Dominique Pierre-Nina Posted February 26, 2016 Share #1 Posted February 26, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I am new to this site, I just got my all time wish of owning an M3 ( my first Leica) it came with all the original lense 50mm Ernst leitz and a 90mm lense also with a yellow filter and UV filter. It also had its original leather case, the camera and case is in mint condition. Put my first roll through and the shots are pretty graine! And the shots look flat! Any idea as to why ? All advise are apricisted .many thanks Dominique . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 26, 2016 Posted February 26, 2016 Hi Dominique Pierre-Nina, Take a look here Leica M3. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
icqcq Posted February 26, 2016 Share #2 Posted February 26, 2016 D: First, congratulations on acquiring your dream camera. Second, welcome to the Forum. Third... I'll leave analysis of issues re/ your first images to the film experts... but for starters: consider the lighting, consider the age of the film, consider the developing process.... And keep trying things, keep working at it. It's a science, but learning the science is an art. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrödinger's cat Posted February 26, 2016 Share #3 Posted February 26, 2016 D: First, congratulations on acquiring your dream camera. Second, welcome to the Forum. Third... I'll leave analysis of issues re/ your first images to the film experts... but for starters: consider the lighting, consider the age of the film, consider the developing process.... And keep trying things, keep working at it. It's a science, but learning the science is an art. Oops. Sorry. Quoted the wrong post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrödinger's cat Posted February 26, 2016 Share #4 Posted February 26, 2016 Hi, I am new to this site, I just got my all time wish of owning an M3 ( my first Leica) it came with all the original lense 50mm Ernst leitz and a 90mm lense also with a yellow filter and UV filter. It also had its original leather case, the camera and case is in mint condition. Put my first roll through and the shots are pretty graine! And the shots look flat! Any idea as to why ? All advise are apricisted .many thanks Dominique . First of all, welcome to the site and congratulations on your new camera Regarding your actual question, hard to say with no specific information. The particular film you used, how old it might be and how it was stored, the development process and temperature, the process used for printing, possible light leaks in an old system, possible major fog or dust in lenses. All this stuff makes a difference. I'm guessing that you had the film processed and printed by someone else, which could be either good or bad. Good if you used a pro lab, bad if you used something like a Walmart (if Walmart even does such a thing anymore ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted February 26, 2016 Share #5 Posted February 26, 2016 If your lenses are from the sixties they are less contrasty than current ones. High contrat pics were not that trendy then. Look at those pics of Cartier Bresson. If you prefer more contrast, suffice it to choose a more contrasty film or to push contrast in PP. 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! 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/257353-leica-m3/?do=findComment&comment=2997313'>More sharing options...
RonM Posted February 26, 2016 Share #6 Posted February 26, 2016 Without seeing photos, it is hard to determine. Some things to consider: The camera is in mint condition, but do the shutter speeds "sound' correct; as you progress from 1/4 to 1/8 to 1/15 to 1/30 does it sound like the speeds are getting faster? Was this black and white or color film, and was it fresh? As was asked earlier, who/how was it developed and printed? How did you determine exposure, and are you sure you had set the correct exposure for the film you were using? If you used the yellow filter, did you compensate the exposure for the approximate 1 stop light loss through the filter? Underexposure can cause flat and grainy-looking images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePioneer Posted February 27, 2016 Share #7 Posted February 27, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Without seeing your actual photographs there are several things that we could be missing. However, to get the most out of your equipment you should do the following. 1. Send the lens out to be cleaned. It is quite surprising how much haze and environmental buildup can occur on lenses over time. Additionally this will make them much easier to focus. 2. Test your shutter speeds or have them tested by someone else. They don't have to be dead on, I don't know of too many mechanical shutters that are exactly accurate. But, if the speeds are 20% or more inaccurate, then you should have the camera serviced by a very reliable technician. This is the minimum you should do. Following that there are a few other things you will want to consider. For the first little bit, buy and use current (unexpired) film. There is likely nothing wrong with expired film but it is one more possible variable you will want to eliminate. Filter factors for contrast filters, such as a yellow filter, are actually only guidelines. Any contrast filter reduces the amount of light coming through your lens, but how much adjustment you should apply will vary from none to 1.5 stops of light. In the beginning, until you begin to get a sense for how much each situation requires then you should bracket. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madNbad Posted February 27, 2016 Share #8 Posted February 27, 2016 Welcome to the forum! Adjust for the filter from between 1/2 and 1.5 full stops depending on density, it will be marked on the filter. Start with a fresh roll, a constant light and a good stationary subject (like blocks or similar) use your meter. If you have a tripod, use it and work your way through a combination of aperatures and shutter speeds. This will give you a good baseline, then practice. Have fun and we'll be looking forward to some images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominique Pierre-Nina Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share #9 Posted February 27, 2016 Hi all thank you very much for all your replies and advice, the lense that came with the camera is a summarit f5cm 1:15Nr serial number 1391366, the film i used is B/W 400TXKodak which i store in y fridge. i send it to my local lab here in sydney to be process and i do the scanning. i have included a few pics dow below for you all to get a better idea. Many thanks for your thoughts and advise. Kind Regards, Dominique. 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! 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/257353-leica-m3/?do=findComment&comment=2997808'>More sharing options...
RonM Posted February 27, 2016 Share #10 Posted February 27, 2016 Thanks for including some scans. Your indoor exposures look OK; I think you are just seeing the result of a "vintage" lens, especially looking at the overexposed "glow" on the man's shoulders and in the lower left corner, as poster 'lct' mentioned about older lenses. Or else there is a lot of haze in the lens. Try looking into it with a strong light at the back end and see if it really is CLEAR, or if it has some haze/marks internally or externally on the glass. The woman might be a bit underexposed, but it looks like you should be able to do some adjustments to exposure and contrast as you scan. If I were develping the film myself, I would increase the contrast a bit during development, (increase time and agitation) but if the lab is running machinery at a standard setting, then this is probably what to expect. Many film photographers would adjust development depending on the lighting conditions when the roll was shot. Good luck learning and using your new M3! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted February 27, 2016 Share #11 Posted February 27, 2016 +1. Also the Summarit 50/1.5 is a lens from the fifties which shows a lot of flare compared to modern lenses. Better use a good hood unless you want to show flare in your pics of course.http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Summarit_f%3D_5_cm_1:1.5http://slrlensreview.com/web/reviews/leica-lenses/leica-standard/785-leica-summarit-50mm-f15-ltm?showall=&start=2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted February 28, 2016 Share #12 Posted February 28, 2016 While the Summarit was sold in the 50s, the design is the Xenon of the 1930s - just with added coating, which is not a cure-all. I use an LTM version, and it is a nice lens, but low contrast wide open. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendriphile Posted February 28, 2016 Share #13 Posted February 28, 2016 I suspect it's the lens. If there's a camera store in your city that sells used equipment, let them mount a clean lens on your camera and take some pictures right there in the store for a few minutes. You may be surprised. Good luck and enjoy your new camera! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotoklaus Posted February 28, 2016 Share #14 Posted February 28, 2016 I would also check if the lens is totally clear or if there is some haze inside. Of course modern coatings are better to avoid flare, but this is too much, in my opinion. On a normal sujet without lights from the front and stopped down to f4 or smaller there should be no flares anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted February 28, 2016 Share #15 Posted February 28, 2016 Dominique, welcome to the forum. I'm in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. If you pm me perhaps we can look at the lens and arrange for you to try one of my 2.0/5cm Summitars (1940 & 1951) for comparison. One has recently come back from a CLA from DAG (Don Goldberg) in the USA (very reasonable price of $145 USD) and it now performs beautifully. I would not have a vintage lens serviced in Australia. You may find the softness, excessive flare and surrounding loss of contrast/definition is (as mentioned above) from a lens made in 1956 well past it's CLA date. The 'graininess/grittiness' I'm not sure about, everyone has made the relevant suggestions. What resolution are you scanning at I can suggest some Pro Labs in Sydney who are not expensive, do excellent B&W work, and also don't return your negs scratched. Regards, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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