Leica LTM finally bought one

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
jarski said:
even more than the cameras itself, I was interested of old 5cm Elmar lenses that came with cameras (I dont know how to determine the age)
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Look for a tiny engraved serial number on the ring that goes around the outside of the front lens element, and match it up to the serial number list here.
 
brachal said:
Great images, I especially like the second one. I hope I do half as well.
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cheers brachal, pls post yours too. the first pic, those clouds remind me of pictures I have seen in old magazines (wonder why?) :)
 
landsknechte said:
Look for a tiny engraved serial number on the ring that goes around the outside of the front lens element, and match it up to the serial number list here.
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thanks for info. looks like that newer Elmar is from 1951 (#896265).

older that I used to take those photos, there is no serial number at all :confused:
 
It's here! Arrived this evening! I will admit that I had wondered a little what all the fuss about Leicas was for, but now that I've used one ... I get it. Wow. This is clearly a great example of classic engineering built to the highest standard.

I was able to get a film cut using my ablon copy and successfully loaded on the first try. Or at least the rewind knob was moving when I advanced. All in all, the process wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I screwed in my Jupiter-3, which is one of my favorite lenses, although it feels a little big on the Leica. I shot 24 pictures walking through my neighborhood. The shift between focusing and finding window will take a little getting used to, but I like the extra magnification while focusing. The rangefinder is pretty easy to use, with a good focusing patch -- maybe not for low, low light, but it's usable indoors in a slightly dim room. I've got my FED-50 on it now, which seems like a good fit for this camera

It seems like KEH did a nice job with this camera. Everything is very smooth and quiet, and the shutter sounds right on all speeds. Thanks to everybody for the links and advice. I'll post a few images when I get them.
 
Brachal

Congratulations on your new find. It seems to be a great piece. You and the others, influenced me to pull the trigger on a IIIf Red Dial Self Timer. Good luck with your new toy.
 
flyfoxx said:
Brachal

Congratulations on your new find. It seems to be a great piece. You and the others, influenced me to pull the trigger on a IIIf Red Dial Self Timer. Good luck with your new toy.
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Good luck with yours! I haven't gotten my first film back, but it's a joy to hold and use. I think you'll be very happy.
 
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My IIIf & Summitar just got here 15 minutes ago. Time to trim some Tri-X and give it a go. I agree Brachal, this is going to be fun!
 
AshenLight said:
My IIIf & Summitar just got here 15 minutes ago. Time to trim some Tri-X and give it a go. I agree Brachal, this is going to be fun!
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Yes it is! I've been using mine for a little while now, and it's always a joy. A couple of things I've learned ...

1. an ablon template is a great thing. You can get a copy for about $15 on ebay. takes all the fuss out of trimming the leader.
2. Youxin Ye is great. I sent mine to him for a CLA, and couldn't believe the difference it made. The camera came back feeling like it was new. His prices are very reasonable, communications and turn-around time are outstanding.
3. VC Meter II -- just got this from my wife for Christmas. A very compact meter that fits perfectly into the accessory shoe. This is a wonderful accessory; I like it a lot more than a handheld meter.
 
Check all the shutter speeds. It's not enough if they "sound" good. You could still have problems with sticking shutter curtains. An easy way to do it is meter something and then shoot it at all the appropriate apeture/shutter speed combinations. I.e. if it meters f16 @125, then also shoot the same image at f11 @250, f8 @500, f5.6@1000 etc. Make sure to write down the combinations used. Then look at the resulting roll. If all the images look about the same then your shutter speeds are pretty good.
 
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brachal said:
Yes it is! I've been using mine for a little while now, and it's always a joy. A couple of things I've learned ...

1. an ablon template is a great thing. You can get a copy for about $15 on ebay. takes all the fuss out of trimming the leader.
2. Youxin Ye is great. I sent mine to him for a CLA, and couldn't believe the difference it made. The camera came back feeling like it was new. His prices are very reasonable, communications and turn-around time are outstanding.
3. VC Meter II -- just got this from my wife for Christmas. A very compact meter that fits perfectly into the accessory shoe. This is a wonderful accessory; I like it a lot more than a handheld meter.
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I bought an ablon copy in anticpation of the camera. It should work well for both the Leica and my Zorki I. I'm going to run a test roll of BW400CN and get it locally processed (they've never had an issue with leader length) and see how accurate the shutter speeds are. If there is a discrepancy, I'll send it to Youxin Ye for a CLA.

Ash
 
AshenLight said:
I bought an ablon copy in anticpation of the camera. It should work well for both the Leica and my Zorki I. I'm going to run a test roll of BW400CN and get it locally processed (they've never had an issue with leader length) and see how accurate the shutter speeds are. If there is a discrepancy, I'll send it to Youxin Ye for a CLA.

Ash
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A sure sign that you're due for a CLA is uneven exposure across the frame. This means that the camera is probably "dry" and the shutter isn't functioning at 100%. Either that or the left side of the world has become consistently darker than the right. :)
 
brachal said:
A sure sign that you're due for a CLA is uneven exposure across the frame. This means that the camera is probably "dry" and the shutter isn't functioning at 100%. Either that or the left side of the world has become consistently darker than the right. :)
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I've been lucky with all my RFs except for one Fed 4 that needed a CLA before it was usable. It's good to know that Youxin Ye is so well regarded by many of the folks here. Does he also do FSU (Zorki & Fed) CLAs as well?
 
AshenLight said:
I've been lucky with all my RFs except for one Fed 4 that needed a CLA before it was usable. It's good to know that Youxin Ye is so well regarded by many of the folks here. Does he also do FSU (Zorki & Fed) CLAs as well?
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I don't know, but don't hesitate to ask him. He's very friendly and responds quickly to emails. I've sent FSU gear (Fed3, Kiev4a, Industar 61LD) to www.fedka.com for CLA/repair, and have been satisfied with their work.
 
brachal said:
I don't know, but don't hesitate to ask him. He's very friendly and responds quickly to emails. I've sent FSU gear (Fed3, Kiev4a, Industar 61LD) to www.fedka.com for CLA/repair, and have been satisfied with their work.
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Thanks! I'll check them both.
 
jarski said:
thanks for info. looks like that newer Elmar is from 1951 (#896265).

older that I used to take those photos, there is no serial number at all :confused:
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Just thought I'd mention that early Elmar 5cm f3.5 lenses didn't have serial numbers.

And of course these old lenses made sharp pictures. Do you really think photographers would have accepted the 35mm format if they couldn't get decent results? Even the lens on the Argus A can produce decent images. Just because they're old doesn't mean they can't get the job done!

When it comes to film loading, I've just skipped the "holding the shutter open stage". Really, it's a waste of time if you trim the film leaders. Also, you don't really even need a template. Just trim a leader about as wide as the camera, and don't leave any sharp corners. It doesn't have to be pretty! As stated before, wrapping the leader around the spool is also a waste of time. The tab on the spool has more than enough tension to keep the film in place. Just trim the leader, stick the end in the spool, stick the film roll and the spool in the camera at the same time, and when the two are in the camera, slightly tension the film with the advance knob. Now, just check if the film is engaging the bottom sprocket correctly. If it is, put the baseplate back on, keep advancing till the knob stops, and then turn the rewind knob to fully tension the roll of film. Then just advance a few frames to clear the film leader and bring up an unexposed section of film. If this is all done correctly, the rewind knob will spin while advancing the film (showing that the film is advancing correctly). If you feel ANY abnormal resistance, just be sure to rewind the film and start over. Otherwise, you'll likely damage the film, jam the camera, or possibly even damage the camera. I've tried all of the methods of film loading mentioned throughout this thread, and this system is the result of streamlining everything into a simpler method. There's no reason to make it all more difficult than it needs to be!
 
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