If you carried a Nikon F3 and Leica M6..

C

Ccoppola82

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If you carried a Leica M6 and a Nikon F3 at the same time and wanted to load one with color film and one with BW, which would you put into what camera? Or would it not matter? I’ve lately really enjoyed using the Nikon F3 and I had the rare occasion both cameras were empty at the same time, so it was a question that came to mind. I’ve tended to have color film loaded into the Nikon
 
Somehow I associate the Nikon with colour and the Leica with B&W. Most of the colour negs and slides I shot in the past were on a Nikon FE2, and now most of the B&W I shoot is on my M6. No logical reason or scientific evidence though...
John Mc
 
Depends on the lens. For example I much prefer the colour rendition of my Zeiss Biogon C 35mm so would put colour in the Leica.

Just don't keep doing a switcheroo, I once shot an entire roll of black and white film in my Leica R7 thinking it was colour, and the results were decidedly unsatisfactory.
 
Ccoppola82 said:
If you carried a Leica M6 and a Nikon F3 at the same time and wanted to load one with color film and one with BW, which would you put into what camera? Or would it not matter? I’ve lately really enjoyed using the Nikon F3 and I had the rare occasion both cameras were empty at the same time, so it was a question that came to mind. I’ve tended to have color film loaded into the Nikon
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I so rarely shoot color with film any more ... and always did shoot about 80-90% B&W even back when film was all there was ... that it's really hard to say. Both cameras do a superb job with either, so I'd choose what camera to use with color based on what I was going to shoot and which camera would be best for that.

I've gotten terrific results with both cameras on color film.

G
 
One important consideration is your metering needs (coverage and accuracy). I believe the F3 has a semi-spot meter patch, compared to the larger patch of the M6, so if you are shooting color slide, and you are trying to get particular parts of a scene metered accurately, then the F3 might be the better camera to load with color slide film. I do agree that the lens matters a lot. If there's a particular lens you own that does well with either color or B&W, then the lens dictates the film.
 
I don't think it matters but it would look very cool. Both are sweet lumps.

Hmm, I would do this. Who is your favourite Leica and Nikon photog and what was their main film?
 
Probably would go Nikon for color and Leica for B/W. Both are equally good on either film, but somehow seems more appropriate that Leica gets the b/w.

Regards

Marcelo
 
I would choose the same as some above.

The metering on the F3 is really good and has given me perfect exposures on color film. Also, some lenses for Leica translate beautifully for B&W film with natural contrast and sharpness such as the 40mm Summicron and Summaron 35/2.8.
 
The F3 is the first camera I would grab for color film, especially slides. Something about that 80/20 center-weighted meter for me has always been incredibly accurate. I've put hundreds of rolls of Velvia and Provia thru 2 different F3 bodies and have rarely had any difficulties with exposure. Might just be the way I shoot that works well with that heavy center-weighted meter.
 
jja said:
One important consideration is your metering needs (coverage and accuracy). I believe the F3 has a semi-spot meter patch, compared to the larger patch of the M6 ...
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The Nikon F3 meter pattern uses the same 13mm circle as the FM and FE series models. Nikon uses a centerweighted pattern and the weighting is 85/15 from center to edge in the F3 compared to the F/F2/FM/FE 60/40 weighting. (Yeah, I know the spec says it is 80/20, but measurements with a point light source on my F3 established quite conclusively that it was actually 85/15 weighting. I did the testing because I was curious that my FM and FE cameras gave different readings when pointed to the same scene with the same lens...)

The M6 meter pattern is a limited area pattern, not a centerweighted pattern... It reads the central white spot on the shutter curtain that's about 12mm diameter, so has a more well-defined cutoff than the Nikon F3.

In truth, and for all practical purposes, they respond so similarly there's hardly any difference between them in use.

G
 
I’ve found the metering on my m7 and F3 cameras to both be excellent and so that would not determine film use. I assume the meter in the m6 is as good as the m7.
 
Another F3 Color / M6 B&W.

The finder on the F3 I find better for evaluating the colors and their impact than the M6.

B2 (;->
 
Spoiled for choices. I’m actually surprised how much I enjoy shooting the F3. I think I’ll stick mostly color film through it like I’ve been doing. My Summaron 35 2.8 and vintage Leica glass does so well in BW as it is.
 
Thanks for the explanation, Godfrey.

Godfrey said:
The Nikon F3 meter pattern uses the same 13mm circle as the FM and FE series models. Nikon uses a centerweighted pattern and the weighting is 85/15 from center to edge in the F3 compared to the F/F2/FM/FE 60/40 weighting. (Yeah, I know the spec says it is 80/20, but measurements with a point light source on my F3 established quite conclusively that it was actually 85/15 weighting. I did the testing because I was curious that my FM and FE cameras gave different readings when pointed to the same scene with the same lens...)

The M6 meter pattern is a limited area pattern, not a centerweighted pattern... It reads the central white spot on the shutter curtain that's about 12mm diameter, so has a more well-defined cutoff than the Nikon F3.

In truth, and for all practical purposes, they respond so similarly there's hardly any difference between them in use.

G
Click to expand...
 
For me it would come down to what lenses you have for each camera. I'd match the film type to the particular lens you're using on each. Summilux 50 ASPH would get color, older Nikkors would get B&W. Newer MF Nikkors would get color, Elmarits and older Summicrons, B&W.

But that's just me.

Best,
-Tim
 
Huss said:
I don't think it matters but it would look very cool. Both are sweet lumps.

Hmm, I would do this. Who is your favourite Leica and Nikon photog and what was their main film?
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Nikon is easy - Bernard Plossu. Nikkormat, 50mm, Tri-X.
 
Lens max aperture and film ISO.
The rest is irrelevant. If day time only, it doesn't matter at all.
 
I kind of did that once, only with an F2S, and a Yashica GX. Fuji Superia Reala 100 in the Nikon, Kodak T-Max 100 in the Yashica. Oh, and I had a VUWS with Superia Reala 400, and a Panasonic TZ-3 at the same time. I was a picture taking fool that day (antique auto show outdoors). The evening before when they did the "cruise in" I added a Lomography fish eye to the mix with Superia Reala 400.



I lengthened the neck strap of the Nikon, and shortened the one on the Yashica so they wouldn't hit each other. The VUWS was in a jacket pocket, and the TZ-3 in my camera bag, reserved for when the film ran out.



The color/b&w mix worked out just fine, with the T-max looking really fine through the 40mm of the GX. I used a Vivitar 28-205 on the F2S since I knew there would be times when distance compression would come in handy, and I could get close-ups without having to be close.


The event was stretched over three days, so the mix of cameras and film varied, though I kept using the same film that I started with in whatever camera for the whole three days.


I shot the least of the T-Max, mainly because it was such a colorful event I didn't feel like b&w would do it justice in most cases, but it was a welcome diversion. I tend to use film based on the subject, more than on what camera or lens I'm using because the variables are too numerous to worry about. But the GX did turn out to be the best choice for b&w that day.



If you'd like to see what I mean, go to https://flic.kr/s/aHsjv5pHjt


PF
 
For me it doesn't matter... most likely Kodak Gold 200 and Neopan 100 (Acros 100 II ?). Most likely 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-M ASPH and AI-S 50mm f/1.2 on the MP and F3P respectively. For historical reasons it might be b&w in the Leica and color with the Nikon.

For the most part I have been shooting mostly b&w recently...
 
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