Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I think a Tower 5L makes a nice body for a heliar too! I just look through the finder- no more squinching through the dim rangefinder, shift eye to the 'other' window to frame! 2 meters to INFINITY!!!!! Huzah!!! w-i-d-e-r......... Bob Keene > >Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 09:43:08 -0500 (EST) >From: Doug Cooper <visigoth@echonyc.com> >Subject: [Leica] OT Heliar Vehicle (Canon!) > >Well, I've found what I think perhaps the ideal body for the Heliar 15mm >and Snapshot Skopar: it's a Canon IVSB from about 1952. $300, in >mint-/ex++ condition. The viewfinder on this particular model is dim, and >takes some squinting (although it has three choices of magnification, >which is impressive); of course, I will not be using the viewfinder. > >*Everything else* about the Canon is superlative: fit and finish, >styling, size. I met a thread mount afficionado in the store who owns a >number of Canons and Leicas IIIs, and said (heresy) that the Canon >requires less in the way of adjustment over the years. The shutter speeds >seem good, and the curtain is pristine. > >I'm not thrilled about having to cut the film leader to load, but this is >of course a problem across the board with these cameras. > >My sense is that this is as good a vintage body as you'll find in thread >mount, if you plan to be attaching Voigtlander/Cosina auxiliary finders. >(It's also an historically significant model: world's first x sync!) >The IVSB-2 has a couple of improvements that might be nice: you can set >the shutter speed before cocking; speeds are in the current 30/60/125 etc. >array; but these seem relatively insignificant. > >Within five minutes of purchase, I was walking down the street with the >Skopar and finder attached, and a fellow pedestrian said, "nice camera." > >------------------------------