BillBingham2
Registered User
Dave,
It sounds like you have the desire to slow down, but not all of the self-control to do it with much of our current equipment. Motors, AE, Program Mode, AF all make it easier to take a picture but can take us away from making a great picture. While for some they free them from the technical side and allow them to express themselves without burden (kind of like my wife only driving a car with an automatic). For others they empower speeding through the process and not enforcing a time to think.
TLRs do help slow you down, as do LF (e.g. 4x5). With an M7 or OM-2 yes you can put it to manual, but external metering, especially incident metering can make it even slower. Getting a camera from the 40s or 50s will slow you down. A IIIa and a collapsible 50 is a pocket camera and a fine choice. While not as pocketable a Nikon S2 would be better for the viewfinder, BIG step up from any of the Leica LTMs. This might keep you from sneaking extra glass in, big NO NO!
I love the Sekonic L-318/328 for metering incident, it’s my standard but lots of other good ones. Don’t do reflected metering, too fast, not accurate enough (mater of opinion there), just not with the idea of thinking.
Put the other equipment in box and lock it up. Carry only the one camera and one lens with you. Force yourself to see with the one lens. Your rental fee for a good user S2 with a 50/1.4 will be almost nothing. Their price is pretty stable. The odds of a IIIa and lens needing an LTM are pretty good where as Nikons stay pretty stable with less use.
Sticking with your TLR and upgrading to say a 2.8 might not be a bad idea, as your rolls are shorter (12 vs 24 or 36). If you go 35mm you need to have the one shot per scene approach for everything. Only shoot at the moment of impact.
I’m down to just my S3 now or I would loan you one.
Just a few thoughts.
B2 (;->
It sounds like you have the desire to slow down, but not all of the self-control to do it with much of our current equipment. Motors, AE, Program Mode, AF all make it easier to take a picture but can take us away from making a great picture. While for some they free them from the technical side and allow them to express themselves without burden (kind of like my wife only driving a car with an automatic). For others they empower speeding through the process and not enforcing a time to think.
TLRs do help slow you down, as do LF (e.g. 4x5). With an M7 or OM-2 yes you can put it to manual, but external metering, especially incident metering can make it even slower. Getting a camera from the 40s or 50s will slow you down. A IIIa and a collapsible 50 is a pocket camera and a fine choice. While not as pocketable a Nikon S2 would be better for the viewfinder, BIG step up from any of the Leica LTMs. This might keep you from sneaking extra glass in, big NO NO!
I love the Sekonic L-318/328 for metering incident, it’s my standard but lots of other good ones. Don’t do reflected metering, too fast, not accurate enough (mater of opinion there), just not with the idea of thinking.
Put the other equipment in box and lock it up. Carry only the one camera and one lens with you. Force yourself to see with the one lens. Your rental fee for a good user S2 with a 50/1.4 will be almost nothing. Their price is pretty stable. The odds of a IIIa and lens needing an LTM are pretty good where as Nikons stay pretty stable with less use.
Sticking with your TLR and upgrading to say a 2.8 might not be a bad idea, as your rolls are shorter (12 vs 24 or 36). If you go 35mm you need to have the one shot per scene approach for everything. Only shoot at the moment of impact.
I’m down to just my S3 now or I would loan you one.
Just a few thoughts.
B2 (;->
FrankS
Registered User
BillBingham2
Registered User
Dave,
Was watching a stupid move when another alternative came to me. You might pick up a Nikon D60 and a Nikkor 24/2.8 non-AI and use it. No meter, OK finder, but it has a built in histogram that will help. That will slow you down a bit while improving your shooting without a meter......
Just a crazy thought.
B2 (;->
Was watching a stupid move when another alternative came to me. You might pick up a Nikon D60 and a Nikkor 24/2.8 non-AI and use it. No meter, OK finder, but it has a built in histogram that will help. That will slow you down a bit while improving your shooting without a meter......
Just a crazy thought.
B2 (;->
eddyj
Newbie
selling yer lens Dave .mmm i have an m8.2 would to grab that lens of you am in T.O. OAkville
JustPlainBill
Established
Hi, Dave,
I traded in a pair of IIfs on my M4 as I didn't want to mix using the two types of Leica. Kept my set of Nikkors in LTM. If you want a "retro" Leica to photograph with, I suggest an M2 or a M3. Niether will have the viewfinder frame for the 75 mm lens, though.
Cheers,
JustPlainBill
I traded in a pair of IIfs on my M4 as I didn't want to mix using the two types of Leica. Kept my set of Nikkors in LTM. If you want a "retro" Leica to photograph with, I suggest an M2 or a M3. Niether will have the viewfinder frame for the 75 mm lens, though.
Cheers,
JustPlainBill
JoeV
Thin Air, Bright Sun
Is it really the square format that your prefer, or the waist level viewer? Crazy as it sounds, if you prefer the square format you could just crop your 35mm images during the printing stage. Plenty of room in those wide, rectangular negatives to adjust your cropping in the darkroom to square format. I'd print, say, 5" square, onto 8"X10" paper. Just enough granularity to give the prints some toothy grit.
OTOH if it's the waist level, square format viewer that does it for you then you've gotta shoot MF. But does that mean you hafta sell your M7? Just keep the MF camera you're using now. Work within its limitations.
Personally, I don't sell any camera gear. You just never can tell when your interests change in the future, and you can never recoup the cost you've sunk into the gear in the first place. It's not like having a driveway full of cars that you don't have room for; they're just cameras. Keep 'em. Save a bit for the next one you want. Don't get rid of any of them. That's me, with the pack-rat mentality.
~Joe
OTOH if it's the waist level, square format viewer that does it for you then you've gotta shoot MF. But does that mean you hafta sell your M7? Just keep the MF camera you're using now. Work within its limitations.
Personally, I don't sell any camera gear. You just never can tell when your interests change in the future, and you can never recoup the cost you've sunk into the gear in the first place. It's not like having a driveway full of cars that you don't have room for; they're just cameras. Keep 'em. Save a bit for the next one you want. Don't get rid of any of them. That's me, with the pack-rat mentality.
~Joe
Tim Gray
Well-known
I'd sell the lens if you aren't using it. Or sit on it for a year and then sell it. You know when you aren't using a lens and should get rid of it.
As far as the M7, put it on manual and pretend it's an M2. Get an LTM adapter and pretend it's a IIIf. Since you are into TLRs right now, I'd chuck the 75/1.4 as too big and too close to the TLR to warrant using it. If you like wide, buy a small wide for the M7, something you can't do on the TLR, and have some fun. A 28, or a 21, or a 15. You'd have a small portable kit then. I've never really been interested in the 75/1.4 cuz it's big, and cuz it's big, it would be left at home all the time.
As far as the M7, put it on manual and pretend it's an M2. Get an LTM adapter and pretend it's a IIIf. Since you are into TLRs right now, I'd chuck the 75/1.4 as too big and too close to the TLR to warrant using it. If you like wide, buy a small wide for the M7, something you can't do on the TLR, and have some fun. A 28, or a 21, or a 15. You'd have a small portable kit then. I've never really been interested in the 75/1.4 cuz it's big, and cuz it's big, it would be left at home all the time.