Leica LTM well, i am expecting my first LTM leica ...

Leica M39 screw mount bodies/lenses

paulfish4570

Veteran
Local time
2:48 AM
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
9,816
... early next week to try out, probably buy. courtesy of a fellow RFF'er.

it's an iiif made in 1951 or 1952; '51 is my birth year, which was a big factor in going for an LTM.
another big factor is that the barnacks have that dandy diopter lever.
still another big factor is that it can share my two fine cv color skopar lenses with my r2m (both are on adapters; 50/2.5 and 35/2.5).
the deciding factor was finally getting to handle several at that wicked atlanta rff gathering last month. :eek:

i'm liking the 35/2.5 on my bessa rtm. that means the 50 for the barnack to give it solid workout.
i reckon i'll spending some time in this forum when it arrives ... :D
 
cosmetic is cool. I love accessory finders. they make me appear menacing when I'm anything but. My Kobalux 21 finder is bigger than my Summaron lens.
 
I'm tellin' ya, you cannot beat the Nikon universal finder: the image frame actually pulls close up rather than just diminishes in size. And you really don't look old school til you got the finder on there, and preferably (I don't have one but ) the nickel Elmar. I got a Summitar it will have to do. This discussion -- the earlier iteration -- has me out looking for an RD/ST. Currently I have a black dial. No lust cannot be stimulated by half an hour on this forum. Okay i take it back. Only a few lusts cannot be stimulated by half an hour on this forum.
 
Paul,
I liked your idea of a "birthday" LTM but when I looked further I realised I'm way back in Leica II territory! I had two IIIf's a while back - a Black Dial and a Red Dial from the early 50's. Also a fake gold-plated Russian Leica II before that.
They're fun cameras. You may find the viewfinder a bit squinty (as most 50's cameras were) and also it might be dull, especially compared to the Bessa.
I found the simplest solution to that problem, and also of using wider lenses than 50mm, was to get a CV accessory viewfinder of the right focal length, but there is another device that quite fascinated me and which enables you to cover 21mm, 35mm and 50mm with the one simple device and you can estimate the coverage of lenses in between by a simple adjustment of the distance of the eye from the vf itself. Have a look at <http://www.ikodot.com/takealook.html>
 
Happy times with your new-to-you camera. Hope it's a good user from the time you receive it! Barnack's are a little different at the start but not real different. Find yourself a nice sharp pair of small scissors to carry or cut your leaders at home. Remember that viewfinders not like a bessa, but on the other hand you'l learn to "squint like Clint"-- at least with one eye. One other thing With your commeritive new-to-you camera. .. ... Is it not about time you contact Someone at Geezers? It's 2011!!!!! quit dragin' yer feet.
 
Last edited:
I'm tellin' ya, you cannot beat the Nikon universal finder: the image frame actually pulls close up rather than just diminishes in size. And you really don't look old school til you got the finder on there, and preferably (I don't have one but ) the nickel Elmar. I got a Summitar it will have to do. This discussion -- the earlier iteration -- has me out looking for an RD/ST. Currently I have a black dial. No lust cannot be stimulated by half an hour on this forum. Okay i take it back. Only a few lusts cannot be stimulated by half an hour on this forum.

Hmmm, not sure about that... It has very little to contribute to many of the more interesting ones.

As a matter of interest, does anyone know who copied whom between Nikon and Tewe? The Tewe appeared in the UK in about 1952 but I don't know when it came out in Germany. For an extensive description of the Tewe see http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/tewe polyfocus.html

Oh: and Paul: have fun. as others have said, "Use it in health."

Cheers,

R.
 
I hope I had something to do with it. :) Congrats on the birthday!

I've been seriously thinking of a CV 21mm. It just seems like fun.
 
you guys ...

hey, i already have squinty little mean pig eyes, so that's no issue.:)

ah, the diopter: that's the ticket ... :)

wouldn't mind a 50/2.8 elmar at some point.
 
LTMs can take exactly* the same pictures as M Leicas, they're just a bit slower to use because of the separate VF. Focusing is actually more accurate then with most M Leicas, because the RF is magnified. The M3 is about on a par with an LTM for focusing, but anything else struggles.


*OK, you can't get a Summicron DR onto an LTM (but you can use a NOOKY-HESUM)
 
Wonderful...now thats an Addiction Worth Having

I have been using Mine with the Ultron 35 1.7 / no VF
and its GRAND

Best of Luck & Enjoy !
 
Back
Top Bottom