samwells Posted April 24, 2007 Share #1 Posted April 24, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) There I was, thinking about M8s or Digilux 3s, when I got seduced by this 1937 IIIa, plus a 35mm Summaron. Not sure how I was going to like it after the M7, but in fact it's totally delightful...and the Summaron has surpassed all my expectations - amazingly good at around f8. I'd envisaged a camera that was archaic and difficult to load and use, but in fact it seems to be a masterpiece of logical industrial design. The baseplate is engraved with the supplier's name - 'James A Sinclair & Co Ltd, 3 Whitehall, London SW1'...haven't been able to find much about them, other than that Walter Gropius of Bauhaus fame wrote them a letter in 1936 (!). I'd better order some more film in to feed all these cameras... Sam Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/22376-did-i-really-need-another-leica/?do=findComment&comment=237175'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 24, 2007 Posted April 24, 2007 Hi samwells, Take a look here Did I really need another Leica?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
bill Posted April 24, 2007 Share #2 Posted April 24, 2007 Good to see you tooling up for the next Barnack Challenge already Sam! Welcome to the world of Slow Photography. Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted April 24, 2007 Share #3 Posted April 24, 2007 Good to see you tooling up for the next Barnack Challenge already Sam! Welcome to the world of Slow Photography. Regards, Bill I prefer my life at 1/25 shutter speed Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted April 24, 2007 Share #4 Posted April 24, 2007 I prefer my life at 1/25 shutter speed *sigh* That's not what I meant. I was using the term like "Slow Food" Slow Food International It seems these old Barnacks are appreciated by those who recognise that the finer things of life don't have to cost a fortune or bleep at you when you use them... Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johannes Knightworth Posted April 24, 2007 Share #5 Posted April 24, 2007 I have been looking for a 1937 IIIa in perfect condition for the past years .... I have seen quit a lot but never one in a condition like this one seems to be. my father owned one, but I lost it somewhere (hmmmm) .... have tried to replace it but cannot come accross the right one.... until this .... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidStone Posted April 24, 2007 Share #6 Posted April 24, 2007 There I was, thinking about M8s or Digilux 3s, when I got seduced by this 1937 IIIa, plus a 35mm Summaron. Not sure how I was going to like it after the M7, but in fact it's totally delightful...and the Summaron has surpassed all my expectations - amazingly good at around f8. I'd envisaged a camera that was archaic and difficult to load and use, but in fact it seems to be a masterpiece of logical industrial design. The baseplate is engraved with the supplier's name - 'James A Sinclair & Co Ltd, 3 Whitehall, London SW1'...haven't been able to find much about them, other than that Walter Gropius of Bauhaus fame wrote them a letter in 1936 (!). I'd better order some more film in to feed all these cameras...Sam[/quote Congratulations, that's a really good buy, by the look of it. I've always felt that the Leicas of this era were the best they ever made - and so much smaller and neater than the M-series too. James A Sinclair & Co were right the top of Whitehall, close to Trafalgar Square (on the right hand side going north). Their mahogany and brass cameras were splendid items of furniture - quite good for photography too. Long since closed. I think the shop sells souvenirs now. So you've discovered how good the Summaron is! Mine usually lives on my 1938 black III. I normally just leave it on f/8. Good results guaranteed. Like many of the older series of lenses, much under-rated. David Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted April 24, 2007 Share #7 Posted April 24, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) That's a really nice looking example Sam. Glad to hear you're using it and not letting it rot in a display case. The lllf was my first Leica and probably still my favourite. The LTM's are just so tactile and compact, they make you want to use them! I use a 25mm Skopar and a 5cm Elmar on the lllf. The Elmar is THE lens to use with an LTM IMO. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted April 25, 2007 Share #8 Posted April 25, 2007 Try the Hektor f = 5cm 1:2,5. It is even better than the Elmar f = 5cm 1:3,5 and a stop faster. Other than the drive for f/2 I have never discovered why Leitz replaced it with the Summar, a very average lens IMHO. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwells Posted April 25, 2007 Author Share #9 Posted April 25, 2007 Thanks for all the comments, encouragement and advice...and what's even more important, my wife thinks it's wonderful :-). Guess I'll now look for a 50mm - I note the reommendations for the Elmar and the Hektor - any thoughts on the Summaron? cheers: Sam Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted April 25, 2007 Share #10 Posted April 25, 2007 Sam, it is a good lens, but with a screw-thread camera needs an accessory viewfinder. My preference is for the VIDOM used "upside down" as did HCB. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwells Posted April 26, 2007 Author Share #11 Posted April 26, 2007 Justin - thanks for the comment - much appreciated as a Barnack newbie! cheers: Sam Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted April 26, 2007 Share #12 Posted April 26, 2007 Hi Sam, I have a VIDOM, and use it as Justin suggests. The other thing I have added that I found has made life much easier is an OKARO orange viewfinder filter (see picture). This makes the double image much easier to see and improves speed of focus no end. Regards, Bill Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/22376-did-i-really-need-another-leica/?do=findComment&comment=238957'>More sharing options...
k_g_wolf ✝ Posted April 26, 2007 Share #13 Posted April 26, 2007 Neat, this little red filter-thingy looks very much like the later <<red LEICA- dot>> Best Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 26, 2007 Share #14 Posted April 26, 2007 Thanks for all the comments, encouragement and advice...and what's even more important, my wife thinks it's wonderful :-). Guess I'll now look for a 50mm - I note the reommendations for the Elmar and the Hektor - any thoughts on the Summaron?cheers: Sam As you have discovered, the old Summaron 35 is definitely a fine lens to use: my one is of '49 vintage, and so it's even coated... for 35 go on with it: unuseful to search something better when you can find and ENJOY lot of other focals for your splendid IIIa : 50: go for Elmar 3,5 postwar coated: easy to find. cheap: agree with the Hektor idea hereby stated, but, as I said, better MORE lenses for the same amount of £. 135 : buy Hektor ! available a lot, exceptional esthetic feeling on LTM, good lens, cheap 90 : buy the overgracious Elmar ! Better postwar chrome 28 : the first a little costly, but Hektor 6,3 or Summaron 5,6 are very good when not wide open; I often prefer to take on the Summaron instead of Elmarit 2,8 on my M4, simply for its exceptional compactness... and shooting at 11 or so does not mean great difference All the above are for use, but I noticed that Your wife likes the IIIa... some day, when You have to make her a significant present, avoid jewelry and take a Summarex 85 ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted April 26, 2007 Share #15 Posted April 26, 2007 Dear Liugi, I like your idea of a Summarex, but beware. I was/is such a heavy lens that Leitz increased the strength of the screw-thread mount after the lens was introduced. In hand held use there is not problem as the lens is supported by the photographer's left hand. However if the camera is on a tripod whereby the camera is supporting the lens, the above mentioned distortion can occur. It is such a massive lens that I find it out of character with the screw-thread cameras and use mine on an "M". Have fun. Justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted April 26, 2007 Share #16 Posted April 26, 2007 Justin - thanks for the comment - much appreciated as a Barnack newbie!cheers: Sam Dear Sam, Thanks for the welcome, but in fact I am far from a "newbie", but have been in hiding. Me thinks I was into the thousands of posts in the old Forum, but coinciding with the new one my domestic life became chaotic. My first Leica was a IIIf d/a bought as a student in 1968 and the addiction has only become worse, the latest being an M7 à la carte and Apo-Summicron-M 1:2/75 ASPH. Notwistanding my enjoyment and collecting, my main interest is taking photographs. Regards, Justin Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/22376-did-i-really-need-another-leica/?do=findComment&comment=239607'>More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 27, 2007 Share #17 Posted April 27, 2007 Dear Liugi,I like your idea of a Summarex, but beware. I was/is such a heavy lens that Leitz increased the strength of the screw-thread mount after the lens was introduced. In hand held use there is not problem as the lens is supported by the photographer's left hand. However if the camera is on a tripod whereby the camera is supporting the lens, the above mentioned distortion can occur. It is such a massive lens that I find it out of character with the screw-thread cameras and use mine on an "M". Have fun. Justin That is right: the weight of the Summarex is impressive and if you try to keep an LTM body with Summarex fitted WITHOUT supporting it with one hand ...brrrr... you have a terrible impression of STRESS in the body front (that is less true with the bodies IIIc onwards, that are cast steel : before it was bend sheet, less robust). Using the tripod...well at Leitz they were so smart to add a tripod screw on the Summarex barrel, as they did into other heavy lenses (my Summicron 90 screw has it). Just to chat a little more on these fascinating items, a lens that had the same problem of weight was the rare Elmarit 180 2,8 for Visoflex : it weights 1,2 Kg about (five massive lenses) and when you attach it to BM body + Viso... well, is better you DO NOT keep the body only with your hands... Anyway... Summarex is a lens one can fall in love with... esthetically, lot of classic Leitz lenses have the "flavour" of precision small machinery, but Summerex has much more the flavour of a piece of jewelry... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwells Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share #18 Posted April 27, 2007 Justin - blushes all round...I meant that I was the newbie to screwmount Leicas, not (natch) you! Thanks again to all for your recommendations...I'll go and lurk on ebay for a bit :-) cheers: Sam Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hektor Posted April 27, 2007 Share #19 Posted April 27, 2007 Justin - blushes all round...I meant that I was the newbie to screwmount Leicas, not (natch) you! Thanks again to all for your recommendations...I'll go and lurk on ebay for a bit :-) cheers: Sam Dear Sam, Please don't take my comments personally. With nearly forty years of Leica experience I have learned a lot from those older and more experienced than I. Some like Theo Kisselback and Walther Benser have gone to the great dark-room in the sky, but the pearls of experience they shared with me should be passed on to the next generation. Stay in touch, and have fun on eBay; It is quite addictive. Sincerely, Justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambroving Posted April 28, 2007 Share #20 Posted April 28, 2007 Hello Justin! No interest in Leicas with no meters but I really like that train shot with the old station. Details, please?! Great exposure, lovely colors and perspective. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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