lynnb
Veteran
A friend has generously loaned me a Canon IVsb2, along with a Voigtlander 21mm/f4 and 50mm Nokton 1.5 in LTM, and also a Leica 21mm external finder. I thought I’d start this thread to share my impressions of shooting with this camera. I’ll add more details and image samples as I progress. So far, I’m about half way through the first roll of AP400 (Tri-X). I hope to be able to upload image samples to this thread in about a week (I realise pictures taken will only reflect the lens, not the camera, experience).
First things first - it’s a beautiful camera! I’ve always liked the look of Barnacks, and this Canon copy is very attractive, with slightly more angular design. When you pick it up it feels very solid in the hand, and everything feels precise and tight. I have small hands, and the dimensions and controls feel just right to me. The only other LTM camera I’ve owned was a Fed-3, and this camera is a small jewel compared to it. I also own OMs, but the Canon IVsb2 feels more solid than the OM. Unfortunately I can’t directly compare the handling with a Leica iii. I also have an M4 on loan, and this little Canon feels much better in my hands, probably because my hands are small.
My friend wisely sent me the manual in pdf and I’m glad I read this before attempting to load the camera. It took me 4 or 5 tries to load the film correctly - I had trouble getting the film cassette to sit down far enough in its cavity, it seemed to be springy when I tried to ease it down, settling about 5mm above where it should sit. The lower edge of the film leader became damaged because of this, at the sprocket locations, when I attempted to ensure the film was engaged in the sprockets by taking up the slack with the rewind knob.
The camera comes with a spring loaded take-up spool which I found easy to use. After my initial difficulties the film engaged in the sprockets and all was well. Loading the camera involves feeding the leader into the take-up spool and then easing both film cassette and take-up spool into the body, ensuring the film settles across the gate while you do it. You then gently turn the rewind to make sure the sprockets are engaged. I suspect I won’t have any further problems with film loading, now I know how the cassette should sit in its compartment.
The viewfinder is typical small Barnack size with a coupled rf patch that (in this camera) is clear and contrasty: very easy to focus. This viewfinder is quite bright. The great discovery is the switchable magnified viewfinder settings (up to 1.5x) which enable very accurate focusing. Used in conjunction with the Leica 21mm external finder, this made focus-compose a painless procedure with the CV 21mm: focus at 1.5x magnification, then compose with the external finder.
On this camera the knob-wind film advance is very smooth and the shutter sound both satisfying and quiet, not much different from an M4. Shutter speeds go from B to 1/1000, with slow speeds on a second dial on the front of the camera, to 1 sec. The manual recommends not leaving the shutter cocked, to avoid stretching the spring. My first impressions are very favourable - the camera just feels good.
So far I’ve only shot half the roll, all with the 21mm. It’s the first time I’ve used this focal length, and I’m finding it a lot of fun. It’s forcing me to get up much closer to subjects than I normally would.
The camera does not get much attention as it's quite small. I got a few curious looks and some smiles when people realised it was a vintage camera. Certainly nothing like the response one gets with a DSLR.
Here are some pictures of the camera, with the 21mm finder and CV21mm/f4. Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll try to answer them as I go along.
First things first - it’s a beautiful camera! I’ve always liked the look of Barnacks, and this Canon copy is very attractive, with slightly more angular design. When you pick it up it feels very solid in the hand, and everything feels precise and tight. I have small hands, and the dimensions and controls feel just right to me. The only other LTM camera I’ve owned was a Fed-3, and this camera is a small jewel compared to it. I also own OMs, but the Canon IVsb2 feels more solid than the OM. Unfortunately I can’t directly compare the handling with a Leica iii. I also have an M4 on loan, and this little Canon feels much better in my hands, probably because my hands are small.
My friend wisely sent me the manual in pdf and I’m glad I read this before attempting to load the camera. It took me 4 or 5 tries to load the film correctly - I had trouble getting the film cassette to sit down far enough in its cavity, it seemed to be springy when I tried to ease it down, settling about 5mm above where it should sit. The lower edge of the film leader became damaged because of this, at the sprocket locations, when I attempted to ensure the film was engaged in the sprockets by taking up the slack with the rewind knob.
The camera comes with a spring loaded take-up spool which I found easy to use. After my initial difficulties the film engaged in the sprockets and all was well. Loading the camera involves feeding the leader into the take-up spool and then easing both film cassette and take-up spool into the body, ensuring the film settles across the gate while you do it. You then gently turn the rewind to make sure the sprockets are engaged. I suspect I won’t have any further problems with film loading, now I know how the cassette should sit in its compartment.
The viewfinder is typical small Barnack size with a coupled rf patch that (in this camera) is clear and contrasty: very easy to focus. This viewfinder is quite bright. The great discovery is the switchable magnified viewfinder settings (up to 1.5x) which enable very accurate focusing. Used in conjunction with the Leica 21mm external finder, this made focus-compose a painless procedure with the CV 21mm: focus at 1.5x magnification, then compose with the external finder.
On this camera the knob-wind film advance is very smooth and the shutter sound both satisfying and quiet, not much different from an M4. Shutter speeds go from B to 1/1000, with slow speeds on a second dial on the front of the camera, to 1 sec. The manual recommends not leaving the shutter cocked, to avoid stretching the spring. My first impressions are very favourable - the camera just feels good.
So far I’ve only shot half the roll, all with the 21mm. It’s the first time I’ve used this focal length, and I’m finding it a lot of fun. It’s forcing me to get up much closer to subjects than I normally would.
The camera does not get much attention as it's quite small. I got a few curious looks and some smiles when people realised it was a vintage camera. Certainly nothing like the response one gets with a DSLR.
Here are some pictures of the camera, with the 21mm finder and CV21mm/f4. Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll try to answer them as I go along.
