jmkelly
rangefinder user
Get the III - you will thank yourself. To trim or not to trim is a personal matter, a bit like personal grooming habits and frankly I don't care to know what you do in that area.
Thinking Of Going LTM...
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MikeL
Go Fish
I agree. I've not trimmed for awhile (both areas, even though you don't care John🙂) but then the trim-nazis got me worried so I cracked my III open. It's all metal in there, and unless a card is really bent there's no way it will hit the shutter. The film is just as much a 'foreign' object as a thin card, just not as stiff.
Anyways, Dave, I think you'll like the III for something different.
photogdave
Shops local
Hey, thanks for all the replies!
steverett
Anthopomorphized Camera
I keep a little 3" swiss army knife that has a small scissor in my camera bag. That way I don't need to worry about having trimmed it before leaving the house.
bean_counter
Well-known
Last time I tried that on vacation, I couldn't get it through securtiy checkpoints. They wouldn't even allow a leatherman through.
I used to vacation w/ two IIIf's, one with a SBOOI finder and a Canon 50/1.8 (or Elmar 3.5) and the other with a VIOOH(?) finder for 35 and 90 work; usually shooting chromes. Worked ok, but was tough when the object of the trip was family vacation, not photography. Too slow.
I gave up and bought an M. LOVE IT for vacation.
That said - a IIIf with an Elmar and B&W print film is a blast for casual, walk-around daylight shooting. The original pocket P&S.
Rhodes
Time Lord
"To trim or not to trim! That is the question!" Any leica ltm user, act I, scene I!😀
furcafe
Veteran
Agreed, that's the way I load my "Barnacks." Just as w/any other camera, you do need to make sure the film cartridge is properly seated (once you've done that is the ideal time to take up all the slack w/the rewind knob) & that there's enough ambient light to peek down to the take-up sprockets (a cellphone screen can suffice for extremely dim environments).
As far as trimming the film leaders, I agree that it's a PITA, but I just do it beforehand, usually in batches of 6 rolls or so. For traveling, I take a pair children's scissors (the little ones w/rounded tips) along w/an ABLON & put it in the checked luggage.
As far as trimming the film leaders, I agree that it's a PITA, but I just do it beforehand, usually in batches of 6 rolls or so. For traveling, I take a pair children's scissors (the little ones w/rounded tips) along w/an ABLON & put it in the checked luggage.
john neal
fallor ergo sum
Interesting - I know it's not a Leica, but when I bought a Canon IVsb, it came with a piece of reddish paxolin in the back of the ERC for just that purpose.
Still, I wouldn't risk it with a "proper" camera 😀
Spider67
Well-known
There is an ABLON copy sold by the seller lakesuwa on the bay. decent price. It's a thing for your comfort. I once gave a FED 1 to a repairman because I could not figure out how to load it, and he - although an oldtimer - couldn't help me but take out the pressure plate....
Well there is ignorance (on my part!).
Since then I trim. East German and Soviet BW films were sold with long leaders for quite a long time. One thing that can happen is that the RF patch is not contrasty enough.
A piece of orange transparent plastic (file envelope) over the RFs "eye" will do the job otherwise you could exchange the beamsplitter.
Best Regards
We like a trim body why not a trimmed film?
....Trim nazis is putting it a bit over the top...at least there is no trimquisition
Well there is ignorance (on my part!).
Since then I trim. East German and Soviet BW films were sold with long leaders for quite a long time. One thing that can happen is that the RF patch is not contrasty enough.
A piece of orange transparent plastic (file envelope) over the RFs "eye" will do the job otherwise you could exchange the beamsplitter.
Best Regards
We like a trim body why not a trimmed film?
....Trim nazis is putting it a bit over the top...at least there is no trimquisition
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
I trim the leader, it's *really* a no-biggie. No templates, just a scissor and knowing where to end the cut (between the holes as emphasized in above posts).
To me, it's just not worth the hassle of trying to fight the way the camera is designed.
Sure, if you load 10 rolls of film untrimmed and it never jammed on you, you're lucky. But once it did, what now?
As far as pre-trimming film being a hassle, I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll ever shoot more than one roll on an LTM body in a day, if I need to cover an event with many rolls, I'll use my OM-1 or F3 😀
It did freaked out my lab operator once, though...
He reported to me that half of my film were missing in the beginning of the roll. But after I showed him the camera and why I need to trim the leader, both he and I were better informed now 🙂
To me, it's just not worth the hassle of trying to fight the way the camera is designed.
Sure, if you load 10 rolls of film untrimmed and it never jammed on you, you're lucky. But once it did, what now?
As far as pre-trimming film being a hassle, I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll ever shoot more than one roll on an LTM body in a day, if I need to cover an event with many rolls, I'll use my OM-1 or F3 😀
It did freaked out my lab operator once, though...
He reported to me that half of my film were missing in the beginning of the roll. But after I showed him the camera and why I need to trim the leader, both he and I were better informed now 🙂
MikeL
Go Fish
Okay, trim nazis is a bit too much. 🙂
After loading, the trimmed film slides across and under the pressure plate. I don't get how this is different from sliding a thin card under the pressure plate. How is this fighting how the camera was designed? You get the film in place and go. The film is loaded behind the pressure plate all three ways (trimmed, card, or open curtain-push on plate). These things aren't delicate little flowers. I think if people opened their camera up they would see it doesn't matter much. If you have time, trim the film. If you don't, no worries.
Whatever way you load it, once the sprockets engage properly you're done.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Speaking of trimming film ... I bulk loaded a dozen rolls of Tri-X the other night and went to use one yesterday and discovered I'd put the cutaway on the wrong side of the leader! 😱
Just when you think you know what you're doing ... you discover that you dont really! 😛
Just when you think you know what you're doing ... you discover that you dont really! 😛
aad
Not so new now.
I've trimmed, works fine. I've not trimmed, lens off, shutter on T, works fine. Hundreds of rolls in the last few years.
The onlly time I had a problem was with a trimmed-badly trimmed-leader. Never a problem otherwise.
The onlly time I had a problem was with a trimmed-badly trimmed-leader. Never a problem otherwise.
BillBingham2
Registered User
Agree with all 3, almost!
Agree with all 3, almost!
I agree with my friend down under, they are wonderful looking cameras. I never had problems loading my fathers IIIa and never trimmed.
The concept of making you a more thoughtful photographer I kind of think that they do, but just from the technical side. When you compare what you have do to in order to get a good picture (exposure, shake, focus, etc.) to what is necessary on say an F100 there is a lot more. So most folks have to be more deliberate and thoughtful. That is not to say they will take better pictures. Just that they can not blow through a 10 frames in the time it takes you to read this sentence. Now you can add a MOOLY to a III but that is another story. The maturity is being able to find the picture in the scene and shoot only that. Not just keep shooting and hope you find in the proofs somewhere. Even when I was lugging a couple of motor driven cameras around I never was a machine gun spray and prayer. Strange habit to have after growing up with free film and chemicals.
B2 (;->
Agree with all 3, almost!
I agree with my friend down under, they are wonderful looking cameras. I never had problems loading my fathers IIIa and never trimmed.
The concept of making you a more thoughtful photographer I kind of think that they do, but just from the technical side. When you compare what you have do to in order to get a good picture (exposure, shake, focus, etc.) to what is necessary on say an F100 there is a lot more. So most folks have to be more deliberate and thoughtful. That is not to say they will take better pictures. Just that they can not blow through a 10 frames in the time it takes you to read this sentence. Now you can add a MOOLY to a III but that is another story. The maturity is being able to find the picture in the scene and shoot only that. Not just keep shooting and hope you find in the proofs somewhere. Even when I was lugging a couple of motor driven cameras around I never was a machine gun spray and prayer. Strange habit to have after growing up with free film and chemicals.
B2 (;->
photogdave
Shops local
I have a feeling I've wandered into a weird and wonderful world... 🙂
So can anyone give me a ballpark of what this camera is worth?
So can anyone give me a ballpark of what this camera is worth?
jmkelly
rangefinder user
Oh, somewhere between $225 and $10,000+ 😀. Brooklyncamera and woodmere camera on eBay sell in the area of the first number, photoarsenal in the second.
Frank Petronio
Well-known
This reminds me of arguments over circumcision....
A good black III and a 28 is a bit rarer than the usual IIIc/Elmar, so it's at least North of $500.
A good black III and a 28 is a bit rarer than the usual IIIc/Elmar, so it's at least North of $500.
photogdave
Shops local
photogdave
Shops local
I'm just going to make an offer on the body and leave that Hektor for a collector!
photogdave
Shops local
So I've arranged a "loan" of the camera so I can put a roll of film through it and make sure it's all tip-top.
I'm actually shooting with the Hektor because they didn't have any other LTM lenses available. The only one I still own is the Voigtlander 21mm. If I like how it renders maybe I'll try and buy the lens too.
It took me about 15 minutes and two trim jobs to load the film, but I did it, and I'm sure it'll be easier next time.
I've really enjoyed shooting with it so far! It fits in my jacket pocket so nicely, and feels so solid and sure. I love the high magnification rangefinder, and am really not bothered about switching from the rf to the vf. I know that the vf is for 50mm but I'm using it as a rough guide for the 28mm.
Can't wait to finish the roll and see how it turns out! It's so cool to be shooting with a camera that's almost 75 years old!
I'm actually shooting with the Hektor because they didn't have any other LTM lenses available. The only one I still own is the Voigtlander 21mm. If I like how it renders maybe I'll try and buy the lens too.
It took me about 15 minutes and two trim jobs to load the film, but I did it, and I'm sure it'll be easier next time.
I've really enjoyed shooting with it so far! It fits in my jacket pocket so nicely, and feels so solid and sure. I love the high magnification rangefinder, and am really not bothered about switching from the rf to the vf. I know that the vf is for 50mm but I'm using it as a rough guide for the 28mm.
Can't wait to finish the roll and see how it turns out! It's so cool to be shooting with a camera that's almost 75 years old!
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