Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/10/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Dear Pablo, I've got 15mm Heliar since April, and I like the lens very much. Besides the distortion you've noticed there is really only one glitch - it doesn't take any filters at all. And if the end of film in those cameras remains between the pressure-plate and shutter window, true, it is a bit difficult to disengage the cartridge; you just have to rewind the film a little more. Martin Dear Fellows, I'm just back from my E6 lab. The film I'm speaking of is the one coming from the outfit IIIf + Heliar 15. Results are simply great, generally speaking. Slides were viewed by me via a 4X Sinar Asph loupe, then I can say: - - The lens: glasses seem to be near Leica quality. Very nice contrast, nice color saturation on Fuji Provia in bright sunlight, shadows and middle tones. Skies are incredibly blue as expected with Leica glasses and also some cloud details. I was walking around without a tripod but I'd say that distortion is increased towards edges, not so much, not an issue but there it is. Some other pictures taken at my patio with the camera mounted in the tripod but leveled by my eyes seem to be distortion free. I took several photos at almost every F stop and thinking on hyperfocal, then I would say that as F stop is increased DOF is increased as expected with any lens but here the amount of DOF is increased drastically. I'd say that everything between a meter and infinity is really in focus. I like that in the case of wide angle lenses. If they ask me to qualify the lens in just a word I would say the Heliar 15 is Stunning. - - The camera: in general terms the camera works great also. Save some film advance adjust should be needed 'cause the unexposed line between frames is very very thin, I'd say not more than one millimeter. Or is this normal ? I don't think so, but maybe it is. I would not like to start a silly thread on loading film and so on but I'll comment that loading is almost the same as an M before the M4. Once the roll film got the photo no 36 I switched the R lever to the rewind position, pulled out gently the rewinding button and started rewinding, everything was as smooth as expected to be. When tension decreased not so drastically I removed the bottom plate (with no plastic) it was really hard to take the film cartridge off. I guess this is not normal, is it ? Well, it was a nice experience as it was my first serious roll film in a LTM camera with a nice lens on it. so it was that I went for a lot of black and white film to go on testing tomorrow or Sunday... Two Heliar questions: - - how would be written, Heliar or Hellar. - - what about filters for the this lens ? I use to use some yellow greenish, orange and red filters. Are they available, threaded or what ? Aahhh, by the way, The Heliar/Hellar did not give me a little of flare. And the finder is really bright, nice stuff. Regards - -- Pablo Kolodny www.pablokolodny.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html