Leica USA Service on my M9 - How Did It Go? Details, Dates, Prices

Image Source: http://us.leica-camera.com/service/service_and_repair/

After using my Leica M9 reasonably heavily last year, most significantly for my Whole Lotta Leica series, I decided it was time to send it off for a nice cleaning and checkout at Leica Service USA. I don't believe in cleaning my own sensors, though I know many people do it with no problem.

(Click Here) to see all of my Whole Lotta Leica posts from last year.

(Click Here) to get to Leica's service page.

I know that I was curious before shipping my beloved camera off. How long will it be gone? How much will the service cost? What else should I expect? So, in an effort to help anyone else with these questions, I'll describe my experience in some detail.

First, am I satisfied with my experience? In brief, yes. I got everything I expected, basically in the manner that I expected. I now feel that my M9 is as good as new, in fact certified so.

Here's a brief timeline of what transpired:

December 26, 2013 - I packed the M9 up in its original packaging, and shipped it off to Allendale, New Jersey, via Fedex Ground (I live in Virginia, so it's a relatively short distance).

December 30, 2013 - delivery exception. I didn't anticipate it, but Leica Service was closed the entire week between Christmas and New Years.

January 2, 2014 - the M9 is delivered to Leica Service USA.

January 13, 2014 - having not heard anything, I send an email query to get the status of my estimate.

January 14, 2014 - I receive a prompt, very polite response and estimate ($475). This is probably a minimum, as my camera was working just fine and only needs routine service and cleaning.

January 15, 2014 - I call Leica Service USA to give them my credit card number and authorize service. I am informed that service would take 3-4 weeks from this point.

February 7, 2014 - Leica ships the M9 back to me via UPS.

February 11, 2014 - I receive the camera back, in great condition.

A few questions I had during the process:

1. If I hadn't inquired on January 13, how long would it have been before I received an estimate? No way to tell.
   
2. Would they automatically process my 15% service discount for being a member of LHSA (International Leica Society)? Answer: Since this is a relatively new program, they didn't seem to know right away what I was talking about. However, the discount was applied correctly. Note that this is a major benefit of being an LHSA member, and even with a minimal service order price, the discount compensated for my LHSA membership for a full year.

(Click Here) to explore and join LHSA.

Other things to note?

I was informed that the covering on my M9 would be replaced with a different material, as the original is no longer available. I was a little concerned about this, especially since I use the accessory M9 grip, whose covering matched the original camera covering. Not to worry, the new covering is better in my opinion, and looks just fine with the original grip covering.

I feel quite comfortable with the experience overall, and will not hesitate to use Leica Service USA in the future. My camera is clean, certified in 100% good operating order, and ready to go!

Thanks, Leica Service USA!

DMC-365.blogspot.com

One Lens That Didn't Make It Into Whole Lotta Leica Last Year - Leica LTM Summarit 5cm f1.5

Autumn Color, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summarit 5cm f1.5 LTM Lens

iso 200, f6.7, 1/60 sec

 

One of the lenses that didn't make it into my monthly feature of Whole Lotta Leica (WLL) last year was actually the second Leica lens I ever owned. Come to think of it, my first Leica lens, the 90mm f4 Elmarit didn't make it either. Both of these lenses are in great shape, but have a little haze that needs to be dealt with.

 

Here's my Summarit:

Leica Summarit 5cm f1.5 LTM Lens (ca. 1953)

 

These lenses are notorious for coming with lots of "cleaning marks," aka scratches, on the front element. The coatings were apparently quite soft, and they are easy to scratch. Mine has essentially no marks on the elements, but does have some haze. I have hesitated to send it for cleaning, worried that it will come back with scratches. So, I live with the haze. The lens renders very interesting images, with lots of center sharpness and wonderful bokeh (out of focus areas).

 

For me, the Summarit is a special lens, not one I'd want to rely on every day. However, it can produce some very special results.

 

What got me thinking about this? A post on Rangefinder Forum, by member "tester."

(Click Here) to read tester's thoughts on the lens on Rangefinder Forum, and see some very nice example images shot with his (her) Summarit.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Final Whole Lotta Leica Results From 2013 - December's Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM

I have to admit that while the WLL series was a lot of fun in 2013, I kind of lost steam toward the end of the year. Maybe that's because I achieved what I'd hoped to with the series already, and in the last few months it was more a matter of completing a personal challenge I'd assigned myself, and finishing up the full year.

 

In December, I matched the tiny little (almost comically little) Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM lens and LTM-M adapter with my Leica M9.

 

(Click Here) to see and read about the lens, manufactured in 1937.

 

I really only got out with it a little over one weekend in NYC. Here are some results, first from a very early morning walk to Grand Central Station. Keep in mind I was shooting with a maximum aperture of f3.5 in very low light, handheld.

 

Grand Central at the Holidays, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 800, f4, 1/15 sec.

 

Overnighting at Grand Central, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 800, f4, 1/15 sec.

 

Waiting on the First Morning Train, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 800, f4, 1/45 sec.

Zaro's Bakery, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 800, f4, 1/45 sec.

 

Preparing the Deliveries, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 800, f4, 1/45 sec.

Harlem Departures, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 800, f5.7, 1/25 sec.

 

Pershing Square at Daylight, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 800, f4, 1/25 sec.

 

135, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 800, f4, 1/25 sec.

 

The remaining images were made on our various escapades around the city.

 

'Tis the Season, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f4, 1/500 sec.

Trying on Hats, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4, 1/90 sec.

Come Here Little Pigeon!, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f4, 1/500 sec.

 

Elvis With His Backpack, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f4.8, 1/350 sec.

Inside the NYC Public Library, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f4.8, 1/30 sec.

And here's my favorite of this set:

 

The Reading Room, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 640, f4, 1/45 sec.

 

One of my observations about using this lens, and all of my Elmars, is that because the f-stop is adjusted by a tiny little tab at the front of the lens, and the f-stop numbers are printed very small there, and in this case are not even the modern standard f-stop numbers (e.g. no f5.6, you have to kind of guess between 4.5 and 6.3), I usually don't adjust my f-stop while shooting. For me, it means putting on my glasses, guessing where to set it, and that all takes too long. So, as you can see, I took a lot of images at f4. That's not really a problem, just an observation.

 

Another observation is that this lens is so small, it feels quite strange on an M style body. I would much prefer to use it on a little Barnack body, as was intended when it was designed.

 

I mentioned above that by this point in the year-long monthly WLL series, I had kind of already met my own goals with the project. What did I mean by that? Well, I'd drawn a few conclusions about using a wide range of "normal" focal length lenses, from a wide range of dates (1937-modern) on the M9 body:

 

1. Each and every lens has a strength, somewhere.
2. No lens has it all.
3. I tend to use fast lenses on my M9, but need to keep in mind that some of the slower lenses, like this month's f3.5 Elmar, can make their own unique, nice images.
4. Uncoated lenses can make very special images
5. I have a subjective feeling that the older lenses are more pleasing to me when shooting film, and perhaps even more when shooting black and white film.

So, I didn't really end up with a list of favorites (though there were a few highlights), and I'm certainly not getting rid of any of the lenses I used in the WLL series this year. But, I am more likely to put an old Elmar on a matching Barnack body and shoot film with it than to pair it up with the digital M9.

 

In terms of highlights, the Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 definitely meets that definition. A modern lens with a classic Sonnar design, this fast lens is really amazing. Also, both of my 1970s era Summicrons (35mm and 50mm f2) did a wonderful job for me. The Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM lens is also a standout from the crowd.

 

I hope you've enjoyed seeing what each of these lovely lenses can do on the Leica M9. I had a blast exploring them.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Another Elmar 3.5cm User

Norwegian Rangefinder Forum poster Krnome has shared pics of his new Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 lens, the same lens I've picked for the final installment of Whole Lotta Leica.

 

Here's Krnome's new lens:

 

 

Image Source: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2272753#post2272753

 

Apparently, he knows more of his lens' history than I do. Reportedly, his was used in and after WWII in Germany.

 

(Click Here) to read Krnome's post on rangefinder forum.

 

I'm out to shoot mine on the M9 this weekend. Wish me luck.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Thinking About My 2014 Plan for DMC-365

Autumn Abstract, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, 14-42mm Series II Kit Zoom at 42mm

iso 200, f20, 1/2 second

 

I've mentioned a few times lately that I'm considering my strategy for this blog in the upcoming year (2014). I know that I want to stay with the core focus of the interface between photographic equipment, technique, and creativity. Beyond that, I'm largely undecided.

 

One thing is for sure - it's a tough assignment to write each and every day. For a one-person operation like DMC-365, that means I'm up every morning, drinking my coffee and thinking what to write about today. On one hand, I love the discipline and the motivation to see everything new out their in the exciting world of photography. I also know from my initial research into how to run a blog that frequent posting is a must for survival (many "pros" post multiple times daily). I have seen that there are tons of potentially interesting blogs out there that completely fail because they haven't been updated for a month.

 

This morning, I read an interesting post by David Hobby of the blog Strobist. He and fellow photography internet personality Zack Arias are both working toward what they refer to as "Low Frequency High Amplitude" posting. By this, they mean fewer posts, but more impact, more depth with the posts they do make.

 

(Click Here) to read David's post on Strobist.

 

In his post, David says he is considering going to lower frequency than two posts per week. Strobist is very well-established, so maybe it can take that. I believe one post per week would be the death of my blog, both because my readers expect news more often than that, and because I would almost surely lose interest myself.

 

I would enjoy going deeper into some subjects, and will. For example, I've really enjoyed doing my two monthly columns this year - Whole Lotta Leica and Skeletons From The Closet. I think that I'll likely select a smaller number of cameras and lenses next year and use them more often. A month seems like a long time to spend with one camera, but it's not. Especially when photography is not your occupation (my real job is reasonably demanding, so I shoot mostly on weekends). In fact, the Skeletons project for 2013 has helped me to identify a few cameras that I really want to spend more time with.

 

So, my current thinking is that I'll continue to post at fairly high frequency (perhaps not every single day) in 2014, but will try to add in more depth at some lower frequency. In the end, it's variety that's the spice of life. To take the frequency/amplitude analogy further, most of us like to hear all of the frequencies (tones) in the music we listen to. We do want the beautiful high frequency vocals and lead guitar, but we also want solid, warm bass tones to anchor it all.

 

Of course, I'm open to my readers' opinions. Drop me a line or comment!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

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.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Winter Doldrums? December is Here.

Sunsets on the Month of November, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Pana-Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4 Lens

iso 200, f8, 1/50 sec.

As I write this, it's Sunday morning, December 1, 2013 (I usually write posts several days ahead). Amazing how fast this year has gone; it seems like yesterday we were in January.

 

Yesterday, I went to visit a friend in Warrenton, Virginia, and captured the shot above, the final sunset of November, with my new Lumix GX7 and 25mm Summilux.

 

Oh yeah, while I was out, I got to handle the new Nikon Df at McClanahan's Camera in Warrenton. It's really, really attractive.

 

(Click Here) to got to McClanahan's. Mr. M. has a Df waiting for your purchase; I;m sure he'll be happy to ship it to you.

 

Winter makes it harder to find interesting subjects to photograph, especially outdoors. This just means that I need to focus my lens and efforts elsewhere. People are still interesting in winter, right? And, it's a chance to focus on cleaning up all of the image files I shot all year round, organize my folders for next year, and maybe even do some post-processing and printing.

Last of the Leaves, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7, Lumix 100-300mm f4-5.6 OIS Lens at 280mm

iso 400, f5.6, 1/400 sec.

 

If you know me at all, you know that organizing files isn't what turns me on about photography. No, it really is December 1, and that means it's time to select my final lens for my monthly series Whole Lotta Leica (that series will end after this month), and pull a neglected camera out of the closet for my Skeletons From The Closet series. The future of SFTC is uncertain at the moment, but I'm thinking of focusing on a few of my favorite cameras next year, for longer than a month. I may even do multiple cameras at the same time. We'll see.

 

So, time to start thinking about some new projects, and continue on some current ones. I'm sure I'll find some good live music being played in the local venues even as it snows outside, for example.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Wrapping Up "Whole Lotta Leica" - December's Lens, the Elmar 3.5cm f3.5 LTM (ca. 1937)

 

December's WLL Lens, the 1937 Elmar 3.5cm

 

Well, folks, this is the final monthly installment of Whole Lotta Leica. I've kept it up for the entire year of 2013, and have enjoyed the project. But, I'm (almost) out of lenses in the 35-50mm range to pair up with my Leica M9, and I feel it's run its course.

 

This month's lens is a tiny 35mm Leica Thread Mount (LTM) beauty. It's so small that the accessory handgrip on my M9 sticks out further from the body than this lens does. Of course, it will benefit from the use of a hood, which will change that somewhat.

 

I had this lens CLA'd (cleaned, lubed, adjusted) by DAG some time back, and have not used it much at all. I think it's a fitting selection for the final monthly installment of WLL.

 

It has been difficult to make sure that I get out more than once each and every month with the monthly lens selection, especially when I pick a lens that's kind of an oddity or specialty, and won't really do as my go-to lens for the month. That pressure has actually been good, but now I'm going to loosen up the constraints on myself.

 

I also think it's probably time to send the M9 off to Leica for a cleaning and adjustment. It still looks as new as when I bought it, but I've put the camera through its paces this year.

 

I plan to do something in terms of a wrap-up of the WLL project, and will probably at least use my favorite image from each month to make a calendar for myself for 2014. I'll be sure to share whatever I do.

 

I hope you've all enjoyed the monthly installments. Time to cook up something different for 2014!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Chinatown San Francisco - Leica M9 and Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 - Whole Lotta Leica

In October, I traveled to San Francisco for the annual meeting of the LHSA (International Leica Society). One of our events was an evening photo tour of Chinatown. All of these shots were made with my Leica M9 and my Whole Lotta Leica lens for October, the venerable Summicron 50mm f2 (version 3).

 

Pre-Tour Briefing, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/125 sec.

 

There was enough interest that we split the group into two, and headed out on the short walk from the Marines Memorial, host hotel for our meeting.

 

I have an affinity for Asian culture. You'll see that when I visit a major city, I usually end up in Chinatown. Stayed tuned for a future post of NYC's Chinatown, for example.

 

One of the things I always enjoy is seeing signs written in the native language of the immigrants who live there. To me it means I'm really visiting where these people from a very different culture actually live, not just cook for and sell to Westerners.

 

Native Language, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/60 sec.

Straightening the Sign, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f4.8, 1/350 sec.

Of course, there are plenty of signs and advertisements aimed at welcoming non-Chinese guests to the area:

 

Chinatown Mural, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f3.4, 1/125 sec.

 

If you've read my post about tea-tasting at Ten Ren's in Chinatown, here's the back of the tea shop, replete with graffiti:

 

Ten Ren's by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/125 sec.

 

Far more interesting to me than the signs, however, are the people. Here's a sampling of how I see the people of Chinatown, part of and separate from their city environment.

 

Through the Shop Window, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/125 sec.

 

Twins, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f3.4, 1/125 sec.

 

Fishmonger, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 640, f2.4, 1/125 sec.

 

Our tour went into the dusk. As the lights come on in Chinatown, the feeling completely changes. I need to work on a night time series in Chinatown at some point, maybe my next visit to San Francisco. I hope that trip comes soon.

 

Chinatown Lights Up, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 640, f2, 1/125 sec.

As you can see, I decided to shoot with one lens and one camera on this tour, to minimize the need to fiddle with gear. That worked out pretty well for me. There is so much you can do with a rangefinder like the M9 and a fast 50mm lens like the Summicron. The lens is unmatched in my collection.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Whole Lotta Leica - October Results - That Summicron Bokeh

Not All That Matters Is Sharp, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

iso 400, f2.8, 1/3000 sec.

 

Lens geeks, especially Leica lens geeks, frequently discuss "bokeh." Apparently, bokeh is a Japanese word for "out of focus" areas in an image. The lens design, including the number and shape of the aperture blades, has a lot to do with how "pleasing" a given lens' bokeh will be. In general, more aperture blades, and rounded edges, yield smoother bokeh.

 

The Summicron is known for beautiful bokeh. In fact, I believe it was Mike Johnston who decided that the 35mm Summicron version 4 lens is the "king of bokeh." At any rate, you should expect a lot from any Summicron in this area.

 

In the shot above, I exposed the tree at f2.8, making for very shallow depth of field, on purpose. The combination of a wide aperture and close focus makes for lots of bokeh. To me, the structure in the back is as important as the tree leaves. It gives a strong sense of the context of the image. The red maple leaves go along with the Asian style structure. Neither element would be as strong without the other.

 

People argue about bokeh - what is pleasing, which lenses have the best. I've noticed that the bokeh from some of my cheaper lenses is as nice as higher end lenses. In fact, I've seen quite nice bokeh from very cheap lenses, with few (four) aperture blades. So, I'm not saying you need a Summicron to get beautiful bokeh. I am saying that bokeh can be important to conveying what you want with an image.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

My Education in Tea, October WLL Results (Summicron 50mm f2 v.3)

One of my friends recently got me into trying some fine and exotic teas (thanks, Bill!). While I was in San Francisco, I decided to do something special, and stopped into the Ten Ren's Tea shop in Chinatown. Yes, I know it's a big potential tourist trap, but I found it to be a very enjoyable experience. And yes, they did succeed in selling me some fine teas.

Ten Ren's, San Francisco, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica 50mm Summicron f2, v.3 Lens

iso 400, f2.4, 1/4000 sec.

 

Here's what the tasting room looks like from above. A selection of teas is stored in glass containers (at the front of the serving stone) for you to see and smell the differences between different types of leaves. Notice the lady at top right, taking notes.

Tea Room From Above, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica 50mm Summicron f2, v.3 Lens

iso 640, f2, 1/60 sec.

This is Mary, the very classy and friendly lady who served me my selections.

 

Mary, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica 50mm Summicron f2, v.3 Lens

iso 640, f2.8, 1/60 sec.

I told Mary that I was interested mainly in two types of tea - green and Pu-erh, which I'd heard about but never tasted. Mary served me two different greens - the first from the most famous green tea fields in Taiwan (Formosa), the second a Dragon Well variety. I preferred the Dragon Well, as it tasted a little less "earthy" (also read, "grassy") to me.

 

Next, we moved on to Pu-erh, which is fermented tea. Unlike other types of tea, where the leaves should be kept as fresh as possible, and where storing 1-2 years in proper (cool, dark) conditions is a maximum, Pu-erh gets better with age. Mary had Pu-erh teas from 10-60 years old. I believe the one I tried was 30 years old. The brewing process is different from green teas. First, you use boiling water (green teas should be brewed at a lower temperature, around 85 degrees C), you also throw away the first brew, which is essentially a rinse of boiling water. Finally, you brew it approximately two times longer than greens.

 

The most important thing I learned from Mary is this - you can reuse your tea leaves many times throughout a single day. For greens, 4-5 uses is normal. For Pu-erhs, it can be 15 times or more. That's an important tip. I also learned that as you reuse them through the day, the caffeine content is reduced with each brewing. You can further reduce caffeine by shortening the brewing time. So, by the afternoon when you've brewed several times, your tea is essentially nearly decaffeinated. I like how using the tea throughout the day automatically lessens the caffeine, so you can finish up in the evening with very low amounts of it.

 

So, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I got an education along with experiencing some very nice, high end teas. Did it cost me some money in the end? Yes, I bought two teas and some ginseng powder, which Mary suggested adding to evening teas to help you sleep. But, I get to continue to enjoy those teas for months to come (maybe years for the Pu-erh tea I bought). Well worth the expense.

 

Tea Education, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica 50mm Summicron f2, v.3 Lens

iso 640, f2.4, 1/60 sec.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Whole Lotta Leica - Canon LTM 50mm f1.4 - Kevin the Kiteman!

UPDATE: I don't know what I was thinking. These images were shot with November's WLL lens, the Canon 50mm f1.4, not October's WLL lens, the Summicron 50mm f2 v3. I've updated the information below.

 

Starting out my day of walking around NYC, after meeting Adam Garelick (see yesterday's post), I saw this interesting character riding by:

The Kiteman, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

Canon LTM 50mm f1.4 Lens

iso 400, f6.7, 1/250 sec.

 

Camera set and ready, I struggled to get it out of my jacket and nearly missed him. But I did manage to grab this shot.

 

He smiled and stopped, and called me over to chat. He asked me if I'd ever flown kites as a kid, and what kinds of feelings those memories brought me. He explained that by selling kites in the city, he not only gets to introduce kids to them, he gets to re-introduce adults to flying kites. In fact, sometimes the kids can't get the string out of their parent's hands. He told me that he's had a customer 80 years old just smile from ear to ear from flying a kite again.

 

Frankly admitting that he "hustles" for his money, he said that he tries to do things that spread a little happiness to people, because he realizes we're all in this world together. He told me that instead of being in a jail cell somewhere, he's doing something positive. I told him that I believe he'd be doing something positive even if he was in jail.

 

Our conversation turned to the specific kite that he was flying as he rode by. He said

 

"Do you know what this is?"

 

Phoenix Kite, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v.3 Lens

Canon LTM 50mm f1.4

iso 400, f5.7, 1/250 sec.

 

I said I knew it was a phoenix, a bird rising from the ashes. He was surprised, and said I wouldn't believe how many people said it was just a chicken! The phoenix is an important symbol for him, and shows the ability to rise above anything.

 

I didn't want to carry a kite around the city all day, so I didn't buy one. I did give him a little cash just to help out; he really would have preferred to give me a kite in exchange.

 

His name is Kevin. "Kevin the Kiteman."

 

I love the City. I love being able to meet interesting people. Kevin's doing what he can to help people be happy.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

November's Whole Lotta Leica (WLL) Lens - Canon LTM 50mm f1.4

Canon 50mm f1.4 Lens in Leica Thread Mount (LTM)

ca. ~1972

 

This month's lens is the Canon 50mm f1.4. Some refer to this lens as the "Japanese Summilux." I won't deliberate on whether that's deserved or not. I will say this is one sharp lens. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if it competes well with a Leica Summilux 50mm f1.4 from the same era. I don't have a 50mm Summilux, so I can't say for certain.

 

I have to use a LTM-M mount adapter to use this on my M9; that's no problem at all. They work beautifully, and I've never had a problem with focus shift or anything else when using the adapters.

 

This lens has an odd filter size of 48mm. When I used it on my Leica M8, which required a UV/IR filter, I bought a step-up ring, which allowed me to use a 49mm (much more common size) filter. I still have the adapter on there today, so that I can use a 49mm lens cap. The one I have on there now is a Pentax cap. So, I have a Canon lens mounted to my Leica M9 body, with a Pentax cap. Quite the mix.

 

My copy is a version II, and was made sometime around 1972. I bought it for around $300, and they normally go for $300-$400 on the used market.

 

The original Canon hoods for these lenses are difficult to find. I have seen them listed for $100 or more, which is simply ridiculous. Last year when I went to Japan, I went to a weekend flea market. There was not a lot of camera gear there, and what I did find was expensive. However, I did find a little leather case marked "Canon" at one of the stalls. Opening it up, I could not believe my eyes - there was the exact hood that I needed. One thousand yen (~$13 at the time) later, and it was mine. Very lucky.

 

Anyway, I'll use this lens as my standard lens in November and share the results with you. Results coming soon!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Whole Lotta Leica - Summicron 50mm Version 3 at Point Reyes

I'm traveling as I write this, currently in San Francisco for the annual meeting of the LHSA (International Leica Society). I had the opportunity to meet up with LHSA members Gary Hough and Andy Godlewski the day before the meeting started for a hike and some photography at Point Reyes, about an hour north of the city. Point Reyes is one of my very favorite places.

 

I have several images from the day that I'm looking forward to seeing in more detail, on a screen larger than my iPad. In the meantime, here's a single image from the historic Pierce Point Ranch. I shot this with the Summicron on my M9, and edited it in Snapseed on the iPad.

 

Pierce Point Ranch, Point Reyes, California, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 v. 3 lens

 

 

I find it most difficult to keep up with my writing when traveling. This is where the strategy of writing several posts in advance really works.

 

Now I'm off to the city (San Francisco) to meet up with more friends, shoot, and join a Chinatown photo walk with the LHSA this evening. Great fun.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Revisiting Japan Pictures - Six Months Later

I have the great fortune of visiting Japan often, usually every spring. This year we went in late March, and had a wonderful time, as usual. My wife's cousin, Yoshiko, is a highly-experience guide focusing on the Kyoto area, one of Japan's most historic places. Yoshiko and I spent a half-day walking around Kyoto for a photo tour. It was not the best weather, and in fact rained quite hard. I carried my Leica M9 and 35mm f1.4 Summilux.

 

(Click Here) to read about the Summilux, or use the tab at the top of this page to see all of my Whole Lotta Leica posts, including results posts for this lens.

 

To be honest, I was not very pleased with my own photographic results. Yoshiko took me to some amazing places, and weather is no reason to fail to bring back excellent images. I remember looking through them and thinking that I just had not hit the mark on that day.

 

I decided to go back through those images, and see if I'd missed anything. Here are two shots that I now quite like:

 

Gion Crossing, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summilux 35mm f1.4 Lens

iso 640, f6.7, 1/90 sec.

 

 

Gion, in Kyoto, is the most famous geisha district in Japan. What I really like about the shot above are the secondary elements (the two ladies in kimono sharing an umbrella are the primary element). I love how the ladies across the street are turning to look at them. The Japanese have a fascination with their past and culture, even if many of them no longer practice any aspects of it regularly. They are always interested to see someone who is. The other element I like is the painting of a geisha on the wall to the left of those ladies. It was an announcement for an event, and adds another nice touch of historic Japanese imagery.

 

Here's another that caught my eye:

 

Noren, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summilux 35mm f1.4 Lens

iso 640, f6.7, 1/90 sec.

 

 

I always love the graphic arts in Japan. For example, restaurants frequently hang "noren," decorative curtains, in their doorways. In this shot, you see the purple noren dominating nearly half of the image, and the semi-line of red paper lanterns pulling you further into the picture. The person looking out between the second and third lantern really adds a nice finishing element in my opinion.

 

So, maybe I did a little better than I initially thought. I find that I sometimes need to take a good long time to let my expectations for a particular shoot or event fade before I can fairly judge my own results. I was not able, due to my own limitations, to get the shots I expected on that day, even though I was presented with a rare opportunity and an expert guide. As I'm learning through other pursuits in life, expectations can be expensive; Buddha says they're the root of suffering. Once I get past expectations, I can usually find beauty.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Whole Lotta Leica Lens for October - 50mm Summicron f2, Version III

 

My Summicron 50mm f2, Version 3

 

Sometimes I talk about what would be the last camera or lens I'd ever give up. This is only a useful train of thought to a short extent, because I never plan to do that. However, if I did pick a single lens for my Leica, it would be this one, the 50mm Summicron f2.

 

Mine was built in 1970, and is referred to as a Type 3 lens. It was the first Summicron 50 version (after the collapsible, then rigid, then dual range, each with 7 elements) to be made with six elements. This configuration change reportedly gives up some resolution in favor of higher contrast. Subsequent Summicron 50s used the 6 element configuration as well. Mine has 10 aperture blades, where later versions have 8. Ten should give better "bokeh," or out of focus areas in the image.

 

(Click Here) to see my collapsible Summicron. See my Whole Lotta Leica page (tab above) to see further posts with results.

 

While I thoroughly enjoy the collapsible, it does have a lower contrast, vintage look to the images it produces.

 

The Type 3 is an incredible lens. When it doubt, take the Summicron out.

 

We'll see what it can do on the M9 this month.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Whole Lotta Leica Results - Minolta 45mm f2.8 Rokkor LTM

I have been very busy this month, but did get out a couple of times so far with this month's WLL lens, the Rokkor 45mm f2.8 in LTM.

 

(Click Here) to read about the lens.

 

First off, I took the lens to a meetup with some fellow Leica fans. I'm learning a lot from these guys, who have an amazing knowledge of not only the equipment but of how to use it to great advantage. Anyway, while meeting in the coffee shop, I saw this lovely lady sitting in wonderful backlight and asked if I could take her picture, to which she agreed.

Backlit 1, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM lens

iso320 f5.6, 1/250 sec.

Backlit 2, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM lens

iso320 f5.6, 1/250 sec.

 

I may have benefitted from opening the lens wider in the shots above, as some of the lines in the background (especially those at the top of the lady's head) are distracting.

 

The Rokkor is quite sharp, especially closed down a little as above. One thing I mentioned in the description post is that the aperture setting on my copy is a little fidgety. First, the reference point moves with the focus ring, which will be true of all copies of this particular design. Secondly, and more important, there are no click stops. So, it's very easy to bump it, especially while focusing, and change the aperture setting. I don't know if this is specific to my copy, or if this lens was designed without click stops.

 

On the same day as the meetup, I took the Rokkor to National Harbor in DC, where I was meeting some friends for dinner. It's a lively place, with plenty of people to photograph on a weekend evening.

 

The Awakening Sculpture, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM lens

iso320 f9.5, 1/1000 sec.

"The Awakening" is a focal point of National Harbor. I didn't feel that I found a great composition of the sculpture, but did enjoy the interplay of the people and the piece.

 

Mosaic, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM lens

iso320 f8, 1/1000 sec.

Basking in the Weekend Sun, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM lens

iso320 f9.5, 1/1000 sec.

Another observation about the Rokkor has to do with which framelines you want to bring up on the M9. Since the focal length is closest to the 50mm Leica standard, I chose an LTM-M adapter ring that brings up the 50mm framelines. I find that the angle is much wider, and therefore produces images that go well outside the 50mm framelines. In fact, I think it's close to matching the 35mm framelines. However, I'd rather include some extra elements that may be cropped out later than miss something that was inside the framelines. For this reason, I live with the extra space in the image outside of the 50mm lines, rather than guessing how far inside the 35mm lines it will actually capture.

 

I've found a similar situation with the 40mm Rokkor f2, which came with the Leica/Minolta CL. One of my favorite lenses, the 40mm used to live on my Leica M8 when I had it. I used the 35mm framelines for that lens, which matched the Rokkor 40's actually field of view quite well.

 

Overall I'd say the Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM is a decent lens. Mechanically, it's not up to Leica standards, at least at its current age. Optically, it does quite well. I'll probably not use it a lot on the M9 after this month, but it's a fun little piece to have on a screwmount film camera, for example. It's quirkiness only adds to the fun in that case.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com