Just Got the ZI

[tfelton]

Early this afternoon I received my ZI with the 35mm lens from popflash.photo. Right now I'm in the middle of a roll of film. It's everything I wanted and I'm really enjoying using it.

When I talked to popflash they asked if I wanted the Limited Editiion, of which they had one left. So, I got it. When Zeiss first announced the camera I signed up for the Limited Editiion but gave up because they took so long. Everything said the LE included a leather case. I thought they meant a leather case like you used to get when you bought a camera. However, the case is a purse without a strap and hold 4 rolls of film or the camera body without the lens. Also, the camera uses a CR 1/3N battery. I have looked in 2 Wal-Marts and on line at B&H and Calumet but have been unable to find any. Has anyone seen these in the store?

Ted

 

[back alley]

i was told to use 2 silver oxide batteries and that they would last much longer than the single battery.

congrats on the camera btw.
i quite like mine.
the hardest part is trying to not feel guilty about not using my other cameras.

joe

 

[jano]

I bought the single battery at my local drugstore. What number is your LE? 🙂

 

[Mazurka]

Of the three battery types, the CR-1/3 is a lithium ion battery and should last the longest. SR44 is a silver oxide cell. LR44 is alkaline which really has the shortest life.

Just go with the SR44 which is much cheaper and more easily found than the Li.

 

[tfelton]

Thanks for the info. I'll check Walgreens, etc.

Jano asked about the LE number. It's 267.

Ted

 

[ronnie_retro]

Hi,

You can use 2 of the LR44 (alkaline) or SR44 (silver-last longer) cells, just like with the Bessa R2A. That's what I did, since I have a bunch of SR44s in the fridge for my Bessa. This should be described in the manual in the battery section - it was with my ZI (black) that I just got a week ago. I think the Lithium battery is shipped just to keep an upscale presentation. Been way too busy at work to post anything till now, drat!

How do you like the finder? I really like it, it so bright and clear. I'm already getting good at positioning my eye to get the focus patch which is very bright if you're spot on. Tricky at first tho.

Also, I find the rewind mechanism has higher quality feel than the Bessa's. The door latch locks positively, requiring first a vertical and then a lateral movement on the latch to release it.

The shutter button is a joy - a positive detent to the 1/2 down position for metering, and great touch feedback when you then press the button all the way to fire the shutter, which to my perception has no delay.

I also really like the new (re:Bessa R2A) position for the exposure lock button and the way it now works. Instead of having to keep the button continuously depressed, you just press it in while you use the viewfinder to select the area for metering, and the exposure is then locked and held when you release the button and reframe.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on the ZI. Enjoy! I'm developing my first test shots on T-max tonight .

 

[tfelton]

I agree with everything you've said. It is a wounderful camera to use. It fits my style of operation perfectly. And you're right, the finder is amazing. I didn't expect one that good. I have found that I really don't like fully automatic cameras. I make more mistakes with them than I do with a manual one. I'll be developing film first thing tomorrow morning.

Ted

 

[tfelton]

I couldn't find the batteries here in semi-rural Arkansas so I bought some on line.

The more I use the camera the more I love it. Especially the viewfinder. It's so big and bright compared to other 35mm cameras. I got the silver body with a black 35mm lens. It may seem like a strange combination but I find it's easier to read the lens markings on a black lens.

Ted

 

[peter_n]

Ted congrats on the new camera. Here's a link for CR-1/3N lithiums at $2.72 each:

Sanyo CR-1/3N 3V Lithium Battery

 

[Huck Finn]

Ted, I think that the beauty of the silver cameras from any maker is that they look equally good with either silver/chrome or black lenses because the body is really two-tone with silver metal & black leatherette. This is great because you feel no restrictions as a buyer when you may want to take advantage of a great deal on a used lens regardless of what color it's available in.

Best of luck with the camera Enjoy it!

Huck

 

[Way]

Congrtats on the camera! I have a silver MP and silver ZI, three black lenses
and one silver/black Canon 50 f1.4. Like Hick said, the silver camera looks
good with either color lens.

 

[wrenhunter]

Ted, I think that the beauty of the silver cameras from any maker is that they look equally good with either silver/chrome or black lenses

I'm starting to come around to this idea. But it's so hard to fight the power of the true dark side -- the black-paint mafia! 🙂

 

[back alley]

i never considered a black lens with the silver body but now that i listen to you guys and have thought about it some, i just might get the 50 in black.

joe

 

[tfelton]

I don't know if anybody has noticed the sound of the shutter on the ZI. I have a Contax IIa (black dial) which I've owned since the 50s. At 1/250 the sound is very similar with the same volume, except that the ZI is slightly lower in pitch.

That's one of those miscellaneous experiments that occupies one's time.

Ted

 

[Grober]

With its wonderful viewfinder, the Z1 really appealed to me as a backup to my M7 but I didn't buy one 'cause of their looney 85mm frame. Yes, I have two 90mm lenses but I'm using the 75mm Smumicron more these days and really rely on that frame in the M7. No, I wouldn't consider an annoying shoe-mounted 75mm v/f and I doubt I'd ever be tempted to buy the Zeiss 85mm lens. The Zeiss option is off the table partly due to its reported high price but mostly due to my complete satisfaction with the existing Leica tele-glass.

I hope my trusty M7 continues to purr along. I'll save my bucks for the best pick of the digital r/f M-bodies to be shown at Photokina in October. Yeah, we all know about the planned Leica MD but I'm hoping there is a surprise Zeiss ZD or Epson R-D2 in the mix too. (Annouce in October; delivery late summer, 2007?)

 

[Huck Finn]

With its wonderful viewfinder, the Z1 really appealed to me as a backup to my M7 but I didn't buy one 'cause of their looney 85mm frame. Yes, I have two 90mm lenses but I'm using the 75mm Smumicron more these days and really rely on that frame in the M7. No, I wouldn't consider an annoying shoe-mounted 75mm v/f and I doubt I'd ever be tempted to buy the Zeiss 85mm lens. The Zeiss option is off the table partly due to its reported high price but mostly due to my complete satisfaction with the existing Leica tele-glass.

Hmm . . . Nothing "looney" about the 85 focal length, Grober. It's always been the standard portrait lens not only for Zeiss, but for Nikon & Canon as well. The interesting thing is that the 85 frame lines on the ZI are perfectly serviceable with a 90 mm lens. Roger Hicks & Frances Schultz did an interesting comparison of various viewfinders & frame size as part of their review of the Zeiss Ikon in this April's Shutterbug. They found that the 85 frame on the ZI is identical in size to the 90 frame on the MP.

I can see you ruling out the ZI if your primary focal length is 75, but there is nothing unususal about the lack of a 75 in an RF viewfinder. Leica only introduced the 75 frame into a viewfinder in 1981 on the M4-P, so for 27 years of Leica M cameras before that (1954 - 1981), there was no 75 frame. Anyone buying a used M3, M2, M4, or M4-2 will find themselves without this frame. It's not the world's most common focal length & the benefit of leaving it out is that you remove clutter from the frame lines for the standard 50 mm lens. I never have understood why Leica chose to put together these 2 frames that are so close in size.

I actually use a CV 75 with the ZI. I never have to worry about cutting anything out because 75 is wider than 85, so I just guesstimate & it seems to be working okay. I obviously don't have the option of precise framing, but I don't use 75 for portraiture. I switch to my FM3a & 85/1.8 Nikkor for that with SLR framing is much more precise than anything a rangefinder can provide anyway.

It's true enough that the ZM 85/2 is priced high, but hardly more expensive the 90 Summicron. It's obviously only an option for those who are interested in the purchase of new equipment, but 6 months to a year from now, it will start showing up on the used market & it will be an alternative to used Leica glass at that time.

Huck

 

[back alley]

and there ia always the canon and nikon 85/2 lenses. both quite sharp and good for the biceps too.😉

 

[Huck Finn]

Joe, are they available in M-mount? Adaptor? How does this work?

 

[back alley]

my canon is screw mount, i'm using an 28/90 adapter and it works very nice on the m3 and the zi.
if you wanted to stretch it the slower 100/3.5 canon lens is much smaller and lighter and very sharp.
the nikkor is screw mount also and said to be sharper than the canon and more $$.

joe

 

[Kyle]

Joe, are they available in M-mount? Adaptor? How does this work?

Neither are available in M-mount, both are screw mount. I had a Canon 85/2. Great lens, but I sold it. As Joe alluded to, it is a heavy lens. Plus the focus thrown was looooooong. I replaced it with a much more compact Tele-Elmarit, and its fine for me, I haven't missed the extra stop. But that Canon 85 was still a great lens, and its a bargain too, it just wasn't for me due to the size.

If I win the lottery I'm going to pick up the ZM 85/2. 😀