I'm getting an itch to shoot film again. I have a lovely Voigtlander Bessa RF that I just pulled out recently and I'm thinking of trying it out at some weddings, or just some fun out-and-about shooting. I need a lens for it, so I'm searching.

I miss film!

Anyone else miss it, think about it, play with it?

Anyone else using a RF for shooting? I'd love to get a thread going on the joys of shooting with them.

I have to admit, I got this itch watching Jeff Ascough shooting weddings with his incredible Leica collection on the Masters of Wedding Photography DVD. But I was very disappointed to learn that even he went digital recently. I'm thinking of sending him an email to express my dismay.

Ditto.

I was just chatting with KrisW yesterday and am thinking of picking up a Mamiya 7 and a standard 50mm lens.

It is fun shooting film again. I shot some at our last OSP MN gathering, still have to do something with them though so I don't have anything to share at this moment.

I've also been contemplating super 8 film - I'd love to make some silent films on real (reel ?) film.

Hey Bruce,
I used to shoot a Leica for fun and recently borrowed a friends M6 and shot 5 rolls at a wedding. To be honest, I now remember why I used to shoot all medium and large formats! 35mm film is just so small and so soft. It was great for a couple of moody black and whites but otherwise really illustrated to me why I switched to digital in the first place- a 35mm sized body with great AF with the ability to make huge prints.
I love, love, love how the rangefinders work and how quiet they are but the ability to make big prints was really missed! Hmm, that $5500 for that M8 with a lens isn't sounding as bad...

Not so sure the M8 is in my (near) future, but I was intrigued by Jeff's use of M6's for his wedding work. And I wonder if he switched to the M8 since going digital. I would be shocked if he stopped using the Leica lenses considering his excellent collection (and BIG investment).

I shoot my X-panII for some of my nature stuff and love it.

Who needs a rangefinder?

That's awesome!! Wouldn't it be fun to bring one of those to a wedding, just to see the reactions?

Doug, I'm curious about your XPan lens selection. Are they Zeiss optics? Any non-Hassy lenses that you've tried on it?

I don't think any other lens besides the one's that they make for the X-pan will fit on the camera. It's weird I actually think the lens on it are Fuji. The first one I ever shot was like a prototype, I rented it from Samy's. Writen all over the camera was Fuji instead of Hassy and even on the lens too. The camera guy told me that Fuji created the x-pan for Hassy and then Hassy put it into production with there stuff. But he was saying that the lens were still Fuji even though they say Hassy. He also said they're made them with the same high quality glass that Fuji uses for it's 6X17 panoramic cameras.

Ok after writing all this I found this on the web:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/compa...models/xpan.htm

If you want one you better get it now they don't make them anymore, cause of the lead parts in the camera.
here's a link: http://www.photonewstoday.com/?p=163

The XPan is no doubt an awesome system, but they are still commanding a pretty high price even on eBay. I like the flexibility of the format, and think it might be cool to capture some panos at a wedding (maybe some bridal party pics).

I've been looking into some of the older Contax rangefinders, too. At one time they were more desirable than (and out-selling) the Leica's among pro shooters. Incredibly well-built, and they also take the full line of Zeiss optics, as well as most other LTM lenses.

I've been using Leica M's for over 13 years and while I don't use them at weddings now(until I get the M8) I still use them for personal work. M6 +50mm - what else do you need when you're just out wlaking around.

The M8 handles just like the M6/M7, slightly larger and with the electronic shutter it is not as quiet as an M6/M7, but still quieter than an SLR.

OK, so I'm real jealous now.

I simply cannot afford a Leica body right now, but I do have the Bessa which is a very nice RF.

Yea, yea, I know. If you're a Leica snob (understandable, since I know I would be ), it simply doesn't measure up, and has nowhere near the appeal. And I can use almost the full range of Leica lenses, though I'm really pleased with the Canon 50 1.4 LTM I got on it.

One of these days, I'll have the M6. Or maybe an MP. Not sure if the M7 is worth the extra $. Wouldn't mind an MP-4 either. Frustrating!

Ok, I've been intrigued by these cameras, I think having one would be great for my PJ stuff. I did a search on ebay for rangefinder cameras, how does this Canon http://cgi.ebay.com/CANON-G-III-QL-CANONET...1QQcmdZViewItem compare to Leica's? What sort of features should I expect out of a better quality rangefinder?

It's my father in law's fault for getting me hooked on Leicas!

The Bessa's are good cameras. I had a Bessa T until it broke for the 3rd time The newer Besssa bodies are built much better over the first ones. And Cosina has come out with some damn good lenses in the last few years. I use the 15mm and 21mm. Still want the 35/1.2 but I'll wait to get it with the M8.

Currently I still use 2 M6's. I never really thought about buying the M7.

We did a test with some really old LTM lenses starting from the '30s up to the 60's using the new Leica M8. Wow! The digital really makes some of those lenses look badddddddddd! I have used an uncoated '34 50mm Elmar for wedding portraits to give them the old film look but that lens needs help with digital!

The MP-4 can be had for good prices since it's usually not "wanted" by allot of Leica collectors. It got a bad rap since it was made after Leica started RF production back up and had a few QA problems.

If you really want a film Leica, get a used M6. If you don't feel the need for a light meter, get an M4 or M4-2/M4-P. Develop the film and get it scanned, presto! Digital files!

Sort of a poor poor man's Leica? Image quality is good, Minolta and Yashica both made similiar cameras. Check what battery the camera uses though as some are no longer made and can be a pain to convert.

You can get a Leica CL or Minolta CLE(same camera) relatively cheap, both cameras have the Leica M mount so you can mount LTM and M lenses. Usually the CL/CLE comes with a 40mm lens.

I'd watch the old Contax RF's as they will be hard to get repaired compared to Leica RF's.

The Leica CL can be found with the standard 40mm 1.4 for around $600. Another option is the one I went with, the Voigtlander R series (mine is the Bessa R3M Anniversary edition). You can get bodies at a good price and they will take almost all Leica screw mount and M mount lenses. My R3M is built very well and has a wonderful, bright 1:1 viewfinder.

Phil, the Canon Canonet is a fixed lens camera ... you cannot change it out. But it is a very inexpensive way to get into playing with rangefinders. Another excellent (and very inexpensive) choice would be a Yashica Electro 35 series. Also fixed lens, but excellent optics!

Keep in mind that many of these cameras are quite old, and there are potential issues to be aware of. One primary concern is hazing and/or fungus on the lens elements. My Canon 50mm screw mount lens is probably from the late 1950's or early 1960's, but it is in excellent condition. Another important problem area is the shutters.

None of these less expensive cameras can be compared to the Leica, which is in a class all it's own. This wasn't necessarily the case back in the 40's and 50's, when other makers competed well with, or even surpassed, Leica. But those same cameras today still command high prices (such as the Nikon S series).

The world of rangefinders is vast and has a rich history. If you are interested, here are two great websites:

Photoethnography

Cameraquest's Classic Cameras

Hope that helps!!

Thanks for the info guys. Anyone know anything about Fed-2? http://cgi.ebay.com/FED-2-Russian-Soviet-U...1QQcmdZViewItem Supposedly a Leica copy, I might have to pick up one of these if it is a reasonable copy (although I need a film scanner too lol)

If you really want a Fed, get the Fed 5. Sometimes in blue or red! It's a LTM camera and is a little better than the older Fed 2. I have a couple Fed's and some Kiev's(Contax copy). Some of the lenses, Jupiter models are actually quite decent.

Fun to use and if it breaks just buy another one!

By the way, welcome to OSP, Chris!! I notice you started your first post in this thread.

I'm curious to know if you ever tried shooting with the M6 at a wedding. Some would say it's the perfect tool, and I'm going to take my Bessa to my next one just to try it out.

I would love to see the digital equivalent of the Canonet. Sigma makes something that is heading that direction, but it has an f4 lens.

Jeff completely switched to Canon several years ago.

http://jeffascough.typepad.com/wpj_resourc...ment_freak.html

Do you mean a Sigma digital rangefinder?

There was the Epson R-D1, the first digital RF, and the only other I can think of is the Leica M8, which I might have purchased if I didn't need a car instead.

Not a rangefinder, it's just a point and shoot, but it has a fixed lens and the sensor is from a DSLR.

http://www.sigma-dp1.com/

Wow!! That Sigma looks sweet! The design reminds me of the Leica digital p+s ... very nice looking.

It will be very interesting to see the reviews and pics from one of these. Is there a release date?

That Sigma *is* interesting, although I haven't yet seen visual proof that a Foveon chip offers any practical benefits over bayer arrays.

I believe I'd get real frustrated with the fixed 28mm (equivalent) focal length. If I were a better photographer I could probably make it work.

I thought the Sigma looked real interesting until I found out it was an f4 lens. That seems real slow to me, especially for a fixed focal lens. Make it f2 and I'm in.

I've shot quite a few weddings with Leicas. All the B&W on my website were shot with a M6 or MP with a 35mm lens on HP5. I was shooting all the color stuff on a Mamiya 6, which is just a big Leica.

Since going all digital, I've really missed the rangefinder, so light and quiet and I got real used to seeing the world through a 35mm lens. A few weeks ago I took the plunge and picked up the M8. I have to say it never leaves my side. I've just relocated to Portland OR so I've yet to shoot a wedding with it. I hope that will change soon!

Wow!!

That is great! I would really love to hear your take on shooting with the M8. I've read the online reviews.

Checked out the b+w's ... nice work! Care to delve into the pros/cons of shooting RF's at a wedding?

Thanks! Yep saw a post on RF's and had to chime in.

Until 4 years ago, almost all my weddings were shot with M6's. I did use MF then digital for the posed/wedding party/family shots. I'd have Pictage or a local lab scan all my film. Now I'm all digital at weddings though I do sometimes get the "arty" couple that wants the BW film look.

Now that the M8 has updated firmware for improved high ISO's and faster menu controls, I'm just about ready to get an M8 for myself - I've been borrowing to many! How I'd love to have some lightweight gear with me for wedding again. It was great a few years ago to get to a reception and just carry around 2 M6's.

My favorite M lens to use at weddings is the 35/1.4. Great for low light but also you can just set it at f/5.6 at 10ft and almost never worry about focusing.

Funny story, I was shooting a wedding once where I was photographing a flower girl. I took a few photos and then she asked if she could see the photos. I told her you could not with this camera, she was very,very dissapointed.

I do keep an M6 in my bag just in case.......

Well, the obvious question, Chris, (which probably has an obvious answer) is why did you switch to digital SLR's if you enjoyed the RF shooting?

I can't help but to think that after a period of time, you won't be able to resist the urge to go back to either RF's (the M8?), or at least to film. That's kinda' where I'm at after shooting digital for the past 4 years, after 18 years shooting film. There are some things about digital that I really don't enjoy.

I'm entering this discussion a bit late!

I love my Leica M8, and it is quickly gaining stature as my favorite camera with which to shoot weddings.

It is whisper quiet and extremely responsive -- the lenses are so sharp! I can shoot images handheld down to 1/4 second. I can shoot in some pretty dark situations when I've got my 50/1.0 lens mounted on the camera. What's best, the camera looks like a toy, so people ignore me as I'm walking around shooting. They think I'm some crazy cousin with a pawn shop camera. It's like wearing an invisibility cloak!

Best,

Andrew

Andrew (and Jimmy), have you experienced any of the "magenta blacks" apparently due to a weak IR filter in the M8? The solution, if I am understanding this, is a screw-on UV/IR filter, as well as firmware upgrades. However, considering the incredible quality of Leica optics, the recommendation to place a filter over those lenses is odd.

I'd be interested to know your experience.


So what other gear are you using? And I'm very curious to know about flash shooting with the M8 system ... compatibilities and suggestions.

Bene' told me yesterday that she was planning to get me an M8 for Christmas but she wasn't sure which lens I wanted to start and she really wasn't sure I would want her to spend that much on me.



I told her I wanted a 35/1.4.

Wow, that would be a Christmas to remember! To take a little sting out of the M8 purchase I'd recommend the Voigtlander 28 1.9 It's razor sharp, works out to be 37mm equivalent which is a great all around focal length. That lens is basically my body cap! Zeiss just came out with a 50mm 1.5 that is supposed to be fantastic, I have the Voightalnder 50 1.5 and is the sharpest 50mm I've used, and the Zeiss is made by the same people.

Andrew is right, people don't take you seriously with that little camera, used to seeing wedding photographers hauling the big digi with the giant grip, stroboframe with flash and cords dangling everywhere, battery pack on the hip...an M8 with a tiny Metz flash (if absolutely necessary) makes you a fly on the wall. Your not going to get a ring shot but that's what the D40x is for;-)

BTW, M8 prices are going up up up. If you're going to pull the triger...

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/...lmarit-new.html

Digital really took the place of MF for me, then of course led to shooting all digital simply for the fact it was easier workflow instead of using digital and scanned film. Plus travelling with film can be a pain at some airports. Hurricane Katrina helped also by destroying my darkroom!

HaHa! Die hard Leica users would laugh at the mention of using fliters! But to get rid of the magenta casts in earlier version M8's the IR filter is needed. I've used 2 newer M8's that don't seem to suffer as much on the magenta cast. But you what? Leicas are made for BW anyway!

I have not used it with an M8, but I've used Nikon's TTL cords SC-17/SC-19 with the Leica SF20 flash on M6's. Works well if you want off camera flash, the flash will even fit in your pocket. Of course the whole idea of and super quiet camera with fast lenses is NOT to use flash but sometimes it's needed. The new SF24 Leica flash is made for the M8.

I really need to quit talking about the M8 as I need some new computer gear before spending $$ on an M8.

Aw, c'mon, Chris! You can always buy new computer gear, but the M8 prices are climbing. Get one while they're "affordable".

Andrew, I saw the pics of you with your M8 in Norway on Garrett's blog ... sweet!! Makes me wonder if you have shots from it posted anywhere.

Fujifilm has an OEM (basically rebadged of the hassy xpan) camera called the TX-2. It is still available from ebay sellers in HK new!

The 45mm lense that is standard isnt really wide enough (shot an esession in Sydney city with is on sat) but the 30mm is very $$$

J