Leica LTM Barnack medium telephoto work: great Photogs; your photos

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
SimonPJ

SimonPJ

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It’s right, isn’t it, that most of the great work done with Barnack Leicas was done with 5cm lenses? And most of the work of current Barnack users seen here likewise.

Can you point to examples of interesting work with medium telephotos on the Barnacks?

Who were the photographers? Which lenses did they use?

If you are using them now, which are your favourites?
 
I use a 90mm Elmar f4.0 which I really like very easy to use, and I have a finder. I also have a Hektor 135mm f4.5 which I don't use much but is fine on my IIIf, also have a finder.

As an aside I have a Canon Serenar 100mm f4.0 which is really a good lens. I just bought it one day tried it out, everything was fine but I never used it again.

I guess telephoto lens aren't my thing, I have two for SLRs telephoto lenses and they don't get used much.

Saul Leiter used tele lenses, but I don't know if they were Barnack. He used them at the right time though.
 
I have the 90mm f4 Elmar in LTM mount. I use it on my Leica IIIf (Barnack) cameras and with an adapter on my M3. I briefly had a Leica IIIg, which I had to return because it had functional issues. It had the best Barnack finder for shooting 90mm, since it had 90mm framelines that moved to correct for parallax, like on an M-series camera.

westberry-window-washer.jpg

90mm f4 Elmar on Leica IIIg. Tmax 400 in D-76 1+1.

12-22-19-baltesbuilding-1.jpg

90mm f4 Elmar on Leica IIIf black dial. Tmax 400 in D-76 1+1.

3-30-20-meyers-barbershop.jpg

90mm f4 Elmar on Leica IIIg. Tmax 400 in D-76 1+1.

6-15-20-paddleboarding.jpg


I used the Leica M3 for this one, but it was done with the LTM 90mm Elmar and could have been done just as easily with a screwmount Leica. Just happened to be using the M3 that day. Tmax 400 in D-76 1+1.
 
I've used the 90/4 Elmar and the Canon 100/3.5 on my Barnacks before, and probably will again. The only reason they don't get more action on those cameras is that I invested in screwmount Canon bodies that automatically correct for parallax with the matching finders, and those rigs seem to be better suited, especially for the heavy Nikkor 85/2 and 135/3.5. The Nikkor lenses are great - the 85/2 is spectacular - and I've found myself wanting to use them more than the smaller lenses. For travel, however, the smaller lenses are an excellent option, especially with the IIIg, as Chris mentioned above.
 
I'm a huge fan of short telephoto lenses, although they're much happier on an SLR than a rangefinder, especially a Barnack where you have to keep swapping from rangefinder to viewfinder, and forgetting to compensate for parallax on the VIOOH. Apart from that, I seem to have almost single-handedly dragged the 9cm Elmar into the RFF top ten lenses. Go figure.
 
Malcolm M said:
Apart from that, I seem to have almost single-handedly dragged the 9cm Elmar into the RFF top ten lenses. Go figure.
Click to expand...


Top ten? It must be No 1 when it comes to value, surely this is the cheapest of all Leitz/Leica lenses and an excellent lens too!

Years ago I found a very well made viewfinder branded 'Swallow' (IIRC) that goes well with it and unlike most viewfinders was cheaper than the lens!
 
Robert Frank used a 5cm Nikkor on one of his IIIc Barnacks and a 8.5cm Nikkor on his other IIIc Barnack.

David Douglas Duncan would occasionally use a 13.5cm Nikkor on his IIIc when covering the Korean War with the US Marines.

Best,
-Tim
 
I’ve had a 9cm elmar for Years, but just recently attached it to a Leica III and LEFT it on. Together with the VIDOM it makes a visually impressive piece of kit. Really an under appreciated lens in terms of the control of DOF and bokeh. Using 100 film, the magic aperature of f 5.6 can be used. Probably the greatest value for the buck in Any Leica lens. If you get the short focus mount the lens head gives full focal range with a Viso or PLOOT, and is a Stunning Macro lens using the Viso and regular mount.
 
The 90mm Elmar is one of my favourite lenses of all time in terms of rendering, but it's not a focal length I need to use often. I only really get it out for odd portrait shoots from time to time:

10429646453_d023135f4b_c_d.jpg


Chris, I picked up a IIIg for a steal last year and was really excited about the 90mm framelines - well, nubs - in the finder. I'm actually not that impressed. I think the IIIf and collapsible 90mm SEROO finder is a better combination; not only is the SEROO 1:1, meaning you can shoot with both eyes open, but I think it's actually more accurate than the IIIg's 90mm framelines, especially close-up. Maybe I've just got a duff IIIg, though.
 
I had an Elmar a few years ago and never jelled with it (purely due to my state of mind at the time) so sold it off.
However I've since obtained really good copies of the Canon 100/3.5 and just this week, a Topcor 90/3.5 came my way. The negs from the Topcor look promising!

Here's one from the Canon:


Monsoon Sky by Timoleon Wilkins, on Flickr
 
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I was never interested in LTM telephotos but one day earlier this year, I was at the local camera museum showing my Leica and Canon LTM cameras to the owner. He said he had something to fit and brought our the Canon Serenar 100mm with all accessories including case, viewfinder, hood, and caps. He then gave it to me! I don't use it much but have had some success.

My two favorite shots, so far.

Mill Through the Trees by Neal Wellons, on Flickr


Through the Trees by Neal Wellons, on Flickr

New Toy for my Canon IV by Neal Wellons, on Flickr
 
The title says "medium" telephotos, so I take that to mean 85mm-135mm. Indeed focusing & framing lenses above 135 would pretty well be impossible on a rangefinder without a Visoflex-type reflex viewing system. In addition to Leica, there were some aftermarket reflex housings for screw mount, as well as the rare Canon Mirror Box which I'd love to have just for curiosity's sake...
 
I'm no great photographer, but I've almost always had some kind of long focal length lens in the 85 - 105mm range, for all of my 35mm cameras. Back when I had the 9cm Elmar, I didn't have a screwmount Leica but used it on my M4, particularly when I was deployed to Iraq.
fallujah12.jpg


For most of the last 15 years I've used the 10.5cm f/2.5 Nikkor, although it's a tank of a lens. It's just so good. I sold it years ago, regrettably. I recently picked up a couple Leotax bodies and so decided to round out a small kit of lenses with a Steinheil Culminar 85mm f/2.8, but haven't exposed any film with it yet.

Phil Forrest
 
bluesun267 said:
The title says "medium" telephotos, so I take that to mean 85mm-135mm. Indeed focusing & framing lenses above 135 would pretty well be impossible on a rangefinder without a Visoflex-type reflex viewing system. In addition to Leica, there were some aftermarket reflex housings for screw mount, as well as the rare Canon Mirror Box which I'd love to have just for curiosity's sake...
Click to expand...

Thought most or all of the 7.5–13.5cm Leitz lenses were long focus types; not telephotos?
 
I have an 85/1.9 Canon, a 90/4 Elmar and a 135/3.5 Canon. I use the Elmar a lot, both with a IIIg and with a IIIc or IIIf using an SGOOD 85mm viewfinder. I occasionally use the 135mm Canon with an SHOOC 135mm viewfinder. It's a lovely lens and I have no trouble focusing when it is on a Barnack with a new beamsplitter. I only use the 85mm Canon when I absolutely need the additional two stops. It's a heavy monster.
 
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