I love my Barnack

[Panfoto]

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Yes it is a beautiful little Camera and it works well.

Here you can read and download the Instruction manual in german and english.

http://www.donaldingram.com/RFF/Leica_OSeriesManual.pdf

Hope it is helpfull for you!

 

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Another shoot with my Leica 0-Serie Replica. Time travel – back to the past.

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Panfoto

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[Ouroboros]

'O' Serie Prototype 2 Oskar Barnack edition.

Edale Valley, Peak District.  Delta 100 in DDX 1:4 

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[shirubadanieru]

3 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

'O' Serie Prototype 2 Oskar Barnack edition.

Edale Valley, Peak District.  Delta 100 in DDX 1:4 

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Sorry for another question but what's the difference between the regular replica & the barnack edition?

[Ouroboros]

1 hour ago, shirubadanieru said:

Sorry for another question but what's the difference between the regular replica & the barnack edition?

The first edition had a gunsight and frame that has to be flipped up to compose the image.  The camera has to be held away from your eye with this method.

The second prototype was released as a Limited Edition of 1000 to commemorate Barnack's birthday and is a faithful copy of his personal camera from 1923. The 'O' Serie Prototype 2 Oskar Barnack edition has a fixed reverse galilean viewfinder on the top for composing the image more conventionally with the camera at your eye, just as you would with any modern shoe-mounted external viewfinder.

The workmanship on both editions is beautiful, surprisingly weighty and they're tiny even compared to the later production line Barnack cameras such as iiic, iiif etc. 

The real surprise with both these limited edition cameras is the fixed, scale focus 50mm f3.5 anastigmat lens.  Given that the lens design is over 100 years old, the image quality is absolutely outstanding.  I wish Leica would re issue it!  The only difference from the original lens is multi coating on the limited edition version.

Barnack's own 'O' Serie camera was sold at auction for over $15m last year.

ETA: Oh yeah, as pointed out below, there is a headshot of Barnack on the back of the Prototype 2 to commemorate his 125th birthday (as of 2004 when the limited edition was released) as the inventor of 35mm stills photography, but you can't see old Barnack when the camera is in the leather case it should come with if you can find a set for sale.

Obviously something like that would give a collector apoplexy and maybe the very thought of a replica would have the same effect, but I'm a photographer and I really enjoy using the 'O' Serie replica with all it's early quirks.  You need to think carefully when using it because it isn't like any other camera you use. 

Two golden rules:

1.  Remember to cap the lens with the attached suede lens cap before winding on and rewinding because the shutter won't do it for you.

2. Don't wind on until you have set your exposure because you can't change the shutter slit width when the shutter is cocked.

Last time I looked, Aperture in London have an 'O' Serie 1st prototype replica set for sale for under £1500 and you can always stick an external viewfinder in the cold shoe on top of the camera if the flip-up frame method of composing is a backward step too far.

If you buy one, accept that it will bite you if you don't follow it's rules and you will lose the odd frame, but the payback from the lens and the construction is just so sweet.  When everything goes right, you'll see it in the images you create and you cant help but like these prototype replicas.

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Ouroboros

[Pyrogallol]

I think the Barnack edition has that awful picture stuck on the back, puts me off buying that version.

[shirubadanieru]

2 hours ago, Pyrogallol said:

I think the Barnack edition has that awful picture stuck on the back, puts me off buying that version.

That is true…lol but viewfinder wise / usage wise seems like a much better option? 

[shirubadanieru]

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15 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

The first edition had a gunsight and frame that has to be flipped up to compose the image.  The camera has to be held away from your eye with this method.

The second prototype was released as a Limited Edition of 1000 to commemorate Barnack's birthday and is a faithful copy of his personal camera from 1923. The 'O' Serie Prototype 2 Oskar Barnack edition has a fixed reverse galilean viewfinder on the top for composing the image more conventionally with the camera at your eye, just as you would with any modern shoe-mounted external viewfinder.

The workmanship on both editions is beautiful, surprisingly weighty and they're tiny even compared to the later production line Barnack cameras such as iiic, iiif etc. 

The real surprise with both these limited edition cameras is the fixed, scale focus 50mm f3.5 anastigmat lens.  Given that the lens design is over 100 years old, the image quality is absolutely outstanding.  I wish Leica would re issue it!  The only difference from the original lens is multi coating on the limited edition version.

Barnack's own 'O' Serie camera was sold at auction for over $15m last year.

ETA: Oh yeah, as pointed out below, there is a headshot of Barnack on the back of the Prototype 2 to commemorate his 125th birthday (as of 2004 when the limited edition was released) as the inventor of 35mm stills photography, but you can't see old Barnack when the camera is in the leather case it should come with if you can find a set for sale.

Obviously something like that would give a collector apoplexy and maybe the very thought of a replica would have the same effect, but I'm a photographer and I really enjoy using the 'O' Serie replica with all it's early quirks.  You need to think carefully when using it because it isn't like any other camera you use. 

Two golden rules:

1.  Remember to cap the lens with the attached suede lens cap before winding on and rewinding because the shutter won't do it for you.

2. Don't wind on until you have set your exposure because you can't change the shutter slit width when the shutter is cocked.

Last time I looked, Aperture in London have an 'O' Serie 1st prototype replica set for sale for under £1500 and you can always stick an external viewfinder in the cold shoe on top of the camera if the flip-up frame method of composing is a backward step too far.

If you buy one, accept that it will bite you if you don't follow it's rules and you will lose the odd frame, but the payback from the lens and the construction is just so sweet.  When everything goes right, you'll see it in the images you create and you cant help but like these prototype replicas.

 

Final question, sorry! Can you use a rangefinder attachment such as the HFOOK that was available for leica I and standard, etc. on these replica models as well? Or only zone focus will do? (Cc @Pyrogallol)

Edited January 12, 2023 by shirubadanieru

[wizard]

vor 15 Stunden schrieb Ouroboros:

The only difference from the original lens is multi coating on the limited edition version.

AFIK, the lens in the first and second limited editions was newly computed at the time, and essentially corresponds to a "modern" Elmar 3.5/50 lens (very similar to the modern Elmar-M 2.8/50 lens, but limited to f3.5 for historical reasons). It is a 4 element 3 group design. 

Since this lens came out, I am longing (and many others as well) for a special screwmount edition of that lens, but so far Leica has not heard us 🙂.

Edited January 12, 2023 by wizard
correction

[nf3996]

19 hours ago, shirubadanieru said:

Final question, sorry! Can you use a rangefinder attachment such as the HFOOK that was available for leica I and standard, etc. on these replica models as well? Or only zone focus will do? (Cc @Pyrogallol)

Yes, you can use a rangefinder in the accessory shoe on the replicas. Zone focus isn't quick as the lens has no depth of field scale, only distance markings. However, with some depth of field tables to hand you could work out the aperture/focus zone.

Alan

[shirubadanieru]

9 minutes ago, nf3996 said:

Yes, you can use a rangefinder in the accessory shoe on the replicas. Zone focus isn't quick as the lens has no depth of field scale, only distance markings. However, with some depth of field tables to hand you could work out the aperture/focus zone.

Alan

Thank you Alan!

[shirubadanieru]

Ok you guys inspired me, so I went ahead and purchased a rangefinder-less Leica. Was torn between getting the replica or going with the Leica Model A, but decided on the Model A (will share pictures soon). 

For those of you who use an A or any other rangefinder-less Leicas, do you have any tips on how you use the camera? Do you use the rangefinder attachment most of the time, or do you zone-focus at F12.5 ~ F18? What about close distances? Given that a 50mm is not a 28mm, it’s not as straightforward to zone focus. I’m also guessing these early shutters are not the most precise, so do you avoid using 1/500? Anyway, would love to hear your experience and tips when you have the time. Thank you!

Edited January 13, 2023 by shirubadanieru

[willeica]

8 minutes ago, shirubadanieru said:

Ok you guys inspired me, so I went ahead and purchased a rangefinder-less Leica. Was torn between getting the replica or going with the Leica Model A, but decided on the Model A (will share pictures soon). 

For those of you who use an A or any other rangefinder-less Leicas, do you have any tips on how you use the camera? Do you use the rangefinder attachment most of the time, or do you zone-focus at F12.5 ~ F18? What about close distances? Given that a 50mm is not a 28mm, it’s not as straightforward to zone focus. I’m also guessing these early shutters are not the most precise, so do you avoid using 1/500? Anyway, would love to hear your experience and tips when you have the time. Thank you!

Zone focus. Using a separate rangefinder is a bit of palaver. You can always transfer readings from another rangefinder on a separate camera( e.g. LTM or M) if you are using that at the same time. Be careful about feet and meters, of course. Good luck with the A. I have quite a few of them. The nice thing about them is that you are using cameras and lenses that were used in the 1920s and 30s, something you do not get with replicas, however well they may be made. The sense of using an earlier ‘eye’ is definitely there. 
 

William 

[LocalHero1953]

53 minutes ago, shirubadanieru said:

Ok you guys inspired me, so I went ahead and purchased a rangefinder-less Leica. Was torn between getting the replica or going with the Leica Model A, but decided on the Model A (will share pictures soon). 

For those of you who use an A or any other rangefinder-less Leicas, do you have any tips on how you use the camera? Do you use the rangefinder attachment most of the time, or do you zone-focus at F12.5 ~ F18? What about close distances? Given that a 50mm is not a 28mm, it’s not as straightforward to zone focus. I’m also guessing these early shutters are not the most precise, so do you avoid using 1/500? Anyway, would love to hear your experience and tips when you have the time. Thank you!

I have a Leica Standard, and use it with a Nikkor 2.8cm f/3.5, which matches the camera for looks and is tiny, and a matching Nippon Kogaku 2.8cm viewfinder. With that focal length and aperture I don't worry about precision focusing, though I have an approximate idea by feel where the focus lock tab should be for 5m (6 o'clock) and 3m (5 o'clock). I haven't done close-ups with it. I posted a few pictures with this combination [Correction: those images are with the Leica Standard, but with the Summitar 5cm. I shall post some with the Nikkor later today] in the LTM thread yesterday.

Edited January 13, 2023 by LocalHero1953

[LocalHero1953]

1 hour ago, LocalHero1953 said:

I have a Leica Standard, and use it with a Nikkor 2.8cm f/3.5, which matches the camera for looks and is tiny, and a matching Nippon Kogaku 2.8cm viewfinder. With that focal length and aperture I don't worry about precision focusing, though I have an approximate idea by feel where the focus lock tab should be for 5m (6 o'clock) and 3m (5 o'clock). I haven't done close-ups with it. I posted a few pictures with this combination [Correction: those images are with the Leica Standard, but with the Summitar 5cm. I shall post some with the Nikkor later today] in the LTM thread yesterday.

D'oh! Correction again. Those photos I linked to are with the Nikkor 3.5cm f/2.5, not either the Summitar nor the Nikkor 2.5cm! I'm going to have to correct it in that thread as well.

[Pyrogallol]

Most people have their own built in bio-rangefinder, two eyes. For most medium and longer distance pictures I can estimate the distance near enough, at medium apertures. For close up pictures it is not the ideal camera but you could use a tape measure. There seems to be a fashion for very closeup, very wide aperture pictures and the bokeh that comes from some lenses. And with that comes the regular discussion of focus shift.

[Ouroboros]

10 hours ago, nf3996 said:

Yes, you can use a rangefinder in the accessory shoe on the replicas. Zone focus isn't quick as the lens has no depth of field scale, only distance markings. However, with some depth of field tables to hand you could work out the aperture/focus zone.

Alan

Estimating distance isn't difficult with a bit of practice, but it helps if you have experience of field archery! 

No real need for a rangefinder with these cameras, I would hate having one attached to the cold shoe as it would spoil the whole experience of using what is a tiny and exquisitely made camera.  Just use it and learn. 

If you genuinely need critical focus on a sitter's pupil at 1m and f3.5, you're using the wrong camera.

[TomB_tx]

Agree: with f3.5 max aperture learn to estimate distances.

[shirubadanieru]

A few Barnacks having a chat & my latest purchase in my hand

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[shirubadanieru]

& here it is again! just finished my first roll, mostly estimating focus, let's see what comes out! 

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[LocalHero1953]

Who designed the cold shoe? When did it first appear? Has it always had the same dimensions up to the present day hot shoe?