal photographer has Shanghai GP3, a Plus-X clone under $2 a roll if you buy a brick of 50. I haven't tried it myself, though. The GP3 seems to work fine for me. I got a small brick of 10 for $22 or so, locally I pay $5 a roll for 120 unless I wanted the Ilford 3200 in which case it's closer to $8.
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Jul 26, 2009 16:56
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The Affair posted:Is there a medium format SLR modular style camera that you fellas would recommend? Something that's cheap and dependable, and could start me off in that side of medium format, like my thirty dollar Ikoflex TLR did, instead of what a more popular model would have costed? I have to chime in that a Yashica TLR is probably your best bet. I use a Pentax 6x7 and it's expensive as gently caress to get started with a useable setup on one of those, and that doesn't have a removable back (but you can use polaroid backs with it, I think). A friend of mine got a Yashica TLR for like $500 on e-bay and it looks great and the pictures look even better. It has a meter but it's not that great, but the 6x7 metering prism is kind of crappy anyways and a modern, newfangled light meter, while expensive (mine cost around $250) will almost always be more accurate.
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Jul 26, 2009 20:59
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Gnomad posted:The GP3 seems to work fine for me. I got a small brick of 10 for $22 or so, locally I pay $5 a roll for 120 unless I wanted the Ilford 3200 in which case it's closer to $8. Everyone seems to be bitching about the curl of the film. Is it really that bad? And are we talking curl as in curling the same way that it's rolled or curl as in down the length of the film like a trough? I'm thinking of taking a go on some of that GP3 just for casual shooting. dorkasaurus_rex posted:I have to chime in that a Yashica TLR is probably your best bet. I use a Pentax 6x7 and it's expensive as gently caress to get started with a useable setup on one of those, and that doesn't have a removable back (but you can use polaroid backs with it, I think). A friend of mine got a Yashica TLR for like $500 on e-bay and it looks great and the pictures look even better. It has a meter but it's not that great, but the 6x7 metering prism is kind of crappy anyways and a modern, newfangled light meter, while expensive (mine cost around $250) will almost always be more accurate. The Mamiya TLRs have interchangeable lenses in case you get tired of an 80mm lens and you can get a metering prism for it. The Yashica 124Gs are a bit overpriced right now. Just about any other Yashica TLR should be reasonably priced though and you can get an old cheap light meter for not a lot of money.
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Jul 26, 2009 21:11
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GP3 film curl..... When I bought my Bronica, the seller added in a roll of the Lucky 400, which curled up like a bastard. The recent GP3 I have used did not curl like that, I don't know if I got lucky or not but the curl wasn't bad. It was more of the trough style. And if someone is looking for a cheap MF, now that I have a 124G I'm thinking of selling that Bronica. I'll go ahead and put it in the offical photo thread over in the flea market, but it will be competitively priced. As it turns out, I like using a TLR for MF more than the SLR.
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Jul 26, 2009 21:20
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Gnomad posted:The recent GP3 I have used did not curl like that, I don't know if I got lucky or not but the curl wasn't bad. It was more of the trough style. That's not so bad then. Trough-style curl can be worked on with a hair dryer. If you let it hang dry on its own, it'll curl. HPL fucked around with this message at 22:33 on Jul 26, 2009 |
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Jul 26, 2009 22:11
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I always put a small weight of some sort on the bottom to help weigh the roll down when drying -- it usually makes curling less of an issue. E.g. I'll clip it at the top and then put a heavier/larger binder clip at the bottom.
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Jul 26, 2009 22:19
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Clayton Bigsby posted:I always put a small weight of some sort on the bottom to help weigh the roll down when drying -- it usually makes curling less of an issue. E.g. I'll clip it at the top and then put a heavier/larger binder clip at the bottom. Definitely. I was wondering about curl in the other direction though. When it's trough-like, that's usually when it's a bitch to get the film in the scanner film holder. End to end curl is easy enough to deal with.
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Jul 26, 2009 22:36
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I almost always end up with (sprocket side to sprocket side) curl, I just put the film in between some really heavy books and leave it for a few hours.
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Jul 26, 2009 22:38
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Paul MaudDib posted:I was considering making this recommendation, but I decided against mentioning it. The 88 is a gigantic pain in the rear end, with such incredible design as a shutter speed dial that will break if you turn it counter-clockwise or turn it without cocking. This is after the Hartblei repairs. I've also heard of problems with the magazines leaking light, although not as frequently. They do make it with the Hasselblad mount too so you can start collecting faggy German glass. Actually it seems like the used (refurbished) ones go for like half of the cost of the new ones. I just got tired of waiting for another black Kiev 60 with MLU to come up on eBay  I've heard the 88 can be fickle, especially the backs, but the 60 I handled felt quite robust. I definitely would have hung on to it if it hadn't came with a jammed rear curtain. Thing smelled like a gun store. Cheap B&W film: I shot Lucky 100 back when I had my Seagull (another cheap B&W Chinese ASA 100 film, probably comes out of the same factory as the GP3 for all I know), no complaints. Then again it was my first time shooting B&W, so take that as you will. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Jul 27, 2009 |
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Jul 27, 2009 02:25
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