Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/09/10

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Hybrid Leica M/Contax G systems
From: "Rodgers, David" <david.rodgers@xo.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 19:12:14 -0500

Mahrdat,

Speaking of Contax, I just shot my Contax system over the weekend. I did two
location portrait sessions. I used an ST body and 85/1.4 for some b/w 35mm.
I had all my Hasselblad backs loaded with color film. 

I use R now, but I still have a few Contax SLR lenses, and the ST body. I
couldn't give them away on the used market, so I kept them. 

Two things I appreciated about using Contax system. I stopped down to f2.8
or f4 for most of the shots (I was limited to using natural light). The negs
look super. Haven't printed them yet, but at f4 the 85/1.4 is pretty darn
good. The Zeiss 85/1.4 MF lens is only worth a fraction of what its Leica
counterpart is worth on the used market. Don't know how they compare
performance wise, as I've never used the Leica lens.  

Secondly, I used auto bracketing on the ST. I wanted to run some exposure
test on Acros under various conditions. I'd forgotton how handy it is to
have auto bracketing. Three quick shots with the motor drive! Fast and easy
to get just the right exposure! 

I wish the ST was an R mount. There's really not any R body that compares. I
actually like the R7 more, but it's close. There are some features on the ST
that I like. The ST is only worth a fraction of what the R7 is worth. 

Contax MF is like Canon FD. A real bargain right now. My son signed up for
photography this, his senior year in HS. (I'm happy but a little shocked.
He's never shown an interest before and I've never pushed photography to
him). Guess which system he gets to use?

Dave  

- -----Original Message-----
From: Mehrdad Sadat [mailto:m.sadat@verizon.net]
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 11:11 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: RE: [Leica] Hybrid Leica M/Contax G systems


if you shoot with the r system, u got try some the contax MF lenses. the
100/f2, the 100 makro, the 85 /1.4, the 50/1.4 and some of the exotic lens
like the 28/2, 135/2, 85/1.2  and the 55/1.2 are just great not to mention
the zoom's like the 35-70/3.4, 35-135. compared to a R8 system, a contax MF
system with good lenses will cost a fraction.



_____________________________________
Thanks, Mehrdad

[-----Original Message-----
[From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of ternahan
[Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 5:19 PM
[To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[Subject: Re: [Leica] Hybrid Leica M/Contax G systems
[
[
[I got a G-1 when my R 6 had to be in the hospital after a bad fall for
[several months. I like the fact that it is so much lighter and try to use
[the rangefinder by presetting and shooting from the waist or chest.
[trish
[ternahan@gentlelens.net
[
[
[> From: "David Kieltyka" <dkieltyka@csi.com>
[> Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[> Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2001 19:37:07 -0400
[> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
[> Subject: Re: [Leica] Hybrid Leica M/Contax G systems
[>
[> <DBaker9128@aol.com> wrote:
[>
[>> Do other Leica M owners on the LUG follow Davidson's practice
[>> of mixing Contax with Leica?
[>
[> I do. But I use a pair of 1950s Contax cameras, IIa and IIIa, rather than
[> the current G models. (I had a G2 for a couple years...awesome lenses but
[> the lack of a proper manual focusing capability finally got to
[me and I gave
[> it up.) My main Domke 803 usually contains a Contax IIa with 21
[f/4.5 Zeiss
[> Biogon, Leica M2 with 35 Summilux (pre-ASPH) and Leica IIIf with
[an LTM 50
[> f/1.5 Zeiss Sonnar. One of the Domke's pouches holds an LTM 50
[f/3.5 Elmar
[> that I sometimes use instead of the Sonnar or 'Lux. An alternate
[> configuration consists of a 50 DR Summicron for the M2 and an
[LTM 35 f/2.8
[> Biogon for the IIIf. The other 803 has a Contax IIIa with 50 f/1.5 Opton
[> Sonnar, a Leica M3 with 90 Summicron (late 80s version) and
[either a 135 f/4
[> Opton Sonnar for the Contax or a 135 f/4 Tele-Elmar for the M3.
[I don't use
[> the 135s often but they're great to have handy when I need the reach. An
[> alternate configuration here is the DR Summicron for the M3 and an 85 f/2
[> Sonnar for the Contax. I always decide which bag I'm taking and
[which lenses
[> I'll be using before I go out. I hate changing lenses. :-)
[>
[> -Dave-
[>
[>
[