Let's see your Leica M

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Finally put some new leather on my Leica M3. It looks and feels amazing! Practically as good as new. Hard to believe this camera was made in 1957!

Also has my new Argus 35-100mm viewfinder on it for when my Jupiter 12 gets here.
 
The lens isn't mine, so I don't know where it's from, I do know that it's plastic and made from a 3D printer. Someone here will know where it's from. They also make square hoods for the voigtlander nokton 35's as they have the same hood mount as the zeiss's.
 
Nice! I this a bright line finder or are you framing through a black rectangle?
How is this compared to the plastic Voigtlander finder (barrel distortion, eye point, etc…)?
 
menos said:
Nice! I this a bright line finder or are you framing through a black rectangle?
How is this compared to the plastic Voigtlander finder (barrel distortion, eye point, etc…)?
Click to expand...

It is the version II metal version of the Bright line finder, I got it on Ebay for $200, I think at that price point, it is worth it. They come up from time to time. I think Stephen of CameraQuest is bundling the 15mm Heliar with the finder, that might be a good deal.

http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtacc.htm


The MD-2 has such nice build quality in general, it's a solid camera, feels lovely in my hands. People always ask to hold it, when I pull it out. Like all M cameras,
it just feels RIGHT in your hands. The MD-2 is like a zen rangefinder, stripped down to pure functionality. It's a great dedicated super wide setup.

To answer your questions regarding the finder:
Not much barrel distortion, the eye point seems to be straight on. The only thing that would be nice - would be a spirit level, as horizon level shots are tricky to do with super wides.
You can see in this image, I didn't quite manage to get the horizon level.

8453687003_ddd9634231_z.jpg

Flickr Link


I haven't been shooting too much 35mm C-41 any more, more 120 when I shoot film, I think this might be the last and only 35mm film camera that I will hold on to.
Image quality wise, I think digital has finally surpassed 35mm film, but thats another topic.
I liked the idea of a lens like the Cosina 15mm having such depth of field, that at f/8, pretty much EVERYTHING is in focus. The MD series does not need rangefinder alignment, it's not really a rangefinder I guess <grin/> it's more a point and shoot I imagine. Very easy to shoot with, when it is essentially set at f/8 and 1m scale focus. I approximate on exposure, usually around Sunny 16, and most of the time, I get the right exposure, but Kodak Portra 400 has so much latitude, it's almost idiot proof film.

Back to the viewfinder, I recommend it. It is on par with the Contax 21mm finder I used to have for my Contax G2. Comparable build quality, although slightly smaller overall size. And really well done frame lines, that seem to be perfectly aligned with the 15mm Heliar.

Thumbs up on the lens and finder, and the MD-2 of course 🙂
 
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Millennium M6 with 0.58 finder and an old Voigtlander Prominent Nokton 50mm f1.5. You need 3 different adapters to put the lens on the camera, first a screwmount to M, then a Nikon Rf adapter to screwmount and lastly the Cosina made Prominent to Nikon Rf adapter. It does work - but I mainly use the lens on a Nikon RF as that only requires one adapter (the Cosina).
The old Nokton 50f1.5 is often hailed as the best 50 mm lens from the 50's. Maybe not in shapness - but in tonality and the"bokeh".
 
Tom A said:
Millennium M6 with 0.58 finder and an old Voigtlander Prominent Nokton 50mm f1.5. You need 3 different adapters to put the lens on the camera, first a screwmount to M, then a Nikon Rf adapter to screwmount and lastly the Cosina made Prominent to Nikon Rf adapter. It does work - but I mainly use the lens on a Nikon RF as that only requires one adapter (the Cosina).
The old Nokton 50f1.5 is often hailed as the best 50 mm lens from the 50's. Maybe not in shapness - but in tonality and the"bokeh".
Click to expand...
So might the new Nokton 50/1.5 be a modern update?
 
The local Leica dealer has the demo model in of the new M (240) model. I took a card along and tested taking my M2 fitted with 35mm f2 IV Summicron TomA Softie (Rff) and M2 Rapidwinder.
Shot with the 240 using my 50mm Zeiss C Sonnar at f2 (it is coded as f1.4 50mm) straight jpeg.
The B/W of the 240 from the M2 will follow.
Note this numbered 2 exposure on the 240 camera and I also took number 1 🙂

8531441660_7799610689_c.jpg
 
ChrisLivsey said:
The local Leica dealer has the demo model in of the new M (240) model. I took a card along and tested taking my M2 fitted with 35mm f2 IV Summicron TomA Softie (Rff) and M2 Rapidwinder.
Shot with the 240 using my 50mm Zeiss C Sonnar at f2 (it is coded as f1.4 50mm) straight jpeg.
The B/W of the 240 from the M2 will follow.
Note this numbered 2 exposure on the 240 camera and I also took number 1 🙂
Click to expand...

There's something special about this photo. Some lens that is.
 
mrisney said:
It is the version II metal version of the Bright line finder, I got it on Ebay for $200, I think at that price point, it is worth it. They come up from time to time. I think Stephen of CameraQuest is bundling the 15mm Heliar with the finder, that might be a good deal.

http://www.cameraquest.com/voigtacc.htm


The MD-2 has such nice build quality in general, it's a solid camera, feels lovely in my hands. People always ask to hold it, when I pull it out. Like all M cameras,
it just feels RIGHT in your hands. The MD-2 is like a zen rangefinder, stripped down to pure functionality. It's a great dedicated super wide setup.

To answer your questions regarding the finder:
Not much barrel distortion, the eye point seems to be straight on. The only thing that would be nice - would be a spirit level, as horizon level shots are tricky to do with super wides.
You can see in this image, I didn't quite manage to get the horizon level.

8453687003_ddd9634231_z.jpg

Flickr Link


I haven't been shooting too much 35mm C-41 any more, more 120 when I shoot film, I think this might be the last and only 35mm film camera that I will hold on to.
Image quality wise, I think digital has finally surpassed 35mm film, but thats another topic.
I liked the idea of a lens like the Cosina 15mm having such depth of field, that at f/8, pretty much EVERYTHING is in focus. The MD series does not need rangefinder alignment, it's not really a rangefinder I guess <grin/> it's more a point and shoot I imagine. Very easy to shoot with, when it is essentially set at f/8 and 1m scale focus. I approximate on exposure, usually around Sunny 16, and most of the time, I get the right exposure, but Kodak Portra 400 has so much latitude, it's almost idiot proof film.

Back to the viewfinder, I recommend it. It is on par with the Contax 21mm finder I used to have for my Contax G2. Comparable build quality, although slightly smaller overall size. And really well done frame lines, that seem to be perfectly aligned with the 15mm Heliar.

Thumbs up on the lens and finder, and the MD-2 of course 🙂
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! I tried a vII 12mm finder recently on a friends camera, who uses the 12/5.6 and was deeply impressed by the finder quality (compared it to my 21mm Leica finder and really couldn't find a flaw with the Voigtlander finder quality).

If the 15mm vII finder is of the same quality, it might be a great choice for the 15 Heliar and my converted 16mm Hologon!
I will have my eyes open for one!
 
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