There's always something!

I recently sold a small estate of photo gear on eBay for a client.  In the midst of all this, of course, I have been getting things going on home improvements and contractors, etc.   So, I was greatly relieved when all the eBay items had sold and shipped off to the buyers.  After over a week past the sales, I did all the accounting, paid off the fees, etc., the client, and took my small percentage.  Then, over the weekend, I received an eBay message from a buyer that he was not happy with how his lens arrived.  Thankfully, he sent me photos.

This is the Leitz Hektor 135mm lens with bakelite case that I shipped.

It was in excellent condition as seen here, and this was the condition that it was in when it left my hands.

This is the condition it was in when he received it.

OUCH.
In addition, the lens focusing helical was jammed up.

What happened?
It's my fault, pure and simple.  In my rush to get things done, I left the lens inside the Bakelite tube without adding any padding to the top end.  No matter that the entire thing was encased in bubble wrap.  There was obviously enough play inside, that when the package was in transit, all it needed was a nice flat drop on the wrong end to provide enough kinetic energy to the lens to smash the end of the Bakelite tube and ruin a perfectly good lens.  I should have known better. Bakelite is actually a very fragile material and does not resist impact very well if it has aged a long time.  It's not forgiving at all, with little resiliency.  I should have packed the lens separately from the Bakelite tube and all would have been fine.  Do you ever get those nagging little feelings that you should have done something a bit better? That was it, for me.  I knew there was some play inside, but never thought about the worst-case scenario.  I have been selling photo stuff on ebay for many years, without a problem, and this was a case of a bit of sloppiness on my part. 

I gave him a full refund, and thankfully, the Hektor lens was only $46. 

A relatively cheap lesson for me. 

Shooting with a Leica IIIa - One roll review

Let me begin by saying that I am not a fan of the Barnack Leicas (all models that predate the M series) for glasses wearers.  In my humble opinion, the viewfinders are not a whole lot better than that of an Argus C3.  I feel quite differently about the M series.  This particular Leica IIIa came my way as part of an estate to auction off.  I try to test cameras as much as possible before selling them, and sometimes that includes running a roll of film through them.  Now, onto the camera...

This Leica IIIa was made in 1937, according to its serial number and online data records.  So, here is a 35mm camera that's over 80 years old, looking pretty much like it was made yesterday.  That's not going to be the case with most cameras, including Leicas.  However, it's jewel-like appearance invited me to take it out and test it.  I suppose the ever-ready leather case kept it looking so good all these years.  It's as if a time machine dropped the camera into my lap. 

Okay, it looks great, but how does it work?  One of the pitfalls of using the Barnack Leicas (and the Ukraine-Russian copies) is that you must trim the film leader to the right shape so that when you blind load the film from the bottom, it does not bind up with the gears.  Once you have that accomplished, you are ready to shoot.  It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

The weather has not been conducive to going out and testing a camera such as this, but finally I had an opportunity to do so last week.  I loaded up an expired roll of Plus-X pan and used my "sunny-16" mojo for estimating the exposures.  One nice feature of the IIIa is that you can set the rangefinder viewer to infinity for quicker street shooting. In full afternoon sun, making an exposure is pretty simple. 

I won't get into the differences between the different Leica models, as I am not a Leica historian, and you can look it up elsewhere.  However, the operational differences between the IIIa and a more recent IIIf are not many, the main differences being flash synchronization and a self-timer on the IIIf.  Both have a front slow shutter speed dial for speeds below 1/20 second.  It wasn't until the modern Leicas - the M series that all the shutter speeds from B- 1/1000 were on one dial.

I have to say, the Barnack Leicas are simply wonderful pieces of craftsmanship and are relatively easy to use. They are very compact, use no batteries, and with a lens such as the collapsible Elmar f/3.5 lens, can easily be carried in a coat pocket or a small pouch. You have to make sure that the collapsible lens is fully extended before shooting. So long as you can be comfortable with the tiny viewfinders they are really worth investigating if you want to shoot with a Leica.  The prices are far lower than the M-series, except for rare models or those of historical importance.

The Leica IIIa performed well, and I did get some decent images from it. The expired Plus-X Pan was very curly and cupped after developing and drying, and I had to weigh the sheet of negatives down for a few days to get them flat enough to scan properly. I wish I had used a roll of Iflord FP4 or Ultrafine Xtreme 400 instead!

I was able to test the camera thoroughly, and it's now up on eBay.  I hope that whoever buys it takes it out to shoot and does not let it just sit in a display case.  These cameras are wonderful tools, and should be used!

FINALLY! Ann Arbor Gets a Real Camera Store!

They are still stocking the store, but stop in, anyway.

A few months ago,  I had heard a rumor about someone opening a camera shop in Ann Arbor, but the details were somewhat vague.  Then a few weeks ago, I found out that a store with the name Camera Mall was going to open soon.  A week ago, I walked over to the store on East Washington, less than a block from N. State Street.  A few other fellow crappy camera club folks had already been there.  I walked in, and was greeted by the manager, Desmond Kolean-Burley, and it seemed a bit surreal to be standing in a store with lots of shiny new cameras and gear.  In Ann Arbor.  It has been a few years since we have had that opportunity. I had a great chat with Desmond, and he was busily getting the store stocked and ready for business.  Today, I went back down, and I wasn't the only other person in the store, and the stock was being shelved as quickly as they could do it.  You can bet I had a case of lens lust, seeing so many lovely new lenses in the glass case.  I bought some packs of film (and yes, they will be carrying Impossible Project film), and chatted for a while.  It's obvious that Desmond knows his stuff, and the location is great - close to campus, close to the heart of downtown, and parking is nearby.  I can only hope that folks go and buy their stuff their and support Camera Mall's effort!

Camera Mall is located at 518 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor.  You can reach the store at  734-997-5031.  Desmond indicated that the stock is still coming in, and I suspect that by the end of April everything will be in place.  However, you can certainly buy lenses, bodies, film, used film cameras, digital cameras, etc. right now.  I think the store will also be operating a photo lab.

To Desmond and the other Camera Mall folks (out of Muskegon, MI) -- Welcome to Ann Arbor, and thanks for taking a chance on us!

Living Light with the Leica M2

 The only Leica that I have previously owned was a very old Model A - the first version without a removable lens.  That particular camera had been given to me by a woman in her 90s, and she had used it a lot many years before.  By the time it came into my hands, it was a relict of sorts, and as far as I was concerned, no more useful to me than using an Argus A.  So I sold it for a tidy sum on ebay, and bought a camera and other things with the money.  I have no regrets, as it was around 2001, and the camera I bought - a used Nikon F2 was very useful to me.  Another time someone had a nice Leica IIIf that I tried out, and it was awful for a glasses wearer.  The viewfinder was not any better than my Argus C3.  Mechanically a nice camera, though.  I suppose it was one of those things  that you either love or don't on first sight.  I never bought into the Leica mystique, mostly I suppose because I couldn't BUY into it.  Between the obscene prices paid for (used and new)  lenses  and the bodies, and the fact there there are so many "poor man's Leicas" out there, I knew that I would never be able to afford one.  As far as "poor man's Leicas" I think I have used every one of them - Canon QL17, Konica Auto S2, Yashica rangefinders of various models, Fed 5, Olympus 35 RC, Minolta Hi-Matic 11, Contax G1, Konica Hexar, and I am sure there have been others.  Of those cameras, the only one I believe might actually qualify is the Fed 5.  Why?  Interchangeable lenses and the ability to shoot fully manually without any sort of automation. The Fed 5 has a better VF than the Leica IIIf that I tried, for sure. So, where does the subject of the title of this post come in?

If you have read my previous posts, you'll know that I am selling the photo gear from the estate of a deceased photographer.  There have been some very amazing cameras that I have tried out - (a) to make sure that they work and (b) to satisfy my curiosity.One of the cameras - a Leica M2 with a 35mm f/1.4 Summilux has been in my hands for over a month now.  I have shot 5 rolls of film with it, and have become comfortable using it.  Its value is high due to the fantastic 35mm Summilux attached to it, and that is something I have to try and not think about when carrying it.  To anyone else, it's just an old-looking "obsolete"  film camera.  The M2 body has it share of small dings and signs of use, but it works beautifully.  The lens is clear and also works well.  The more I used the camera, the more I came to want it.  So, in lieu of a 25% commission for the gear I am selling, I'm taking the M2 and lens as partial payment.    I would never be able to buy one outright.

My impression of the  M2 so far is that I now understand why this 57 year old camera has such a following.  Yes, there are newer M models, some even have a sensor instead of film -- and cost as much as 3 month's pay (at least for me.)  The M2's viewfinder is wonderfully bright and sharp, and the frame lines adjust automatically for most of the lenses attached to it. I bought a Fotodiox M39>M adapter so I could use the Industar-61 50mm f/2.8 lens from my Fed 5, and it works very well on the M2.

It takes a little while to feel how a camera works in one's hands, and become less conscious about the controls to the point where making a photo is more about what in in your head than what is in your hands.  I get it.  The M2 does this very quickly.  I bought a new Sekonic light meter - Twinmate L-208 which is lightweight and can be attached to the flash shoe on the the camera.  I tried that, and it makes the camera bulkier, so I use the meter on the lanyard.  For sunny-16 lovers like me, I only need to use the meter in tricky lighting situations, or indoors.  I am getting better at loading the film, which I think has been a sore point with the Leicas, but I understand it now.  No film doors flying open.  Oh, and this camera is soooo quiet!

I have always said that I am not a rangefinder guy.  I much prefer the feedback that I get from an SLR and the ability to change lenses, do macro, etc.  However, there are a lot of things I shoot that a 35mm or 50mm lens is all that is required, and the ergonomics and sharpness of the M2 have convinced me that this is the carry-around camera to go to for road trips, etc.  It fits easily into a small bag, and doesn't need batteries.  A few rolls of film, a filter or two, and the meter, and I am set.  Living light?  I think so.  This camera does make me think about light.

So, to close, here are a few photos thus far.  Some are still waiting to be developed.

Mason, MI

Portland, MI

Mason, MI

Charlotte, MI

Michigan League, Ann Arbor

Portland, MI

Lyons, MI

Ann Arbor, MI

basement of the League, Ann Arbor

rural SE Michigan.