[Leica] New to Leica

[marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)]

At 10:22 PM 3/3/2009, Jan van Rooyen wrote:
 >I am the "new boy" from Florida who recently joined the LUG, converting 
 >from
 >two Zorki-6's to a newly-serviced Leica II (1934, # 146223) in fantastic
 >working condition, smooth and quiet as a Rolls-Royce - my first Leica ever.
 >My first Leitz lens is on its way to me, a user but clean 4/90 Elmar. My
 >other LTM lenses are 4/25 Color-Skopar Shapshot with its viewfinder, 2.8/35
 >Jupiter-12, 2/50 Jupiter-8, 3.5/50 collapsible Industar, 2/85 Jupiter and
 >4/135 Jupiter, plus Russian revolving turret viewfinder. My favorites are
 >the 25mm and 85mm lenses. I did not find the bottom loading hard at all and
 >am almost through my first film! So exciting to have such a nice new toy. I
 >specifically wanted a pre-WWII Leica camera ... a dream since 1959 when I
 >was in Grade Eleven and became camera-conscious. A long wait! - Jan van
 >Rooyen, Violin Maker.

Gosh.

First, the main voices on the List are those 
speaking to digital and to their Epson RD-1 and 
Leica M-8 experiences and problems and 
triumphs.  Do not be worried by this.  These are 
people with a solid interest and their comments 
are certainly of interest to those with an 
interest in digital.  And a lot of the folks here 
want to discuss photographs:  they will demand 
that you scan all of your pictures and post them 
and then discuss them in excruciating 
detail.  Some like that.  I do not.  If you wish, 
scan and post your pictures.  If you do not wish 
to do so, then, do not do so.  Stay with us a 
while to see how the dying eat the dead on this 
posting of picture routine:  the criticism tends 
to be vicious and hard-hearted.

There are a number of us on this List who do like 
and use film Leica camearas.  I also own and use 
a bunch of Soviet cameras and lenses and even 
some post-Soviet gear.  There are others with a 
similar bent.  I own only Post-War Leitz gear 
(though I own Prewar Zeiss Ikon and Franke & 
Heidecke and Voigtl?nder cameras), a IIIc, a IIIf 
RDST, and a IIIg, and an M3 DS and a Wetzlar 
M6.  I use them all and find them all wonderful 
picture-takers.  The IIIc is my favorite LTM 
(Leica thread-mount) camera -- I hate the term 
"Barnack camera", as that is a national invention 
of the Japanese and is not a decent title for the breed.

I should add that I have owned and used a lot of 
prewar Leitz gear over the years and also some Prewar FED cameras and lenses.

As you note, the silky smoothness of a Leica is 
one of its most alluring elements.

Several comments:

-- the "Russian revolving turret viewfinder" is a 
Postwar KMZ clone of the Carl Zeiss Jena 436 
VF.  It is very usable and is arguably the best 
of the breed, though some argue for the Astro and Tewe versions.

--  there never has been a 4/90 Leitz 
Elmar.  That lens was a 4/9cm Leitz Elmar.  This 
is one of my favorite lenses.  I have late 
edition on my Bellows II as a micro lens, and a 
collapsible one for my M's.  It is a wonderful lens.

--  the Jupiters are all great lenses but beware 
of the distinctions in SPS (Soviet/Post-Soviet) 
quality control.  The 2/85 Jupiter is a clone of 
the Prewar and Wartime 2/8.5cm Carl Zeiss Jena 
Sonnar and a good example is every bit as good as its original.

Welcome aboard!  I am a gearhead and love the 
equipment and the process.  Find your own place 
and stay with us.  Your presence makes us all that much richer.

Marc


msmall at aya.yale.edu
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!