|
Post by dee on Jul 29, 2012 16:58:22 GMT -5
Just curious - I am awaiting a 1930s Rat Contax II .
There is more brass than chrome - Contax chrome was so thin . I guess I cheated with the shot leather replaced by new tan boookbinders' skin . The awful paint stripped and rough bare metal simply rubbed down a bit . I love the idea of such a previously hugely expensive classic , reduced to near oblivion [ sold as spares ] now returned to perfect , snappy perfection , complete with scars which are well past ' patina ' . Much more fun than even my near mint KNeB [ Kiev ] II !
Do you have a tired but beautifully working camera ?
|
|
|
Post by dee on Jul 14, 2012 18:04:43 GMT -5
A selenium meter is precisely why I am awaiting a Kontax IV from Ukraine - the pleasure and quality of a genuine 1930s Contax III body plus the convenience and ease of use of a 1957 Kiev top plate and meter with new cell . I second the Leningrad 4 meter too , though I have several working Westons .
dee
|
|
|
Post by dee on Jul 12, 2012 14:32:27 GMT -5
I would JUST love that 1949 ! Mine are just 1951 CLA in Ukraine and 1952 in great working condition . I also have a dual script 1955 II and damn near mint / cased 1956 KIev IIa . Pride of place , however , is my worthless parts Contax / Kiev shutter rebuild .
There is much evidence that most Kievs up to around 1955 , were of EQUAL quality to a Contax II/III - established by techs who have worked on both .
My Contax III with early Kiev 4 meter has been lost in Ukraine for two years , hence my losing interest a bit - the agent claimed personal problems etc , so my Rat Contax II / KNeB IV ex-Kiev IIIa / 4 and Contax IV never arrived . That's £150 each . He has been back in Contact since I have seen him mention the silver/tan Rat on Facebook and e-mailed rather than comment on his page .
|
|
|
Post by dee on Mar 9, 2011 17:30:37 GMT -5
The trouble with UK is that we have way too many corners for most USA cars and we don't have the history of the muscle cars you love in over the pond !
My 1st car in 1970 was a new 602cc Citroen Dyane with O-60 in 30 secs and top speed of 75mph . Being stopped by the cops at 85 downhill with a tail wind [ way off the speedo ] was quite an occasion - they let me off as they could not believe it ! [ massive flywheel and twin cylinder engine designed to overun means the longer the downhill straight ... ]
I did update to a twin cam 1300cc Lancia Beta in 1979 though LOL - that would just reach 99 mph , but unlike the Cit hit a brick wall flat out
I have problems dating USA cop shows etc 'cos I can't date the cars easily LOL . But it does look kinda cool ...
|
|
|
Post by dee on Mar 9, 2011 17:19:08 GMT -5
My 1st ' real camera ' circa 1972 was a new Dixons exclusive Prinzflex STTL aka Cosina Highlight - with front facing shutter dial . I agonised over chrome or black , or the Wallace Heaton Zodel equivalent , available only in black . [ Just as I did years later in Dixons once again over a close out SRT 101b - with plastic or chrome shutter speed follower on the lens mount ] Thanks to e-bay , I now have one of each plus the original Prinzflex TTL [ Ricoh Singlex clone ] and M1 version . I guess that the ' professional ' look of black won the day , but ruefully , I found that , unlike the Zodel which brasses beautifully , the Prinzflex is painted over the chrome - something I have not seen since . It was clunky compared to say , a Pentax Spotmatic , but served me well until I traded it for an Olympus OM1 , which I hated [ !!! - does everyone like these sharp , awkward , bitty little cameras ? ] A MInolta SRT from a previous generation , came to the rescue - , I loved it until the XD7 came along . Of course , I now have black and chrome SRTs . I have realised that Autism tends to imprint upon a certain ' feel ' , so , in retrospect , the slightly rounded similar size / weight SRT was a perfect step up ... as is my pair of Leica Digilux 3 and Pansonic L1 . However , given the Cosina Files in this space , how would you really rate these second string , poor relation , amateur SLRs ? I never felt short changed in respect of lense quality [ somewhat ' cooler ' than my Rokkors ] shutter / meter accuracy etc . I guess they would never stand up to the bashing that a Pro would give a Nikon / Canon or Minolta [ in USA ] but mine never failed me in normal useage . I use a standard 50mm f 1.7 on the Panasonic L1 and have no complaints when stopped down to around f 5.6 / f 8 and would not hesitate to use it wide open , though a Rokkor would be crisper . dee
|
|
|
Post by dee on Nov 21, 2010 12:32:40 GMT -5
It's odd that I have chosen to extend the capabilities of the Panasonic L1 over the Pentax K10d or G1 . This is because a further , used , Olympus 40-150 lens was only £65 , mint , and the combination is reasonably compact and light compared with a similar 80-300 combination on the K10d . With the Olympus 14-42 over the Leica zoom , it's also a neat mini system camera . I also find it intuitive to use , and love the de-ranged finder style of the camera , and my Rokkors still offer the low ight facility at f 1.7 / f 1.4 . The live view may be clumsy , but it is also useful at times . The other bonus , for one who hates flash photography , is that the built in flash can be directed at the ceiling , for a softer effect . The focus still shunts like crazy though ! With an adequate 7.5 million pixels , the file sizes are smaller too . So what that it's old news !?
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 31, 2010 4:49:47 GMT -5
Most like to collect all or some of the variations . I am considering spending another £190 to restore two more KNeB II bodies to create a sequence of 1950 / 51 / 52 / 53 .
I discovered a few years back that I like several of the same , or very similar . It worried and intrigued me because something odd was happening with my perceprtion .
It is as if I am not seeing ' Several Inputs ' but ' Input Repeated ' which serves to make the object more solid / more tangible . My mind seems to see in snapshots , not joining it all together to create a film - disconnected details , so it's very connected to photography with a 50mm lens or more - 67 ex 50 on the M8 , 70 ex 35 on 4/3rds , m43 .
Intellectually , I ' understand ' that I am seeing , say 2 KNeB II cameras , or even a group of Kiev II / Contax II ... but there is this primitive sense of just a repeat of snapshot ' Kontax ' profile .
It worked when several RT or RM London Buses in a row ... as if my mind was seeing RT Bus repeated . I guess , in a sense , I was , maybe the mind needs another process to work out ' Another ' rather than ' Same Again ' which Autism disrupts .
Sequences also help , maybe since having learned 0 1 2 3 , it's easier to take in ?
One of the proposed KNeB II bodies for restoration is a 1950 , whereby only about 2 - 3000 were made , the other 1953 has the number 532313 which again is comfortable to resolve . I like the fact that the 1950 was the 1st production year , after 1948/9 when the few were given to important Party Officials and are mega rare .
I don't pretend to understand this , but the recognition of a different processing mechanism [ damaged ? ] from the majority helps me to understand why so many of ' Same ' - and finding something rare which my mind feels is almost real and safe creates a craving for more of the same .
Just another input into the world of collecting !
dee
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 30, 2010 14:00:38 GMT -5
I have the opportunity to buy two KNeB II bodies , 1950 and 1953 . I also have funds to restore them , but this will be my final expenditure on Kievs / Contax .
This would create a sequence of 1950 , 1951 , 1952 , 1953 .
Do you like colecting same in sequence ?
dee
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 25, 2010 16:42:02 GMT -5
Jonnar 3 goes digital ! The Contax mounted J3 in Sonnar mount will shortly be mounted on my Leica M8 , courtesy of an ' amadeo ' adapter . Can't wait !
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 25, 2010 11:54:43 GMT -5
The adapter has been bought and is awaited . Currently , £180 is a considerable sum for me , by selling other stuff via e-bay , it's kinda recycled ! LOL. I really had to agonise over this - could I find a better M or 39mm lens for £200 ? Eventually , I accepted that the remarkable 50 f 1.8 Helios , only available in Kiev mount , would give me the sharpness and atmosphere which I miss with the Summitar . I will also have the light gathering of my Jupiter 3 in it's Sonnar guise .
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 24, 2010 17:49:32 GMT -5
I part exchanged a new Olympus OM1 for the archaic SRT way back when - my all time fave SLR , but I only have 4 .
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 24, 2010 17:46:53 GMT -5
I have at great expense [ £180 ] ordered a beautifully machined amadeo adapter from Contax RF to Leica M .
My M8 is permanently adapted to my 39mm Summitar / Elmar / CV 35 f 2.5 and tiny Fed 50 f 3.5 .
Now , I can use my Sonnar collapsible 50 f2 , a rigid Sonnar 50 f2 , a Jupiter 3 50 f 1.5 in true Sonnar mount , and crisp Helois . Not to mention the dozen or so Jupiter 8 / 8m from my Kievs .
This is great for my ASD thing about Kontax !
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 24, 2010 17:40:10 GMT -5
I mentioned that I have cameras sent to Ukraine which I will not be restoring , and aked if anyone might like to pay Mike Haley the cost of restoring , and shipping - without any payment to me .
It was because I would be pleased that someone else might experience a Kiev II or IIa at minimal cost .
I apologise if this was inappropriate , and feel obliged to withdraw this offer .
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 13, 2010 14:51:45 GMT -5
Thanks to mindblowing sales of Dinky Toys on e-bay , an ex-dem Panasonic G1 has joined my 4/3rds G1 - with a mind blowing difference of scale from one black brick , to mini-DSLR styling .
Far from relegating the L1 to history , I have also invested the princely sum of £70 for a clean used Olympus 14-42 zoom - much more useable than the monster Leica f2.8 zoom which is jammed anyway .
It will now be on par with the weight of a Nikon D90 , if not in quality LOL - but the D90 cannot ' adopt / adapt ' my trusty Rokkors , which is why I bought it initially .
It's somehow a modern dinosaur of DSLRs - Leica / Pansonic's OOPs moment - trying to maintain traditional operation , when all around , the new interface had taken hold . I am just delighted at their faux pas .
The G1 , however has a ' waist level ' cross screen ' finder ' and can be coaxed to adopt my lovely CV 35mm f 2.5 Color Scopar and a vintage Summitar . Too much of a temptation !
|
|
|
Post by dee on Oct 1, 2010 2:16:56 GMT -5
Maybe it's a Kiev 4 restored with scrap Contax parts LOL .
There are so many dead Contax cameras around , many of which would be destined for spares donors . This Contax donated it's entire top plate / controls and meter parts , and it deserved a better fate . I now have a genuine Contax III because of this .
Ironically , though the very dead Kiev 4 was not ' worth ' spending £100 restoring , with it's non ridged meter cover , it may be more rare than the Contax ! I love selenium meters - and am reassured by the ability to check sunny 16 , so a Kontax IV is a perfect compromise .
I sympathise with purists , but I like to create cameras which Autism can embrace .
dee
|
|