Camera and Coffee

Might just be my favourite 35mm camera.... Coffee by Illy.
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Seriously, though, would you prefer this over an M body? I say this because I have a really nice IIIf, and three M bodies. The Barnack is a great wandering around camera and nice for travel, but the optics available for the Ms are so very much better (and more diverse), I don't know that I could only live with the IIIf.

Your thoughts, Mr. I Have A IIIg And A Leicavit ...
 
CR I've used & loved M cameras for more than 50 yrs (Yikes!......a used M2 body for $175 while at university) , and have taken them everywhere, but admit to loving printing from big negatives.
I've become more of a minimalist when i'm travelling. In the past 10 yrs I've travelled to Europe on different trips with: 1) a Rolleiflex, 2) a Fuji 680lll, 3) a Leica CL w a 40 & a borrowed Pentax 645, 4) A Leica CL w a 28mm & a Perkeo ll, 5) an M4 & a 35 Summicron.
Next trip i'll likely take the lllg with the Voigtlander 21mm f4, a 35mm & the Perkeo. Re: available lenses for M /LTM..... I sold my LF Apo Sironars to buy old Dagors & Commercial Ektars. I'm not a fan of the apo M lenses..... 35mm clinically sharp still won't give the tonal range of any average MF camera....let alone LF. I'm happy with the classic lenses.
I'm a big fan of the accessory finders and along w the Leicavit they make the M vs LTM more of a level playing field. BTW I don't have a baseplate for the lllg....came with the Leicavit.
Still, I won't make the mistake of selling my black paint M4.......like i did with my black paint M2..... it can get occasional use and gather a little dust.
(photo closer to home, 1934 Leica lll model f, Elmar 3.5cm f 3.5)
45460231785_2830893428_c.jpg
 
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CR I've used & loved M cameras for more than 50 yrs (Yikes!......a used M2 body for $175 while at university) , and have taken them everywhere, but admit to loving printing from big negatives.
I've become more of a minimalist when i'm travelling. In the past 10 yrs I've travelled to Europe on different trips with: 1) a Rolleiflex, 2) a Fuji 680lll, 3) a Leica CL w a 40 & a borrowed Pentax 645, 4) A Leica CL w a 28mm & a Perkeo ll, 5) an M4 & a 35 Summicron.
Next trip i'll likely take the lllg with the Voigtlander 21mm f4, a 35mm & the Perkeo. Re: available lenses for M /LTM..... I sold my LF Apo Sironars to buy old Dagors & Commercial Ektars. I'm not a fan of the apo M lenses..... 35mm clinically sharp still won't give the tonal range of any average MF camera....let alone LF.
I'm a big fan of the accessory finders and along w the Leicavit they make the M vs LTM more of a level playing field. BTW I don't have a baseplate for the lllg....came with the Leicavit.
(photo closer to home, 1934 Leica lll model f, Elmar 3.5cm)
45460231785_2830893428_c.jpg


It's a beautiful shot. I have an uncoated version of that Elmar that I use when I need to glow 😉

I much prefer larger formats, but the prospect of hauling a Hasselblad, let alone a Graflex or view camera on my travels is just a bridge too far.

I took my IIIf to Italy last year and my M2 and lenses with me to Greece earlier this year and was delighted both times. But I have become such an addict of that V3 50mm 'Cron and the 35mm ASPH, the Ms call me louder and louder. (I also bring the 21mm f/4 Color-Skopar along to widen my worldview 😉

I had a GW690II for a while that I thought would do as my travel camera but it had two big drawbacks: First of all, it's big and bulky and got in the way of discreet street shooting.

Secondly, that double stroke film advance just sucked on my camera - even though it was almost new when I got it AND I had CameraWiz check it out. No matter how careful I was, the camera always had wonky interframe spacing, and if I wasn't very careful, frame overlap. I don't want to have to be careful with a a camera when I am in the moment, so I sold it. It's a shame because on a tripod with very delibrate care in the film advance, it just knocked out superb images.

I do have a 'Baby' Speed Graphix with a Graflok back on it so I can shoot roll film or sheets. That camera with a couple RH-8s is a pretty viable travel camera as well, I just have to get off my butt on install the infinity stops for lenses I have, other than the 101mm Ektar that came with it.

In the end, I am thus drifting into the view that an M body with a few great lenses ends up being a great balance of fantastic optics, image performance, and portability.
 
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