Happy (and new) ZI user

T

thorsten

rf explorer
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Jul 11, 2006
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This is my first post in this forum. I think I have to be crazy, but over the last month I got totally bored by digital photography... I always thought, these "clean" images are missing something and digital noise really can't be compared with good old film grain. I ended up selling all my stuff (Nikon DSLR-system with a D200) and ordering a Zeiss Ikon together with a Biogon 2/35, which arrived yesterday. :D

I dreamt of a Leica for years now, always struggeling with the thought, that it's so much money for an analogue camera in digital days, but now I finally made the jump into the rangefinder system. So far I am absolutely pleased with the ZI... it's very well made, seems to be a workhorse and focusing/composing/releasing the shutter with a rangefinder simply is gorgeous! I am just running through my first roll of HP5+, hoping to finish it and make the first prints. And: I've got lens lust. ;)

I just wanted to share my happiness with this great forum and hope to become a part of this nice community.

Kind regards
 
Wow, big move. You will be very excited with the Ikon. However, I think you will turn to the dark side again with the Digital M :)
 
Welcome to the forum! Congrats on the purchase, you won't regret it.
 
throsten

I really enjoy my Zeiss Ikon M too. I started with the 35/2 Biogon. As Joe said, it's a wonderful lens.

I just acquired a Nikkor 85/2. One great thing about the M mount is the incredible variety of lenses out there.

The ZI camera and Zi M lens are great products because the value you get for your $$$ is well balanced.

Welcome to the forum... and shoot away.

willie
 
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Thorsten, welcome to RFF! What a nice system to start with; I'd find that very useful too.
 
Congrats! I´m sooooo jellious of you guys owning a brand ZI...! But I guess I just have to learn basics in fotoshooting, before thinking of getting this...dream. Welcome Thorsten.
 
Thank you for your kind welcome wishes! It's nice to get such reactions when sharing the fun with new equipment. ;)

@Jorge: Well, I can surely imagine to get some Leica-stuff, too. ;) My "wishlist" contains some ZM lenses (25 + 21 + perhaps the upcoming 50-Sonnar) and also some Leica-lenses (at least 90Apo). Just to dream, I can also think of adding a MP to my stuff. But before, I will try to learn everything about this new experience (RF-photography) with my current gear. Something I really can't imagine at the moment is going with the upcoming M8/MD.

@Nachkebia: Funny to hear that you made the same move. I sounds as if you don't regret it. ;-)

@triplefinger: The 25/2.8 is on top on my wishlist (together with the 21/2.8), even more since I am more a "wideangle-guy".

@the others: Thanks again for your kind replies.
 
Just amazing

Just amazing

I got mine a few weeks ago also. I am 'getting by' with a V/C 40 Nokton, and a 90 Leitz T-E--for now! I am desparately saving for a ZM 28 Biogon & 50 Plannar...just a few more weeks...Deep breaths...I just went and dumped my SLR's in the bin, and have had this amazing piece of kit strapped around my wrist daily. I forgot how freeing an RF is...I think I NEED one in black as well...:D
 
boarini, I really don't have enough to compare, I admit. I absolutely adore the concept of rangefinder-photography, which is a huge advantage to SLRs in my opinion (I never used large tele-lenses, though). I only handled a Leica M6 a few times before, which is a bit heavier, but as far as I remember these days, the ZI is built comparably nice.

Berliner, I also wanted a black one, but I was told, that Zeiss didn't deliver black ones for Germany until today (only grey-market with one year less warranty). Now that I have the silver one ("limited"), I really like it together with the black lens.

The only thing I can't find a decision is the strap. The delivered strap isn't too bad, but now I want something different. I just can't decide between a half case from Luigi or a wrist strap from Gordy. What do you think?
 
thorsten said:
The only thing I can't find a decision is the strap. The delivered strap isn't too bad, but now I want something different. I just can't decide between a half case from Luigi or a wrist strap from Gordy. What do you think?
Click to expand...
I don't know what the ZI's strap is like; from the photo at PopFlash if that rolled item is the strap it looks like a wide one.

Many including Bob Shell recommend the UPstrap http://www.upstrap.com/ which seems a bit pricy at $32 for the smaller RF model. I have a couple of these and they are indeed very nice straps. But I also like the elegant grey leather Contax G straps (with nylon fabric ends). I found these for $8 at KEH, and just ordered one, plus one each burgundy and black leather straps for the Contax SLR that I hope will be somewhat similar. These straps are embossed "Contax" which might be rather appropriate for your Zeiss Ikon! :)
 
The strap that is packaged with the ZI is terrible. Its a coarse material that doesn't feel very good on your neck. I replaced it with a Luigi wrist strap.
 
I got into photography with a Olympus 8080 which I sold, should have kept. I then got a oly E-300 and a handful of lenses. Then I bought a D200 and a handful of primes and a pair of really nice zooms. Finally I bought an xpan on a whim.
WOW the xpan is fun but the funny thing is I dont use the pano much. So now Im thinking of an ZI or a Bessa with a handful of lenses. I love the size of these cameras compared to my weapon like D200. Im not knocking the D200 because it sings but its a more strategic camera where I feel like a guerilla soldier with the little rangefiner. Film is great too! I love the lattitude!
 
Thorsten, congratulations on your purchase of a very good combination. In my experience, the best glass for RF shooting is the 35mm focal length: it's wide enough, yet precise and very much like the natural FOV of our own eyes. :) In other words, a really nice angle.

You won't need much glass after this one. If anything, something longer, but don't fret right now and enjoy your new kit! :)
 
Thanks for your comments. So far I never really considered a wrist strap, which I only knew from the little point-and-shoot digicams my wife uses (of course with a very low-quality wrist strap), but the more I think of it and read topics about it here at RFF I like the idea, especially since I carry a bag for camera/accessories in nearly all cases. I like the way, Gordy's wrist straps look. Does anyone of you have one of Gordy's and can comment on it?

@espressogeek: It sounds, as if you have/had a similar "photographic path" to my own. I also liked the D200 very much. Before that I owned a Canon 20D and before that a Pentax *istD, both also nice cams. Something I didn't like though was the fact, that *all* pictures of digital cameras have the same "clean" look, which goes nicely with some kinds of pictures while being boring with others. Also most of the nowadays produced and supported lenses are those which are excellent with crop cameras due to using the "sweet spot". It's especially noticeable with the Canon 5D, that a lot of "high-class" lenses don't work anymore or at least showed a decrease in performance. I came back to film through mediumformat which showed me again, how nice film looks and - in comparison to extensive post-processing of digital files - how comparably easy it is to get along with. I also always dreamt of a rangefinder camera because it's nice to focus, small and has brilliant lenses. Now I have it all with the ZI: a beautiful lens, a nicely built and small camera and a great viewfinder! I absolutely don't regret it to have sold all my digital stuff. There's also much weight to the fact, that I never really used telephoto-lenses but concentrated on the wide to portrait-range.

@Francisco: Actually my "dream combination" would be the 21 - 25 - 35 - 85 as I really like shooting wide. But since I read about the upcoming Sonnar 1,5/50 I am no more sure if I stay with this combi. ;)

Regards,
 
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