Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/11

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Fake Leica as a user
From: jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj)
Date: Sun Jan 11 18:45:57 2009
References: <200901111908.n0BJ87f6083246@server1.waverley.reid.org> <E3C90872-AB8C-4FEF-BD5A-69B3D848CCA5@optonline.net>

Ric,
The Canon cameras are much more user friendly than the Leica LTM
counterparts, especially the Canon 7 series - switchable and integrated
rangefinder/viewfinders for lenses, much easier focusing and handling, etc.
The only caveat is that you have to be very careful with collapsible lenses
- sometimes it throws the focusing system out of alignment when you collapse
the lens - it has happened to me twice. Another alternative, as long as you
are OK with a 50mm view only on the integrated rangefinder/viewfinder, is a
Minolta 35 rangefinder is a surprisingly usable camera.

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?Minolta35.html~mainFrame
http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Minolta_35
http://www.huffman.tk/id12.html

Cheers
Jayanand



On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 3:12 AM, Lawrence Zeitlin
<lrzeitlin@optonline.net>wrote:

>
> On Jan 11, 2009, at 2:08 PM, Ric wrote:
>
>  What's the story on these Russian copies so far as shooting in the
>> real world?
>>
>> a suitable second ltm body?
>>
>> or first body for that matter?
>>
>> I have a light leaking IIIf that seems impossible to cure.
>>
>> ric
>>
>
> Ric,
>
> The quality of the basic Fed camera that is used to make the fake Leicas
> varies widely. Some are decent cameras, others not worth a damn. For a 
> while
> the British camera buying pubic bought dozens of these cameras as cheap
> versions of the Leica and while some swore by them, other swore at them. If
> you want a replacement for your IIIf, you have several approaches open.
> 1. Buy a used older Leica IIIc or IIIf. A good user model will sell for
> less than $250.
> 2. Pick up a Canon LTM camera. The later models, especially the Canon VT,
> Canon 6, and Canon P matched the quality of the same era Leica models and
> offered more features. All LTM Leica lenses will fit the Canons.
> 3. If you can, try to find a Nicca or Sears Tower version of the Leica III
> at a flea market. It should sell for $50 or less. Many claim that this was
> the best of the Leica knockoffs.
>
> Larry Z
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

In reply to: Message from lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin) ([Leica] Re: Fake Leica as a user)