Leica LTM The VALOO

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
R

Rich Silfver

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A few weeks ago I bought an as-new/never used VALOO hood for my 50/3.5 Elmar lens and I have to say it's one of the coolest hoods I've ever seen - and believe me...I've seen quite a few :)

The main benefit in using a VALOO is that by turning the front of the hood you adjust the aperture setting on the lens - and the set aperture is displayed through a 'frame/window' inside the hood. Way cool.
(For those of you who are familiar with how the aperture is set on the old Elmar 50/3.5's you know what I mean).

It was either this hood - or a FISON with a VOOLA (which I may still try and get hold of to compare with) for achieving what I wanted.

What is also really nice is that the hood has threads on the front so it allows the 34mm screw-in filters that I so far was only able to use on my 90/4 Elmar. Nice, nice.

I've liked the results I've gotten with the Elmar so far and am looking forward to using it with the hood.

Some pictures of the 'way cool hood' also known as VALOO:

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The VALOO


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The VALOO mounted on my Leica III (F)


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This shows how the set aperture is displayed in the hood. Nice..

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The VALOO with a screw-on filter.​
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Thanks for putting a picture to all these weirdly named Leica accessories. I like the one that's posted on your blog right now.


:)
 
RayPA said:
Thanks for putting a picture to all these weirdly named Leica accessories. I like the one that's posted on your blog right now.


:)
Click to expand...


Ray sorta beat me to it.....

You buy a lot of stuff with funny names Rich. :D
 
Lookin' good, that hood... Okay, okay, just trying to rhyme.... :D

I'd like one, but these VALOOs have f-stops up to f/16 while my Elmar is the newer one with f/22. What's the designation of the "upgraded" hood? (if there's one)
 
Rich,

That is sooo sweet, I have a Swiss Omag 54 hood that allows the use of 36mm screw-in filters, but yours has it beat by a mile.

Guess what's on my wish list now????
 
Rich, I would recommend the VOOLA. One of the advantages is that with a SOOGZ you can put modern 39mm filters in front of the lens and also a modern lens hood (if you are so inclined).

 

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Peter, thanks, yeah I may go for a VOOLA as well - but paired with a FISON.
 
The idea of the VALOO was to make using the Elmar as an enlarging lens more convenient, I have a Leica catalog for 1936 and it is in the enlarging and developing section. The VOOLA was meant for camera use. The VALOO looks a bit clumsy on the camera.
 
I am 5-6 frames through a roll now - will be interesting to see if there is any vignetting.
If there is...then it's back to finding a nice FISON and VOOLA....
 
I think Rich you have been infected with gadget side of Leica. Between 1970 and 2000, I went through this phase, and had a Benser Bag with just about every weird accessory in the catalogue. Very few really contributed much to my photography, I sent almost all of it to Christies in 2001, and got a reasonable return. I kept one or two things, a long base rangefinder for checking other cameras, a hood and some filters I use with my Taylor Hobson lens and Industar 50. I have a set of mint A36 graduated filters FIRAD etc which prove that nothing under the sun is new. I still use them, and my Leica developing tank. But I like to travel light now and like the KISS principle of photography better. :rolleyes:
 
John, I think you're absolutely right. I find the old Leica accessories to be very entertaining. It's also a bit of a challenge for me to find mintish examples of accessories that are close in time to the bodies I have. All good, clean fun and I'm sure I'll snap out of it one day :)

Until then...where's that mint, black FISON and ORAKO dammit.....
 
You should try to find a copy of the Hove Pocket Leica Accessory guide, a little book about the size of a diary which lists all the weird Leica code numbers, and illustrates most of them, even a thing for photgraphing operations, which looks like a rifle with straps to put around yourself to hold it steady. If I was a patient it would scare the shit out of me!!!
the most useful thing I kept was my NATRA which is a negative magnifier/viewer, I have never found a better one.
 
What is also really nice is that the hood has threads on the front so it allows the 34mm screw-in filters that I so far was only able to use on my 90/4 Elmar. Nice, nice.
Click to expand...


Rich, I've had several Valoo lens hoods over the last 20 or 30 years and never noticed lens threads on the front and inspected your Valoo and my Valoo and still can't see any threads on yours or mine...Do you really have threads in front? Or did some machinist put them there? regards, bob
 
Bob, yes and no. The whole inside of the hood is 'threaded' - not your typical dedicated threads but enough of threads to allow a 34mm filter to be screwed on securely.
 
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