[Leica] Another 50 for the Jeffster

[msmall at infionline.net (Marc James Small)]

At 09:23 PM 3/30/06 -0500, Don Dory wrote:
>Jeffery,
>I have to admit I was tempted by the Cosina camera until I noticed I could
>not use my prewar 35 Biogon on it, dealkiller.  I will second Marc's
>comments re the Contax II or III.  I picked up a III in pretty sad shape and
>had it overhauled, I believe it will be working for a very long time.  I
>would like to find a II that was overhaulable as I do prefer the smaller
>camera than the III. My main reason is I have hopes that the 21 Biogon will
>start to come down in price as everyone goes to digital and it will not fit
>any digital anything.

Don 

I have two of the 4.5/21 CZ Biogons and magnificent they are:  Ludwig
Bertele, the designer, bragged that this lens would be to photography as
was the jet engine to aviation or penicillin to medicine, an odd comment,
but he was entitled to brag, havig been the father of the entire Preway
Carl Zeiss Jena Contax RF BM lens line and also having been the father of
the Postwar 2.8/35 Contax RF BM Biogon and the Hasselblad 4.5/38 Biogon as
used on the many Hasselblad Superwide models until the past few years.

One of my 4.5/21 lenses is in Contarex mount and I use that with my
Cyclops.  The other is a Contarex lens which has been converted to Leica M,
and I use that on my M's.  Metering is a problem with a lens of this
breadth of field but, heck, guys, I bracket, and it works great on either
camera.

The 4.5/21 Biogon is a magnificent lens and one worthy of acquiring and
using.  I am not a fan of wide-angle photography but I am a fan of the 21mm
Biogon.  And I will be taking my Hasselblad SWC with me this weekend when
my Blushing Bride (blushing from the shame, no doubt, of having been
married to me for some years) and I seek a house in Richmond, Virginia.

The Biogon is a REALLY great lens and highly recommended.

Marc

msmall@aya.yale.edu 
Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!

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