[Leica] Just joined

[marcsmall at comcast.net (Marc James Small)]

At 10:06 PM 10/13/2007, Jim Mooney wrote:
 >
 >I just joined a few weeks ago.  I've been messing with photography
 >for quite a few years right now but am currently taking a class in
 >B&W photography.  I have to say that  I'm enjoying this more than I
 >have any other photography I have tried in a while.  I don't
 >currently own a Leica. but I'm planning on an M2 or a II or IIIa in
 >the near future.  For the time being I'm shooting with a Canon EOS
 >500N and 50/1.8 and HP5.  I developed my first rolls last week and
 >they turned out.  This Tuesday I'll be printing for the first time
 >and I can't wait.  I have enjoyed this group and the photos presented
 >here.  I'm not yet shooting with a Leica but I will be soon
 >hopefully.  Thank you to all who share their images here, I truly
 >enjoy them.

May I join Brian in wishing you welcome here?

I am currently not doing much photography due to 
some as-yet undiagnosed problems in my dominant 
(right) eye (not a problem, I can note, on my 
Rolleiflex TLR's!), but I am old enough and 
enough of a snob to regard black and white as art 
and color as family happy-snaps.  That is a most 
unfair summary, but that is my intestinal 
feeling.  I have been happy with some of my C41 
and E6 and K14 shots but I have been happiest 
with dozens of schwarz-weiss pictures I have made over the years.

A rangefinder is dramatically different from a 
single lens reflex camera.  The methods used are 
similar but, well, a bit different.  There is not 
a thing wrong with Canon EOS gear but, in the 
end, there is a learning curve with RF gear of 
which you should be aware and, well, the best way 
to deal with that is to get a rangefinder and to 
use it.  Many, if not most, on this List will 
advise you tht the RF only works for film at lens 
focal lengths between 21mm and 135mm, and that is 
a good starting point though I often explode this 
with tele-extenders or by using a Visoflex which 
effectively turns a Leica rangefinder into a single-lens reflex camera.

I would suggest a IIIc as a starting 
camera.  These are widely available, come rather 
cheap, and are built Dodge-tough.  (They CAN be 
broken:  I have seen a smashed one though not one 
of mine:  I routinely bounce-test my cameras, 
generally on concrete, and my IIIc has always 
just bounced back and smiled.)  A IIIf is another 
prospect.  The earlier cameras have generally 
become collectibles as has the IIIg, though you 
can occasionally score a IIIg cheap on eBay and 
it is a worthy find and highly recommended.

My first Leica was a IIIc.  I got an APDOO 
self-timer and a Geiss IIIc Kontakt synch kit (to 
allow flash) and even did a pro shoot at a 
wedding with this rig fifteen years or so back, 
and got rave reviews with the results, especially 
of the close-ups shot with a 2/85 Jupiter-9.  But 
a basic IIIc is a learning experience which will take you a lifetime to 
learn.

Darkroom work is really good.  You really come to 
learn a lot more about the process of photography 
when you have to struggle with developing the 
film (what developer?  what temperature?  what 
method of processing?  und so weiter) and with 
printing it -- what areas need dodged, which need 
burned, and so forth.  It is a huge learning curve.

Next comes C-41 and RA-4 color negative work and then printing slides.

It is all a learning curve.  I might set up a 
very small pro custom dark-room for those who do 
not wish to futz with this stuff but I suspect 
that the market isn't there to support this.

In any event, welcome aboard, and just ASK, and 
this list has one thousand members who have 
25,000 opinions.  Much good comes from the 
commentary.  The off-topic stuff can be neat but 
the heart of it is photography with Leicas, and 
you can easily ignore the digital stuff:  the 
arguments over M8 filters and batteries are 
meaningless to us ham-fisted morons who cannot 
comprehend digital, but the commentaries on 
photography in general are worthy and the 
suggestions on the care and feeding of a Leica are priceless.

Ask away and, pray, contribute.

Marc


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