Snowy President's Day in Virginia

 

 

Valentine Flowers in Snow

Nikon Df, Carl Zeiss 85mm f1.4 Milvus Lens

iso 800, f5.6, 1/250 sec.

 

I have the great fortune of trying out two of the Zeiss Milvus lenses, the 85mm and 50mm f1.4, on loan. They are absolutely gorgeous.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

A Very Different Rolleiflex - SL2000F - My Latest Passion

So several weeks back, I went to meet my good friends Charlie and Alain for a photo outing. Charlie and I were discussing settings for his new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 when Alain walked up with this beauty.

 

Rolleiflex SL2000F and Planar 50mm f1.8 Lens

 

Now, I admit that I'm pretty passionate about cameras. Passionate, but generally careful. When I realized that this was a 35mm Rolleiflex, with both eye-level and waist-level finders built in, interchangeable lenses (Rollei QBM mount), and interchangeable film backs, well, that was it. I had to have it. I'd never seen anything like it. No looking it up online, no research at all, had to have it. I bought it right then, in the parking lot. Alain was nice enough to part with it for the price he paid. Here it is with the matching Sonnar 135mm f2.8 lens.

 

 

Driving away after our day out shooting, I thought "What have I done?" A dead lens mount (the QBM is no longer made anywhere), electronic (not quiet) advance only (no manual override), maybe I should have been a little more cautious. But, just look at it. So, I smiled and drove on home.

 

Then, just as soon as I got home, I started looking for information on this beauty online. Oh, no! Everywhere I looked were warning signs - electronic failure, no spare parts, DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA! Well, it gave me pause, but again, just look at it. I decided to take my chances and just plain use it.

 

This camera is a total blast to use. Something between a Rolleiflex TLR and a 35mm SLR system camera, it's just plain wonderful.

 

And then, I found out even more that I liked - a Rollei-made auto-aperture adapter to mount M42 lenses! This immediately expanded my lenses from the Planar 50 and Sonnar 135 to my wider set of Pentax M42 lenses, including a 28mm f2.8 no-namer, 35mm f3.5 Super Takumar, 50mm f1.4 Super Takumar(!), 200mm f4 Takumar, and even a Yashica 300mm f5.6 telephoto. Lots to play with.

 

So what about all of this concern for reliability? Well, I could either try to find someone to service the SL2000F if needed, or think about spares. I determined that a spare body was the best approach. So, I picked up a Rollei SL35 (earliest model SLR) for $35 on ebay. Yes, it needed a little exercise, but now it works fine. Here it is with the Pentax 35mm mounted via adapter.

 

Rollei SL35 and Pentax Super Takumar 35mm f3.5

 

Of course, I also started a followed search on ebay for a second SL2000F body. Pretty slim pickings, as these cameras are pretty rare. But, within a couple of weeks, I found a fully-functional SL2000F listed in Germany, with another M42 adapter, Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f2.8 M42 lens, two film backs, the very difficult to find electronic wired remote shutter release, and, even rarer, the dedicated Metz flash and Rollei flash adapter, built specifically for the SL2000F. And at a great price. I emailed the German seller with a few questions, and went for it. The second camera is now here and appears to be fully functional.

 

So, now I'm really deep into these cameras, but loving every minute of it. And, to calibrate it a little, still have less invested than the cost of a single high quality DSLR body.

 

So, how does it work? Like a dream. Here are a few images from the first SL2000F body, shot on a recent road trip down to Asheville, NC.

 

 

The lenses are plenty sharp. Everything seems to work very well. No electronic problems, even though I had a few scares at first. Based on reports online of AA batteries being too high voltage for the camera (they fit), I took others' advice and ordered some rechargables and they work perfectly. I chose Panasonic Eneloop batteries, and highly recommend them.

 

More importantly, this camera just fits me perfectly. It truly feels at home in my hands. I love being able to use the waist-level finder when I want, more often the eye-level finder, without changing any parts. I love that it's 35mm. I love the lenses, both Rollei and M42. I love a lot about this camera.

 

So, I'm glad that I didn't make time to be more rational about this purchase. If I had, I would not have bought it, based on all the warning signs online. I'm glad I bought it, and feel quite fine now with a spare body, just in case.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Exciting New Lenses from Zeiss - Milvus Line for DSLRs

 

Zeiss makes absolutely wonderful lenses. For Nikon camera bodies, the ZF lenses are all manual focus, and are unquestionably at the top of optical performance.

 

Not too long ago, they came out with the Otus 55mm f1.4 and 85mm f1.4 lenses for Nikon and Canon DSLRs. The Otus lenses are advertised as providing medium format image quality on the 35mm sensor size. They also cost at least $4,000. I'd love to try one.

 

Now, Zeiss has come out with the Milvus line. Announcing the full lineup all at once, there are Milvus models in the following focal lengths and maximum apertures: 21mm f2.8, 35mm f2, 50mm f1.4, 85mm f1.4, 50mm f2 Macro, and 100mm f2.8 Macro. Again in manual focus, the Milvus lenses are more reasonably priced, listing for less than $2,000 each on preorder at Adorama. They should be shipping in October.

 

So, what's special about the Milvus lenses? They're designed specifically for the new high pixel count sensors, with low light scattering, precision manual focus across the full focus range, and weather resistance.

 

(Click Here) to read more about the Milvus lenses on Zeiss' website.

 

It's great that Zeiss keeps bringing us high quality optics for various camera systems. I love the variety they're offering.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Another Person Who Appreciates the Zeiss ZM Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

 

by Reed A. George

 

The Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 lens engenders a lot of debate in the photo community. Acknowledged by Carl Zeiss as an updated build of a classic Sonnar design, it does not have all the technical performance of say a modern Leica Summilux. It does have character. I own both lenses, and love them both. But, the Sonnar has more character than the Summilux. If I want near perfection, I use the Summilux. If I'm willing to take a chance and maybe make something more unique, I use the Sonnar.

 

(Click Here) to read an account of using the Sonnar on the blog DearSusan. I think it's nicely done.

 

Thanks to my friend Bill for alerting me to the DearSusan blog!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

A Rolleiflex Portrait - Now That's Nice Bokeh!

I really love my Rolleiflex 2.8F. I dreamed of owning this camera for a very long time. Through the generosity of my friend, Charlie, I was able to get it.

 

Lunchtime Portrait, by Reed A. George

Rolleiflex 2.8F Planar, Kodak TMax 400 Film, at f2.8

 

What an amazing camera this is. Oh, and if you don't know what "bokeh" is, it's the rendering of the out of focus portions of the image. I think the Rollei bokeh is the best.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

So What Are You Reading? Agfa APX 400 Film Test

 

The Wide View, by Reed A. George

Zeiss SW, Voigtlander 12mm f5.6 Lens

Agfa APX 400 Film

 

I'm testing and getting my shooting parameters down for a new (discontinued) film, Agfa APX 400. My friend Dennis Gallus gave me (!) a 100' roll, which I've started to bulk load. My first roll came out underexposed and possibly underdeveloped (7 mins in D-76, 1:1). After seeing that, I read up about the film online, and found that many people used to shoot it at 200 instead of the indicated 400 speed. I will try that, and believe it will really help.

 

This shot was made with my widest lens, the Voigtlander 12mm f5.6. You can see my current book of choice in the foreground, Eight Girls Taking Pictures, by Whitney Ott. It is a fictional work, telling the story of eight female photographer/artists. I'm enjoying it very much.

 

Thanks again for the film, Dennis! I'll have it all worked out in another roll or two.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Leica M9 - Still Something Special About It

 

Teen Style, Morning Light, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss Sonnar C 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 500, f1.7, 1/15 sec.

 

Yes, there's still something unique about how the Leica M9 sensor renders an image. Nothing in your face, for sure. But, this is basically the tonality that I had in mind when I made this shot on the way out of the house this morning. There's something subtle about the way this camera draws.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

More From the Polar Bear Plunge - Rolleiflex 2.8F

Yesterday, I posted a series of pictures from the Polar Bear Plunge, an event to raise funds for Camp Sunshine, a wonderful place that helps families dealing with childhood cancer.

 

All of the images yesterday were from my Leica M9. Today, I'll show some that I made with my Rolleiflex 2.8 F twin lens reflex (TLR) camera.

 

 

 

And here's my favorite shot - these young spectators were just so cute under their blanket together.

 

 

It was a blast using the Rolleiflex alongside the Leica rangefinder at this event. Perhaps not the optimum equipment, but it sure worked out well.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Polar Bear Plunge - For a Great Cause

 

Last weekend, I happened into an unexpected event in Reston, Virginia, a polar bear plunge. It was a charity event, for the benefit of Camp Sunshine, a place where families with children battling cancer can go to relax and enjoy time together. (Click Here) to read more about the event.

 

As luck would have it, I had my Leica M9 and my Rolleiflex 2.8F with me. This post will show my color pictures, all taken with the M9 and Zeiss Sonnar C 50mm f1.5 lens, and a few with my new Leica Elmar C 90mm f4.

 

While it was unseasonably warm last Saturday, the water was still plenty cold. Here are the safety divers, clearing the diving hole of ice.

 

 

As you can imagine, an event like this attracts an interesting crowd of contestants.

 

 

When the event started, things got lively. I had a great location to shoot from as well.

 

 

People generally looked happy going in, shocked coming out, and downright uncomfortable after that.

 

 

And now, here are two of my favorites. First, my favorite shot of the jumpers.

 

 

And here's one of the crowd reflected in the icy water.

 

 

It was a very nice unexpected surprise, and I'm glad I was there to photograph it. I think I am indeed falling back in love with my Leica M9.

 

I'll post some images that I made with the Rolleiflex 2.8F tomorrow.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

The Contax T - a Neglected Performer

Several years ago, I bought a Contax T from a gentleman in Washington, DC. Mine is the first model, with a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 38 mm f2.8 lens, manual rangefinder, and aperture-priority exposure metering. There is no manual override of the exposure metering, with the exception of a button that provides for +1.5 stops overexposure, designed for shooting in backlit situations.

 

Image Source: http://my.reset.jp/~inu/ProductsDataBase/Products/CONTAX/CONTAX-T/CONTAX-T-01.jpg

 

The T is amazingly compact and shoots on 35mm film. It has a funny little flip-up lens cover which is a bit hard to get used to, and sticks out while you're shooting. The focus ring on the tiny Sonnar takes getting used to as well. Other than that, it's ergonomics are quite good, at least for my hands.

 

I have had the T in my car for years now, but used it very little. It's the perfect glovebox camera; my problem is that I usually have another camera with me and don't have a need to grab the T. I should get mine out and shoot it, which only requires me to bring it along.

 

So what got me thinking about this? I read a thread on Rangefinder Forum, where people shared both their challenges with the Contax T (light leaks around the film canister), as well as some wonderful example shots. Here's one posted by Rui Resende in the thread:

 

 

Image Source: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107638&page=3

 

(Click Here) to read about the Contax T on Rangefinder Forum.

 

I'm always considering new projects. I think I should somehow work the T into one of them. It's a bit of an oddity, not one that many people will still have or use. But, it's a unique little camera that's capable of wonderful results.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Walter Ulreich Shares His Experience Going Back to a Zeiss Folder

 

Old Style, Kyoto, by Reed A. George

Zeiss 521/16 Medium Format Folding Camera

 

I love shooting old cameras. I have a few favorites, one of which is the Zeiss 521/16 folder, with Tessar 75mm f3.5 lens, which I used for the shot above.

 

(Click Here) to read more about this particular camera. This is the one that happened to have an old roll of film still in it, with pictures from JFK's Fourth of July speech in Philadelphia. (Click Here) to read about that roll of found film.

 

So, what made me think about this today? Well, as the post title mentions, Walter Ulreich has made a blog post that shares his experience in going back to a Tessar-equipped Zeiss folder after many years. His test images are quite impressive, certainly worth a look.

 

(Click Here) to go to Walter's post.

 

Amazing what a well-preserved old (very old, near 80 years old) camera can do!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

From My Morning Walk in Tokyo

 

Tsukishima Boat, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Carl Zeiss C-Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/750 sec.

 

I am in Tokyo today as I write this. One good thing about the jet lag I'm suffering with - it gets me out for sunrise walks and photography.

 

This morning, I took the morning train one stop from where I'm staying, to Tsukishima. It's a nice little island section of Tokyo, with some nice boats and morning reflections. I hope you enjoy the view. This is a jpeg directly from the camera.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Dreaming in Monochrom(e) - Buddha in Snowstorm

Here are a couple of shots I made with Ilford Delta 3200 film in my Leica M4-2, at a Buddhist temple during a snowstorm. Both were made with the Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm f1.5 lens, one of my favorite lenses.

 

Wat Yarn in Snow, by Reed A. George

 

I selected 1/125-1/250 sec. for my shutter speed, in an effort to catch the falling snowflakes.

 

Parasol, by Reed A. George

 

I like how the statue's eye shows up in this image.

 

I wouldn't normally use high speed film for images like this, but it was what I had with me. I think it worked out pretty well.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Dreaming in Monochrom(e) - Mink's Miracle Medicine Show

My friends Rudy, Melissa, and Erik, former members of the band Acoustic Burgoo, came together to play a show under Melissa's new band name, Mink. The show was at Cristina's Cafe in Strasburg, Virginia.

 

(Click Here) to find Cristina's. If you're ever passing through Strasburg, stop in for a "Sexi Mexi Combo!"

 

I shot the show with my "Dreaming in Monochrom(e)" camera, the Leica M4-2, and my new favorite black and white film approach, using Ilford Delta 3200 exposed at iso 1600, and processed by The Darkroom.

(Click Here) to learn about The Darkroom, the best film processing service I've ever used.

 

Melissa Finishing Up the Set List, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Ilford Delta 3200 Film

 

I shot with two lenses, the Zeiss C-Sonnar 50mm f1.5, which is a modern remake of the classic Sonnar design, with the latest materials, technologies, and optical coatings. The second lens was my Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 version 3, from the 1970s.

 

Mink and Friends, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Ilford Delta 3200 Film

 

This was a very laid back show, which is sometimes nice. I got to hang out with my friends, have some excellent Mexican food, and move around and shoot as much as I liked.

 

Erik Burnham, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Ilford Delta 3200 Film

 

We saw various combinations of the three performers, and when not playing on stage, Erik stayed busy playing off-stage, dancing with our lovely waitress (whose name I didn't get, sorry!).

 

Dance, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Ilford Delta 3200 Film

 

Rudy B. and Erik, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Ilford Delta 3200 Film

 

Erik and Rudy are in another band, The Plank Stompers. You'll see images from my frequent attendance at their shows as well here at DMC-365.blogspot.com. The shot below is from behind them on stage. That's Britt in the audience (with the beard).

 

 

Mink and Friends, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Ilford Delta 3200 Film

Here is a shot that took advantage of the stage lights to play with some internal reflections and unpredictable properties of optics. Chance rather than design, I like how it turned out.

Erik and Rudy, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Ilford Delta 3200 Film

 

I think I have a style for many of my concert images now, at least the ones I want to shoot in monochrome.

 

I'm in the process of testing a new color film (CineStill), to see if it can be an equally satisfying solution for color. I shot two 36 exposure rolls of it last night at a house concert; we'll see how that turns out in a week or so.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Live Music, Film Emulation, This Time With the Leica M9

 

Will and Larry (of the Larry Keel Power Trio), by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss Sonnar C 50mm f1.5 Lens

iso 1600, f1.5, 1/125 sec.

 

I'm really having fun with this film emulation approach to my live music photography. Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing the Larry Keel Power Trio (aka Larry Keel Experience) twice. The image above is from the first show, at the Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, Va.

 

I shot this image with my Leica M9, and used my Lightroom preset to emulate the contrast and grain of Ilford Delta 3200 film.

 

(Click Here) to read about my emulation settings in Lightroom.

 

I also saw the band a second time, in Washington, DC, over the weekend. For that show, I shot my Nikon D700, and used the same Lightroom settings to process the images. The preset works just as well with the D700 images.

 

For both shows, I also carried my Leica M4-2 (which I use for my "Dreaming in Monochrom(e)" series. I have two expose rolls of real Ilford Delta 3200 sitting next to me at my desk right now. So, I'll share those images in a week or so when I have results from the processing at The Darkroom (thedarkroom.com).

 

By the way, have a listen to the Keels. A quick search for "Larry Keel" on iTunes will get you plenty of results. I'd suggest the album "Classic" as a start.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Awesome Zeiss Ikon Images and Historic Information Now in Public Domain!

 

 

 

"Before you purchase a miniature...."

Image Source: http://issuu.com/zeisshistoricasociety/docs/1939-09_uk_catalogue__1_#

My friend Bill Barton send me a great link to an enormous amount of Zeiss historical information that has been put into the public domain!

 

(Click Here) to see old Zeiss catalogs, and issues of Zeiss Historica, with articles on many really interesting topics related to Carl Zeiss.

 

I love this kind of stuff. Thanks, Bill!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Quick Report on Leica Store Event and Regional LHSA Meetup

I have been pretty active in the LHSA (International Leica Society) over the past year or so. One of the most rewarding things I've done is to schedule local meetups for LHSA members, roughly quarterly. These get a small yet dedicated attendance, and are always interesting.

 

(Click Here) to learn about and join LHSA.

 

For the most recent meeting, I decided to coordinate with the Washington DC Leica Store's photowalk event at DC's Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown. A large group of Leica users met for the Chinese New Year parade, a mix of LHSA members and non-members.

 

(Click Here) to go to the DC Leica Store's home page. They have a beautiful store, and regularly host interesting events for Leica users.

 

We borrowed someone's camera and grabbed a nice Leica user group shot:

 

 

Since my M9 was in for service, I decided to shoot all film for this event. I brought my lovely M3 double stroke with 50mm Summicron f2 version 3 lens attached, and, stretching the Leica definition, my Zeiss SW body and Zeiss Biogon 25mm f2.8 lens.

 

I had a first-ever experience during this event. My M3's film advance mechanism jammed on me, preventing me from using it after about 15 exposures. I'd never experienced a mechanical problem with a Leica camera. Not to worry, it's already back from Youxin Ye, who quickly serviced it at no cost, since I had bought the camera from him last year.

 

Need Leica film camera service? Get in touch with Youxin. He does a great job and has my full recommendation.

 

(Click Here) to go to Youxin's home page.

 

Since we were meeting the very next week to share results at the Leica Store, I make the mistake of taking my film to one of the only local drugstores who still process film. Their processor must have needed service; the color came out just ridiculously bad, and in an unpredictable way. It seems that some frames were okay, others were almost completely devoid of red tones (you don't want to lose your reds in a Chinese New Year image), with a cyan tone. So, I had to work pretty hard in Lightroom to come up with a few images worth sharing.

 

NOTE: None of this would have been a problem if I'd used my regular processing solution, The Darkroom. I've used their mail-in service many, many times, and never had a single issue.

 

(Click Here) to look into The Darkroom's first-rate film processing service.

 

So, after overcoming a few challenges, here are the images I decided to share at the DC Leica Store:

 

 

 

 

 

We had our regional LHSA meetup at the National Portrait Gallery, just down the street from the Leica Store, before heading there to share images.

 

It was actually a lot of fun shooting the Zeiss SW and Biogon 25mm wide angle lens. It required getting very close, but I like the feel of the images.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com