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Post by yashica1943 on Sept 12, 2019 12:58:15 GMT -5
I have recently bought a Leica 111f body in very good condition. I doubt if I will use it more than 2 or 3 times a year so I am looking for a 50mm lens at a 'sensible' price, not easy. (Ebay mostly.)
Everything seems to be just out of reach at the moment, anything reasonable always has a fault. I would be quite happy with a Canon f 1.8 L39 - there are dozens for sale from Japan, I have bought cameras from there and they are always well described. But with the Canon lenses they are all described as 'EXC +++++' in the title but there is always, always scratches or fog or fungus until you get to the over £200 mark. The scratches are really obvious in some photos, referred to in the description, but how can they be EXC++++++ ?
This is taking the **** and results in a lot of time wasted trying to find a good one. I guess I will just have to keep saving.
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Post by julio1fer on Sept 13, 2019 20:55:49 GMT -5
You could look for a Soviet one. Jupiter-8 or Industar-26 are usually very decent in my experience, although more proletarian than a Canon.
Another idea would be to wait patiently in a Japanese auction site for a Canon VI, P pr 7 body with lens; sometimes these go together for less than a single lens, which is a riddle for economists.
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Post by yashica1943 on Sept 14, 2019 11:29:24 GMT -5
Thanks for that advice,that is the way that I was thinking. In fact have just 10 minutes ago ordered a Canon 7 with a f 1.8 Canon 50mm lens from a Japanese seller with 100% feedback. Just under £200. The body appears to be 95% good and the lens, if it is as described will be the best one for under £200 that I have found in the last month or so. I will definitely be keeping the Canon Body. I do have a Zorki with a black Jupiter f2 50mm but it just doesn't seem right putting that on a great 1953 body! I will report back when it arrives..............................
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Post by julio1fer on Sept 14, 2019 20:36:40 GMT -5
Good! let us hear how it came out! The Canon 7 is an excellent L39 body.
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Post by paulhofseth on Sept 16, 2019 1:24:57 GMT -5
in my experience, the IIIc is very robust bur has fiddly film threading needing a longer harrow lead in forn the film, while the /7s metal foil shutter needs careful handling so as not to get whinklrs. Absolutely period-correct optics will not allow a modern coating so a 4 element construction like the ccollapsible Elmar would be the right choice. If you experiment with using mm gauge thred lenses on the inch gauge based Leitz threaad, you will find some resistance if the thread is not strongly worn.
p..
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Post by yashica1943 on Sept 17, 2019 5:23:43 GMT -5
I have looked at a lot of Elmars, I admit that they are the best match, or something else by Leitz but I have not found an Elmar without scratches. Scratches and fungus are not acceptable to me at all because eventually I will sell it on (or one of my family will have to.). I am on a fixed pension and £200 is (more than!) my maximum.
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Post by philbirch on Sept 23, 2019 6:53:43 GMT -5
The canons all have wrinkly shutters - it happens, but doesn't affect the performance. I have a couple of LTM lenses if you contact me by PM
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Post by yashica1943 on Sept 24, 2019 9:53:00 GMT -5
The Canon 7 arrived today. I had to pay the 20% VAT on it before it could be delivered. First impressions are that it is clean, everything works, including the meter, the viewfinder and rangefinder, the lens is bright with only very slight oil marks on the diaphragm (expected), the shutter is not wrinkly. But I havent put the lens on the Leica yet! Very happy so far.
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Post by philbirch on Sept 26, 2019 5:18:35 GMT -5
Sounds good, thats the only thing when ordering from japan: the VAT and the £8 collection charge to the Royal Mail. How long did it take to come? The Canons really are well constructed arent they? The 50mm f1.8 is likely to be better than the Elmar in terms of resolution and contrast. I understand about putting the Jupiter on your leica, but they can be really good, especially the older ones. But as yours is black it'll be a later model. 1970s at a guess, by which time they were hit and miss. I would offer you am older KMZ lens: a made-for-Zorki industar 22 from 1962. It looks better as its the same shape as the Elmar. I could let you have it for the price of the postage.
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Post by yashica1943 on Sept 27, 2019 4:24:55 GMT -5
Phil, thank you for the offer, I will take it up. I ordered the Canon on Sunday the 15th September, it was in this country on the following Friday, it arrived on Wednesday the 25th. The body is really nice and clean, the exposure meter works and appears to be more or less accurate. My Zorki is from 1971, quite a nice one........
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Post by philbirch on Oct 2, 2019 18:01:20 GMT -5
it always amazes me that selenium meters from the 50's still work. I dont trust them, I trust sunny 16! Lens on its way
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