A very clear video on the Visoflex. You are right om the 65 mm lens for a different kind of portraits. I never liked the 135 mm lens for a portret on 24 x 36 mm film, because of the limited shortest focusing distance of my lens. When I was young I enjoyed the 200 mm lens for my portraits. Astro in Berlin made a 2000 mm lens for the analog Leica M. In the Sixties the German and Japanese optical industries made nice lenses of 85 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 105 mm and 125 mm. Some photographers prefer the 250 mm above the 180 mm and 150 mm for their 6 x 6 cm portraits. Hardly anybody seems to mount a microscope to the Visoflex.
Well-done, clearly-understandable demonstration, so, “Liked,” enthusiastically, and I am now subscribed. I saw what appeared to be a well-preserved, very clean 65mm Elmar, at a camera store, in San Antonio, Texas, several years ago. I did know that it would need a Visoflex, to work on my M10 and M Type 246 cameras, so, I did not buy it. Had your presentation been available, earlier, I might have found it, while searching for information, I might have driven back to San Antonio, to buy that lens, and then started searching on-line for a Visoflex. I have since learned that Novoflex and Rayqual offer adapters, that can be used in place of a Visoflex, to shoot with Visoflex lenses, using Live View or an electronic Visoflex/EVF. Either way, it would be nice to eventually acquire and use a 65mm Elmar.
Thank you, this video is very informative and indepth guide 101 Letiz Visoflex, I don't see many peoples have this kind of knowledge or even do a review guide what are these mainly for. I used to see these have no benefit for digital M, but after I watched your video I learn more how it function and what to use for.
Thanks for your comment! I have owned my Visoflex and bellows for about 40 years and I used to use it occasionally with my film M2,3 and 5 cameras, mostly for special closeup and copy jobs. But since buying a digital Leica M Typ240 (especially since it also shoots video) I use it heaps more now, and I find it a very useful creative accessory
What a superb video Andrew! I’ve been considering an MDA and seen a few with the visoflex included. Not much easily accessible info around, and this has helped me a huge amount. Thank you!
Thank you for that beautiful Informations! But is it possible to adapt other lenses like M42 mount Lenses? I’m just curious, got some lenses and cameras from my grandpa and want to adapt them on my Leica M9-p. I would love to see them alive again. I’m pretty shure it may look great also!
Yes, if you have a suitable adapter ring which will fit your selected lens to either the Visoflex or the bellows, then you can use any lens with it. The only real requirement is that the lens be naturally open and able to pass light, and, unless you want only very close up viewing, the lens’s focal length should be sufficiently long, typically greater than about 65mm, or perhaps even longer depending on how much extension is added by the adaptor ring/s.
Great video on an ingenious product. Question - is the mount on the front of the Visoflex III also M mount? I noticed that there is a Hektor 12.5cm f/2.5 lens for the Visoflex Type I ... with an L39 fitting designation - how does this fit in with the system you are describing? Thanks for making sure we don't forget this innovative invention.
Hi! Thanks and yes the mount on the front of the Visoflex lll is a female M mount just like on an M body. You can put any M lens straight onto it as long as there’s NO protruding rear elements, or they will definitely hit the mirror (unless you lock the mirror up and keep it up). I’m sure you could put the L39 (thus LTM) Hektor 12.5/2.5 onto it using any of the 1mm-thick Leica (or aftermarket) L39>M adaptor rings. However, your resulting range of focusing distances, I’m not sure about. Normally the trick with the Visoflex is to use only the lens head with a suitable Leica helical mount (and possibly also extension rings) made for use on the Visoflex. With just the whole lens put straight on, I think you’ll find your focusing range is inconveniently limited. The lens head of my 135 mm Elmar M, mounted onto the front of the bellows (which in turn is mounted onto the M Visoflex, which in turn is mounted to the M body) works very well to give wide ranging focus from infinity down to about 1:1, so you might also get a good range with a 12.5cm lens in this way too. WARNING: Never attach the rear protruding male M mount of the M bellows itself directly to an M body (thus without the Visoflex housing in between them) or you’ll never get it off again, as the rear frame of the bellows covers the camera body’s lens-release button! Panic stations plus! Cheers Andrew
@@enLARGE.darkroom Hi Andrew, thanks again for your time. I asked about the L39 Hector because it turned up when did a search on eBay for "Visoflex" ... someone put it in the subject line which made me assume the earlier version mounts may have been L39. I'm a believer that a special line like this needs to be used with the recommended kit. Sound like the bellows solution with the 65/3,5 is capable of producing lots of detail. If the bellows covers the lens release of an M body and the Visoflex is also essentially the same female M mount (with presumably a lens release button), how does the Visoflex manage to avoid the "panic stations" situation? BTW - Love all your toys as displayed in the video :-) Thanks.
CYPHER MOTE Hi Cypher, the 65/3.5 Elmar works with excellent range either fitted directly to the Visoflex using its (normally supplied and attached) rear hellicoid M mount, or, if you owned only the lens head then you could use it on the bellows instead (using a suitably recessed Leitz mounting ring), with the Visoflex mounted behind, and that also gives you focusing from infinity down to very closeup. Another good closeup option is to use the M body + Visoflex + Hellicoid (for 65/3.5j + one or more extension rings + lens head 65/3.5. The Visoflex allows easy attachment and detachment from the camera body because it uses that protruding ‘slide-lock’ lever situated at the back of the Visoflex. So even though the Visoflex housing obscures the body’s lens release button, the protruding lever rotates the mount internally and lets you take it off. I attached my bellows directly to my M Typ240 and then discovered I couldn’t get to the lens release button to get it off! Thought I needed to trash the body! Eventually I discovered that inside the rear of the bellows there’s a retaining ring holding the back of the bellows frame to its M mount. Unscrewed that and the bellows came away and then the M mount was easily detached as usual using the button on the body. Close shave! If you use Google keep, or even if you don’t, I can send you a complete picture layout of all the Visoflex options, complete with notes about intermediate rings etc. Let me know. I have seen some nice looking M Visoflex and bellows sets going cheap on eBay. Andrew
@@enLARGE.darkroom Hi Andrew... a very late reply from me so please accept my apologies ( some crazy tense times at the start of the pandemic ). I've sent you an email if your offer to send me the complete picture of the Visoflex options is still open. I've also described what I plan to use this for. Thanks !
I recently got a visoflex ii and 90 2.8. The Viewfinder is amazing With 3D effect. But mirror return slow than m240 release. So all picture became whole white overexposed. Is that any way to adjust mirror return speed?
The Visoflex ll can’t be made to work with the M240 because the release lever is in the wrong place and thus won’t connect with the M240’s shutter button, so yours must be a Visoflex lll, the same as the one in my video. In this case, you need to set the Visoflex’s plunger adjustment screw so that the threaded silver plunger just touches the shutter button of the M240 when the Visoflex is set to the red dot position. Then, to use the whole thing, set the Visoflex to the black dot position and make sure you keep your finger or cable release fully down (depressed) until the M240 has finished making its exposure, and then you can view your finished picture on the rear monitor screen. The mirror needs to be up and out of the way when the camera is exposing, so it’s a matter of controlling the actual exposure at the M240. Remember that your lens won’t stop down automatically so you need to view and focus with the lens already stopped down. Try using the A setting on the shutter dial and see how it goes.
Hello I use a LEICA M 240 and I wear glasses. Witch is not to convenient when I use a 35 mm lenses to see the frame inside the viewfinder. I was wondering if you do know an accessory that will help me to see all frame in my viewfinder with my 35 mm? Thank you for your help. John
Hi John - The only possibilities that I can think of would be a) an adjustment diopter that could be used at the body’s eyepiece, which would save you from having to wear glasses altogether. You would probably need to contact or visit Leica to get one, if there is one. Alternatively b) you could try a seperate brightline finder in the hot shoe, which may have more room around the framing lines than in the body’s finder, but then you will lose the quick focusing convenience of the body’s finder and also its automatic parallax adjustment. Andrew
Yes, the Electronic Viewfinder gives you the ‘sensor view’ which is effectively the lens view, but unlike the Visoflex housing it doesn’t allow for the use of a wide range of special accessories such as the bellows and extra-long lenses. Also the Visoflex housing’s groundglass viewing is much finer in appearance (but also lower in contrast) compared to the somewhat rough EVF view.
An insert for a 135 - 36 film in a TLR 6x6 135 mm ? Was it a hude parallax problem and stayig too far from your model? A portret "should"be made with a 100 mm or a 105 mm at f/22.8 or f/2.5 At 100 cm from the model there will be 1 à 2 cm DOF; which is enough.
A 65 mm lens is much too short for a portrait photo on the 24x36 mm format. The ideal lensfocus is between 85mm and 125 mm. A 135 is much too long. It flattens the face; a telephone is needed to communicate to the model. A f/3.5 lens is not slow. In the Sixties all brands had their 50 mm lenses in a range of F/3,5 - f/2,8 - f/2 - f/1,8 - f/1,4 - f/1,2. There is hardly any need for fast enses.They are too heavy and too big. In Vietnam f/2 was the limit. Hasselblad lenses of maximum f/4 and LF lenses of f/5.6 are okay. You can mount a macrobellows, a microscope, a telescope and an endoscope om the Visoflex of your Leica body,
Yes I agree, 65mm is too short if you’re shooting a head & shoulders portrait on the 24x36mm format, but I think it’s a good choice for a half body portrait, as it positions you at a conveniently close working distance. I wouldn’t say that 135mm is too long, as I have shot many good h&s portraits using a 135mm 6x6cm Tele-Rolleiflex camera with a Rolleikin 35mm film adapter fitted. I agree with you about the crazy rush today for ‘fast’ lenses, which are unnecessary with today’s sophisticated digital cameras and post processing software. ‘Fast’ lenses are too big, too heavy, and their wider barrel diameter makes them slow to focus. Their only real merit is their production of very out of focus bokeh effects at wide open apertures.
A very clear video on the Visoflex.
You are right om the 65 mm lens for a different kind of portraits.
I never liked the 135 mm lens for a portret on 24 x 36 mm film,
because of the limited shortest focusing distance of my lens.
When I was young I enjoyed the 200 mm lens for my portraits.
Astro in Berlin made a 2000 mm lens for the analog Leica M.
In the Sixties the German and Japanese optical industries made
nice lenses of 85 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 105 mm and 125 mm.
Some photographers prefer the 250 mm above the 180 mm and
150 mm for their 6 x 6 cm portraits.
Hardly anybody seems to mount a microscope to the Visoflex.
very enjoyable video. Love your descriptions
Well-done, clearly-understandable demonstration, so, “Liked,” enthusiastically, and I am now subscribed. I saw what appeared to be a well-preserved, very clean 65mm Elmar, at a camera store, in San Antonio, Texas, several years ago. I did know that it would need a Visoflex, to work on my M10 and M Type 246 cameras, so, I did not buy it. Had your presentation been available, earlier, I might have found it, while searching for information, I might have driven back to San Antonio, to buy that lens, and then started searching on-line for a Visoflex.
I have since learned that Novoflex and Rayqual offer adapters, that can be used in place of a Visoflex, to shoot with Visoflex lenses, using Live View or an electronic Visoflex/EVF. Either way, it would be nice to eventually acquire and use a 65mm Elmar.
What a very informative video for anyone looking at getting the Visoflex. Sterling work.
Thank you, this video is very informative and indepth guide 101 Letiz Visoflex, I don't see many peoples have this kind of knowledge or even do a review guide what are these mainly for. I used to see these have no benefit for digital M, but after I watched your video I learn more how it function and what to use for.
Thanks for your comment! I have owned my Visoflex and bellows for about 40 years and I used to use it occasionally with my film M2,3 and 5 cameras, mostly for special closeup and copy jobs. But since buying a digital Leica M Typ240 (especially since it also shoots video) I use it heaps more now, and I find it a very useful creative accessory
I mounted a Zeiss Tessar 1 : 6,3 - 84 mm ( made in 1912 )
with an adapter to the bellow and Visoflex.
What a superb video Andrew! I’ve been considering an MDA and seen a few with the visoflex included. Not much easily accessible info around, and this has helped me a huge amount. Thank you!
Thanks Bernard - Yes, after buying my Typ240, this Visoflex from my earlier M film camera days suddenly became much more useful
Phantastic!!!! 🎉🎉🎉
Very informative!
Very Good!
Great review, just pump up the volume... thanks!
Helpfull thanks!
Thank you for that beautiful Informations! But is it possible to adapt other lenses like M42 mount Lenses? I’m just curious, got some lenses and cameras from my grandpa and want to adapt them on my Leica M9-p. I would love to see them alive again. I’m pretty shure it may look great also!
Yes, if you have a suitable adapter ring which will fit your selected lens to either the Visoflex or the bellows, then you can use any lens with it. The only real requirement is that the lens be naturally open and able to pass light, and, unless you want only very close up viewing, the lens’s focal length should be sufficiently long, typically greater than about 65mm, or perhaps even longer depending on how much extension is added by the adaptor ring/s.
Great video on an ingenious product. Question - is the mount on the front of the Visoflex III also M mount? I noticed that there is a Hektor 12.5cm f/2.5 lens for the Visoflex Type I ... with an L39 fitting designation - how does this fit in with the system you are describing? Thanks for making sure we don't forget this innovative invention.
Hi! Thanks and yes the mount on the front of the Visoflex lll is a female M mount just like on an M body. You can put any M lens straight onto it as long as there’s NO protruding rear elements, or they will definitely hit the mirror (unless you lock the mirror up and keep it up). I’m sure you could put the L39 (thus LTM) Hektor 12.5/2.5 onto it using any of the 1mm-thick Leica (or aftermarket) L39>M adaptor rings. However, your resulting range of focusing distances, I’m not sure about. Normally the trick with the Visoflex is to use only the lens head with a suitable Leica helical mount (and possibly also extension rings) made for use on the Visoflex. With just the whole lens put straight on, I think you’ll find your focusing range is inconveniently limited. The lens head of my 135 mm Elmar M, mounted onto the front of the bellows (which in turn is mounted onto the M Visoflex, which in turn is mounted to the M body) works very well to give wide ranging focus from infinity down to about 1:1, so you might also get a good range with a 12.5cm lens in this way too. WARNING: Never attach the rear protruding male M mount of the M bellows itself directly to an M body (thus without the Visoflex housing in between them) or you’ll never get it off again, as the rear frame of the bellows covers the camera body’s lens-release button! Panic stations plus! Cheers Andrew
@@enLARGE.darkroom Hi Andrew, thanks again for your time. I asked about the L39 Hector because it turned up when did a search on eBay for "Visoflex" ... someone put it in the subject line which made me assume the earlier version mounts may have been L39. I'm a believer that a special line like this needs to be used with the recommended kit. Sound like the bellows solution with the 65/3,5 is capable of producing lots of detail. If the bellows covers the lens release of an M body and the Visoflex is also essentially the same female M mount (with presumably a lens release button), how does the Visoflex manage to avoid the "panic stations" situation? BTW - Love all your toys as displayed in the video :-) Thanks.
CYPHER MOTE Hi Cypher, the 65/3.5 Elmar works with excellent range either fitted directly to the Visoflex using its (normally supplied and attached) rear hellicoid M mount, or, if you owned only the lens head then you could use it on the bellows instead (using a suitably recessed Leitz mounting ring), with the Visoflex mounted behind, and that also gives you focusing from infinity down to very closeup. Another good closeup option is to use the M body + Visoflex + Hellicoid (for 65/3.5j + one or more extension rings + lens head 65/3.5.
The Visoflex allows easy attachment and detachment from the camera body because it uses that protruding ‘slide-lock’ lever situated at the back of the Visoflex. So even though the Visoflex housing obscures the body’s lens release button, the protruding lever rotates the mount internally and lets you take it off. I attached my bellows directly to my M Typ240 and then discovered I couldn’t get to the lens release button to get it off! Thought I needed to trash the body! Eventually I discovered that inside the rear of the bellows there’s a retaining ring holding the back of the bellows frame to its M mount. Unscrewed that and the bellows came away and then the M mount was easily detached as usual using the button on the body. Close shave! If you use Google keep, or even if you don’t, I can send you a complete picture layout of all the Visoflex options, complete with notes about intermediate rings etc. Let me know. I have seen some nice looking M Visoflex and bellows sets going cheap on eBay. Andrew
@@enLARGE.darkroom Hi Andrew... a very late reply from me so please accept my apologies ( some crazy tense times at the start of the pandemic ). I've sent you an email if your offer to send me the complete picture of the Visoflex options is still open. I've also described what I plan to use this for. Thanks !
I recently got a visoflex ii and 90 2.8. The Viewfinder is amazing With 3D effect. But mirror return slow than m240 release. So all picture became whole white overexposed. Is that any way to adjust mirror return speed?
The Visoflex ll can’t be made to work with the M240 because the release lever is in the wrong place and thus won’t connect with the M240’s shutter button, so yours must be a Visoflex lll, the same as the one in my video. In this case, you need to set the Visoflex’s plunger adjustment screw so that the threaded silver plunger just touches the shutter button of the M240 when the Visoflex is set to the red dot position. Then, to use the whole thing, set the Visoflex to the black dot position and make sure you keep your finger or cable release fully down (depressed) until the M240 has finished making its exposure, and then you can view your finished picture on the rear monitor screen. The mirror needs to be up and out of the way when the camera is exposing, so it’s a matter of controlling the actual exposure at the M240. Remember that your lens won’t stop down automatically so you need to view and focus with the lens already stopped down. Try using the A setting on the shutter dial and see how it goes.
Hello I use a LEICA M 240 and I wear glasses. Witch is not to convenient when I use a 35 mm lenses to see the frame inside the viewfinder. I was wondering if you do know an accessory that will help me to see all frame in my viewfinder with my 35 mm? Thank you for your help. John
Hi John - The only possibilities that I can think of would be a) an adjustment diopter that could be used at the body’s eyepiece, which would save you from having to wear glasses altogether. You would probably need to contact or visit Leica to get one, if there is one. Alternatively b) you could try a seperate brightline finder in the hot shoe, which may have more room around the framing lines than in the body’s finder, but then you will lose the quick focusing convenience of the body’s finder and also its automatic parallax adjustment. Andrew
Or mount the evf
Yes, the Electronic Viewfinder gives you the ‘sensor view’ which is effectively the lens view, but unlike the Visoflex housing it doesn’t allow for the use of a wide range of special accessories such as the bellows and extra-long lenses. Also the Visoflex housing’s groundglass viewing is much finer in appearance (but also lower in contrast) compared to the somewhat rough EVF view.
An insert for a 135 - 36 film in a TLR 6x6 135 mm ?
Was it a hude parallax problem and stayig too far from your model?
A portret "should"be made with a 100 mm or a 105 mm at f/22.8 or f/2.5
At 100 cm from the model there will be 1 à 2 cm DOF; which is enough.
A 65 mm lens is much too short for a portrait photo on the 24x36 mm format.
The ideal lensfocus is between 85mm and 125 mm. A 135 is much too long.
It
flattens the face; a telephone is needed to communicate to the model.
A f/3.5 lens is not slow. In the Sixties all brands had their 50 mm lenses in a
range
of F/3,5 - f/2,8 - f/2 - f/1,8 - f/1,4 - f/1,2. There is hardly any need for
fast enses.They are too heavy and too big. In Vietnam f/2 was the limit.
Hasselblad lenses of maximum f/4 and LF lenses of f/5.6 are okay.
You can mount a macrobellows, a microscope, a telescope and an endoscope
om the Visoflex of your Leica body,
Yes I agree, 65mm is too short if you’re shooting a head & shoulders portrait on the 24x36mm format, but I think it’s a good choice for a half body portrait, as it positions you at a conveniently close working distance. I wouldn’t say that 135mm is too long, as I have shot many good h&s portraits using a 135mm 6x6cm Tele-Rolleiflex camera with a Rolleikin 35mm film adapter fitted. I agree with you about the crazy rush today for ‘fast’ lenses, which are unnecessary with today’s sophisticated digital cameras and post processing software. ‘Fast’ lenses are too big, too heavy, and their wider barrel diameter makes them slow to focus. Their only real merit is their production of very out of focus bokeh effects at wide open apertures.
doesnt seem worth the hassle
Jacob Christiansen it’s a good system for someone who likes the RF function of the M Leica and just occasionally needs SLR functionality.
Handy for someone using the M system for landscape photography with filters.