New Orleans' Royal Street - Leica IIIC and Summar 5cm f2 Lens

 

Royal Intersection, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC Sharkskin, Summar 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

 

I was scanning a roll of film that I shot in New Orleans while attending the LHSA Spring Shoot 2015 when I came across this shot.

 

This corner on Royal Street, at Rouse's Grocery, is one of my favorite spots in the city of New Orleans. Always hosting live musicians, rain or shine, it's a real crossroads for everyone who frequents the French Quarter - musicians, tourists, locals, and yes, police officers. This image says a lot about this particular place that I love so much.

 

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French Quarter in the Rain - Leica IIIC and Summar 5cm f2

I recently attended the LHSA (International Leica Society) Spring Shoot in New Orleans, Louisiana. One of my favorite places to photograph, I was hoping we'd get some inclement weather to build some mood into my pictures. I was not let down - it rained on and off, sometimes quite heavily, during my whole trip. I loved it.

 

Here are some shots of street musicians playing in front of Rouse's Grocery on Royal Street as a rain storm rolled in and subsequently left.

 

All were shot with the Leica IIIC and Summar 5cm f2 lens. One of Leica's earliest fast lenses, the Summar is infamous for being being soft. I happen to have a clean copy, without a scratched front element, which is rare. I find it to be a wonderful lens.

 

 

Shooting iso 400 film (Kodak TMax 400), I couldn't quite get a fast enough shutter speed to capture the rain as I wanted. I hope that you can see it in images 2 and 3.

 

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Win Hamish's Leica IIIC!

Image Source: http://www.35mmc.com/06/02/2015/win-leica/

 

I'm always looking for new blogs to follow. I've recently discovered Hamish Gill's blog, 35mmc.

 

Hamish is running a fun photo contest, and the first place prize will be his Leica IIIC and Russian lens (above). In order to win, you must submit a photograph made with a cheap 35mm camera. In fact, the film and camera together must have cost no more than US$15. Hamish wants the photograph you took, and a photo of the camera you used, along with a brief description.

 

(Click Here) for all of the contest details on 35mmc, and good luck! I entered a shot made with my Ricoh 500G, which I got for free.

 

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What You May Have Found in a Photojournalist's Bag in 1945

As you probably can see, I love vintage cameras. I've put together a nice Leica kit, all with equipment that was made before or during World War II. Here it is.

It includes:

1. Leica IIIC (stepper) camera
2. 5cm f2 Summitar (uncoated) normal lens
3. 3.5cm f3.5 Elmar (uncoated) wide angle lens, with auxiliary finder
4. 9.0 cm f4 Elmar telephoto lens (black), with auxiliary finder

The 9.0 cm Elmar and IIIC body were made during the war years; the other two lenses were made earlier.

This is a very capable kit, still today. Covering wide to long focal lengths, it all fits in a small camera bag, and doesn't weigh much at all. It's a blast to use.

 

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Way Back Shot - Fredericksburg, VA, Winter 2010

Just thought I'd share an old shot this morning. I took this one with my Leica IIIC and Nikon 3.5cm f2.5 LTM lens. I had recently bought the camera and lens from a friend-of-a-friend, thanks to Dennis Gallus connecting us. Dennis, James McKearney, Rob Svirskas, and I drove down to Fredericksburg for a day of shooting.

 

This shot was made at historic Chatham Manor, overlooking the Rappahannock River.

 

You can see more shots made with this classic Nikon lens if you (Click Here).

 

I have not used this lens much, mainly because it's competition in my kit is the amazing Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM lens. The Leica lens is a full stop slower, but is so sharp and renders color so nicely that when I have to pick one to put in my back, it's nearly always the Summaron.

 

(Click Here) to read about the Summaron, which I also used as part of my Whole Lotta Leica series.

 

To see every lens I used in the Whole Lotta Leica series, where I matched up a wide range of older lenses with my Leica M9, (Click Here).

 

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More From Chalk Fest, Leica IIIC with Summaron 3.5cm f3.5

Here are a few more pics from Chalk Fest, all shot with my Leica IIIC and Summaron, on Fuji 100 color negative film.

 

The Summaron 35 is a spectacular little lens, and I do mean little. I love the subtle color rendition that this lens produces.

 

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Street Art, on Film With Leica IIIC and Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 Lens

Street Art, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Summaron 3.5 cm f3.5 Lens

Fuji iso 100 Color Print Film

 

Man, do I love to shoot my old Barnack cameras. On this particular day, I chose to carry only this camera and lens to photograph "Chalk Fest" in Reston, VA.

 

When I started shooting in the late morning, the light was bright and harsh. The shade was fine, though. I ended up coming back later in the evening to finish up, when the light was much more agreeable. I'll have more to share from this event later.

 

The tiny little Barnack camera and lens, topped with a Russian 35mm viewfinder, caused little or no distraction amongst people at the festival. It is small, quiet, non-threatening. I can see why Barnack's little camera was able to transform photojournalism back in the day.

 

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Off-Stage at the Music Festival

I shot these images at a recent music festival (River and Roots, in Berryville, VA). I find myself interested in photographing more candid settings with the friends I've made in the local music scene. Of course, I still photograph them on-stage, but I really like hanging out, sharing thoughts, and capturing moments off-stage as well.

 

It's interesting to me that through the festivals that I regularly attend, as well as the bands that I've now known for several years, I'm watching people develop, families come into existence and grow. That continuity makes it even more fun.

 

I shot all of these with my wartime Leica IIIC and 5cm f3.5 Elmar, on Tmax 100 film.

 

 

Hope you enjoy the shots.

 

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Real Macro With a Leica Rangefinder? Why Not?

I shot this image with a gadget that I picked up on ebay, called the "Accura III," a Japanese version of an early Leica Visoflex attachment, which essentially converts your rangefinder camera to an SLR.

 

Tiny Blossom, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC Rangefinder Camera, Accura III attachment, Leica 5cm f2 Summar lens

 

Now, this is really bending the rules of what camera systems are good at. Rangefinders were designed for getting no closer than a few feet from your subject, and for generally short focal length lenses. In the history of photography, SLRs came in to dominate most applications, and certainly macro and telephoto.

 

Here's the Accura III:

 

Accura III Closeup Adapter for Leica Screwmount Cameras

 

I was inspired to pick this up when I saw it cheap on ebay because my friend, Charlie, loaned me a much more premium version, his being made by Novoflex. Charlie's Novoflex has the correct 13.5cm f4.5 Hektor lens attached to it, which is a much more suitable focal length for this type of rig. The Novoflex also allows a lot more range in focus, as it has a bellows between the lens and the adapter housing. I haven't tried that rig yet, but expect good results; it's always good to have a future project in the queue.

 

My Accura III is quite limited in what it can do. With the 5cm Summar attached, it becomes an extreme closeup affair, with little to no focus adjustment. You basically have to get very close to your subject, and move the camera until things appear to be in focus through the dim little eyepiece.

 

This was a pretty half-hearted try, handheld, while I was trying to finish up a roll of film. Sharp? Nope. Carefully executed? Nope. But, I find it rather pleasing. Both the Accura, and especially Charlie's Novoflex, deserve more exploration.

 

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Washington DC - World War II (WWII) Leica at the WWII Memorial

My friends and I went to the WWII memorial on the mall in Washington, DC on Memorial Day. Expecting the normal events held here every year, we were more than a little let down to learn that they'd taken place the day before.

 

I had loaded up two of my wartime Leica IIIC cameras, one with TMax 100 black and white film and matching Elmar 5cm f3.5 lens, the other with TMax 400 and a 1937 Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 lens. These results are from the 5cm Elmar and TMax 100; the other camera is still loaded, as I didn't finish the roll.

 

Military School Students, by Reed A. George

Wartime Leica IIIC, Leica Elmar 5cm f3.5 Lens, Kodak TMax 100

 

True WWII Veteran, by Reed A. George

Wartime Leica IIIC, Leica Elmar 5cm f3.5 Lens, Kodak TMax 100

 

These old Barnack cameras are a lot of fun to shoot. I always enjoy seeing the images they can produce. I also think it was fitting to use two cameras that were most likely sold to Allied soldiers during the occupation of Europe at the end of the war for this event.

 

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Memorial Day Tomorrow - Planning to Shoot with Wartime Leicas

Wartime Leica IIIC

 

I'm going out today, Memorial Day, with a good friend. We're going into DC, where we'll photograph events on the National Mall. I'm going to shoot only wartime Leica gear, or at least gear that would have been in use at the time. That is, my kit will include a 3.5cm Elmar lens from 1937. The remaining pieces, two Leica IIICs and a 5.0cm Elmar, were all made during the years of WWII.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can do with this kit. I hope to have some images to share from the day soon.

 

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How Leica Killed "Leica Photography" on Leicaphilia

Now this is an interesting post, especially for me to be reading one day after I posted about taking a modern digital image from my Leica M9, removing many of the gray levels through boosting contrast, adding grain, and in my opinion, improving it.

 

The blog Leicaphilia provides a perspective on how Leica has killed its own style of photography by abandoning their expertise in making compact, functional, straightforward rangefinders and instead shifting their focus to exacting optical designs and products.

 

(Click Here) to read the post on Leicaphilia.

 

What do I think of all of this?

 

Sketching, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Canon 50mm f1.4 Lens, TMax 400 Film

 

Well, I certainly agree that the attraction to Leica, especially old Leica cameras like the IIIC I used for the shot above, has something to do with the camera body design. Simple, effective, obviously hand-built. And, I must agree about the quality of some of Leica's competitors' lenses back in the day. The Canon 50mm f1.4 I used for the shot above is really quite nice.

 

I'm not sure that I agree that other brand lenses were actually better than Leica's back in the day. No, I don't judge them by micro-contrast or even necessarily sharpness, but my Leica Summar and Summaron lenses make beautiful images. They take quite a beating in the above-referenced post. There also seems to be a marked lean toward Nikkor lenses in that post. Not that I disagree; I have a nice Nikkor 3.5cm f2.5 in Leica thread mount (LTM) that does quite a nice job. Honestly, though, I prefer my Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 in terms of the images it produces.

 

Finally, I don't agree that Leica has turned away from its design basics. The Leica M9 is about as straightforward to use as you could make a modern digital camera, while still giving the user complete control. I can easily switch back and forth between the M9 and a 1955 M3, without having to worry about differences in controls.

 

Now, the same cannot be said for some of Leica's other cameras. Some of them do have the same issues with complicated controls and multilayer menus that their Japanese counterparts have. Anyone notice the differences between shooting a Nikon F film camera and the wonderful, but complicated D700, for example?

 

So, I agree with some of the points in the article, not with others. I would say it's a call for Leica to be vigilant about future designs.

 

The author is correct that optical perfection does not necessarily lead to a great image. I'm learning to remove some perfection to get to the image that I really want.

 

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Three Approaches to Using a Barnack (Leica Screwmount) Camera - Tips by Khoa Tran on Steve Huff's Site

Yes, It Works as a People Camera!, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, 5cm Summitar f2 Lens

 

Well, for those of you following, I may be on a path to recovering most of my files lost in the Lightroom transfer. Until I'm done with that, I'm writing without access to most of my files. The one above is in my flickr account, so I could grab it for the purposes of this post. Fingers crossed, I hope to be back on my main image collection soon.

 

I recently bought a second wartime IIIC, which is currently on its way to see Mr. Youxin Ye, Leica service wizard, in Massachussetts. If you ever need your Barnack camera or lens serviced fast, well, and inexpensively, you should give Youxin a try. You can reach Youxin by email at: wye7@yahoo.com

 

I was reading posts about the IIIC and other Barnack cameras, when I came across a guest post on Steve Huff's site, by Khoa Tran.

 

(Click Here) to read the full post on Steve Huff's site.

 

In it, Khoa suggests three approaches to using a Barnack camera:

 

1. As a point and shoot camera
2. As a tool to develop your photographic skills
3. As a portrait/people camera

By "point and shoot," I think he means to use a small aperture, hyperfocal or zone focusing, and preset exposure. When you do this, you can basically have in your mind as you walk down the street:

 

"Anything X ft or further away is in focus"

I do this all the time. All you have to do at this point is look for the right moment or composition, lift the camera to your eye, frame, and shoot. I totally agree with this being a great way to use one of these cameras.

 

As far as a tool to develop your skills, I think he's talking about the fact that these cameras have no meters. So, you can teach yourself to guesstimate exposure for different lighting situations. Again, I agree. Especially if you stick to a particular film speed (400 is my standard), you'll see that you can guess exposure settings much faster than you may have thought.

 

Finally, yes, the Leicas are great people cameras. I love to shoot photos of people, those I know (as above) and those I don't. The little Barnack Leica screwmount cameras are anything but threatening to people. Great for candid people photography.

 

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Leica IIIC Pictures From Japan, 1949-1950 - Gordon Coale's Grandfather

I have just purchased my second "wartime" Leica IIIC, this one with a date matching (1945) Elmar 5cm f3.5 lens. The wartime IIICs are slightly different than newer units, with the rewind lever position on a step on the metal top plate. They are therefore sometimes referred to as "steppers." My new stepper IIIC needs a clean, lube, and adjust (CLA), so it's on its way to see Youxin Ye in Boston.

 

Anyway, googling around for IIIC stuff, I found Gordon Coale's site. Here he shares lots of images shot by his grandfather, who lived in Morioka, Japan, from 1949-1950. He shot a IIIC (post-wartime, no step), and the faster Summitar 5cm f2 lens, with Kodachrome slide film. Here's Gordon's grandfather's camera:

 

Image Source: http://gordoncoale.500px.com/my_grandfather_s_photos

 

(Click Here) to go to Gordon's site and see many of his grandfather's images. Love it.

 

It's inspiring to me to think that these old cameras took such great pictures way back when. It's amazing, but they can still do it now.

 

Mine was likely sold to an American serviceman in the post-war occupation of Europe. I'll look forward to getting it back from Youxin and using it.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Some Street Photographs From My Solo Trip To NYC - Leica IIIC

In yesterday's post, I shared some images from an evening out by myself in New York City. Today's post follows on with the same theme, but in a less cohesive way. All shot with the same Leica IIIC (a Barnack-designed jewel from 1946) and either the Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM or an uncoated Summitar 5cm f2 LTM lens (ca. 1939), these are little pieces of the rest of my trip.

 

Korean Tofu Restaurant, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I made this shot while eating lunch. I like how you can see a little into to very separate but adjacent worlds - that of the couple eating together, and that of the kitchen. I don't remember the exposure settings, but do remember using the table to help stabilize the camera to avoid motion blur.

 

Glasses, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

The shot above is my favorite of this series. Having both ladies in glasses looking right into the camera makes the moment for me.

 

Unique Cab, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

The Rink, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

What I like about the shot above is the juxtaposition of the graphic of a family enjoying ice skating together in the city (which was printed on the rink wall), and the actual people doing just that above. I wish I'd have caught the lady's facial expression a little better as she helps the young girl navigate the ice. I would have stayed longer, but had to move on to catch my bus back home. It's still presentable, I think, just could have been better.

 

I really love carrying a little Barnack film camera around in the City.

 

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An Evening at The Morgan

While I was on a business trip in New York City last November, I decided to get out on Friday night on my own. Looking for a little culture, but certainly not up for a nightclub or anything extravagant, I did a quick search online for things happening around town. Of course, there were a million things going on in the City on a Friday night, but I chose to have a quiet evening at the Pierpont Morgan Library, where they showed a double feature of Edgar Allan Poe films - "House of Usher" and "Murder in the Rue Morgues."

 

(Click Here) to read about The Morgan library and the Poe program.

 

As I headed out for the evening, I locked my digital cameras in the hotel safe and grabbed my Leica IIIC, along with the fast Canon LTM 50mm f1.5 lens, which happened also to be my Whole Lotta Leica lens selection for November.

 

As we sat down for the first movie, I noticed this lady's fur hat, and had to get a shot before the lights went down.

Hat, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM Lens, TMax 400 film

 

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Vincent Price terrorize his sister's young suitor in "House of Usher," but decided not to stay for the second film. Walking out of the theater, I noticed music coming from the library lobby.

Lobby, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM Lens, TMax 400 film

 

I went back to the Morgan's website, but failed to find any information on the guitar duo shown below. I caught just the final minutes of their performance.

 

 

Guitar Performance, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM Lens, TMax 400 film

Following is the only creative shot I made that evening, looking over the shoulder of an artist in the audience who was sketching the performers. I love the elements of the hat and glasses on the table.

Sketching, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM Lens, TMax 400 film

 

I really enjoy the fact that NYC offers truly something for everyone. Knowing that I wanted to get out and experience something in the City that night, I was a little apprehensive about finding something I'd really enjoy. I even considered just hanging out in my room for the evening, as I knew I'd be walking all over the City the next day, which I did. I really liked the fact that I could get out, see some people, soak in a little culture, without having to do much or stay out late. Quite a nice evening overall.

 

The IIIC continues to do an admirable job for me. It's a great little camera to throw over my shoulder and walk around, and with 400 speed film and a fast f1.4 lens like the Canon 50mm LTM, I can even use it reasonably well at night.

 

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That One Camera - Well, Maybe Not Just One

I read a post by Graham Welland on the getdpi forum, taking on the question of what is your "desert island" camera - that one camera or system you'd keep if you got rid of all others. Graham prefers the Xpan II or Fuji GX617 (a marvelous medium format panoramic camera).

 

(Click Here) to read the post and responses.

 

At least one person answers as I would, with a list of cameras. I know this doesn't meet the goal, but I can answer this question in so many ways.

 

If I really wanted to produce the very best images that I'm capable of, I would keep my Nikon D700, lenses, and flash. Hands down. I've never used a more capable camera system.

 

 

Nikon D700

 

But, part of my enjoyment of photography comes from the equipment itself. The Nikon is like a high end Toyota - extremely capable, but not too exciting. For pure camera enjoyment, I would have to pick a Leica. Probably an M (M9 or M3, most likely), but it would be hard keeping one of these in hand while letting go of my IIIC, a wartime example that just works so very well.

 

Leica M3

 

 

In truth, I don't want to say goodbye to any of my cameras. For example, as I've said in my Skeletons From The Closet series, the Konica Auto S1.6, a relatively inexpensive 35mm rangefinder, is a unique and surprisingly fun and functional camera.

 

Konica Auto S1.6

 

Good thing today's not the day I have to decide.

 

 

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Time For a Shot I Love

 

The Kid, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC (ca. 1946), Leica Summitar 5.0cm f2 Lens (ca. 1951)

 

Sometimes I get a shot that helps me remember why I do all of this photography stuff. Not perfectly sharp, a grab shot. But, this is why. I didn't even bother to crop the scan.

 

And, I simply love shooting an old Barnack-style Leica. I couldn't care less that it has no meter, separate windows for focus and framing, and dim ones at that. It simply works.

 

Thanks for putting up with a little self-indulgence on my part.

 

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Shenandoah Riverside Festival - My Photos and Writeup at Cosmic Vibes Live!

I recently wrote another piece for my favorite live music blog, Cosmic Vibes Live.

 

(Click Here) to read it and see all of my pics at cosmicvibeslive.com.

 

I'll use my own blog here to share a little info about the photographic details.

 

First, I decided to take it easy at this show, and shoot what I felt like. That included a Leica IIIC with Summitar 5cm f2 (the lens I've picked to pair up with my M9 for the Whole Lotta Leica series this month). Here's a shot from that combination:

 

The Woodshedders, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Leica Summitar 5cm f2 Lens

 

I also shot my Skeletons From The Closet Camera for June, the Konica Auto S1.6, with color film:

 

Banana Express, by Reed A. George

Konica Auto S1.6

 

When nighttime came, I switched from the fun film cameras to the workhorse - Nikon D700.

 

The Hackensaw Boys, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor 85mm f1.4 AF-D Lens

 

Like I mentioned above, click over to Cosmic Vibes Live to read the full story and see a lot more pics.

 

It was great fun shooting the Leica and Konica, especially wandering around backstage. The Nikon came through as always.

 

I am still really enjoying the combination of great live music and my photography hobby!

 

Happy Crowd, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor 50mm f1.4 AF-D Lens

 

 

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A Shot That's Close to My Heart - From Leica IIIC

Intensity, by Reed A. George

Leica IIIC, Leica Summitar 50mm f2 Lens

 

I recently picked up a nice Leica IIIC for an amazing low price. Knowing that it had been purchased from Leica repairman extraordinaire, Youxin Ye, I could be confident that it would work well. It does.

 

Here's a shot from my first roll through the IIIC. I shot it at a music festival, where my daughter did me the pleasure of accompanying me. That's asking a lot of a twelve year old. But, we're still buddies, and always will be.

 

This is the online scan provided by The Darkroom, who processes my film. (Click Here) to visit The Darkroom for excellent, fast, cost-effective processing of your film.

 

I absolutely love shooting the old Barnack screwmount cameras, like this IIIC. Prices on these cameras have dropped, so you can own and shoot a piece of Leica history for a very reasonable price these days. This new IIIC has the special sharkskin covering, which was only used for a short period in Leica production. I'm happy to have it in my collection.

 

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