Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/10/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Colin, If you purchase a recently CLA IIIf or purchase a IIIf and have DAG or Ken Ruth or Focalpointlens do a CLA you will have a very reliable camera. With the wide angles that you mention, focusing is really not an issue as you will be zone focusing and using a viewfinder anyway. Do purchase one of Tom Abrahamson's rapidwinders for the LTM and you will dramatically speed up winding. Also, pick up some extra spools so that you can go out with pretrimmed leaders already loaded on a spool: the Canon ones are especially good and can be found somewhat inexpensively. The trick to using a LTM Leica is to be totally comfortable loading one. Cut a proper leader and push the film in, wind off two frames and away you go. The trick is to cut the leader as per the diagram on the bottom of the camera. Personally, I would not go on a professional shoot with two different cameras. I would pick up an M2/3/4/6 at whatever is a good price and use those with the M7 you keep. The difference in price between a user M3 and a IIIf is only a few hundred dollars and a missed shot fiddling with the slow speed dial could easily cost that much. 0.02 Don don.dory@gmail.com On 10/19/05, Colin J <smcj35@yahoo.com> wrote: > > I am a very enthusiastic user of two Leica M7 > bodies, a Minolta CLE and and nine lenses (seven > Leica, 2 Voigtlander) shooting mainly black and > white and Kodachrome 64 slide film. I shoot > travel and architectural subjects and weddings > for a living. I have a digital SLR but work > almost entirely with film. > > I need to fund a film/slide scanner and re-equip > my darkroon following purchase of a Focomat V35. > So I will be selling one M7 and the Minolta CLE. > > However, I still want to use two bodies and am > considering buying a screw mount Leica body and a > 50mm lens. I would also use this body with > Voigtlander 12mm and 15mm lenses. > > Is it viable to use a 50+ year old screw mount > body for paid work? Is it possible to get > reliable, repeatable results from a IIIf? I ask > about the IIIf because it seems good value, with > black dial versions selling at very attractive > prices. > > Would there be a better choice than a IIIf? What > would I need to do to ensure that a used IIIf > could become a reliable professional tool? > > I also need advice on which would be a good > choice of 50mm lens. I currently use a > collapsible Tele Elmarit (Leitz Canada) but would > be selling this and buying a good screw mount > 50mm. > > I will be grateful for any and all constructive > comments. > > Colin J > > > > __________________________________ > Yahoo! Music Unlimited > Access over 1 million songs. Try it free. > http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited/ > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >