First photos with Leica rangefinder
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:07 am
Well in fact my first photos with any Leica and indeed any rangefinder (since 28 years ago when as I child I had a Balda rangefinder).
http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/leica_iiic_1946
Simply learning how this camera woked, loding a film and having to go back to not just a manual camera but one without an onboard exposure meter was a challneg for someone now used to DSLRs. But I enjoyed the challenge and somehow looked forward to the first developed film more than usual.
This is the beautiful camera - Leica IIIc rangefinder (1947) with Sumar 50mm f2 lens:
And here is one of the pics:
[url=http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/image/74329143/medium]
[/url]
I was delighted just that it worked. The pictures lack sharpness and on some the exposures are incorrect (although I used a good quality modern seperate light meter). I compared these photos with those taken on my Zorki 1c around the same time, and the photos from the Zorki are of a much better quality and certainly sharper. As the Zorki, with Industar lens, is clearly inferior to the Leica it is a copy of, I can only assume this Leica and/or the lens must have seen better days. I am not sure if the problem is fungus on the lens, just a dirty lens, light leaking in, a rangefinder that is out or shutter sppeds etc which are out. Despite all of this I actally appreciate the results. The slightly washed out blurriness of some of the pics lend them a historical, almost artistic quality in my opinion.
http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/leica_iiic_1946
Simply learning how this camera woked, loding a film and having to go back to not just a manual camera but one without an onboard exposure meter was a challneg for someone now used to DSLRs. But I enjoyed the challenge and somehow looked forward to the first developed film more than usual.
This is the beautiful camera - Leica IIIc rangefinder (1947) with Sumar 50mm f2 lens:
And here is one of the pics:
[url=http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/image/74329143/medium]
[/url]
I was delighted just that it worked. The pictures lack sharpness and on some the exposures are incorrect (although I used a good quality modern seperate light meter). I compared these photos with those taken on my Zorki 1c around the same time, and the photos from the Zorki are of a much better quality and certainly sharper. As the Zorki, with Industar lens, is clearly inferior to the Leica it is a copy of, I can only assume this Leica and/or the lens must have seen better days. I am not sure if the problem is fungus on the lens, just a dirty lens, light leaking in, a rangefinder that is out or shutter sppeds etc which are out. Despite all of this I actally appreciate the results. The slightly washed out blurriness of some of the pics lend them a historical, almost artistic quality in my opinion.