photo: first spin with the Leicaflex SL

[Godfrey]

Last weekend I took the new-to-me Leicaflex SL and Summicron-R 90mm lens out for a spin at the San Jose Pride Festival. For all but five frames, I just set what the camera read with the meter.

Bad idea ... I didn't check it beforehand and wasn't watching the specific exposures. Everything was underexposed by 2-3 stops due to an incorrect (and probably old) battery— a PX-625 alkaline replacement for the original mercury battery. I'll fit a mercury cell from my remaining stash. Otherwise the camera worked flawlessly.

Leicaflex SL + Summicron-R 90mm f/2
Ilford XP2 Super​

The five frames I didn't use the meter for, I simply guesstimated and set exposure as the scene was moving very fast. Sometimes I wonder why I bother with using a meter ... My guesses were exactly on the money. That was one of them. 🙂

A wonderful camera to use. Heavy, solid, precise, smooth as silk.

Enjoy! Comments always appreciated.

G

 

[mfogiel]

If it is sunny, then use sunny 16, if you are in the open shade, open 3 stops, total shade 5 stops, expose XP2 at EI 200 anyway. If you want to use other lenses wide open, check the focus accuracy first. On my SL2 the Summicron 90 was perfect, but many other lenses were off substantially.

 

[Godfrey]

If it is sunny, then use sunny 16, if you are in the open shade, open 3 stops, total shade 5 stops, expose XP2 at EI 200 anyway. If you want to use other lenses wide open, check the focus accuracy first. On my SL2 the Summicron 90 was perfect, but many other lenses were off substantially.

That's a good summary for technique. (I've been estimating exposure for so long, I rarely think about it very much. I just set numbers I know work... 🙂

It's curious to me, tho, how the focusing accuracy with an SLR could be right for one lens and not for all. I mean, if the focusing screen and focusing aid is positioned correctly relative to the film plane, every lens has to form a sharp image at the right point when focused properly. I supposed a focusing aid could introduce some error based on focal length but it really doesn't seem all that likely for the general purpose microprism fitted in the SL.

I've seen more focusing issues with split-prism rangefinder aids and long lense, however, and I believe the SL2 has a split prism with microprism collar, right? Split prisms are fussier...

G

 

[redisburning]

It's curious to me, tho, how the focusing accuracy with an SLR could be right for one lens and not for all.
G

focus shift is the most usual suspect.

 

[Godfrey]

focus shift is the most usual suspect.

That's true, but I haven't seen it yet. So far, I've done test exposures with the Summilux 50, Summicron 90, Elmarit 135 and Elmarit 180 to check that they are working right, and I have seen no noticeable focus shift from wide open to fully stopped down.

Any SLR lens with an auto-diaphragm mechanism is subject to problems if there is focus shift. I suspect the manufacturers all know that and do a lot to keep it from happening.

G

 

[Tejasican]

Remember the SL has that selective meter too. The dot on your screen is where the metering is, it is not balanced so if you are used to weighted metering that it is an adjustment. IF you come from something like a Nikon F3 it is less so.

 

[Godfrey]

Remember the SL has that selective meter too. The dot on your screen is where the metering is, it is not balanced so if you are used to weighted metering that it is an adjustment. IF you come from something like a Nikon F3 it is less so.

Thanks for the reminder, but yes: I was aware of that. It's actually one of the things I really like about the SL.

The issue was the battery. It was a PX-625 Alkaline cell, read 1.49V. I replaced it with a fresh PX-625 mercury cell, reads 1.35V. I checked the metering against a gray card and compared to a Sekonic*L328 hand-held meter. They agree perfectly with the new battery.

G

 

[Gary E]

I so miss mine; haven't used it for more than 4 years due to a move. 🙁

I used to use it with the 50/2 and 90/2.8. So smooth winding, heft and tactile shutter release. My eyesight wasn't the best at the time of use and was not easy to use with the spot focus prism; especially in low light.

 

[ferider]

It's curious to me, tho, how the focusing accuracy with an SLR could be right for one lens and not for all. I mean, if the focusing screen and focusing aid is positioned correctly relative to the film plane, every lens has to form a sharp image at the right point when focused properly.

Longer lenses are less sensitive than shorter lenses to screen (or mount) mis-alignment, due to longer "Depth of Focus". I am assuming Marek compared his 90 to a 50 and/or a wide.

Roland.