Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/18

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Subject: [Leica] Off topic - Enfield 500 - was senior portraits with contax G and Leica R4
From: Ian Stanley <stanley@loxinfo.co.th>
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1999 11:17:58 +0700

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Greetings,<br>
<br>
 In the fall of 1994 a group of friends and myself made an overland trip
from Kathmandu, Nepal to Lhasa, Tibet and back including a stop in at the
Everest Base Camp on the Tibet side.&nbsp; One of the motorcycles on the
trip was a 500cc Enfield Bullet like the one you asked about in your
message.&nbsp; I had seen quite a few of these machines around Kathmandu
and they looked pretty funky!&nbsp; Most folks, myself included, were
skeptical of old English technology assembled in India but in this case
we were all wrong.&nbsp; Other than adjusting the carb because of the
altitude this machine performed flawlessly and usually started with the
first kick every morning - something the rest of the machines definitely
did not do.&nbsp; After this trip the bike was shipped to Moscow and then
travelled overland to Ireland, where unfortunately it was stolen on the
first night in Dublin.&nbsp; It was recovered shortly after but was in
bad shape.&nbsp; I have quite a few shots of this bike, including some
with Mount Everest for a backdrop, taken with a M4-P and a 50mm Summilux
to keep this on topic.&nbsp; Thanks for reminding me of a very good trip
- - one that I would like to do again some day.&nbsp; Anyone
interested???<br>
<br>
Ian Stanley,<br>
<br>
Bangkok, Thailand<br>
<br>
At 10:31 PM 99-09-18 -0500, KPETERS wrote: <br>
<blockquote type=3Dcite cite>Took senior photos today for a friend's
daughter who wasn't pleased with her professional photographers' work.=A0
Just a few rolls of b/w and colour traditional portraiture.=A0 I used my
Contax G1 and the Leica R4 with portra 160 and the new Kodak b/w c-41
film.=A0 Anyways, both worked great, but I must say that the Contax is
still amazing me.=A0 72 perfectly exposed, perfectly focussed portraits--
some with the studio lights, some with ambient light/reflector outside.=A0
Clarity, with the 90mm zeiss lens is no problem.=A0 The 90mm summicron
rules for close ups, though, and I must say the colours from both lenses
appear identical through the processing.=A0 I use a metz flash/ motordrive
with the r4 and it's an impressive piece of machinery when all together,
the contax just looks like your mother in laws camera to most people.=A0
Very unintimidating!=A0=A0 Perfect weather outside today too!=A0 Corn and be=
ans
are ripe and ready for harvest, light breeze, upper 60s/low 70s.=A0 <br>
=A0<br>
Also wanted to ask those of you in love with the old mechanics if anyone
had any experience with the Enfield motorcycles?=A0 Our local motorcycle
dealer just started selling them and they are quite interesting!=A0 500cc,
one big cylinder, one carburator, kick start.=A0 The IIIf of motorcycles!=A0
And really neat!=A0 British styling, etc....=A0 Just wondering if anyone out
there had checked them out!???=A0=A0 Anyways, seemed like something that an
old Leica buff would like to have in their garage for photo
adventuring!=A0=A0 Peace to all and have a great weekend!=A0 Kpeters<br>
<a=
 href=3D"http://www.huntel.net/kpeters/index.html">http://www.huntel.net/kpe=
ters/index.html</a><br>
</blockquote><br>
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