Budget Gourmet Episode 3: Satisfy Your Leica Film M Craving with a Canon 35mm Film SLR? Oh YAH!
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
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You'd think that if you wanted a film Leica M and couldn't afford it, maybe I'd recommend something like the Canon 7s. Wrong: engage in a bit of lateral thinking, and you may wind up taking a long hard look at Canon SLRs from the '60s and '70s.
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My personal pick for a 35mm camera would be a Nikon FE. Lots of lenses are compatible as long as they have an aperture ring (technically even modern F mount lenses can be mounted on it). The light meter is accurate to a fault, a d there is lots of controls. Build quality is on par with other flagship cameras of that time : mine is 45 years old and is still working like it was made yesterday. And if you run out of battery, well there is a fully mechanical mode that allows the camera to fully function with a shutter speed limited to only 1/90th of a second. Besides, the battery used is a standard LR44 battery, very easy to find today. It even has features like Auto exposure lock and full auto modes. Love that camera.
And you get 3 extra frames per roll. Only Nikon FE let you do that with full controls
I absolutely love your budget gourmet series! This reminds me that I have an entire black and white darkroom setup that should be put to occasional use. I will never forget seeing an image appear on a piece of 8x10 RC paper for the first time. It was absolutely magical, and it is what made me fall in love with photography. It isn’t quite the same when you open up an order from Miller’s/MPIX.
Leica M2 and Olympus OM1, Oh! The joy of that Olympus viewfinder.
When I was 16, I purchased my first camera, a Canon Canonnet 19 rangefinder. I bought it used and it didn't work great. My next camera was a Canon TL slr. I have been hooked on slr's every since. I bought a Canon F-1 New in 2000 and I fell in love with that camera. I loaded up in the early days of digital when photographers were basically giving film cameras away to buy digital cameras. There was serious talk that no one would be making film soon. I've never had the fascination with rangefinders. So many more features in an slr. There are loads of slr's out there at a tiny, tiny fraction of the cost of a Leica. I live in Los Angeles, land of the hipsters and hipsters love rangefinders. I almost never see a hipster with an slr. Maybe a LOMO or a Diana but not an slr. It must be in the hipster manual: no slr cameras. Just like you must ride a fixie bike, not a 10 speed.
P.S. KEH, great camera gear at very fair prices. Highly recommended.
There's always the Leica underdog: Leica R Cameras. They're a third of the price of the M, the lenses focus closer with the same build quality, multiple light modes, and the R6 through R9 were made in Germany.
Good point. I think people fail to realize that an SLR is a much better fit for 90% of use cases than a rangefinder, much less a Leica M. I find good uses for both- different tools for different jobs :)
There is a sense of personal satisfaction that comes from overcoming the challenge of loading a roll of film... remembering to UNroll it when finished, researching which developer & printing paper will fit your images...printing images in the darkroom... and... finally presenting a finished print to anyone who would be kind enough to look at it... individual success... WOW!..nowdays the camera focuses for you, exposes for you, and sets the tonal range... Canon or Nikon or Leica is 'signing' the print...
Just buy a damn Leica if you want one. It's worth the money because it holds value, you can ALWAYS sell it at the price you paid, probably more.
The Canon F1 was a gem and like its rival the Nikon F2 is an utter beast. I had a lovely F3T for a while but never lost my love of the F2AS. The Pentax LX - so nice, so sweet. Japanese engineering at its very very finest. The Leica M6 is another utter stand out. Even when film is dust and the current Sony's and Canon's are long gone people will still collect these....
As a user of Leica M cameras, had 5, still have my M2 and M6, I have a thought based on my own experience.
For me, the closest Leica M like SLR was the Pentax MX. The size is very close, albeit with the prism hump. The shutter speed range is identical. The actual physical shutter is cloth, just like the Leica M. The metering is match diode, just like the M6. Of course it is also battery independent other than metering.
The black Pentax MX with the very fine 50mm Pentax lens will get you very close to the Leica M in real world situations. I know this to be true because I used both concurrently.
More lateral thinking - excellent!
I feel the same way about the OM-1!
I still have my Nikon F2 I got for Christmas during my high school years from my mom and dad! ❤️
In the 1970's, a Leica M3 was the subject of Shutterbug Ads and eBay searches. I settled for a Canon P, instead, since it was the right size and I could still use the brace of screw mount lenses I already had. (I also acquired a Leica IIIF with a collapsible 50mm f/2 Summicron, which was a substitute for the last-of-the-series IIIG model.) I spent money on film and tried stuff like the H&W Control film and chemical kit. In addition, I added a Nikon PB4 bellows + PS4 slide copier to create "black-and-white" slides using Kodak High Contrast Copy film, developed in Dektol 1:1, after first using H&W film. I suspect that I got more out of these can't-be-duplicated-anymore film projects than buying "photographic unobtainium.";)
I began to have the same thought process as this about 7-8yrs ago when my gear was stolen.
After that moment, i went on a hunt to find the "needle in a haystack" of compact cameras and SLR's.
I ended with Canon G9/G7/G11 Canon A1 and FT and FTb with an everyday Sears M35. Ever since that day, Ive purposely shot next to collegues of mine and their mirrorless/DSLR to prove , for myself and future examples, that old dogs cant be taught new tricks when the dog already knows the trick...you just dont know the command.
Hi Hugh. Today i bought a Canon f1 with 50mm 1.8 for 280 euros in mint condition and serviced. This added to my nikkormat ft2 and konika ee rangefinder also fully serviced. Bought a stack of new black and white and colour film and I’m good to go. The q2 and sl2 having a break :)
Niiiice!
Hugh-Your video prompted me to pull the 1973 Olympus OM-1 out of the closet and pick up some 400 TX B&W film. I almost forgot how to properly operate a real, old school camera! Going to run through some rolls with the F.Zuiko 50mm 1.8. I'm guessing 50% of the photos will be properly exposed! But will be fun to see how many skills I have lost...
Keep me posted!
As an owner of a Leica M3 DS with its collapsing 50 mm 2.0 Summicron lens - inherited from its original owner (my mother) and a IIIa from 1938 also inherited from its original owner (my uncle), I would recommend the Olympus OM-1. Put the OM-1 next to the IIIa and the dimensions are virtually the same. The shutter sound is very similar and the mirror return is very well dampened. Furthermore the three cameras share a cloth shutter. Like the M3 the Om-1 has a .91 viewfinder and like the Leicas is mechanical. The lightmeter is simple and does not detract from the viewfinder’s simplicity. No number scale just a needle and ‘+’ and ‘-‘. Nur das wesentliche- only the essentials. The shutter dial around the lens mount allows the user to control all functions of the picture taking process with the aperture ring of the lens also conveniently weighted WITHOUT having to move the camera away from the eye of the user. The lenses are compact. I have a 50mm 1.2 and a 100 2.8 the size of an Normal 50mm nikon or canon 50 1.8 and a tiny 28 3.5. The aesthetic is very Leica like. Just my two cents worth. I strongly recommend the OM-1. Borrow one from KEH and put it next to the IIIa and you will see what I mean. The Om-1 is a camera the size of a IIIa with the SLR viewfinder of the M3.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing. You’ve already identified one of the options in a future episode of budget gourmet!
Interesting and inspiring piece. When I'm in a rut, I put down my Canon 5d, and grab my Nikkormat FTn slr (thanks for the mention) or Minolta Himatic 7s which is a wonderful rangefinder. The Minolta may not have the aura of the Leica, but is has an excellent 45mm 1.8 lens, parallax correction, internal metering, and is manual/fully auto/A priority/S priority. Both cameras are built like a tank; bought them both new in early 70's.
Oh man the Canon F-1 cameras are criminally underrated today. Built like a mechanical tank.
I had few Canon F1, Nikon F3P through my 40 years of professional photography. Sold them along the way while upgrading to digital age but i do still miss them. But keeping camera if not used anymore will eventually break down especially the shutter curtains. I still love the years of 35mm,120mm,4x5" and 8x10" which i used daily. Digital still lack the sharpness,resolution and "real image" of film age. Forgive me if i am merely speaking from my still commercial and fashion magazines years. Nowadays i am semi retired. God Bless
Why the need to forgive? I LOVE reading these stories! 🙏🏻🖖🏻😊
Hugh, YES! Canon FTb QL. My first camera (2nd hand) as a uni student. Still have it. Still love it. Simple. Minimal. Elegant.
👍🏻💯😊
The Canon A1 and the Pentax ME Super are very nice cameras, especially after a proper servicing...
It begs the question, why can’t we have nice things today?
I've owned several Leicas - first one in 1965, a black M2 [I still have it, only the working condition is a bit sketchy], 2 black M3s [Long gone], black M4 [still have, but don't use], 2 M4-2s, an M6 [all gone], 2 Canon F1n and a host of lenses [ All gone, except a FD 300mm f/4 I bought for video]. I do miss the feel of shooting with the Leicas. Leica sent me a M8 several years ago to use. I didn't warm up to it and after a while returned it. A friend shoots with a Monochrome Leica, but the cost just doesn't seem worth it. I'll just muddle through with my various Sony cameras. Thanks for your postings. Always enjoy your take on things.
And in this, I so enjoy yours! My M8 didn’t do it for me, either. But I was bitten.
I always liked KEH and did a lot of business with them over the years. They were completely honest and their camera grading system was perfect. Problem is, their inventory has gone down hill over the years.
Thanks for weighing in. I hope they see this and take it on board!
As a Leica M6 owner for more than 20 years, I agree with most everything in this video. Leica M film cameras are wonderful, but the hype surrounding them today is overblown. A narrowly focused pursuit of a Leica M could cause one to miss out on many other amazing camera systems (Canon or otherwise) capable of doing things Leica M's cannot. Those saving for a M film camera should explore other systems along the way, as good cameras in good condition can be bought and sold without losing much (if any) money in the process. They might even find something other than a Leica M suits them best.
One notable advantage of a rangefinder system not often mentioned is that the lenses are typically quite a bit smaller than their SLR counterparts. (I'm referring specifically to prime lenses as you can't buy zoom lenses for a rangefinder.) That said, while Leica M's and rangefinders in general are wonderful, there are a number of reasons that the SLR came to more or less rule the world of 35mm film photography. I've learned that there is much value to be found in both types of cameras and would recommend that anyone who is new to film photography consider trying each if at all possible (they needn't be Leica or Canon) to determine what benefits they value the most when it comes to either a rangefinder or a SLR.
Thanks for weighing in!
@@3BMEP I forgot to include the fact that I enjoyed your video. I sometimes think that it is easy for people to get hung up on owning a certain camera while overlooking the importance that the lens(es) play in the overall equation, ultimately failing to budget for this. I appreciated that your video spoke to this while many others out there don't.
I love my M6, but there are so many other cameras from the golden era of film photography that are also truly impressive to handle and use that are overlooked today largely because they don't enjoy the same buzz that the Leica's do and that's a shame. I actually sold cameras for a period of time in the early 80's while in college. I still have very fond memories of those cameras as well as the earlier models that inspired me to seek out such work in the fist place. All that aside, at the end of the day the most mind-boggling thing to ponder is the impact that the smartphone has had on camera manufacturers.
@@VirtualGuth are smartphones: agreed! I’m picking up my iPhone 13 Pro Max tomorrow and giving my 11 Pro to Claudia, trading in her X. See our other videos on the iPhone in particular!
I can’t agree with you more.
My dad still owns FTqL and EF that he bought when he was I college. FTqL was the camera he let me use as a child until I bought an AE-1 Program with the money I saved when I was 10.
Beginning of this year, I bought a great condition F-1 with regular finder, speed finder FD 28mm f2.8, FD 50mm f1.8(not working) for a very low price. Since then, I added FD 50mm f3.5 macro, FD 135mm f3.5, and FD 50mm f1.2. The total I spent was less than $1,000 and I absolutely love it. My friend gave me his old AE-1 Program with new FD 50mm F1.8 recently, and my EOS 5 (known as EOS A2 in the U.S.) is still in working condition.
The solid mechanism I feel operating an F-1 to take a picture is the feeling I forgot using digital cameras. These film cameras makes me want to go out and shoot… well, I’m still waiting for this brutal summer in north Florida ends, so I’m not drenched walking outside.
Now that I am using film cameras, I want to think about building a darkroom. I would like to see an episode of how to build a darkroom in a small apartment…
Those that really lust for a Leica film M will never be satisfy with any substitute in the long run. You will still end up saving up for a M but end up taking a longer time and spending more money. Don't do it.
A fair counter argument! 😊🖖🏻
I will second what Simon Tasker said about the OM family. They are a joy to use. The Canonet QL17giii is also an unlikely favorite. The lens is sharp enough that I can instantly tell negatives from that camera from any trendy 90s point n shoot. Using a workflow that only makes sense to those who love shooting old cameras, I digitize my film with a 61 megapixel Sony and the ridiculously sharp 90 mm macro. That “scanning” system is merciless and overkill for 35mm but it does separate the quality glass from the also-rans.
My first camera was an AE-1 Canon purchased in the Indian Ocean onboard the USS America. I later was using a slew of A-1's photographing Russian ships there. Over the coming years I experimented further with some EOS A2 and EOS3 but most of all absolutely loved my TLR's mainly my Rolleiflex. Black and white hand printing was so much smoother. I have since consolidated from 5 camera bags down to 3, a mixed bag collection of Canon FD and EOS, plus Rollei TLR , 6003 and the incredible 35mm Prego 90. The adventure continues and I really enjoy your lectures through photographicas memory lane.
The Rollei 6xxx series intrigues me!
Great series, and I have been down each of your three roads myself. Interestingly, for the film option, apart from buying an M3 (in the early 90s-waiting more than 10 years after I used a friend’s M3 for the first time in college) and more recently an M4-2, I have also bought the Pentax MX, which is I believe even smaller than a Leica M rangefinder, and is pretty sparse, control-wise, just like an M. Pair it with the Pentax M 40mm pancake, and it is just as compact as my M4-2 with the Voigtlander 35mm F2.5, and a Joy to shoot as well. Appreciate all your perspectives here, good stuff, and I look forward to joining one of your photo walks this year.
Probably 98.4% of the time that I have lusted after a product, but could not afford it, and "settled" for something lesser, I have regretted it. Probably 50% of the time, after being dissatisfied with the lesser item, I have ended up saving up for the item I "really" wanted.
I understand. 😊🖖🏻
For me, going back to film was about reducing dependency on the LCD. It works. Even shooting with a DSLR (D700, D300s) or mirrorless (Z6) I shoot fewer frames and rarely check the LCD (I admit it's useful for focus or shake in marginal light conditions or where I'm not convinced the (mirrorless) AF was spot on (still don't trust it like my D700)). I chimp in the viewfinder before releasing the shutter. MY first new SLR was a 1981 Pentax ME Super. Still have and use it, plus two F3s, an FE2 and an Olympus Trip. Never shot a Leica; would Leica to (sorry). At a wedding this weekend. I'll take one, maybe two SLRs along for some candids. Love it.
My Canon FT QL is my favourite of the FL/FD mount series. I paid £15 for mine in a charity shop. Nearly 50 years old and still working perfectly. Super smooth shutter and mirror mech too. I prefer it over the newer FTb. Favourite lenses to match 35mm FL f2.5 and 85mm f1.9. £250 the pair. You can keep your Leicas!
I decided between a rangefinder and a SLR in 1976 and still have my Canon F1 but I bought that decades later for an apparent bargain when many were upgrading to Canon’s EOS autofocus system and I was upgrading from my AE1.
This was great! I own an EOS 3 and an F1n. Entertainingly, if you mount a Sigma 105mm EF on that EOS 3 and shoot Adox CMS 20, it will out-resolve your SL2. Of course, you have to scan the film with an A7R4 and pixel shift to get the data out of it... but still, 200lp/mm on film.
Hmmm… of course, I can pixel shift on my SL2, but seriously? I will have to try that!
@@3BMEP Oh yeah, I forgot the SL2 added that feature:) Have a look at Roger Cicala's article "More Ultra-High Resolution MTF Experiments". The lenses he tests out-resolve all currently available camera sensors by a good margin. Adox CMS 20 is good up to 800lp/mm, which is 4x the best lens in that test. I got to the point of confirming the Adox out-resolves the A7R4 (with the same lens!), but haven't had the cycles to do more field testing. NOTE: You have to use the Adotech developer to get the crazy resolution.
Trotsky on the lower east side ? As The Stranglers sang, " No more heroes anymore". Thanks Hugh.
Now that I think about it, it's Lenin!
You don’t want to pay for an M3? Don’t blame you. Even the M2 and M4 are crazy money now. Instead, why not buy a beautifully made SLR, just as small as a Leica, lighter, too, with the best optical viewfinder of any camera, a sublime range of lenses behind it and a full pro system, too - for the tiniest fraction of the price. Of course, I’m talking about the Olympus OM-1.
I may have to look into that, Simon!
I fell in love with the OM1 the first time I picked it up and fired the shutter. This was back in 2012 when a person could still acquire these cameras for under $100 each in perfect condition. In a rare display of foresight I did just that, standardizing on the OM system and using the cameras the same way one would use interchangeable film backs. A different film stock in each body. That’s still how I roll today!
Just picked up a ‘55 Leica M3, absolutely sweet.
Enjoy!
Hey! If I Lecia was good enough for Garry Winogrand, it’s good enough for me! … Just kidding. I shoot with my Olympus OM2 or my Olympus 35 SP rangefinder and sometimes with my Nikon F3. No slouches when it comes to quality budget, very attainable, 35mm cameras also. You should talk about any one of those in a future episode, Hugh.
Hah! A great idea!
Another thought on the "seeing beyond the frame" point of rangefinders: I am trying to get the hang of shooting with both eyes open, which, for some focal lengths in some conditions, is super useful: often when shooting street I will pick a nice scene and wait for a fitting subjects. Keeping the non-viewfinder eye open gives me plenty of advance warning.
I have yet to master that skill. Would a 1x magnification make it an easier, I wonder.
I love my Canon FTb. Simple, with everything I need and almost nothing I don't.
Absolutely fantastic.
🙏🏻😊🖖🏻
Sold my Leica M(s) some time ago. My go to 35mm cameras are Nikon F2, FE2, EL2, FM, and Canon P and 7. Many lenses for each system. Probably have less invested in the entire collection than the current price of an M3 body.
Although it is a subject for a complete discourse, Hugh, I have to agree that if one wants to do film, you really have to do darkroom as well. After all, what it the point of using analogue film only to digitise the negative. As to Leica v Canon, I'd prefer to forgo the Leica and buy a nice mechanical wristwatch with change!
If you dream about Jaguar E-type, buy VW Beatle, you will still feel how it is to own an old car and spend far less -what can go wrong. I'm joking, but not entirely. I truly believe in buying what you want without half steps. In the end, you save a lot of money.
If someone wanted to get into photography and insisted on film, I'd suggest an EOS-1N, 50/1.4, 540EZ and bounce panel. After six months of mastering that, pick up a 35/2 or 28/2.8, and a 135/2. It will all hold it's value and you'll get 100 cents on the dollar if/when you move to some other system.
I've had Leica M (2xM6TTL, .58 and .85, 35/1.4 and 75/1.4), Mamiya 7, Rollei SE66, 16-lens EF outfit and now shoot R 95% with the 24-105. I'll also say that while the M lenses take great-looking photos, the non-confrontational nature of the M body also allows especially good people shooting. People simply don't feel like their photo's being taken. That alone lets it take better photos. Some of my best photos also were possible only due to the fast reaction time between tripping the shutter and the photo being made, thx to the M. And pre-setting focus to something akin to hyperfocal is great for street photog: you know the focus will always be nailed even if you don't have time to bring the camera all the way up to your face, which simply isn't the case with an AF body.
I'd like to see your take on a Canon QL17 vs. an M3. I haven't owned the Canon but I suspect it'd tick most of the same boxes. (And as regards durability, literally every time I dropped a Leica, either the body or lens had to go into the shop. I've literally never had to do that with any EF lens.)
Thanks for choking in! I remember dropping my 28-70/2.8L and watching in horror as the mount separated from the rest of the lens. Sent it into Canon for repair, and it came back like new. Moral of the story: anything can break, which is why we all try our best not to let it happen in the first place. 😊🖖🏻
@@3BMEP I acknowledge the possibility, but out of maybe 30 drops of EOS/EF, no issues. But also note my current R is my first non-"1" (N, V, 3x Ds's) and I often shot the 50/1.8 MkI or 50/1.4. While neither is L, they're so small there's just not that much leverage on them, nor mass. Still my main point isn't the sturdiness of Canon but the surprisingly sensitivity of Leica. (Granted these weren't black-paint brass gear, instead the more brittle anodized stuff.)
BTW thx for the personal response and the always-enjoyable vids.
You’ve just hiked the price of an F1 by 50% 😂
Ah my Nikkormat Ft3 plays that roll for me. Also a Konica IIBm. Amazing build on that one.
I started my photography journey with a Canon TX in 2001 and upgraded to an F-1n five years ago. I use that F-1n for street photography when lugging my favorite go to camera, a hasselblad 500 c/m, is just too much. I just got back from Disney World today and shot nine rolls of Ilford Delta 100 over my five day trip with the F-1n. Developing starts tomorrow. I should have the contact sheets done Saturday and the first prints on Sunday. The whole process of film photography excites me. From exposure to dry mounting the good ones. In the end, I will have relived the trip four or five times. I feel sorry for the digital guys who, because it is so easy, might experience the image they took only for the brief minutes to edit and post their image - probably all done on the same day they pushed the shutter button. I get to experience the photograph over a period of days to weeks as I hand massage the image from exposed film to a negative to a contact sheet to a series of test prints to a final image, mounted and displayed.
The canon FD cameras have proven reliable and rugged. Fun to use, and if someone ever tries to mess with me I can do a lot of damage with 2.5 pounds of brass on a neck strap. I could never see myself whipping a M3 at an assailant could you? Great video. Charlie in Virginia.
Thanks for a lovely contribution!
Different joys. Canon F1 is an excellent camera in all its 3 versions, but completely different than to use a rangefinder, where Leica reigns. If possible, enjoy both.
Oh, the EOS 3!!!!, I dreamed of that bad boy. Ended up with the Canon 50e. Then onwards and upwards to digital. Thought invoking video as always.
Do it! I've had a revelation and that's a film camera with Peak Design Leash. Nikon F2A or one of it's sisters will really do it for anyone too. Mechanical, 1/2000th shutter, ridiculous lens options. That's what's been going on in my world, and my oh my, nothing has compared. It's taken a few months but cheap Kodak colour stock, snappy snaps develop and tiff scan (fast and cheap) is really doing it for me. Those tiffs can be converted to B&W in LR. It's fun and that helps creativity. The Canon is honestly a great option, I just don't own 12 Canon lenses. But if I did...
Thanks Hugh, that brings back some sweet memories of my F1, that served me for 16 years in which I biult up a nice gear with an A1 and six stunning FD Lenses. As the F1 needed some repair in 2001, Canon Germany refused to, them being in the EOS world for years. That disappointment lead me to Nikon F100 and F5 later on. For 15 years now I have been shooting digital, because I had no lab in my film days. I would have never obtained B&W results like I do today sticking to film. So it is a nice memory but I am much happier now.
I hear you! I’ve decided I can’t go back to film at the price of surrendering digital workflow.
@@3BMEP I can't go back to film at the price, full stop. Which is cheaper, a $5000 digital mirrorless, or a free film camera? The way most watching this video shoot, I'd wager the former...
I have a Nikon Fm2 with a collection AIS lenses. Its same size as the M and is often paired with my M10 when I take a walkabout. I had a Pentax Spotmatic F from 1975 that I sold decades ago.
I hear you, Einar. I found the Spotmatic to be too small in my hands, but it is a stand-out camera.
👍and who needs a light meter👍
What about the classic Nikon FM- fully manual and affordable
When you dig deep into film cameras, there really isn't much difference between many of the bodies, at least compared to modern digital bodies. I found that instead of chasing "better" or different bodies or whatever, I enjoy that I found my grandparents cameras. I have an olympus point and shoot of my grandma's, and a contax slr of my grandfather, a grandfather that I never really knew either. But shooting with their cameras brings something special that trying to chase the "better" camera, just didn't.
I love this!
@@3BMEP Thanks! Its nice to be able to find joy in things like this. The ever-present "better" gets exhausting. I rarely shoot film but when I do, it is joyful. Even if I am terrible at it haha.
I shot weddings in the 1980's with two Canon A1's with a 28mm 2.8, a 50mm 1.8 and a Vivitar flash, everytihning was much slower back then, althhough back then I thought my workflow for quite fast, compared to wedding photographers in the1970's with a medium format camera on a tripod take a couple of minutes just to take one photo of the bride, I used to feel sorry for the brides while the photographer got his focus right.
What I want to say is not about investing in a vintage system, but it is what I've thought about while watching.
When recently I've watched a review of the reissued noctilux 50 1.2 (or so) I've had a razor sharp feeling of a deja-vu. Where could I see this bokeh pattern? Soft and borderless, elliptic, turned narrow side to the center of the frame, making you feel a bit dizzy. Off cause I knew where.
Just before the pandemic I've started to shoot with my father's Zenit with Helios 44 56 f/2 (don't know the exact model, there are too many of them). This is how the bokeh on my father's lens look like. Off cause probably it is not even a 10% of leica's image quality, but the bokeh of the lens has the same pattern, may be a bit softer.
In Russia these cameras as well as the lenses are graded as "it does not worth it". That's what I've heared when tried to repair the camera or to buy a new (used) lens for it. The camera costs nothing. But dispite of that I haven't yet reached it's maximum. I can not do everything that this camera can.
When I've sent the pictures (just regular) to my father he was very and very surprised. He didn't even think that he could get such a photos even 20 years ago. All I did is applied my digital photography experience (enthusiast level) while shooting with this film camera. For me my father's pictures of his university times or my family 20 years ago are priceless. But his words about my pictures taken on his camera are priceless too.
My point is that abilities of any vintage camera in a good condition can surpass the abilities of a user. But the user can surpass ten times the abilities of the original owner of the exact camera. Back than it was bought because there was not any other way to take pictures. Now a photographer can discover much more of it's abilities.
I think that cameras deserve it.
What a wonderful story - great point!
Curious timing. I just started shooting my Canon F again - using old Pentax lenses rather than the FD originals - which could be somewhat soft………it’s a hefty bit of kit with a viewfinder that’s noticeably dimmer than the smaller contemporaries (Olympus OM1 and the slightly later Minolta XD) but there’s something very Leica like about it’s handling and it is bulletproof ……….
Pentax SV as an slr alternative to M3
Just bought a Zenit 12XP and a collection of lenses (Mir, Zenit Jupiter), really looking forward to shooting film again. So this episode is perfect timing :-)
Enjoy!
I always assumed that was a statue of Vladimir Lenin. Talk about RANDOM AF. In 2017, I happened to be driving through Manhattan, from Brooklyn and saw that statue on the roof. One of the most random things I've ever seen.........and I love all things random.
There are few things I enjoy more than my Nikon F3's. Never tried a Canon F-1, mainly because I don't own any FD glass. Only thing is, at damn near 40 year's old, I'd be very hesitant to buy an F1 or another F3. The cameras may 'work' for another 20 years, but the meters have to be on their last legs, and (in my opinion) the whole point of 35mm is to NOT use an external meter (phone presents the same issue of futzing with another device).
yeah, you should get that discount code changed
Canon had a “pellix” semi transparent mirror that never moved. Weird
Great series Hugh!
🙏🏻😊🖖🏻
Had my days with film, or have I .... with these gems still in my cupboard.
EOS650
EOS600
EOS1
AT-1
F1
Yashica T4
Pentax MX
But, I just wish I had an Pentax LX.
The cost of film is the only thing that stops me shooting analogue so much. It's more expensive now than when I shot in the studio with Sinar 5x4 and 10x8.
Another wonderful contribution to the discussion! 🖖🏻
@@3BMEP .... Enjoying your budget series greatly.
Greetings from Pakistan. Your story telling is exquisite. Fantastic information delivered in most interesting way. Hold that thought.....
😉🙏🏻🖖🏻
Minolta Dynax range….peanuts….
No love for the Canon P..... 😢
It´s a statue of Lenin not Trotsky. But great video for photographers on a budget.
You are so right!
If you ever get a chance to use a Zorki 4K, give it a go and be surprised.
I used film for 30 years and would never even think of going back to that nonsense. I don't get why these young people nowadays think film is so hip.
These type Leicaphile videos do nothing but bump the already ridiculous prices for what a Leica really is. I’m sorry but my Konica IIIA blows all the M bodies out the water. Both in build quality, philosophy of operation and image quality. All at 1/10 of the price. Weird it didn’t make it in this video. Better homework would have helped. Leicas aren’t the end all be all. That ridiculous way of loading film and let’s be honest, it’s just a status symbol.