Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/12/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]So my Littman 4x5 single finally arrived. I will post a more in-depth review after I've actually used it rather than shooting tests. It got stuck in Canuck customs (as usual) but the whole process was not helped by confusion at the sender's end about who he was actually sending it to. It was not as well packed as one would have hoped, just nestled in noodles, whereas I would always ship something like this double-boxed. However it was none the worse for wear as far as I could tell. Mr Littman seems like a nice fellow whose metier is not written communication, presentation or organisation, but the camera seems well put together and as solid as you could expect from a converted polaroid folder. The camera is BIGGER than you might think, and the 'instructions' that shipped with it are unhelpful in the extreme (since they refer to items such as cable release, allen key, spare screws, which did not ship with the camera although the instructions imply they do, and refer to allen key bolts which on the camera I have are actually screws). However I finally figured out how to open up the camera and extend the lens and all that. The biggest external difference from the original folder is the big graflok assembly on the back, which does not interfere with handling *too* badly, though it takes a certain amount of ingenuity to mount the camera on a tripod since the graflok back gets in the way. (I sideways mounted one of those square manfrotto plates and with that it clicked in and out just fine). I got mine with the ground glass back, and the first thing I did was to check focus at various distances. I was instantly concerned, because it seemed to be off by a smidgeon. However after an hour of fiddling and rereading the confusing instructions I realised that the split-image rangefinder is *very* sensitive to off-axis viewing and you can *only* trust the rangefinder when your eye is totally on axis. As far as I could tell when I got that right, the focus was near-perfect. I definitely recommend the ground glass back, by the way. I then stuck on a couple of grafmatic backs and shot some tests, which I have yet to see. The Ysarex lens does not have a preview lever so the only way to use the ground glass is to use a locking cable release and set the shutter speed to B. The camera is really not that much different to handle than something like a Speed Graphic, with the one very big exception of the combined rangefinder viewfinder window. It really does make a huge difference. I can tell that once I get used to this camera it is going to take some interesting pictures. Is it worth the money? I think so, since there is nothing similar on the market. - -- Johnny Deadman http://www.pinkheadedbug.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html