Leica LTM First time with a Barnack

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
Juan Valdenebro

Juan Valdenebro

Truth is beauty
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I had several fears every time I considered buying a Barnack, but today after the first test roll I am happily surprised... Loading it is easy and fast: I thought it was necessary to cut the film but I was wrong... I just checked Tom A's youtube video on how to load a Leica screwmout camera, and it worked at first try... Using the Leica IIIC is fun. And I just can't believe how precisely my Industar-50 collapsible focuses on it at 1 meter wide open... And to me its bokeh is really great! Here's an ugly test shot (the first one in the roll: I thought I was going to find WILD focusing issues...) I get perfect focus at all distances and apertures both with my I-50 and my 28 3.5. The camera works like new, and all shutter speeds are fine: amazing! Now she deserves -next week- her olive green and black make up...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40894234@N07/5003444212/?addedcomment=1#comment72157624861349013


Cheers,


Juan
 
The real beauty of the Barnack it that one can pack a camera, two or three lenses, a finder or two, and a few rolls of film in a small camera bag and have a kit much lighter and smaller than an SLR setup. This allows more photography to get done (without compromise) and makes traveling with cameras a pleasure.
 
Juan, I am a newbie as far as rangefinders are concerned. Before I bought my M4, I went to a local camera shop and held several Leicas and a IIf was among them. I have to tell you that was 1 camera I didn't want to put down and I must have dry fired the shutter at least 15 times (to the annoyance of the sales person but why should I care). Only reason I didn't buy the camera because I didn't like the 2 window approach of taking a photo, and also I could not use a 35 mm lens (my main FL). I really wanted to like the RF experience and didn't want to be put off by some of its shortcomings. But 1 thing I have learned by holding that IIf and reading about them on RFF, you can never be put off by a Barnack. :)

Enjoy your new camera.

By the way, you have some impressive pics on flickr.
 
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Hi Dan,

Thanks for your kind words... I think you'll get a Barnack sooner or later too... As David says, it's about size... And beauty!

Cheers,

Juan
 
Dan,

You probably know this, but of course one can use any lens on a Barnack with an external finder - some of these are pretty small too. Several Barnack designs, like many of the Canon's (IIIA, etc) combine rangefinder and 50mm viewfinder in the same window - they were ahead of Leica on this feature.

The dedicated Barnack user can accept a little struggle to reap the advantages!

-- David

DanP said:
Juan, I am a newbie as far as rangefinders are concerned. Before I bought my M4, I went to a local camera shop and held several Leicas and a IIf was among them. I have to tell you that was 1 camera I didn't want to put down and I must have dry fired the shutter at least 15 times (to the annoyance of the sales person but why should I care). Only reason I didn't buy the camera because I didn't like the 2 window approach of taking a photo, and also I could not use a 35 mm lens (my main FL). I really wanted to like the RF experience and didn't want to be put off by some of its shortcomings. But 1 thing I have learned by holding that IIf and reading about them on RFF, you can never be put off by a Barnack. :)

Enjoy your new camera.

By the way, you have some impressive pics on flickr.
Click to expand...
 
The first time I used a IIIf+Summitar after years and years of using SLR's of various kinds, I was simply blown away by the quality of the photos coming out of such a retro piece of gear. I came of age during the peak of the Japanese 35mm SLR, when a key agenda of the photographic industry was to promote the superiority (in their view) of the SLR over all other camera designs. I was conditioned by this orthodoxy to believe that such a thing was not supposed to be!
 
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wooohoooo...Way to Go Juan
Cograts !!!!

Please post some more shots of your 'test' roll

I have to Buy some fiver Today ....I will ask to see if they have any Barnacks......:eek:
 
David Murphy said:
The first time I used a IIIf+Summitar after years and years of using SLR's of various kinds, I was simply blown away by the quality of the photos coming out of such a retro piece of gear. I came of age during the peak of the Japanese 35mm SLR, when a key agenda of the photographic industry was to promote the superiority (in their view) of the SLR over all other camera designs. I was conditioned by this orthodoxy to believe that such a thing was not supposed to be!
Click to expand...

Same story here... RFs have been a pleasure to me after 20 years of SLRs.

Cheers,

Juan
 
porktaco said:
i can't believe i never thought about such a simple way to check DoF.
Click to expand...

Well, this is the first time I do it with cards and precise centimeters: I was trying to find a metered amount of focus shift, but there was none... Generally I check focus and DOF just like everyone, with real life subjects...

Cheers,

Juan
 
David Murphy said:
Dan,

You probably know this, but of course one can use any lens on a Barnack with an external finder - some of these are pretty small too. Several Barnack designs, like many of the Canon's (IIIA, etc) combine rangefinder and 50mm viewfinder in the same window - they were ahead of Leica on this feature.

The dedicated Barnack user can accept a little struggle to reap the advantages!

-- David
Click to expand...

+1. Even though the vf on my IIIc is now quite clean and clear, I prefer to use an external finder even when shooting a 50. The CV 50 finder is small, very bright, and all metal -- makes shooting a pleasure. I don't mind the separate rf window; I got used to that w/ a Bessa T anyway.

I bought the IIIc a year or so ago here on rff, mainly to get the Summitar that came w/ it. What I was unprepared for was how much I enjoyed shooting w/ the Barnack itself. It's a jewel of a camera (now expecially after a CLA), and a terrific traveling companion.
 
My IIIc with a collapsible Summicron focuses very precise.

Leica IIIc, collapsible Summicron 50mm f/2, Tmax400-2 printed on Ilford MGIV fb.

Erik.

4963752314_ced5c16156_b.jpg
 
That's one thing I like most about the Barnacks...the 1.5x magnified RF window...to get than on an M requires a separate magnifier and then you lose the advantage of multiple framelines. So give me the separate windows, thank you. :) An SBOOI for 50mm which can't be beat (super bright, 1:1), and a 28/35 minifinder and I'm good to go.
 
Juan, congrats on your Barnack!

Small tip: I bought a Helios finder. It's small and round like a 50mm Leitz finder but black paint and it has 35, 85 and 135 frames in it. (Make sure, there's also one with only the 50 frame). Sticking this one finder on your camera makes it usable with 4 focal lengths at once!

Happy shooting!
 
Great tip. I'll get on of these.

buzzardkid said:
Juan, congrats on your Barnack!

Small tip: I bought a Helios finder. It's small and round like a 50mm Leitz finder but black paint and it has 35, 85 and 135 frames in it. (Make sure, there's also one with only the 50 frame). Sticking this one finder on your camera makes it usable with 4 focal lengths at once!

Happy shooting!
Click to expand...
 
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