I have to get a screwmount

[denizg7]

So i've been day dreaming for too long about having a specific screw mount and i need some advice about it.

First off it has to be black

Second I want the built in focusing removed and replaced with something like this

http://smorhun.com/leica/weisu/weisu_iiif.jpg

so something like this basically with black lens http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/l...smpix/cblk.jpg

My main question is, I see a lot of Russian copies that are like 169 dollars that can have all these externally and they are made in the 1960s which is 30 years after leica made them.

So do the russians match up to the image output of the barnack models from 30 years ago? Can someone give me a direct comparison?

Will a russian one satisfy me?

how much should i play for a black on black on black barnack with external viewfinder from leica?

do i use zone focusing and guess when i only use the external viewfinder??

thanks

[GaryLH]

Personally I feel a canon ltm body such as the "p" or 7 would be a better bet than a fsu... U can use a lot of different ltm lens from modern cv to older Leica, Nikon, or canon lenses. If u want a older lower contrast look w/ good resolving power those canon lenses are hard to beat.

In terms of the Leica bodies as opposed to the fsu.. I will defer to others.

http://www.cameraquest.com/ltmcam.htm
Page about 2/3 of way down from top u will c a lot of good info..
http://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm

Gary

[Brian Legge]

An external finder is an approximation for framing - with the exception of a few specific Canon models with specific finders. For wide angles the parallax is less of an issue if you are conservative in your framing.

You can still use the rangefinder window to focus - you just can't compose there.

A FSU camera in good condition is fine, particularly if you are going to scale focus and aren't worried about accurate focus wide open. They can be excellent there but the lens and body may have to be calibrated together to get correct focus.

Assuming the body is light tight, it doesnt matter as much for the image. A lot of the Russian glass, particularly if calibrated correctly, is excellent.

Personally I like the early Canon LTMs as a cheaper alternative to the FSUs which can be a bit more erratic in quality. The P/7/IV line of Canon cameras are larger than the earlier models but most have framelines and are closer to an M2/M3 in functionality than the earlier LTM bodies.

[denizg7]

Originally Posted by Brian Legge

An external finder is an approximation for framing - with the exception of a few specific Canon models with specific finders. For wide angles the parallax is less of an issue if you are conservative in your framing.

You can still use the rangefinder window to focus - you just can't compose there.

A FSU camera in good condition is fine, particularly if you are going to scale focus and aren't worried about accurate focus wide open. They can be excellent there but the lens and body may have to be calibrated together to get correct focus.

Assuming the body is light tight, it doesnt matter as much for the image. A lot of the Russian glass, particularly if calibrated correctly, is excellent.

Personally I like the early Canon LTMs as a cheaper alternative to the FSUs which can be a bit more erratic in quality. The P/7/IV line of Canon cameras are larger than the earlier models but most have framelines and are closer to an M2/M3 in functionality than the earlier LTM bodies.

Ok great to know. if the russians cant fill my need for the screwmount i will eventually pay a grand and buy a mint recent cla'd leica standard

[Livesteamer]

Be aware that what you are describing is not just a manual camera but a very manual camera. That said, I have a pair of Leica IIIc's that have been my favorite cameras for the past several years. I use them with the little Elmar 50mm and they fit in a pocket. 70% of my film work is done with them. Joe

[rxmd]

Originally Posted by denizg7

So i've been day dreaming for too long about having a specific screw mount and i need some advice about it.

First off it has to be black

Second I want the built in focusing removed and replaced with something like this

http://smorhun.com/leica/weisu/weisu_iiif.jpg

Firstly if you pay $169 for a Soviet screw mount camera, in all probability you're paying about $120 too much.

Secondly yes, they're capable cameras. But there are very few that have no internal rangefinder (FED-Zarya) and those weren't made in black, so you are looking at aftermarket paint jobs that cost more and are worth less.

Thirdly Leica Standards are overpriced IMHO for what they are, in particular if they're black with black lenses.

If you want a camera with no view- and rangefinder, instead of fretting about with cameras that are basically expensive collectibles I would just get a black Bessa L for like $150; it's a reliable modern camera with a screwmount and a mechanical shutter, no focusing aids whatsoever and a hotshoe for an external viewfinder. It does have a lightmeter for your convenience that you're free to ignore, just don't put batteries in it.

Here's one with Cosina 107 SW branding, but the Bessa L is basically identical:

[Roger Hicks]

Or of course a Zeiss Ikon SW.

Cheers,

R.

[johannielscom]

Second the Bessa L. Much better than the hacked-into-Leica-I FED's or Zorki's.

Oh, and chrome camera's take equally good pictures...

[Sparrow]

yep, bessa L if you want to actually take photos, having said that I keep a IIIa/f with a summitar on it in the car's glovebox all the time without any problems

[denizg7]

Sparrow i actually have an m6 as a main camera.

I want to get a screwmount as a backup camera and something that i can keep in my bag.

I am trying to find a screwmount that looks like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/FED-1-STANDA...00704359635%26

but with black elmar/ or elmar copy lens and a black leatheratte.

if anyone runs into what i am looking for please pms me

thanks

[Rico]

Originally Posted by denizg7

Ok great to know. if the russians cant fill my need for the screwmount i will eventually pay a grand and buy a mint recent cla'd leica standard

If your budget reaches a grand, then you should consider the modern Leica 0 reissue. The second version with WEISU equivalent looks pretty in black. It's sure to be a severe shooting experience with 50mm and no RF, plus the medieval shutter-cocking sequence.

[rxmd]

Originally Posted by denizg7

I want to get a screwmount as a backup camera and something that i can keep in my bag.

I am trying to find a screwmount that looks like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/FED-1-STANDA...00704359635%26

but with black elmar/ or elmar copy lens and a black leatheratte.

if anyone runs into what i am looking for please pms me

Well you could start off with this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Camera-FED-Z...-/160885276944

This is a repaint job, but no hacked-up camera, so it's much more likely to work. The lens in black, but no Elmar, but a black Elmar will be extremely hard to find, I'm not sure any were ever made at all. There weren't any black collapsible Industars either.

If you want a refurbished black Leica Standard, those came with a chrome lens.

The Leica 0-Serie reissue comes closest to what you want, except that it has no viewfinder and you'll be extremely lucky if you find one for merely a grand. I see them listed for between $1800 and $2500. I would hesitate before chucking that around in my bag all day.

Finally, I wonder whether you are making your life more difficult than it's worth by insisting as much as you do on what the camera should look like. Elsewhere you wrote that you are a "purist", I wonder how well being a purist is compatible with using Russian black repaint clone lenses just for the sake of them being black. Ultimately, these are cameras, not fashion items.

[denizg7]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Or of course a Zeiss Ikon SW.

Cheers,

R.

Hey Roge,

how would one go about finding one of these? What is the price range i should be looking for

Thanks

[denizg7]

Originally Posted by rxmd

Well you could start off with this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Camera-FED-Z...-/160885276944

This is a repaint job, but no hacked-up camera, so it's much more likely to work. The lens in black, but no Elmar, but a black Elmar will be extremely hard to find, I'm not sure any were ever made at all. There weren't any black collapsible Industars either.

If you want a refurbished black Leica Standard, those came with a chrome lens.

The Leica 0-Serie reissue comes closest to what you want, except that it has no viewfinder and you'll be extremely lucky if you find one for merely a grand. I see them listed for between $1800 and $2500. I would hesitate before chucking that around in my bag all day.

Finally, I wonder whether you are making your life more difficult than it's worth by insisting as much as you do on what the camera should look like. Elsewhere you wrote that you are a "purist", I wonder how well being a purist is compatible with using Russian black repaint clone lenses just for the sake of them being black. Ultimately, these are cameras, not fashion items.

i was a purist. Now I am broke and everything changed.

Of course I'll keep my m6 but i need something aside that is completely basic where I use zone focusing and look at how it all lines up in the frame with the external viewfinder.

After I pay my federal loans for college , I will buy a real barnack model.

the thing that intrigued me most and changed my mind about the russians is , a lot of these russian copies are made 30 years later in 1960s when these barnacks were from 1932 and stuff , so they must be just as good if the lens is in good condition right?

and i could buy a leitz summitar for a russian body if i want.

So far this is the closest thing I have found on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-Russia...item2ec1ddb266

My question is , if i was to buy this now. How would i go on about removing the wood and applying black leatherette.Does anyone know a place in the North East I can get it changed into black leatherette?



thank you all

[rxmd]

Originally Posted by denizg7

Hey Roge,

how would one go about finding one of these? What is the price range i should be looking for

Thanks

They sold for $900-$1100, but they have long been discontinued and were never made in big numbers. The few times I saw them used they seemed to sell in the $700-$900 range.

Nice thing is they're M-mount, so you have more lens options. However, the price is body only, so you're looking at an extra $500 or so for a Elmar 50/f2.8 Elmar and possibly a viewfinder.

[denizg7]

Originally Posted by rxmd

They sold for $900-$1100, but they have long been discontinued and were never made in big numbers. The few times I saw them used they seemed to sell in the $700-$900 range.

Nice thing is they're M-mount, so you have more lens options. However, the price is body only, so you're looking at an extra $500 or so for a Elmar 50/f2.8 Elmar and possibly a viewfinder.

ahh then i can't

[rxmd]

Originally Posted by denizg7

So far this is the closest thing I have found on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEICA-Russia...item2ec1ddb266

My question is , if i was to buy this now. How would i go on about removing the wood and applying black leatherette.Does anyone know a place in the North East I can get it changed into black leatherette?

Oh wow, that's a hideous thing with a mutilated top plate.

Anyway, you can do it yourself. It's not difficult at all. The wood is glued-on self-adhesive. Just pull it off and glue on a piece of leatherette that you can order from Aki-Asahi.com or Cameraleather.com. Pre-cut, it should cost like $15.

Your argument about Leicas made in the 1930s and Zorkies in the 1960s doesn't work. Firstly a newer camera doesn't mean it's more reliable just because it's younger, it matters more what standards it was made to and how well it was cared for. Secondly the cameras that get butchered into these clones tend to be the junkers that are discarded and sold at Russian flea markets for like $5, so don't expect it to work. And thirdly these aren't much younger either, the FEDs and Zorkis that get turned are the models made in the 1940s and early 1950s, at a time when Leicas were still made, so it wouldn't work even if age mattered at all.

Anyway, you seem to be pretty hooked on the details of what your camera should look like, but this here still seems like a much better deal and a better camera, more so if you're on a budget:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VOIGTLANDER-...-/170784937517

[ferider]

Have you considered a Rollei 35 ?

Think about it: it has everything you want plus brightline in the viewfinder and meter, a great lens, is smaller and certainly more robust than a Fed. And probably will be cheaper than getting a working Barnack or copy with finder. They came in black too.

[NeeZee]

There is this old thread of someone who converted a Zorki 1b with non working rangefinder to a 'Zorki Standard': http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...t=32552&page=1

You can see the results in his flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gordonc...th/2567226742/

So you could do the same plus painting it black. If you're not the DIY guy a true 'Standard' would probably the better alternative, though.

The most beautiful black LTM camera is this one, imo: http://www.cameraquest.com/canonp.htm
Way larger than a Leica Standard though.

[Jack Conrad]

If you're really broke, I recommend this camera. It can be had for $25,
or even $5 at a thrift store and takes wonderful, sharp images.

[Vics]

Originally Posted by ferider

Have you considered a Rollei 35 ?

Think about it: it has everything you want plus brightline in the viewfinder and meter, a great lens, is smaller and certainly more robust than a Fed. And probably will be cheaper than getting a working Barnack or copy with finder. They came in black too.

Plus one for the Rollei 35. Do your research, and you could getr it cheap!

[denizg7]

Originally Posted by Vics

Plus one for the Rollei 35. Do your research, and you could getr it cheap!

i forgot about the rollei 35. Still want a screwmount. Decided to get an original barnack for cheap and cla it.

and get a rollei 35

[Bingley]

To give you an idea of the relative size, here's a Leica IIIc and a Rollei 35. I took this combination on a 4-day trek in the Sierra Nevadas in August, and it was perfect. Makes a great combination for general travel, too.


photo by bingley0522, on Flickr

[Bingley]

Originally Posted by Jack Conrad

If you're really broke, I recommend this camera. It can be had for $25,
or even $5 at a thrift store and takes wonderful, sharp images.

+1. An indispensable pocket cam, and punches well above its weight in terms of image quality.

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I'd parked the car and saw this. I only had the Zorki 1 with me and it had the standard lens on it. I used the Sunny 16 rule for the exposure and the scan came off of a cheap CD from the lab that I use for cataloguing the pictures.



It shows what a nice lens/outfit you can get for very little money.

Regards, David