Leica LTM New article on Leica IIIf on Photo.net

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
JoshRoot

JoshRoot

The NW will rise again.
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**In the past Photo.net and RFF have had a pretty mellow relationship about things being posted one place or the other and neither side has abused that fact. If the feelings of any RFF moderators or admins have changed on this issue, delete the thread and let me know**

I have just finished and posted the second of my "Welcome to Filmtown" series of articles. The Filmtown series is a set of articles that looks at an interesting film camera and film stock every month. Anyone who is interested can read the series introduction for more information.

The reason for posting this at RFF is that this month's article is on the Leica IIIf (the film is Fuji's Provia 100F). Give it a read if you are so inclined:

http://photo.net/columns/joshroot/filmtown/2009/january/leica-IIIf-fuji-provia-100f
 
Fun to read the impressions in a "modern" review of the of my favorite camera.

Except for chromes I can still get results with my Barnacks equal to anything else I use....and its tiny and quite!
 
Thanks for writing up that article.

I have been looking around for a IIIf to accompany my screwmount lenses. :)
 
Very Nicely Written Article :)

I`m shooting with a IIIF Hybrid of sorts, modified from a 1945 IIIC K (ball bearing shutter) camera ~ it`s basicly now a snazzier looking IIIF from "wartime" styled series one IIIC and it`s just as much fun working with as is the IIIF. :D

I need to try Provia crossprocessed, but I`d have to find *outdated* stuff at like $2 a roll, so there`s not too much wasted, if they don`t turn out, but the "bluish cast" might bring something different into the art of it all? ;)

Tom
 
It's interesting to read your article. I think your description is
very accurate and I can imagine how awkward the IIIf might seem to
use. For me though, everything about the IIIf is pure
pleasure as this is the camera that I first learned 35mm photography
with when I was 14 years old (and that was many years ago:)
 
Overall, a good article.

You need to clean up some things:

-- "it's" vs "its" The first is a contraction, which means "it is," while the second is a possessive. You should be using the second in almost all instances in your piece.

-- 1930s and 1950s, not 1930's and 1950's. It's a period of time and not a possessive.

-- Some commas should be semicolons. Actually, you can do away with the semicolon and just insert a period.

-- Also, I would put in more subheads. That's an enormous amount of text to try to digest visually.

I think your observations and conclusions are right on. You're probably not a writer by trade, so I shouldn't criticize grammar and usage too harshly.
 
I didn't find the article interesting, just stuff I've read a lot before, "they're hard to load",etc. The pictures are nice, but I know a IIIf can do better.
 
I read it as a review on the IIIf from a modern photographer's point of view.

Compared to the M Leicas, the III series is a bit fiddly and doesn't offer as well defined RF image in low light. That said the IIIf with a collapsible Elmar does offer a unique portable package - which was Oskar Barnack's original intend for the 35mm camera.

That said, my IIIf Red Dial is my most used Leica, mainly because I use it as Barnack intended - as a miniature camera.
 
Ditto: I have stopped using all my other 35's and also use my IIIF RD as it was intended - a miniture camera. Everything else is 4X5.
 
Love the article. While I totally agree that the Leica screwmount cameras are not the best way to get into rangefinder photography, it seemed to work pretty well for me. My first interchangeable lens RF was a IIIc, and I'm still in love with it.

Great work though.
 
I also enjoyed the article. I had come across it when looking for user info on Fuji E6 films. Good idea to let this crowd know about it.

If I can make a suggestion for a future Filmtown project, how about B&W chromes (Scala, dr5, etc.)?
 
Well worth reading. Thanks for sharing.

ZeissFan wrote: ".... - 1930s and 1950s, not 1930's and 1950's...."

I happen to agree with you, but I don't think the AP Style Book does.

PS - I'm a refugee from Seattle & Yakima... Go NW.
 
I owned both a black dial and a red dial 40+ years ago. I'd love to read your article but I got banned from posting forever a few years ago on photonet and I won't read where I'm not welcome.
 
Yes, Josh that was a nice article. I saw it on PN, but didn't realize you were here too. When I got my IIIf in 1964 the film cartridges had a tongue that was cut for the IIIf (and other Leicas), somewhere along the way they changed to the shorter tongue. I remember the first time I bought a shorter tongue cartridge, I couldn't figure out how to get the film in, that I had done so 'easily' before. Also, I am not sure but I've heard some of the Barnack design was to accommodate the very old reusable Leica cartridges. I also read I think that the film pressure plate design that we have today wasn't up to Leica standards at that time therefore the slide down method. The last was the need for light tightness, the machined bottom of the camera that overlaps a lot with the bottom plate. That last feature certainly has been a legacy, you never hear of someone complain of light leaks from around that plate.

Even though as you say it is a hassle to load and use, there is something nice about using the same camera for 44 years. Mr. Gandy's company just CLAd the IIIf, I'll develop the first roll on Monday.
 
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