Leica LTM I've got a Visoflex. Now what the hell do I do with it????

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
... Use it as a spare leg for an IKEA salon table, if you have one that is, because one of the original legs is bound to break at some stage ...
 
Viso1

Viso1

Hello:

The Viso I has the original box depth that requires additional bits to achieve on later models. The head of a DR/Hecktor/some Elmars comes off for bellows work. 17672 adapter is required for your DR.

The Kilfitt lenses generally fit directly to the Viso I and their distance scales are slightly off without it being a problem. A very short spacer was required which never seems to appear.

The Viso is great for Macro, static telephoto and nature photography.

yours
Frank
 
Frank and Bob, thanks for your helpful replies. Yeah, I just want to get the unscrewed DR head onto my Bellows 1. I'll be on the lookout for 17672.
 
Well.........

Here's where we are now.... :)

On the way from the States, thanks to eBay and Google (evil things that they are) are a 200/4.5 post war telyt in supposedly mint nick, and a OZXVO sports release.

I have been doing a lot of reading on the Visoflex system, looks like it's going to be fun! But my whole IIIf kit is for fun, so this fits right in.

Next on the list: a ZOOAN focussing mount for my 135/4.5 Hektor (yes the head does unscrew, but it's not the short mount model :( ) and a 90/4 Elmar (which was on my "must get" list anyway) with a detachable head.

:D

Fun!
 
Right!
Well!

After TWO BLOODY MONTHS sitting in Aus customs, the lens arrived today. And it's exactly as described, Mint -.
Bewdiful!!!!!

Put it all together this evening, IIIf, Visoflex I, PEGOO 45 deg magnifier, OZXVO single cable release, 200/4.5 TELYT

It's all very silly really. :D
How to turn your nice, petite, dainty Barnack Leica into a huge clumsly ersatz SLR
:)
I like silly......... :angel:


Now, where's my digicam for a pose shot?????
 
That's funny :)
Did you get the special outfit to wear when you got your viso? My outfit is white with these curious arm restraints. Makes using the viso only slightly less cumbersome :D
 
Any little bit helps :) Yes, post a pic of your rig with your digicam. Then use the digicam to shoot whatever you were going to shoot with the viso ;)
Just kidding, I use mine, and I have big plans for it, beyond the coatrack.
 
a pic at last!!!

a pic at last!!!

Finally got around to getting a picture of The Beast. Funnily enough, it does all work quite nicely...after a fashion......... :D
 

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Tim said:
Yaaaaayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!

I go away for a little while, and look what happens! An LTM category!!!!
:)


Anyway, yeh, I found a Visoflex 1 going real cheap. And I can't resist period bits of crap for the IIIf. So now I have a Visoflex 1, 45 deg 4x finder, close up bellows, and a couple of lens adapters for the close up attachment. Oh, and a collimeter (sp?) thingy.

But.....
my 135/4.5 Hektor isn't the model that fits into the 'flex, and I don't have the double cable release. (yet)
What was I thinking?????????? :bang:

Does anyone use one of these things? What bits should I be looking for????
Am I beyond hope? Is there a Leica A in my future? Am I turning into a sad Leica collector who will scour the world for obscure Leica accessories, and who will be able to conduct whole conversations in 5-letter catalogue codes with other Sad Old Farts???? :confused:
I briefly corresponded with a guy not too long ago that I sold an Accura reflex housing to (perhaps he is a member here ?). He collected reflex housings for rangefinders -- had 20 or so as I recall -- and was an expert of sorts. He told me the only one worth using was the VisoFlex III, which was the latest and greatest of these contraptions and it was made for the M-Series. I suspect the cost of a solid Leica M with a Visoflex III, would be worth the cost of a few Nikon F's and be less useful than a $50 Pentax Spotmatic.

The sad part of the story is that I found the VisoFlex III manual online and after having looked it over, I realized my life will not be complete without one. An M series Leica with a Visoflex III and a few decent lenses would probably equal the cost of a very good used car.

Here's the Visoflex III link:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leitz_visoflex_iii/leitz_visoflex_iii.htm
 
i have had 3 visoflexes and they are fun and take awesome close-ups.
am now putting together my 4th one,it is my first III
 
Visoflex I

Visoflex I

There's nothing like reviving an old post - but there I was searching for Visoflex stuff having just bought one, and I came across this!

So, as just mentioned, I've managed to get hold of a mint Visoflex I, PEGOO (?) finder, bellows and adapters for various lenses. It all fits nicely onto my 1937 Leica II and I've been doing some macro shots with the pre-war 9cm f4 Elmar. I've now got to send off the roll of Fuji Velvia and see what comes back; needless to say this is my first foray into macro photography and so I bracketed widely!

I don't have the double cable release, but as it wasn't likely that the flowers were going to run away, I just the mirror lock to keep the mirror up out of the way, then used a standard release on the camera. Anyway, here's my setup...

3685210260_54075d825e.jpg
 
One normally removes the head from the 90mm Elmar, and puts it on a small adapter tube directly on the bellows.

If that is the short mount for the Elmar, it's intended for use on a Focaslide.
 
The two most useful additions to my Visoflex kit have been 1) the Viso to Leicaflex adaptor and 2) a Leicaflex.

With the 560mm plus fantastically uncomfortable shoulder stock, I am now ready to take on anything...

...but... lurking in the cupboard is a PLOOT that is crying out to be used!
 
Making a sow's ear out of a silk purse

Making a sow's ear out of a silk purse

I have one of these wonderful devices too, and I bring it out every now and again and polish it up when the dust has gotten thick enough to fill in the engravings.

Leica has always had a great talent for finding very complex and stupendously expensive ways of doing rather simple things in the most inconvenient way possible.

There's a certain elegance to all that I suppose, especially if you buy into the notion that it's a demonstration of skill and creativity way beyond that possessed by the SLR-wielding hordes to limit yourself to exposing four frames in an average morning in order to use all those exquisite little Visoflex bits.

Then again, maybe there is a reason you got it so cheap......:)

Cheers,
Dez
 
I picked up a 400mm F5 Telyt for my Viso III Mirror Box, and it's really alot of fun to use on my M5. The TTL spot meter works flawlessly, too. Was photographing wild whitetail deer in my front yard, with it today. 1/1000 @ F5 with Eastman XX at EI 250, with a #1 Yellow Leitz 40cm Telyt filter, no tripod.

Works great. The Viso system is a pleasant and different way to use some of my favorite cameras.
 
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