Just got a Barnack Leica!

Enjoy! make great exposures.. Nice set of lenses.
Strangely those early lenses seem to make images from the past..
There is a nice way of loading(with correct leader) and a business card..
 
Of the external finders, one of Leica's least expensive is the one for the 50. One of the most expensive is the finder for the 35. Apparently a bright line finder made for one of the Olympus digitals is very close to the 35 frame. Although it is plastic, it sells used for under $100. I hope you enjoy the camera and lenses and your health allows you to do the darkroom work. As said above, thanks for sharing your photos and knowledge over the years.
 
At the risk of telling my grandmother how to suck eggs....when using the built in finder don't move your eye around and don't hold your eye too close to the finder. I know it is tiny but try and look through it 'normally'.
 
Dralowid said:
At the risk of telling my grandmother how to suck eggs....when using the built in finder don't move your eye around and don't hold your eye too close to the finder. I know it is tiny but try and look through it 'normally'.
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I'll try that, thanks. I was holding my eye close to it. I compared it last night to the view through an SLR fitted with a 50mm lens, and the Leica IIIf finder showed quite a bit that the SLR finder did not. I'll redo that comparison with my eye further back and see how it goes.
 
For those who haven't experienced a IIIf, the rangefinder viewport is 1.5x magnification.
 
The 35 elmar is a very special lens. Ask our member Erik. I foolishly passed an opportunity to get one I had borrowed and knew was good. Such a nice lens for that "look"!
 
Chris, I might have a 3.5cm screw mount finder (genuine Leitz) for you in a week or two cheapish. It's in pieces, literally, down to the last screw, housing, spacer, lens and piece of bare glass. I have had to de-cement all the optics due to some separation, in order to rejoin them. But I'm hoping to save it. I'd let you have it gratis, if it was mine—but not being the owner (it's a consignment item) I'm obligated to achieve a modest return for its owner. If I can make it good again you're welcome to it. Being in Australia doesn't help matters but it's very compact so postage would not be anywhere near as nasty as the cost of shifting a camera body across the Pacific. And the exchange rate works in your favour here.
Cheers,
Brett
 
There is also the option of the plastic (3-D printed) 35mm VF made using the plastic viewfinder from an inexpensive Canon "Owl" P&S camera (readily available for a few dollars on Ebay). It won't have the magical ambiance of a real Leica but on the other hand, its a big and bright viewfinder and it has frame lines and close-framing marks.
 
I have tried the 3-D printed viewfinder that uses the Owl plastic viewfinder. It works but there is not much silver surface to back reflect the brightlines so they are rather faint and sometimes can't be seen. I also have the very expensive plastic Leica 35mm viewfinder. Its superb! Finally I have the Zeiss 35mm viewfinder for the Sony RX1. It has slightly bigger magnification than the Leica and the brightlines are really bright. Also it takes 19mm correction lenses e.g. the ones that fit old Nikon SLRs. I have to use a +1 dioptre to correct negative power of the finder optics. With the benefit of hindsight I would just have bought the Zeiss viewfinder.
 
Nothing beats a VIDOM finder, that, despite the reversed image, gives fully adjustable framing 35mm to 135mm, plus parallax correction. Appearance wise it screams “Leica”. Personally I’d be repulsed sticking some 3D printed gizmo onto that beautiful camera. A lot of people love careful framing....but with my UR Leica I just use the “shoe” as a basic centering device (as I’ll bet Oskar done too),
 
Ambro51 said:
Personally I’d be repulsed sticking some 3D printed gizmo onto that beautiful camera.
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LOL My "Barnacks" are Canon and Nicca/Tower clones, so all the beautiful Leicas are safe from my VF (even though the cameras look pretty much the same).
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
Chris, I might have a 3.5cm screw mount finder (genuine Leitz) for you in a week or two cheapish. It's in pieces, literally, down to the last screw, housing, spacer, lens and piece of bare glass. I have had to de-cement all the optics due to some separation, in order to rejoin them. But I'm hoping to save it. I'd let you have it gratis, if it was mine—but not being the owner (it's a consignment item) I'm obligated to achieve a modest return for its owner. If I can make it good again you're welcome to it. Being in Australia doesn't help matters but it's very compact so postage would not be anywhere near as nasty as the cost of shifting a camera body across the Pacific. And the exchange rate works in your favour here.
Cheers,
Brett
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How much does your customer want for it? I've been thinking of getting one of the Leica VIOOH universal finders once I find some money, but the 3.5cm one might be nice.
 
Vey cool. I have a IIIf that I have never used... it sits as decoration and inspiration at the moment. I've been meaning to send it out for CLA but things just got busy and I have put it off.

Maybe I should get a move on and see what the fuss is all about. It sure feels good in the hand...and looks cool. But it seems odd to use two different finders for focus and comp.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
How much does your customer want for it? I've been thinking of getting one of the Leica VIOOH universal finders once I find some money, but the 3.5cm one might be nice.
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Hi Chris,
It's basically up to me to set a price as it is a part of a lot—but that will depend on how the repair turns out. But if it succeeds as a repaired example it would be well under normal market value. I'd have to "buy" it myself to pass it on but if it's usable and you want it, I'd do for you at cost. I'm away next few days so won't be able to work on it until late next week. Can update you.
Cheers
Brett
 
I scanned some photos last night!




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Wells Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The building in the middle is Hyde Brothers Books, the best book store in Indiana. I've bought nearly 1000 books there over the last 25 years.


This was shot on Ilford HP-5 using the 50mm Summitar.





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This house is in my neighborhood in the Waynedale area of Fort Wayne. They just got the glider chair, which is a modern reproduction of the classic "metal "Motel Chairs" that I like to photograph.


I photographed it on Tri-X with the 50mm Summitar.
 
To the OP. A suggestion. If you are new to ltm Leicas forget about all the various bits you could have and go out just with camera and 50mm lens.
 
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