Back in film for 2 years. Time for an M ...

[Guest Nowhereman]

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...the different magnifications of M3 an M4  and the shortest distance options.

M3 has a RF magnification which is fine for 50 mm and a bit longer. Shortest distance is 1 Meter...

 

The minimum 1-meter focusing distance of the M3 should not stop anyone who wants this camera from buying it because you can easily and quickly adjust the rangefinder mechanism of single-stroke M3s to focus to 0.7 meters with a pair of long-nosed pliers. Rather than doing it myself, a Leica dealer in Paris did it for me in one minute — and wouldn't charge me for it. I wanted to be a nice guy for a change — True Confessions here — and offered to buy a diopter and a certain lens hood and offered to buy a dipper for the viewfinder and a certain lens hood, but neither was in stock.

 

​Continuing with True Confessions, years ago I had an M2 and an M3 and sold both because I thought I needed a TTL light meter. Then, in 1988 I bought an M6, a camera I loved; but although the M6 light meter is highly accurate, a couple of years ago, I realized exactly what "adan" writes in post #8: in harsh and high contrast tropical light, say, particularly at noon, I was "chasing the light", taking constantly light reading on the sun-drenched side of the streets and on the shady one, and in-between — over a range of three stops or more, without ever getting a feeling for the light and, as a result, often setting the wrong exposure.

 

Then, in late 2016, I got an M3 and a Sekonic 398A light meter and started taking just a couple of incident readings, one in the full sun and the other in the full shade and then setting my exposure accordingly to which side I was photographing and how I wanted the bright highlights to fall off, and how I wanted the shadows; and, as adan says, suddenly I was understanding and knowing the light.

 

On viewfinder magnification: I always preferred the 0.91x of the M3, and changed the viewfinder of the M6 from 0.72x to 0.85x, even with the loss of the 28mm viewfinder frame. I also shoot a 21mm lens, and don't mind to use external viewfinders, considering that any Leica viewfinder is far off in framing accuracy (depending on the distance of the subject).

 

So, the best, in view, is the M3, even though I often shoot wide-angle lenses and have to use external viewfinders. I never thought I would ever post a picture of my camera, but here is my M3 with the small Voigtlaender 28/35 viewfinder that is always on it.

 

 

_______________

Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

Instagram: @mitchalland

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[EoinC]

Marvellously simple, and simply marvellous. Good to see, Mitch.

[Kupepe]

Last post was August. I wonder what happened?

Hello all,

 

The feedback ... I am using the MX with the SMC m 50mm 1.4. my composition is a lot better with time ... I got a good sense of light now. I know if it's f5.6 or f8 with the iso 400. Understanding, your machine makes a lot of difference.

 

Now I am trying to understand how hyperfocal works on my lens..

 

My other main concern is film development ... You make the clicks but it's hard to find a good developer that will develop the film with good microcontrast. Huge problem

 

Besides that my mind is set. Small deposits in a "secret" account ... For an M6 body initially ... And a sumicron 50mm f2 ...

 

It seems to be very repairable, solid combo.

 

Then you need a good film developer .. ora bigger kitchen and a course in film development

 

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L21 using Tapatalk

Edited March 18, 2018 by Kupepe

[a.noctilux]

Hello all,

 

The feedback ... I am using the MX with the SMC m 50mm 1.4. my composition is a lot better with time ... I got a good sense of light now. I know if it's f5.6 or f8 with the iso 400. Understanding, your machine makes a lot of difference.

 

Now I am trying to understand how hyperfocal works on my lens..

 

My other main concern is film development ... You make the clicks but it's hard to find a good developer that will develop the film with good microcontrast. Huge problem

 

Besides that my mind is set. Small deposits in a "secret" account ... For an M6 body initially ... And a sumicron 50mm f2 ...

 

It seems to be very repairable, solid combo.

 

Then you need a good film developer .. ora bigger kitchen and a course in film development

 

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L21 using Tapatalk

 

Hyperfocal with 50mm lens is not easy; on your lens you see markings for some aperture (as 8, 11, 16) on each side of the central focus mark.

 

Just turn the focus ring to the used aperture to line up the infinity mark with the number of F stop used.

 

On wide angle Pentax lenses, there is a "help" made for the ease of hyperfocal use.

For example, on my SMC 28mm, red F/8 to use with red 3m on focus ring for  "acceptable sharpness" from 1.5m to infinity.

 

...

Film development is easy with Rondinax

see here : https://rondinax.wordpress.com/

 

You don't need a bigger kitchen, but only some courses ...

[Guest Nowhereman]

There is also the suggestion by many that it's better to set the hyperlocal distance at one stop larger aperture than the aperture you're shooting at, particularly if you're making large prints: e.g., if you're shooting at f/8.0, line up the infinity mark with right-side  f/5.6 marking on the lens barrel.