Leica M3 Review

The Leica M3 is one amazing camera and I absolutely love it to the max. I had this camera for almost 5 years after I bought my Leica M2. I have always loved the design and built  of the film Leica cameras particularly those made in the  early 50’s till early 70’s.The built quality and use of materials are impeccable which explains why it still look pretty darn good after 50 over years. The finish is flawless even till today and it has the smoothest film advance I have ever come upon on a film camera. It feels like it’s running on a layer of butter !

The M3 is the first M series ever produced by Leica in Solms, Germany back in 1954. Equipped with a bright 0.92x viewfinder, 3 frames lines ( 50, 90 and 135 ), a self timer and 1/1000th sec shutter speed is all the features there is in this camera. Pure simplicity and only the essentials. What I love most about this camera ( besides it’s look ) is the viewfinder. It has the clearest and highest magnification viewfinder among all the M series and best of all it’s flare resistant ! The newer M6 classic, M6 TTL and M7 are prone to flare which makes focusing really difficult when shooting against strong lights. Only the recent Leica MP has flare proof RF like the M3. As I love shooting against back light , this is a truly a blessing. 

The 50mm frame is permanently visible, with broad white lines and rounded corners.
The 90 and 135mm frames pop up when the corresponding lens is inserted. Very clever and first in it's class back in that era. 
If there is a need to use 35mm or wider lenses, the M3 with its basically 50mm viewfinder is handicapped and it’s almost impossible to guess the exact frame lines. The only way would be to use the Leica 35mm with auxiliary reducing goggles or an additional 35mm view finder attached to the camera hot shoe. Easy fix indeed.  

There are many variants of M3 in the market due to it's long production life , hence the serial number is the easiest way to gauge which version you are having. Older M3’s adopted the continental shutter speeds (1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250) and later ones the international range (1/30, 1/60 etc.). The first version of the M3 has a smaller viewfinder frame , require double stroke to wind film ( cock twice instead of one time ) and lower ISO / ASA range on the indicator. Later models have subtle upgrades on all these parts. 

Film loading on the M3 is slightly conventional where one needs to remove the spool from the camera. It is indeed a little slower then the M6 quick load style but at least it is the most reliable and fool proof loading method. There are a few times where the film leader wasn’t securely fasten to the take up spool chamber on the M6. I know this is more like a user problem …but the M3 loading method does not have such room for errors. I heard that the quick load kit work wonders by converting the M3 conventional style to more modern M6 style but I was told that the film counter will not reset itself. I can live with it hence not a biggie for me.

I use this camera mainly for black and white photos. I love pairing it with the 50mm f2 dual range Summicron or the 5cm f2 collapsible cron with yellow filters for that classic black and white look. For metering, I’ll either use the sunny 16 rules when I’m outdoor or my trusty light meter apps on my iphone for more tricky lighting condition. Works great for so far and really enjoy using this camera a lot and I am a big fan of 50mm lenses. 

If you ever plan to get one , I would suggest hunt around for a serial number above 950,000 as most likely will have one with all the subtle upgrades implemented. Do check the rangefinder mirror too for signs of desilvering as repair would be costly. Comparing to the M2 , M5 , M6 classic , M6 ttl which I have, the M3 is still one of my all time favourite . 

What is Rangefinder Cameras ?

Just like the tittle of this post implies, I love rangefinders camera A……LOT as compared to other types of cameras simply because of it’s focusing and shutter mechanism. All rangefinders camera usually utilizes either the focal-plane shutter (Leica M, Zorki, Kiev, Contax iia etc) or the leaf-shutter mechanism (Yashica Electro, Canon Canonnet, Minolta Hi-Matic, Mamiya 6/7 and etc).

Rangefinder cameras are usually much smaller than SLRs, quieter ( due to no flapping mirror ) , can be handheld at much slower speeds, flash sync at all speeds, focus in very low-light / low-contrast, are much more rugged, and usually cheaper except for the Leica of course. They are less complicated and moving parts thus less likely to break.

Using the rangefinder cameras require sometime of getting used to specially if one are used to shooting with a SLR . The images on the SLR viewfinder is ‘what you see what you get’ as it was focus through the lens. Rangefinder on the other hand focus through the viewfinder which is located on the side of the camera which is not through the lens.  To focus with these rangefinders, one would just have to turn the focusing tab on the lens to match the superimpose subject  in a small rectangular box right in the center of the viewfinder. It’s fairly easy when you are used to it. Being a rangefinder, the cloth shutter curtain is really silent  as it does not have a flapping mirror. Almost identical to our modern day mirror-less camera such as the Olympus Pen.  Also the size of the camera body and lenses is a lot less bulkier hence carrying the camera all day long would no be much of a problem. This is the reason why most street photography love using rangefinder camera as compared to SLR.

• Pros

  1) Light weight and small

  2) Silent and unobtrusive

  3) Can be hand held at much lower shutter speed, say 1/15s on a 50mm.

  4) Sharper images as RF lenses normally protrudes deeply into the camera body and it’s very near to the capturing medium such a film or sensor.

  5) Superb wide angle and normal lenses

  6) No black out when the shutter is pressed.

  7) Superb framing. Easier for photographer to anticipate subject moving into the frame. 

  8) Very bright, aperture independent viewfinder

• Cons

  1) Macro photography is almost impossible for film Rf camera.

  2) Parallax issue when shooting at close range - due to the distance between the viewfinder and lens position .

  3) DOF preview is non existence.

  4) Telephoto lenses are limited to 135 mm or shorter due to frames line restriction.

Yashica 124G Camera Review

Yashica is a huge manufacturer  of 'affordable' TLRS in Japan and the 124G is one of the latest in the production line. The 124 and 124G is basically an identical camera with just a different outlook. All dressed in tuxido black even down to the metal trims and the contact point is supposed to be gold plated to enhance conductivity. I really love the look of this retro MIB sort of camera but comparing it with it's elder Yashica siblings, I could see corners been cut here and there and introduction of plastic parts to lower down production cost. What a shame ! I have the privilege to test out the older model 124 and the winding crank is a lot more smoother and silent. The 124G winding crank sounds like a moving ratchet with loud clicking sound which turns me off totally. It feels like I'm using motorized pencil sharpener.

All of the Yashica TLRs  come with either the Yashikor lenes for older models or the Yashinon lenses on the newer ones. The Yashinon is a Zeiss Tessar copy with 4 elements glass. Image produced from this lens is lower in contrast and saturation as compared to the Minolta Autocord which I have just recently reviewed. For this lens, the center sharpness is decent enough for shooting wide open but corner is a little soft. It doesn't have the bite like the Autocord but it's a whole different look. Color seems more subtle and so is the contrast. Overall the lens is pretty good but there is a catch, it is prone to fogging hence becareful when you are purchasing one. I have a friend who has gotten one which is foggy and it's impossible to clean even by the professionals. Hence BEWARE to check it thoroughly !

The metering on my particular unit is already dead as I got it as a bargain hence I can't comment how accurate it would be. I shoot with the external light meter or sunny 16 anyway hence it's no biggie. The waist level finder is pretty bright and clear but it's a little dimmer as compared to the Autocord or Rolleflex.

The camera layout on the 124G is pretty much like all of the TLRs with focus knob on the left hand side while the winding crank on the right with both the camera setting dials situated right in between the taking and viewing lens. Not much worth mentioning there as it's the standard layout for most TLR camera out there in the market.  It can't match Rolleiflex in term of optics and built quality, in fact it's not intended to do so but it does serve it's purpose.

Summary

Pros : Reasonable price around RM 800 to 1k ish on ebay, a good entry level TLR with built in light meter.

Cons : The winding mechanism is a little rough and the ratchet sound is rather annoying sometimes. The lens is prone to fogging, suspect is the internal lubricants breaking down after many years. Apart from that there is not much complains for a camera at this price range.

Buying tips : Be sure to check thoroughly specially on the taking lens to ensure no fogging. The built in light meter may or may not work but of course if you could find a working unit that is an added bonus. Apart from that the camera is pretty well built and almost problem free.

Nikon FM2 Review

photo credit : Film Shooters Collective

The Nikon Fm2 camera is indeed a work horse.  This is my very first film camera and I’m sure most people started film photography with one too. There are a couple of variations being the original FM2 and the FM2n where the later model have a slightly higher flash sync speed. I have the privilege of owning both of the models (one chrome which I sold off early this year and another in black ) and to be honest I did not notice a slight difference between them apart from the different X sync shutter speed. The earlier models have the more sought after honey comb titanium shutter while later models are aluminum alloy.  I can’t vouch which is better or more durable as I have not encountered any issues with the FM2 so far. Do note that Nikon do not indicate the Fm2n on the camera body hence the only way to differentiate between these models is the flash sync speed of 125 (FM2) and 250 (FM2n) on both of the camera shutter speed dials as well as on the serial number. ( more details on the link below )

The FM2 are equipped with a illuminating LED type metering system which is displayed on the right of the view finder. Like most film cameras back then, the metering is center weighted and it feeds on the readily available LR44 battery which are pretty cheap. I love cameras that could work with or without battery and the FM2 is one of it. The FE2 on the other hand  would not be fully functional once the battery is dead hence giving the FM2 a little bit more of an advantage.

Comparing to other film SLR from that era, I personally favs the FM2 and the Olympus OM1. The FM2 view finder is not as wide or bright as the OM1 but the maximum shutter speed of 1/4000th second on the FM2 is indeed another advantage. The camera layout is well thought off and intuitive to use.

One the streets, it’s fairly easy to use. Maybe that’s why most beginners started off with one. The Nikon F mount works with almost all the lenses from the 50’s till now hence mostly likely it will work with your existing nikon lenses as long it has an aperture ring on it.

There are a comprehensive write up on the FM2 and the F2n variations on the link below. give it a read if you are planning to get one . It’s best to do some homework before investing on a film camera . After all it’s easily 20 years old : ) Hope this helps. Have fun and keep shooting !

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfmseries/fm2/index.htm

Olympus 35sp review

The 35sp was the only compact rangefinder to have a build in spot meter, hence giving it an edge over it’s rival such as the Yashica Electro, Canon Canonet, Monilta Hi-Matic and such. If you are not familiar with rangefinder cameras, click here on my past article 'What is Rangefinder Cameras ?'
The camera come equipped with a fixed 42mmf1.7 Olympus Zuiko lens. Being a prime lens, the optics are indeed very sharp. I truly enjoy the focal length as it is a good compromise between a 35mm ( street photography ) and 50mm (portrait lens). This camera utilizes the leaf shutter mechanism hence it’s possible to hand held at really low shutter speed ..say 1/15s.

On the streets
Using this camera is very fun. It’s basically “like” a point and shoot camera once you set it on A (automatic) mode. The camera is constantly on shutter priority mode when it’s on A . Don’t get mislead by A as Aperture priority like on all modern camera.  Hence the user selects the desired shutter speed, the camera will automatically determines the suitable aperture setting based on the light reading. I normally max out the shutter speed at 1/500s so the camera will be forced to use the min possible aperture setting.

The camera also allows manual operation but the operation is a little tedious. One would have to read the Ev value based on meter reading and set the Ev value manually on the lens for a perfect exposure. I personally find it slow hence more suited for photographing still life or landscape with this exposure method .

Another nice feature on this camera is the close range focus throw . Which mean with a slightly more than a quarter turn it bring the focus from closest to infinity. So with a little practice, shooting moving subject would not be that difficult.

This camera basically come in two version. The Olympus SP as shown here and the Olympus SPn which is basically an identical camera but with an additional battery check button. The SPn is a lot harder to find due to the low production quantity hence will normally fetch higher prices among collectors.

Summary

Pros : Good optics . Small and light which makes carrying it whole days is not a problem. Light meter is fairly accurate and rather spot. Really easy to use and good for everyday cam.

Cons : It's not cheap. A good copy might set you back around RM 1200.