Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Simon Wemel wrote: > Hi, members of the list, > > I'm a french newbie, using leica for about two months. > (Leica m6 with a Summicron 2/35mm) > Is there someone able to tell me where I could get the Viewfinder? You need to be member of the LHSA (Leica Historical Society of America) $60 per year. see: http://wanda.phl.pond.com/~lhsa/aboutlhsa.html > > Is there any other good technic book relating m6 ? Check at : http://www.imx.nl/photosite/leica/leicahome.html and http://www.komvux.skola.mark.se/hp635.htm and here is a copy of a previous mail on the list from Nathan: 1) LEICA-SPECIFIC BOOKS Jonathan Eastland, "Leica M Compendium", Hove Books 1994. A good basic book with descriptions of all the Leica M models from the M3 to the M6 (but not the latest M6HM or the TTL versions of the M6). Also describes all the current lenses and the more common of the older ones. There are chapters on how to use the rangefinder, how to handle and utilise the Leica. Other chapters describe the more common accessories such as the Visoflex, the MR meters, the Rapidwinder etc. This was my first Leica book. Cost about 30 GBP. Gianni Rogliatti, "Leica--The First 70 Years", Hove Collectors Books 1995. This book is more equipment-oriented than Eastland's and covers all the important Leica cameras, i.e. the early screw mounts, the M system, the Leicaflex and the R system. It does not have "how-to-use" chapters. While Eastland's book is aimed at the user, Rogliatti's is more relevant for the collector. The two books complement each other, with Rogliatti being more throrough and covering more of the Leica history. I am certainly not a collector, but I find this book both entertaining and useful. About 30 GBP. Next, two small books from Hove Collectors Books, the "Leica Pocket Book", 6th ed. and the "Leica Accessory Guide", 2nd ed. (published in 1994 and 1996, respectively). The Leica Pocket Book covers all cameras and lenses, with specifications, versions, serial number series (up to 1992). I find it quite indispensable. The Accessory Guide does the same for accessories. I found it extremely useful, for example, when I was looking for an external viewfinder for my M3. I carry these two small books in my briefcase at all times. I cannot remember the prices, but they are under 10 GBP each. Finally, the magnum opus of Leica books, James Lager's three volumes, "Leica--An Illustrated History". Volume 1 covers cameras, Volume 2 lenses and Volume 3 accessories. These are big, fat coffee-table books, with beautiful pictures of even the most obscure equipment. They are aimed squarely at collectors but as a user, I enjoy looking at them nonetheless. These books are available from the Internet bookshops ( www.bookshop.co.uk or www.amazon.com ) at around 100 GBP or $160, or you can buy them directly from James Lager (tel. 1-210-768-5426) at a special price for LHSA members (see below) for $130. To someone just starting out with Leica stuff and seeking basic information, I recommend the Eastland book and the two pocket books. 2) OTHER LEICA-SPECIFIC RESOURCES On the Web, there are two supreme sources of Leica information. The first is Erwin Puts's site, http://www.imx.nl/photosite/leica/leicahome.html .It is especially strong on information about the various Leica M lenses. Erwin's test reports are second to none. The second site is of course Leica's official web site, http://www.leica-camera.com. If you can read German, go to the German version of the site, as there is some information there that is not included on the English version (e.g. about the Leica Card programme). The Leica Historical Society of America (LHSA) publishes a quarterly journal, "Viewfinder", with many interesting articles and quite stunning Leica images. In addition, the LHSA also publishes the "Leica Catalog", a buy-and-sell publication for members. If you are looking for some obscure accessory and want some reasonable level of assurance that you will be dealing with an honest person, this is a good place to look. Most of the ads are from people in the USA, but there is also a fair amound of European members. I bought my M3 from a guy in Germany who advertised in the Catalog. To join the LHSA, write to LHSA Secretary-Treasurer, P.O.Box 250089, Plano, TX 75025-0089, USA, or e-mail its president, Bill Rosauer, on leicaman56@aol.com. Annual membership fee is $60 overseas and $45 in the USA. Umschau Verlag in Germany publishes Leica Fotografie International in English, French and German. Opinions about this magazine are divided. Its information content is quite low compared to the web resources listed above. The portfolios featured in it are of varying quality. The translations into English are sometimes quite funny, it is obvious that they are being done by non-native English speakers. All in all I find that this magazine is not a good value for money compared to the ones I list below (but I still buy it...). 3) NON-LEICA SPECIFIC READING BOOKS There are many excellent photography books out there. I will single out the following: Ansel Adams's series "The Camera", "The Negative" and "The Print" has recently been re-issued in paperback. Even though these books are from the early 80s and focus mainly on B&W photography, they serve as a good source of inspiration to anyone interested in pursuing perfection. More recent books to recommend are two really comprehensive works, both published by Focal Press: Michael Langford, "Advanced Photography" (6th ed., 1998) explains all the basics and a lot more too. If you want to know about the meaning of MTF curves, or how film really works, this is the book to have. If you want to get deeper into the technical side of things, optical principles etc., then "The Manual of Photography" by Jacobson, Ray and Attridge (8th ed., 1988) is worth buying. Each of those two books costs between 20 and 30 GBP and is available from the Internet bookshops, as are the Adams books. MAGAZINES After having looked at many, many photo magazines (both UK and USA) I have settled on the following three: - -Photo Techniques, www.phototechmag.com, or 1-800-877-5410. A wonderful magazine with real, informative articles, such as Erwin Puts's article about the Noctilux lens last fall. Do not confuse with the British magazine of a similar name. $21.95/year in the USA, $26.95 elsewhere. - -Camera Arts, 1-916-441-2557. Focuses more on the fine art side of photography, and on print making. Beautiful reproduction and in depth-articles on topics such as variable contrast printing. In Europe, call Lotus View Camera at +43 6278 7900 for a subscription. $25/year in the USA, more elsewhere (I do not remember the exact price). Be sure to specify Camera Arts and not View Camera Arts, published by the same company. - -LensWork Quarterly, www.lenswork.com or 1-503-659-2130. No equipment reviews, exclusive focus on art photography and portfolios. Interesting interviews with photographers, high quality stuff all around. Subscription is $29/year in the USA and $49/year overseas. None of these magazines will provide you with basic reviews of new camera models, and they also do not have the kind of enormous ads for mail order outfits that you will find in magazines such as Popular Photography, Amateur Photographer or Practical Photography. Those more basic magazines of course have their place too, but if you are after in-depth contents and great photography, then the three I listed above cannot be beat. On a final note, I have only included English-language publications in this writeup. Of course there are many fine magazines and books in other languages too, but since this is going to an international audience, I have excluded them from the review here. Nathan Wajsman Overijse, Belgium Photo page: http://members.tripod.com/~belgiangator - -------- Most of these books are available at the Photolibrairie in France. If you buy the French magazine Photoargus, you will find at the end a catalog of book you can order directly. Bonne lecture, XAvier.