Vintage 35mm camera experience? VF only, Scale Foucsing etc

[Will]

Hello Guys:

Anyone use a Leica A, similar type of vintage cameras, how do they feel like?

Had alway wondered how those early 35mm cameras feels/handle like? Those Leica A require scale foucsing a 50mm f/3.5...

I guess I want to know how people shoots at the 30s, without RF, just VF and Scale Foucsing...

Cheers




Will

 

[clarence]

Hello,

Whenever I use my scale focus cameras, I'm constrained by depth of field. This is even more significant on the medium format scale focus cameras. For that reason, I seldom dare to go beyond f1/8, but only if I am not focusing at a distant object or at infinity.

Hyperfocal distance focusing is de rigeur for these cameras. You get used to the limitations after awhile, like not being able to use the large apertures in close ranges in low light conditions that would otherwise necessitate a large aperture.

With a flash, you don't have to worry about ambient light and you can decrease your shutter speed and aperture to help you increase your depth of field.


Clarence

 

[Jerevan]

Hi Will,

I haven't used a Leica A, but I have a couple of other cameras of the same vintage, a Balda 6x4.5 folder from 1936 (need repairs) and a Kodak Retina 117. Both are real beaters.

I have been using the Retina a bit as a walkaround camera, and it works well, if you use it stopped down a bit (f8 or f11) and don't try to do closeups, and take a few extra frames if one is unsure of the focus point. I like the down-to-basics attitude of the camera. I stick a green or yellow filter on it, rate Tri-X at 200 and generally have good fun. The viewfinder on this one is quite good and the knobs and buttons are well thought out and easy to use, given a little patience. It's a quality camera.

Here's a link to a presentation:

Retina 117

 

[pvdhaar]

In the 35mm format, I find 35mm lenses perfectly doable outdoors. My experience is with Minox 35, which has a 2.8 max, aperture. It's tricky indoors, where distances are shorter and apertures need to be opened up more to let enough light in. These both come at the expense of shallower DOF, causing a drop in the percentage of sharp pictures.

Anything longer than 35mm is limited to outdoors or flash photography in my view.

 

[rbiemer]

No leica A for me but I do have two scale focus cameras: an Agat 18k and a Retina 1a(that I just got). In day-light with 1/500th and f/16, either is easily usable. In fact, the Retina has two marks on the distance scale that make focus easy. With the camera at f/8, one mark gives sharp exposures from 7 to 15 feet and the other mark is for 12 to infity. The Agat is a little more difficult since the DOF scales are harder to read. Indoors is different--most of the time I'm someplace where I have a pretty good idea about distances(that's a depressing thought--I need to get out more 🙁 ).
The Agat s a small plastic box, OK pictures but not very inspiring. The Kodak, on the other hand is a beauty. Brass and chrome with a really nice advance lever. Small and dense. It is a joy to use.
Rob

 

[Will]

Hello,

Whenever I use my scale focus cameras, I'm constrained by depth of field. This is even more significant on the medium format scale focus cameras. For that reason, I seldom dare to go beyond f1/8, but only if I am not focusing at a distant object or at infinity.

Hyperfocal distance focusing is de rigeur for these cameras. You get used to the limitations after awhile, like not being able to use the large apertures in close ranges in low light conditions that would otherwise necessitate a large aperture.

With a flash, you don't have to worry about ambient light and you can decrease your shutter speed and aperture to help you increase your depth of field.


Clarence

Hi Will,

I haven't used a Leica A, but I have a couple of other cameras of the same vintage, a Balda 6x4.5 folder from 1936 (need repairs) and a Kodak Retina 117. Both are real beaters.

I have been using the Retina a bit as a walkaround camera, and it works well, if you use it stopped down a bit (f8 or f11) and don't try to do closeups, and take a few extra frames if one is unsure of the focus point. I like the down-to-basics attitude of the camera. I stick a green or yellow filter on it, rate Tri-X at 200 and generally have good fun. The viewfinder on this one is quite good and the knobs and buttons are well thought out and easy to use, given a little patience. It's a quality camera.

Here's a link to a presentation:

Retina 117

In the 35mm format, I find 35mm lenses perfectly doable outdoors. My experience is with Minox 35, which has a 2.8 max, aperture. It's tricky indoors, where distances are shorter and apertures need to be opened up more to let enough light in. These both come at the expense of shallower DOF, causing a drop in the percentage of sharp pictures.

Anything longer than 35mm is limited to outdoors or flash photography in my view.

No leica A for me but I do have two scale focus cameras: an Agat 18k and a Retina 1a(that I just got). In day-light with 1/500th and f/16, either is easily usable. In fact, the Retina has two marks on the distance scale that make focus easy. With the camera at f/8, one mark gives sharp exposures from 7 to 15 feet and the other mark is for 12 to infity. The Agat is a little more difficult since the DOF scales are harder to read. Indoors is different--most of the time I'm someplace where I have a pretty good idea about distances(that's a depressing thought--I need to get out more 🙁 ).
The Agat s a small plastic box, OK pictures but not very inspiring. The Kodak, on the other hand is a beauty. Brass and chrome with a really nice advance lever. Small and dense. It is a joy to use.
Rob

Thanks a lot, guys...

Without being over simplify (it's 5am in Hong Kong)...

With such a camera, I really need to make the DOF to work for me, like forget about large aparture/low light, but use enough DOF to over the require distance; and get to know the lens at those aparture, so the person can dial-in (scale foucs) the lens (zone foucs?) at a given situation.

I like the down-to-basics attitude of the camera

You read my mind, Jerevan!

Thanks a lot guys.

Cheers





Will

 

[ddunn]

There are two tricks to using scale focus cameras.

1. Calibrate yourself. It's not that hard to learn to accurately estimate distances. Pick out an object. Estimate how far away it is. Then measure the actual distance (you can use a dreaded slr for this). Do this a few times until you get close with your estimates. You only need to learn one or two key distances (like 8 and 12 feet). Pick you subject, set your lens to the estimated distance, and shoot.

2. Calibrate your view. Pick your most common shooting distances (like 8 and 12 feet), and the see how much of your viewfinder is filled by a human body. Set your lens to the distance, and when the subject fills the viewfinder to the right amount, shoot.

Which you use depends on the situation.

Keep in mind that HCB shot many of his most famous pictures with the Leica A (such as the man jumping the puddle). No rangefinder, 50mm f3.5 lens, and film with a speed around ISO 20-25.

 

[pvdhaar]

Here's an afterthought. You could also scrounge the 'bay for a shoe mount external rangefinder. You measure the distance, and transfer that to the lens. In the early days, these were quite common for the dedicated photographer.

You can still buy rangefinders today, but they're laser based now.. http://www.leica-camera.com/sportoptik/produkte/rangemaster/1200scan/index_e.html

 

[Will]

Here's an afterthought. You could also scrounge the 'bay for a shoe mount external rangefinder. You measure the distance, and transfer that to the lens. In the early days, these were quite common for the dedicated photographer.

You can still buy rangefinders today, but they're laser based now.. http://www.leica-camera.com/sportoptik/produkte/rangemaster/1200scan/index_e.html

Lazer is too advance, LOL...

Rich uses a Flexameter

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20527

I really want to get that Leica A, Leica Zero feeling...

There are two tricks to using scale focus cameras.

1. Calibrate yourself. It's not that hard to learn to accurately estimate distances. Pick out an object. Estimate how far away it is. Then measure the actual distance (you can use a dreaded slr for this). Do this a few times until you get close with your estimates. You only need to learn one or two key distances (like 8 and 12 feet). Pick you subject, set your lens to the estimated distance, and shoot.

2. Calibrate your view. Pick your most common shooting distances (like 8 and 12 feet), and the see how much of your viewfinder is filled by a human body. Set your lens to the distance, and when the subject fills the viewfinder to the right amount, shoot.

Which you use depends on the situation.

Keep in mind that HCB shot many of his most famous pictures with the Leica A (such as the man jumping the puddle). No rangefinder, 50mm f3.5 lens, and film with a speed around ISO 20-25.

Thanks DDunn

Man jumping the puddle, never realise that picture was shot with a Leica A. Last time I was looking at that photo in a magazine, I was in a SLR kind of mind..

Thanks for pointing out..