what should i buy

[panos]

hi there ,

i got commissioned to do a job for a company that wants pictures for their new offices.

i shoot mainly in color using an M8 with summicron 35mm f:2

the budget that i have is 1000 GBP.

i am going to shoot in Greece street photography concentrating in color and light.

i was happy to do it with my M8 but because the people that i am shooting for want to print big and they want me to shoot film.

the question is this :
renting a hasselblad xpan for a month with one lens ( U.K ) is about 600 GBP.

with 590 GBP i found a deal on an M3 with 5cm Summicron and lightmeter from an authorised leica dealer.

or with 450 GBP i can buy just the M3 body.

i can afford the deal on the M3 and i will have the 5cm Summicron that i can use on my M8 as well.

what do you think i should do.

should i go for the M3 and 5cm Summicron ?

has anyone tried that lens on the M8 and if yes are there any back focus problems?

or

should i go for a used voitglainder instead and use my 35mm f:2
although i really need a 50mm for my M8.

what is your opinion?

plz advise.
thanks ,
panos


ps the M3 that i am talking about is in excellent condition plus he lens and lightmeter. so everything realy good condition working perfectly

thanks again

best,
panos😉

 

[vieri]

Hey Panos,

I'd go for that M3 - sounds like a nice deal, plus you will have a chance to shoot your M8 on the side without having to lug too much different equipment and offer your customers both digital and film stuff for comparison (they might just go for the digital stuff as well). Last, adding an M3 + 50mm is good for you generally and you can keep it after the job vs rental = thrown away money IMHO 😀

 

[Pherdinand]

renting the 'blad is really thrown-out money. You'd better buy one for a bit more and sell it with practically no loss at the end.

 

[Pherdinand]

umm...i think he wrote they want pictures FOR their new offices
in fact, i am pretty sure he wrote that 😀

and that he'll be street shooting.

 

[Anupam]

i was happy to do it with my M8 but because the people that i am shooting for want to print big and they want me to shoot film.

I don't know the quality of files the M8 produces but I'd expect it to at least match 35mm film. So it might mean you'd do well to consider medium format. A Hassy or Mamiya 7 or perhaps even a Rollei TLR depending on what kind of shooting you are looking for.

 

[abumac]

Buy something wider, for example the Zeiss 25. The 50 will be a 67 on the M8. With the M8 you can make large copies. No problem.

 

[furcafe]

My thoughts, exactly. As far as pure resolution, I believe the M8, especially @ ISO 160 & 320, easily bests even slow 35mm film, so you would need to go to @ least medium format for larger prints.

That said, if the client is more comfortable with film & doesn't really need humongous prints, I would just get a Bessa + 50mm lens. The prices for the M3 &/or Summicron don't sound that great from a U.S. perspective, but I don't know about prevailing market prices in Greece & the UK.

I don't know the quality of files the M8 produces but I'd expect it to at least match 35mm film. So it might mean you'd do well to consider medium format. A Hassy or Mamiya 7 or perhaps even a Rollei TLR depending on what kind of shooting you are looking for.

 

[mcgrattan]

I've never used an M8 but if someone really wanted big prints, and they wanted film, I'd go with medium format, as has been suggested already.

Something like a Fuji GS645S isn't much bigger than a 35mm rangefinder. Portrait orientation, though, so you'd need to turn it on its side for landscape format shots. I really like TLRs for street use, too.

 

[panos]

thanks for the suggestions

as far as lightmeter is concered i have a minolta i bought four years ago
so i believe i will be covered.

i will shoot some large format as well.
on my horseman L

but i will have to shoot 35mm colour film as well
that's why i am thinking the leica M3
i already have the 35mm Summicron f:2
this is as wide as i will go

it will be great to shoot wider but i can not afford any lens at the moment.

prints from the M8 16"X20" are really good but i think they want to go slightly larger.

for the money i am being paid medium format is out of the question.

for the large format they pay for film proccessing scanning printing as well as the 35mm format.

but for the street stuff i am planing to shoot 100 rolls for a month.
i will be shooting colour negs. that equals 3600 pics so they can choose 30 to 40 final pictures.

to do that medium format with a mamiya 7 we are talking for about 360 films.
the money are way more that way and they are not willing to pay.
it is their problem.
i have explained to them the problem with 35mm film.

i will be staying in Greece for a month and shoot everyday
covering the main land of Greece from Athens to Thessaloniki.
i prefer to travel as light as possible.

that's why i am thinking for the M3.
all the large format will be done in Athens which i live half of the year so that will not be a problem.
for the rest of the trip is the M3( if i buy it ) and the M8.

i will appreciate your views on the M3 as the only M film camera that i have used few times is an M6 of a friend.

except the meter and the different frame lines in the viewfinder i suspect that they are the same.

plz let me know how do you find the price and the M3 in terms of performance.

the final (scanning) printing will be done either at Bayeux or Metro (uk)
i think both of these labs are really good
and it is something that they will pay on top of my payment.

thanks for the response

panos

 

[aizan]

why not shoot 100 rolls of medium format? you can get a mamiya 7ii and 80/4 for $1500.

 

[delft]

...for the large format they pay for film proccessing scanning printing as well as the 35mm format.
but for the street stuff i am planing to shoot 100 rolls for a month.
i will be shooting colour negs. that equals 3600 pics so they can choose 30 to 40 final pictures.
to do that medium format with a mamiya 7 we are talking for about 360 films.
the money are way more that way and they are not willing to pay...

Hi Panos,

I get a feeling your are selling yourself short. Having a photographer shooting for you for a month, and trying to cut down on film expenses seems ... cheap.
I hope they are putting you up in a five-star hotel at least 🙂
Make sure they understand you get to keep the negatives, and they only get a license for the use of some prints.

Enyoy,

Dirk

 

[Harry S.]

I agree with the Mamiya 7 suggestions. Load it up with some Velvia, take your time, get the exposures right and you will have a beautiful set of negatives to work from. This is of course you pay for a pro lab developing job and at least get the selected images scanned with a high resolution drum scanner. As Alexander De Vere said, shooting is just one side of it; dont skimp on the post production when doing big prints.

Other than that, I still find you'd have more headroom for large printing with 35mm film rather than the M8.

 

[szekiat]

i know this is contrary to your suggestions but is there any reason u're rulling out an SLR? You could get a FM2 or F3 with a few lenses for that kind of money.

 

[Sparrow]

Greek streets need wides in my experience.

Even a 12mm can start to look normal, and a 35 can be getting a bit tight. You do realise the M3 has no 35mm frame lines by the way?

 

[oftheherd]

...

prints from the M8 16"X20" are really good but i think they want to go slightly larger.


...

panos

I'm sorry, what will be the probable viewing distance of these greater than 16x20 prints? I haven't made any that large in a lot of years. But my past experience is that if you are going make 16x20 from 35mm film, you had better be sure of the viewing distance. Or, use the slowest 35mm color film you can, and use a tripod for all those shots. Otherwise, figure on MF in about 6x7, and even still a tripod isn't a bad idea when possible.

I know I sound like a broken record, but the Super Press 23, with a 65mm or 50mm lens would work. It just won't be in your price range, unless you wish to sell it and recover your money.

Still, with proper care and a steady hand or tripod, it can be done. How many greater than 20x24 have many of use projected from slides after all?

 

[Austerby]

Why not an M2 rather than the M3 if you're shooting 35mm lenses - they seem to be a little lower priced than M3s at the moment. I do use a 35mm on my M3 but it's easier with the framelines on the M2 IMHO.

And, oh, what a fantastic assignment!

 

[panos]

thanks guys.

i am still confused of what to do.

but your thoughts are very helpful.

thanks
panos

 

[panos]

finally

i bought an M4-P

it was for 570GBP

i trade two yashicas T4 and T4D
and the leica magnifing eyepiece

and bought the camera for 350GBP .

the guy said to me that it was just repaired and it came with one year guarantee.

now i am of to start doing the job.
from Mondays and for the next three weeks
i ll be shooting everyday.

i can't wait.

thanks for all your comments.

cheers