Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica M advice wanted
From: "Richard W. Hemingway" <rheming@ibm.net>
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 21:26:35 -0500

D.T.

You wrote:

>really prefer to have slides to project and so I want to shoot K25 and/or 
>Velvia.  I have never used reversal film with a Leica (or any camera without 
>a stepless electronic shutter).  I've heard that the shutters aren't all
that 
>precise but of course with negative film a half stop or so isn't as critical 
>as with slide film. I don't have the time to send them for a professional 
 
I mostly use my Ms for travel pictures and take nothing but reversal film.
I have done this since about 1950 when I graduated from the U of Colorado
and immediately traded in all my college books (probably a mistake) for the
Retina Ia I had been lusting after the last several years of school.  I
have shot with Ms since about the early 80's.  I have no problems with the
shutter speeds.  I have more trouble with my technique (metering etc.) than
anything else.  

I would advise you to tale a faster film, for either will be too slow for
interiors, unless you take a tripod (which I never do).  Try elite Chrome
100 and 200, E200 and Kodachrome 64 and 200.  You might walk around before
you go with your light meter and measure the light in places similar to
what you may see - see what the readings are.  My last trip was with two M
bodies with Kodachrome 25 in one and Kodachrome 200 in the other.  However,
I like the 200 reversal films.  I have not used the Fuji films enough to
give you advice on them.  I'm sure someone else on the lug can do that.

Once you have decided on a film - get some and check your M meter against
your hand meter (if you have one) and shoot some test rolls (try to get all
from the same batch) which you can match against your M meter.

The lst time I was in Sweden I took an R4 with the 50/2.0 and a Hasselblad
with the 80/2.8 and bought all my film from the same batch and test shot it
before I went.  Got a bunch of great pictures.  No problem with shutter
accuracy with either camera.

Hope that this helps.

Dick Hemingway
Plano, Tex