MikeMyers Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share #21 Posted August 18, 2021 Advertisement (gone after registration) There's a difference between walking around with a 50 or 90 or 135 or 35 lens, and trying to find how to use it to relate to the world around a person - or walking around looking at the world around, and trying to decide which focal length will create the better image. I usually walk around with one lens on the camera, whatever it may be (and on the Leica it is not a zoom, obviously) and look at the world as that lens would see it. I think it will be interesting to try this with the 135 when I get it back. I have no idea what "Kardan B on a Studex" means - what is a Kardan B, and what is a Studex? About tripods, when I'm out walking, they are still at home. But if I'm going to use the 135, I guess I need to find a way to use a small one, and yes, a cable release would be good too. My M3 still has B&W film loaded. The idea of mounting my 90 Summicron and viewing my world through it, sounds like an enjoyable thing to try, and half a century ago, my 90 spent a lot of time attached to my M3...... (It's also true that the way I "see" the world around me is based on the focal length of whatever device I have on me to capture what I see.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 18, 2021 Posted August 18, 2021 Hi MikeMyers, Take a look here Leica lens mount on M3 stored for half a century - is it a good idea to use a very tiny bit of oil on the surface?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Michael Geschlecht Posted August 18, 2021 Share #22 Posted August 18, 2021 Hell Mike, A "Kardan B" is a camera made by Linhof. A "Studex" is a tripod made by Gitzo. Both are reasonably sturdy. Best Regards, Michael Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share #23 Posted August 18, 2021 (edited) For the sake of this discussion, assuming that my M3 now works well enough use, and the Leicameter is reasonably accurate, and you're bringing up the use of a lovely view camera and a tripod, suppose I put my 135 on the M3, and attach my "mini" tripod, I assume what you did was to attach the tripod to the camera, and extend just one leg which would rest against your chest, to stabilize things for "hand-held" (sort of) photography while walking around. I guess the cable release would be a bonus, to avoid pushing against the camera. If I was on a safari or something, this might help get better (sharper) photos of the wildlife, as a "real" tripod on the ground might not be very practical. I used to enjoy using my 90 Summicron on the M3, as f/2 gave me a fast enough shutter speed to get good results, but I never dreamed of using a 135 this way, especially if stopped down to f/5.6 or so. 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! Edited August 18, 2021 by MikeMyers Forgot to add photo 1 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/323629-leica-lens-mount-on-m3-stored-for-half-a-century-is-it-a-good-idea-to-use-a-very-tiny-bit-of-oil-on-the-surface/?do=findComment&comment=4258892'>More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 18, 2021 Share #24 Posted August 18, 2021 Why not just call Don for some suggestions regarding simple steps YOU can take, using recommended materials and procedures? Would avoid the unnecessary, and predictable, contradictory thoughts here. Simple. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share #25 Posted August 18, 2021 Will do! Should have done that much earlier. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share #26 Posted August 18, 2021 Just got off the phone with Don at DAG Cameras. He tells me the front surface is unlikely to be the issue, I need to look into the camera from the rear, and there is some kind of spring loaded mechanism that is much more likely to be the issue. If Don replaces the flange with another used flange, it will likely cost $100 or so, which I'm more than willing to do. Don says every 20 years the M3 should get a clean and lube, which is $485. If I stop using the camera and put it away forever, that wouldn't be worth doing, but if I'm going to continue to use the M3 it sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. One of you is going to eventually ask me "why on earth are you spending all this time on an ancient M3 when you have an M10?" I don't have a good answer, other than that I enjoy it. While Don was on the phone, I also asked him about using my collapsible 50mm Summicron lens on my M10, only mounting and un-mounting the lens when it is extended. Don is pretty sure that would work for me. One other question resolved. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted August 18, 2021 Share #27 Posted August 18, 2021 Advertisement (gone after registration) 4 hours ago, Jeff S said: Why not just call Don for some suggestions regarding simple steps YOU can take, using recommended materials and procedures? Would avoid the unnecessary, and predictable, contradictory thoughts here. Simple. Jeff I'm sure every professional technician appreciates every call they get to pick their brains that doesn't result in any income, they are sure to think it's a good use of their time 🙄 But the forum has answered these ongoing questions over an over again, the only reason these threads go on, and on, and on, and on, is a reverence for Leica cameras that belies they are just a camera, and while made better than others they are treated bizarrely as more fragile than others. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 18, 2021 Share #28 Posted August 18, 2021 8 minutes ago, 250swb said: I'm sure every professional technician appreciates every call they get to pick their brains that doesn't result in any income, they are sure to think it's a good use of their time 🙄 But the forum has answered these ongoing questions over an over again, the only reason these threads go on, and on, and on, and on, is a reverence for Leica cameras that belies they are just a camera, and while made better than others they are treated bizarrely as more fragile than others. Sure, this thread alone…. Oil yes, oil no…alcohol yes, alcohol no… towel yes, towel no. The OP and I have given Don lots of business, not to mention lots of referral business here. As usual, why not mind your own… rarely a nice word, or tone, for anyone from you. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 18, 2021 Share #29 Posted August 18, 2021 30 minutes ago, Jeff S said: As usual, why not mind your own… Jeff Well, to be fair, the OP asked some questions so 'minding your own' would mean a pretty pointless use of the forum - you post questions and you get answers. I'm not aware of any camera I've owned that had an oily lens mount, just saying. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 18, 2021 Share #30 Posted August 18, 2021 1 minute ago, earleygallery said: Well, to be fair, the OP asked some questions so 'minding your own' would mean a pretty pointless use of the forum - you post questions and you get answers. I'm not aware of any camera I've owned that had an oily lens mount, just saying. I was referring to Steve’s criticizing my reply to the OP. He can tell the OP anything he wants, as far as I care. Just sayin’. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 18, 2021 Share #31 Posted August 18, 2021 Yes but it should be fairly obvious that you don't need to oil a lens mount...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 18, 2021 Share #32 Posted August 18, 2021 7 minutes ago, earleygallery said: Yes but it should be fairly obvious that you don't need to oil a lens mount...... Apparently not to some here. Welcome to forum surveys. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share #33 Posted August 18, 2021 57 minutes ago, Jeff S said: I was referring to Steve’s criticizing my reply to the OP. He can tell the OP anything he wants, as far as I care. Just sayin’. Hey, all of you can dump on me and call me an idiot for not "knowing" the obvious, but most Leica lens mounts probably look nothing like my photo. Turns out that surface isn't likely to be the problem anyway, according to Don. ......and as for Don, he fixed my 90mm Summicron that looked un-fixable, so I paid him for the repair and sent him a "Leica package" of Leica items I don't need, but which I'm sure he found very useful. But for that, I'm not sure I would have called him, and he probably wouldn't have spent so much time on the phone with me. I never passed "LeicaRepair 101", and what I do know is to not mess with stuff I don't understand. Had the problem been that mating surface, cleaning or lubricating it "could" have resolved it, but Don tells me it is almost certainly something else. For $100 or so, I'm almost certainly going to send the camera to him in the near future - unless I put it away for another 50 years. Oh, and while it should be obvious that a lens mount doesn't need to be oiled, that was the most likely thing that I could think of. What better place to ask these questions than in a Leica forum? Almost every time I come here, I learn things that I was oblivious of before. There is no way I ever would have figured out how to mount my Leicameter on my M3 without marring the top of the M3, had Michael not explained things as he did. I never would have EVER guessed that an element in my 135 TeleElmar was upside down either. Anyway, feel free to criticize me all you want, any time you want. I won't complain. 🙂 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 18, 2021 Share #34 Posted August 18, 2021 (edited) 14 minutes ago, MikeMyers said: Hey, all of you can dump on me and call me an idiot for not "knowing" the obvious, but most Leica lens mounts probably look nothing like my photo. Turns out that surface isn't likely to be the problem anyway, according to Don. ......and as for Don, he fixed my 90mm Summicron that looked un-fixable, so I paid him for the repair and sent him a "Leica package" of Leica items I don't need, but which I'm sure he found very useful. But for that, I'm not sure I would have called him, and he probably wouldn't have spent so much time on the phone with me. I never passed "LeicaRepair 101", and what I do know is to not mess with stuff I don't understand. Had the problem been that mating surface, cleaning or lubricating it "could" have resolved it, but Don tells me it is almost certainly something else. For $100 or so, I'm almost certainly going to send the camera to him in the near future - unless I put it away for another 50 years. Oh, and while it should be obvious that a lens mount doesn't need to be oiled, that was the most likely thing that I could think of. What better place to ask these questions than in a Leica forum? Almost every time I come here, I learn things that I was oblivious of before. There is no way I ever would have figured out how to mount my Leicameter on my M3 without marring the top of the M3, had Michael not explained things as he did. I never would have EVER guessed that an element in my 135 TeleElmar was upside down either. Anyway, feel free to criticize me all you want, any time you want. I won't complain. 🙂 I wasn’t criticizing you at all. My comment was directed to Steve alone, for criticizing my recommendation for you to call Don. He had a different recommendation for you… free world and not my concern. The forum can be a useful resource. I shared my two cents in response to your technical inquiry, which of course you are free to make; just expect the usual cross-section of responses. I sometimes prefer to ask the expert, assuming a good relationship, which you had already shared with us regarding Don. Jeff Edited August 18, 2021 by Jeff S Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share #35 Posted August 18, 2021 No problem, just saying if anyone wants to criticize me, that's fine. I usually ask here first, and almost always either get an answer, or need to change my question. 🙂 If I ask a silly question, it's because I don't (yet) know better. Almost everything in this forum is a learning experience for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted August 19, 2021 Share #36 Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) Hello Mike, Asking questions is 1 way to learn. A good way. There are often a variety of opinions about how to solve a problem. A Forum like this is a place where varying opinions can be discussed & often a reasonable conclusion can be drawn. Asking people who solve the problem that you have as part of what they do for a living is also a good thing to do. There is no reason not to do both. As to being "silly": The only thing that might be "silly" is NOT asking a question. I write this as a person who is known for asking "silly" questions about pretty much everything. Best Regards, Michael Edited August 19, 2021 by Michael Geschlecht Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted August 19, 2021 Author Share #37 Posted August 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Michael Geschlecht said: Asking questions is 1 way to learn. A good way. There are often a variety of opinions about how to solve a problem. A Forum like this is a place where varying opinions can be discussed & often a reasonable conclusion can be drawn. It seems like questions I ask including the word HOW are much more productive than questions I usually don't even post including the word WHY. Thanks to several recent discussions here, I've now got a pretty good Leica M3 that I suspect works as well as when I used it in the 1970's, probably better, as back then I couldn't afford the LeicaMeter. It's a machine. It's mechanical. I enjoy it. It functions smoothly, and my first roll of (B&W) film showed promise. I love it for the same reasons why I used to love old British 500cc single-cylinder motorcycles, when the world had mostly switched to more modern bikes from Japan. So, translated to what I think is the truth, I enjoy USING the M3. But as my teachers taught me long ago, the camera is just a tool. It's the finished photos that really count. I have much more confidence in the M10, just as I used to think Japanese motorcycles were more reliable than the old British bikes I so enjoyed. I guess this discussion has reached an end. I need to finish off my roll of film, shooting things I enjoy, get it processed, and see if the results are acceptable both to me, and others here who I'm sure will give me lots of feedback. 🙂 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted August 19, 2021 Share #38 Posted August 19, 2021 9 hours ago, Jeff S said: Sure, this thread alone…. Oil yes, oil no…alcohol yes, alcohol no… towel yes, towel no. The OP and I have given Don lots of business, not to mention lots of referral business here. As usual, why not mind your own… rarely a nice word, or tone, for anyone from you. Jeff OK, I understand you are a sensitive type and like to stir the pot, but while you feel Don is in your pocket does he know that? I paste for your information just three points taken from the DAG website, the underlining is mine......... Q: Can I call you about once a week & ask you camera questions & then just continue to talk to you for about 20 minutes? A: Please don't call me just to talk about cameras. I already have a wife to do that with. That's one of the reasons I'm so far behind on repairs (talking to you on the phone, not because of my wife). Q: Can I email you at least once a week asking camera questions? A: I get WAY too many emails ever day. Please don't email unless it has to do something about buying camera items on my website or repairs. Q: Can I come over to drop off a repair & then talk to you for about an hour? A: No, we do not accept repairs to be dropped off, you need to ship all repairs to the address on this website. So, everybody tell Don who it was recommended you call him, Jeff S. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock Posted August 19, 2021 Share #39 Posted August 19, 2021 14 hours ago, Jeff S said: Why not just call Don for some suggestions regarding simple steps YOU can take, using recommended materials and procedures? Would avoid the unnecessary, and predictable, contradictory thoughts here. Simple. Jeff We have an excellent Leica repairman in the UK who is now unable to complete his work within a reasonable timescale because of a very high workload. The last thing he needs (or will accept) is umpteen calls for help. Don must be in exactly the same position. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 19, 2021 Share #40 Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, 250swb said: OK, I understand you are a sensitive type and like to stir the pot, but while you feel Don is in your pocket does he know that? I paste for your information just three points taken from the DAG website, the underlining is mine......... Q: Can I call you about once a week & ask you camera questions & then just continue to talk to you for about 20 minutes? A: Please don't call me just to talk about cameras. I already have a wife to do that with. That's one of the reasons I'm so far behind on repairs (talking to you on the phone, not because of my wife). Q: Can I email you at least once a week asking camera questions? A: I get WAY too many emails ever day. Please don't email unless it has to do something about buying camera items on my website or repairs. Q: Can I come over to drop off a repair & then talk to you for about an hour? A: No, we do not accept repairs to be dropped off, you need to ship all repairs to the address on this website. So, everybody tell Don who it was recommended you call him, Jeff S. Don is not in anyone’s pocket, pot stirrer. I’m well aware of his site and had already read this and very briefly discussed with him. He doesn’t want idle camera chat or emails, unless they relate to his sales and repairs, are quick and to the point, and not repetitive. He appreciated when I called him about a repair to determine if it was good time to send gear in or wait, and took literally a minute or two. Mike had just donated gear to him, which he had already explained, and I thought Don wouldn’t mind a brief question, and a potential repair, from a guy who treated him well. My typical recommendation here is for folks to give Don work, not bullshit with him. Jeff Edited August 19, 2021 by Jeff S Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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