My new toy, a Viso

[Peter H]

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Hooray! I'm excited with my new (old) toy. :)

 

I've just this lunchtime received a Visoflex III with a 65mm 3.5 Elmar and Leica bellows.

 

I fiddled with it all for a while, puffed at it like mad with my blower brush, worked out what the knobs and buttons do, stuck it on my M9, onto a tripod, and took a photo of the flowers on the windowsill.

 

Bearing in mind I don't normally do macro or flower photography so I haven't a clue what I'm doing I'm quite pleased with my first ever Viso photo, despite its flaws. This is straight from the camera. I appreciate it's not much of a photo, but it was fun.

 

Any suggestions as to what I should look out for using a viso and bellows?

 

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[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Peter,

 

Nice photo.

 

Enjoy.

 

There is lots of stuff in old Leica Manuals & books such as: "The Leica & Leicaflex Way" by Andrew Matheson.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[asmith]

There was a substantial thread a few months age dominated by Chris Tribble. Curiously, he seems to have disappeared.

Incidentally, the Viso is handier with a 16464 than with the bellows.

Alwyn

[Peter H]

There was a substantial thread a few months age dominated by Chris Tribble. Curiously, he seems to have disappeared.

Incidentally, the Viso is handier with a 16464 than with the bellows.

Alwyn

 

Thanks Michael and Alwyn

 

I have the 16464 but I haven't yet worked out how best to use the lens and/or bellows combinations.

 

Lots of useful stuff on the net about it all.

 

I have a lot of reading and experimenting to do. Great fun though, and it feels odd to me to be seeing such nice quality from such primitive-looking equipment. But the principles haven't changed so there's no reason why it shouldn't work well is there? And it is stunningly well made and a joy to use.

[TomB_tx]

I've been using the 65 Elmar with Viso on my M9, and it works very well. If you want to use TTL metering, set the mirror to rise slowly as the release is pushed, to give the meter a chance to react. I usually take one shot on auto, then review and set exposure manually from that.

Since my macro work is always on tripod (I use an old Leitz table-top and large ball head), the M9 and Viso combination is as nice to use as an SLR.

I also have an R-M adapter to use my Leicaflex bellows (and 100 Macro Elmar) on the Viso. It makes a nice combination also.

[henning]

There was a substantial thread a few months age dominated by Chris Tribble. Curiously, he seems to have disappeared.

Incidentally, the Viso is handier with a 16464 than with the bellows.

Alwyn

 

I generally prefer the bellows. The Bellows II are made so solidly yet can be so smooth that it is really the only bellows I've ever liked using handheld, and I've done this with most lenses from 65 to 280. With the long focus throw you can immediately get into the macro range.

 

Henning

[Peter H]

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I generally prefer the bellows. The Bellows II are made so solidly yet can be so smooth that it is really the only bellows I've ever liked using handheld, and I've done this with most lenses from 65 to 280. With the long focus throw you can immediately get into the macro range.

 

Henning

 

I love the bellows too. As you say, they're so beautifully made and smooth and precise.

 

I only have an adapter for my 65mm but would love to try some longer lenses on it, so I'll be looking around.

 

It's purely a toy for me, but I can see it becoming quite an addiction!

[Michael Hiles]

Any suggestions as to what I should look out for using a viso and bellows?

 

When focusing close, you will find that fine tuning the focus is best done with the lower control that moves the whole rig - instead of only the lens. That way you get more control than with the lens-to-film adjustment. This outfit (or with a 90mm lens) is in my view the best close-up kit I have even used or seen.

[sandro]

Peter, your first try with the Viso and Elmar 65mm is quite promising! I am using the Visoflex III with and without Bellows II, take your time to find out about the possibilities. You can also use the lens head of the older Elmarit 90mm and Tele-Elmarit 135mm lenses, and they work great on the Bellows. When I use the Viso on my M6TTL I don't use the meter in the camera but I simply use a handheld meter.

Have fun with it!

Lex

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Everybody,

 

Lex's Idea of a separate meter instead of the btl meter is OK if you correct the exposure for the extension.

 

An easy way to do this is to first meter an evenly lit surface w/ the lens in the bellows or in the 16464, etc & on the camera which is focussed to infinity.

 

Then adjust the extension to where you will be using it.

 

Meter again.

 

Calculate the difference because of lens extension.

 

Then adjust your hand held meter to comprensate for this extension.

 

This is more important w/ an asymetrical lens like a 135mm Tele Elmar than w/ the 65mm Elmar but will improve exposure measurement for both.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[Peter H]

Thanks Michael and Lex

 

I'm finding the histogram very helpful here.

 

I started by using my hand-held meter but found it so easy to look at the histogram and make my adjustment from there that I'm not needing to meter at the moment.

 

But that might change when I move outside the house and take on more challenging subjects than indoor flowers and whisky bottles. But the weather has to change before that can happen!

[ayewing]

You should be warned that collecting Visoflex bits and pieces becomes quite addictive and as many people are now aware that the Visoflex III works rather well with the M9 prices have gone up quite sharply.

 

I must admit that I get a lot more satisfaction from using the well engineered if slightly Heath Robinson visoflex gear for macro work than a modern DSLR. There is also the thrill of the chase in locating the various adapters required to get thing working.