Re: [Leica]FS friday( was My Leica in Italy - great trip and wonderful people)

[ralph fuerbringer <rof@mac.com>]

i am selling  2 items (&  related stuff) mentioned by Andrew Morang as
useful on a trip in italy described below. please contact off list
rof@mac.com
super pancake non retrofocus but conventional wa construction:
russar 20mmf5.6 (zeiss topogon formula) scale focuses to .5 meter mint$325
   russion high mag 20mm finder exc                                   $150
   original leitz 8-element 21mm chrome finder exc>                   $275
   leitz m adapter for ltm russar                                     $ 75
olympus om2s w/50mmf1,8  exc spot metering on manual,program available$300
   24mmf2.8 exc                                                       $250
   l35mm f2.8, exc except small ding in shade                         $150
   180mmf2.8 exc                                                      $500
   1.4 special glass tele extender for above makes a superb 250f4     $250

 
 From: Andrew Morang <morang@magnolia.net>
> Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2000 21:44:36 -0500
> To: "'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us'"<leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Subject: [Leica] My Leica in Italy - great trip and wonderful people
> 
> Saved by the Leica
> 
> Dear LUG readers,
> 
> I recently visited Calabria, in southern Italy, with two coworkers to
> conduct a coastal field trip.  We examined breakwaters, harbors, sediments,
> and beach conditions.  We took a video camera, a digital camera, and an old
> Olympus OM2S with two lenses.  Well, the Olympus was not working, and it
> looked like the previous user splashed it with seawater.  Fortunately, at
> the last minute, I had packed my own Leica M3 with a 50 mm Summicron and a
> 20 mm Russar lens, so I ended up using the M3 for most of my traditional
> (non-digital) photography.  I exposed many rolls of Kodachrome 25, and the
> results were fabulous.  The 20 mm lens proved to be very useful for
> recording the big picture at some of the sites.  My coworkers are amused
> that I take  mechanical, 40-year-old cameras with me, but, as this trip
> demonstrated, the Leicas always work.
> 
> The province of Cosenza rented a helicopter for us, and I'd like to share a
> useful technique I learned (old-timers, please be patient if you already
> know this).  The windows were somewhat scratched and cloudy.  The pilot
> sprayed them liberally with spray furniture polish, similar to our Lemon
> Pledge.  Then, with some clean towels, I buffed them thoroughly, and the
> results were fantastic.  The scratches were completely gone and the
> plexiglas was as clear as real glass.  The wax must fill the hairline
> scratches and have an index of refraction similar to that of the plastic
> material (analogous to the old photographer's trick of using nose or
> forehead oil on scratched negatives).  Well, from now on, whenever I
> anticipate renting a Cessna or other small aircraft, I'll bring along a can
> of spray wax.
> 
> The M3 works for aerial photography, but changing film is a bit cumbersome,
> especially if you drop the bottom into the carpet or seats.  I had my type
> 4 Summicron with me, but I wish I had my older rigid model with the
> infinity lock.  Anyway, a spot of masking tape achieved the same result.
> By this time, I fixed the Olympus body by cleaning the contacts and
> installing new batteries.  The remaining lens that had not been
> salt-damaged was the 35 mm f/2.8 shift lens.  It is not intended for aerial
> work, but its optical performance is superb.  If any of you LUG readers are
> Olympus users, I recommend this 35 f/2.8 shift lens highly.  I'd say it's
> performance is almost up to 35 Summicron standards.  If you can find a used
> one, it would be worth having an old OM body just to be able to use this
> optic.
> 
> Our Italian hosts were wonderfully gracious and friendly.  The food was
> great, the scenery delightful, the ladies pretty.  What more could one want
> in life? (except to stay longer).
>