Chazphoto

Straps, heh?! Knew I shouldn't have started this one! It has taken an age and I may be in search of a unicorn, but I want a leather strap for the feel, natural product-ness, and style. I appreciate the utilitarian nature (and arguments in favour) of the Upstrap and Leica originals, but nylon/poly and rubber are not for me with the M. I speak as someone whose Optech strap is still in use on a Sony RX10(iv) and I still have a fondness for the old Domke woven strap with the rubber stitched in rows (but the metal fittings would mark the M). I had the M10 special edition from RandR, which is the narrower type of guitar strap than that shown above. Lovely quality and great fittings (the keyrings are excellent quality) but it slides straight off the shoulder and the stretchiness was actually uncomfortable in use (for me) because the camera moved even when I held the strap against my side - eg when running for a bus. Hence thinking of the Napa. Has a thickness for comfort, is wider than a Riviera type strap, and pliable to roll-up easily into a bag. Does anyone know if it stretches/bounces in use? (Believe me, I've been through the options from other makers and read the wonderful strap threads on here - including my rather technical one from a couple of years ago. If the Carrera was still made by Annie Barton, I'd probably get another, but the leather is separating (topside from suede along the length) and the O-rings are thinner than Evris uses. Cheers Chazphoto

Hi all Does anyone use the Rock and Roll Napa II strap? https://rocknrollstraps.com/shop/camera-straps/napa-straps/napa-m-black-strap/ I am wondering if it is very slippery, in the sense of likely to fall off the shoulder when doing a one shoulder carry, and how flexible/bouncy/shock absorbing it is? For comparison, my current strap is an old Annie Barton Carrera with a small leather shoulder pad, the untreated inside of which is fairly good at keeping the camera on the shoulder with most clothing. When I have used the classic Rock and Roll strap, I found that it slipped off the shoulder very easily, because each link is smooth and the ribbing created is in line with the slope of the shoulder (if you see what I mean). In addition, I found the Rock and Roll strap to be too bouncy; I don't think i need the shock absorption and the M10 and a lens and the strap causes the camera to move too much when being carried - for my comfort anyway. I do need a new strap and love Evris's work. Any experiences gratefully received. thanks Chazphoto

Glad I held on to my TLA 140, in that case! Chazphoto

Hi both and thanks. Your comments make me suspect that this is me being clumsy and tilting the Viso when mounting it or dismounting, so that the corner connects with the top plate. I'm not sure that I will ever be careful enough to avoid that in the future, so will still need to find a solution. Might try the Scotch tape, but on the Viso unit not the top plate - if there is enough flat surface on the bottom edge to get it to stick. Thanks Chazphoto

Hi, When I sold my M10-P, I noticed some faint lines on the top plate and concluded they were from mounting and detaching the Visoflex 020. I have not mounted it on the M10-R yet, except once very gingerly and have wondered whether there was any way of taping or rounding off the plastic edges to minimise the risk of marks? I'm planning on using the EVF a bit over winter, so am coming back to thinking about this. Seems to me that the leading corners or the R and L edges could all be to blame. Does anyone have any bright ideas? Is there a really good brand of tape that would be thin enough to still allow the EVF to fit and would slide over the black chrome finish smoothly (and without leaving sticky residue)? Does anyone know what you use to chamfer plastic? Thanks Chazphoto

In my Contax years (don't flinch) I used the TLA140 and TLA 200 a lot. They were brought out for the G series AF rangefinder-style cameras, but worked equally well with the TTL equiped SLRs from Contax. They had a wired flash system before RF controllers were available, that integrated all the units and calculated a TTL exposure. I didn't use it much, but it was exceptionally good. Anyway, the TLA 140 is about the size of a packet of ten cigarettes and the tube sits about 2.5 inches up from the hotshoe, so less risk of red-eye. The TLA200 is more boxy and has an integrated zoom head (IIRC), but therefore more direct. There were a few clip on difusers that worked well enough to wrap around the units , although you lost some output. I've often wondered if the TLAs would be compatible with the Leica hotshoe. Should be for auto, but probably not for TTL. (also have fond memories of the Vivitar 282...) Cheers Chazphoto

Thanks all. @hmzimelka, I remember reading your blog entry about the lens; seems that you had a rotten copy. @lct Wish I had thought about that! Certainly would help to know whether I had hit focus correctly or needed to dial back that fraction, because what I was focusing on wasn't far enough away. Not something I can tell in the rangefinder patch. As I explore further, I will remember that advice, thanks. Regarding CLAs, repairs, fine-tuning etc. we have no DAG equivalent in the UK. Although I heard good things about the Leica Store Manchester repair service, they don't service the digital cameras or the lenses, as far as I can see. Leica Mayfair are very helpful and organised sending my 90mm Elmarit-M to Wetzlar during the pandemic for 6-bit coding (a good use of pandemic time-out, I thought), but if I find a 50mm APO-Summicron that I can actually afford to buy, I'd rather I didn't lose it for 2 months at the outset. Cheers Chazphoto

No one with a similar experience? I don't have the borrowed lens, so can't continue to check, but I wonder if I needed a shade less than full turn to infinity stop on even the photograph of the fairground? The 50mm APO-Summicron-M receives some negative comments from time to time and I'm really not trying to add to that (either with these observations or my other thread about needing a little slower shutter speed when at f2, compared to the Summilux-ASPH). I'm still really drawn to the lens and the occasions on which I've borrowed one are making for interesting findings. For one thing, I have confirmed for myself that the colour fidelity is a bit better than the 50mm Summilux-ASPH, which has a slightly yellow or warmer tone, visible in some lighting & subject conditions. I'm also convinced about the full frame resolution compared to the 50mm Summilux-ASPH, though again where you need it and where you see it remain more relevant considerations than the fact that the lens can do that. I've also been reminded, with both lenses, that my ability to get focus right is a much larger variable than the two lenses! But, focusing using the infinity stop on the ring should eliminate that, right? If the subjects are at infinity and the lens is working as it should. Thanks Chazphoto

Hi Jon thanks for asking. I was borrowing the 50mm APO so it was new to me. However, it felt mechanically fine with a smooth-running focus ring all the way round , without stiffness and no difference in the torque required to turn it. Focused fine at all other distances, if I did my job correctly. I hope you find a solution for your Summarit Chazphoto

Before the gig starts. Rye Jazz Festival. Collette Cooper gig. ISO 1600, Tungsten WB set in camera. 1/180th @ f2, 50mm APO-Summicron. SOOC via C1P defaults.

Stained Glass snap. Taken while listening to a concert and unable to frame the shot properly. Keystone adjustment and slight crop, otherwise unprocessed. APO-Summicron 50mm @ f5.6. I don't know if you will be able to see this at the forum size, but the colour is astonishingly accurate and the detail phenomenal. Cheers Chazphoto

Centre of 50mm Summilux shot:

Centre of 50mm APO on second pair:

And here is the same scene with the 50mm Summilux at the infinity stop and at f4:

Here are the second pair, where the centre of the image is a lot further away. Both at f4. First from the 50mm APO: