seneschal Posted February 14, 2022 Share #1 Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) I have just had a revelation, that will not be a surprise to many on this forum, but it gave me so much satisfaction that I had to share. If you haven't done this yet with a Barnack, please do it as soon as you can and savour the delightful pleasure that is the engineering of Leica... just one of those things that gives "balm to the soul". Last year at the back end of the summer I bought a bunch of "photographica" from an auction in London, about three different lots with various items contained. One of the lots had a bunch of Leica gear mixed in, which I secured at a much lower bid than expected. When I eventually got over to London to collect, there was more gear that was not listed in the catalogue description, including a 90mm Elmar (M), and a tatty aluminium case with some Leica filters, cable release, SBOOI in a leather case and a couple of plastic Leitz canisters with IXMOOs. How fortunate was that? I had a look at the cartridges and both had some dusty corrosion, looking more like mould than metal corrosion. I was a bit put off by this and put them on one side until last night when my curiosity to find out whether they actually contained some undeveloped film got the better of me. So six months after the acquisition I opened them in a changing bag. Both were empty, I cleaned them up properly and reassembled them this morning. What beautiful things they are; the precise construction, the smooth action, the feel in the hand and weight are delicious... ...but the way that they slide into the camera (as if they were made for the job!!) and the integration with the base, WOW!, opening the cassette as the baseplate is locked is like two long lost lovers coming together in a perfect and passionate embrace. (perhaps a bit too poetic, but it is Valentine's day! Having used mass manufactured pre-rolled cassettes and also plastic cassettes with a bulk film loader for years, I realise just how far they are from the concept which Barnack had for an integrated system. It is like listening to Vinyl again after 30 years of digital, from CDs to MP3 to Streaming... you forget just how rich the experience of analogue was. Give it a go, IXMOO and an LP... perhaps both at the same time... and let the analogue delight wash over you in waves of unremitting pleasure. 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 February 14, 2022 by seneschal 5 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/329791-arent-ixmoos-great/?do=findComment&comment=4383173'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 14, 2022 Posted February 14, 2022 Hi seneschal, Take a look here Aren't IXMOOs great?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
nitroplait Posted February 14, 2022 Share #2 Posted February 14, 2022 Thanks for speaking up the IMXOO. I expect to make a nice profit when I sell mine 😉. They are nice alright, but almost as inconvenient as LPs. If you bring them in your carry-on luggage, good luck convincing security that they are not high caliber bullets. Night and day in material and finish, but these smelly Sovjet reloadables are quite substantial, faster to load and fits all my cameras: 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! 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/329791-arent-ixmoos-great/?do=findComment&comment=4383204'>More sharing options...
seneschal Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share #3 Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) Yes, Nitroplait... I agree... I can't say that I am likely to stop buying convenient pre-loaded cassettes anytime soon! Nor am I likely to drop Spotify in the bin. But every so often when I am in the privacy of my own space I may slide an empty IXMOO in and out of the slot it was meant to go in (until I feel suitably sated) or put a crackly LP on the turntable to remind myself how much we lost in our headlong rush to make our lives more convenient with technology. Soon, in order to save the planet, we will also be feeling the swoosh of an electric motor and never more the roar of a flat six, V8 or V12, the air being sucked (or pushed) into the intake and the exhaust burbling or popping and banging. All consigned to the past... for good reason... and soon will be forgotten, as our children and grandchildren live their lives in a very different world. Bit sad really... but we can hang on to something "similar" with a Leica Monochrom, even if it is not exactly the same... it does slow you down and make you think about what you are seeing, rather than just pressing the button. A Tesla can never do that. Edited February 14, 2022 by seneschal Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted February 14, 2022 Share #4 Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, seneschal said: ... What beautiful things they are; the precise construction, the smooth action, the feel in the hand and weight are delicious... .... And what about the XOONS ? 🙂 It's probably around 65 or even 70 years old... - How does operate its securing screw ? Has it became loose after those years ? I think NOT - What are the conditions of its inner felt strip ? Worn ? dried ? Partially unglued from the surface ? I think NOT - How good is the finishing, matte and crackled so that NO lightray is reflected on the big front lens of the Summarit, differently from a "flat" paint that can become a little reflective if often cleaned or with little scratches ? 🙂 In the '50s/60s they worked in a way that is hard to conceive nowadays. Edited February 14, 2022 by luigi bertolotti Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share #5 Posted February 14, 2022 Yu 14 minutes ago, luigi bertolotti said: And what about the XOONS ? 🙂 It's probably around 65 or even 70 years old... - How does operate its securing screw ? Has it became loose after those years ? I think NOT - What are the conditions of its inner felt strip ? Worn ? dried ? Partially unglued from the surface ? I think NOT - How good is the finishing, matte and crackled so that NO lightray is reflected on the big front lens of the Summarit, differently from a "flat" paint that can become a little reflective if often cleaned or with little scratches ? 🙂 In the '50s/60s they worked in a way that is hard to conceive nowadays. You are so right Luigi. Just properly conceived, thought through, approved as a design, beautifully engineered, flawlessly executed and quality controlled by someone who cares about their signature on the certificate. In the canisters, there is even a plastic sealing washer in the lid... I can only think that the presence of this means that the canister was designed to be hermetically sealed, just in case you were travelling to the tropics, or may possibly have dropped the canister in a river. It was a different level of pride that people took in the items they produced. Last week I bought a new screen for in front of the running machine in the gym. I think I paid about $250 for it... Toshiba, Wi-Fi, loads of apps, Alexa built in, 32" OLED and a tilting wall adapter in the bundle. $250! Seriously?? It's fine and has a great picture and has a 3 year warranty included.... but if it lasts longer than 3 years I will be surprised, I doubt it was designed to last much longer. 60-70 years on a product from 2022? No chance! I have a Leica 1a which is working perfectly well... what's that? 90 years old? More I think! I am optimistic though. One thing is certain, our children care a bit more about re-using than we did. I think we may be seeing the end of the throw away society and we may have to find a way to create better quality. Plastic bottles? No thanks. Fast fashion? No thanks. Consumerism? Maybe they might pass on that... or at least give it a second thought. Kids are beginning to realise that we have limited resources and many of them want to make a difference. We had it pretty easy really! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share #6 Posted February 14, 2022 By the way, Luigi, I love the way that you spot the XOONS and the Summarit without hesitation! Both upside down, no visible nomenclature as a hint. Now there's a man who knows about Leica! I doubt I will ever approach your encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject.... I picked up a couple of other things which I don't recognise... I might start a thread of strange Leica objects and see who can recognise and shed some light on what's going on! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
seneschal Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share #7 Posted February 14, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) 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! 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/329791-arent-ixmoos-great/?do=findComment&comment=4383260'>More sharing options...
Pyrogallol Posted February 14, 2022 Share #8 Posted February 14, 2022 If only all the threads were as comforting as this one. Now you can start collecting all the varieties of cassettes and hunt for the elusive labyrinth one. 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! 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/329791-arent-ixmoos-great/?do=findComment&comment=4383274'>More sharing options...
seneschal Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share #9 Posted February 14, 2022 7 minutes ago, Pyrogallol said: Now you can start collecting Pyrogallol.... OMG... please don't... I am not a collector... (at least that's what I tell my wife) I'm just male!! I really, really cannot try to tick off every item in the catalogue, once I allow myself to go down that rabbit hole there is no possible end, always a slightly different finish or a rare oddity. Please don't get me started, I have enough trouble resisting as it is. (and it's not just cameras) Did anyone see the result of Joakim Milder's second attempt to break his addictive habit? That became a third Auction to dispose of his collection! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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