Re: Screw mount user?

["C.M. Fortunko" <fortunko@boulder.nist.gov>]

Nick,

A great report.

Chris


At 08:34 AM 7/31/96 +0800, you wrote:
>Marc James Small wrote:
>> 
>> I have a IIIc with the expected APDOO and Geiss Kontakt, 5.6/20 Russar MR-2,
>> 6/28 Orion-15, 2.8/35 Biogon T, 2.8/35 Jupiter-12, 1.5/50 Sonnar T, 1.5/50
>> Jupiter-3, 2/50 Summitar, 2/50 Summicron, 2/50 collapsible Sonnar T, 2/50
>> rigid Sonnar T, 2/50 Jupiter-8, 2/85 Sonnar T, 2/85 Jupiter-9, 4/135 Sonnar,
>> 4/135 Jupiter-11, and a slew of Viso and bellows stuff.
>> 
>> I shoot with the sucker all the time.  It was my first Leica and is still my
>> favorite.
>
>I just want to add a footnote to Marc's list of lenses -
>
>Ages ago via private e-mail he recommended the 5,6/20 Russar MR-2 to me as
worth exploring, 
>along with Joe B who pointed out a very good review of it in Photon.  Well
, after two months of 
>owning this curious little couple (it comes with its own view finder) I
have to agree with him, the 
>lens is fantastic.  It has excellent contrast, almost no distortion, and
seems rasor sharp to my eyes.
>
>I have just returned from a trip to London where I was using it for the
first tiime, and got some 
>wonderful (to me!) images of the entrance court to the British Museum which
really capture the 
>characterisitics of the collonaded apace.  Obviously the 20mm view is the
crtitical element but the 
>ability to work on the scale setting relying on the enormous depth of field
gives great freedom (it 
>is not rangefinder linked, nor does it need to be).  It was a great delight
to find a 20mm lens of this 
>quality and character at such an affordable price.
>
> I generally shoot semi architectural/abstract images and so any distortion
tends to reveal itself all 
>too painfully - happily with the Russar all you reveal is your(my)
occassional inability to identify  the 
>horizontal plane when shooting.   The 20mm view provides amazing scope to
explore different 
>viewpoints in any situation, whether your shooting more geometric settings
-  or clearings in the 
>tropical rainforest!!  
>
>I can wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking for such a lens.  It
is not Leitz build, and 
>the aperture control is a bit of a fiddle, but as an interesting lens for
use on any Leica its fantastic.  
>I'm sure the Leitz equivalent will have the edge in all sorts of ways, but
for those who can't afford 
>one try one of these.
>
> I use it on a Leica IIIfrd alongside a 50mm f2 Summitar -  both very nice.
They travel everywhere 
>with us which is there greatest asset... as well as the wonderful images
they produce of course..
>
>Nick Jackson
>Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
>
>
>