Leica Camera

Got early to Little Lake Park, Midland, Ontario this morning and so I was able to park my car inside the park, shortening my walking. I brought along two cameras, digital and film, Nikon D3100 and a Leica IIIf. I found the Leica and I need to schedule more practice sessions. I had forgotten how hard it is to focus it using the rangefinder. Today I relied primarily on setting the distance using the lens barrel distance scale and shooting at f8. I am looking forward to getting the negatives and prints back.

What follows is from the Nikon. There was a parade and a War of 1812 encampment among other activities.

Sunny but a bit like a frying pan. War of 1812 re-enactors in wool uniforms were very warm.

Next weekend I intend to use my old film camera, a Leica IIIf, to photograph an encampment of War of 1812 re-enactors who will be at Little Lake Park in Midland, Ontario for Canada Day.

The Leica IIIf is a 35mm film compact rangefinder camera with the Leica screwmount lens mount. With a collapsible Elmar 5cm f3.5 lens, it is a very small, eminently pocketable camera.

It has no swing open back like many old film cameras. Instead it has a removable base plate and although this makes reloading slower and fussy, it results in an incredibly strong body.

Below is some internet resources and a series of my photos and you should pay attention in particular to the shot of the back that shows the two eye openings for the rangefinder and the viewfinder. You use the rangefinder to align the split image. You use the viewfinder to frame the image, it shows the full 50mm view.

Internet resources:

some stuff about loading the Leica IIIf, as always its amazing what you can find out about a 60 year old camera on the internet

http://photo.net/columns/joshroot/filmtown/2009/january/leica-IIIf-fuji-provia-100f by Josh Root on photo.net

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heMk-4hde9E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJSiNm0IWj4

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45352

http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/screw-mount/iiif.htm

http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/002pDy

Cameraquest article, Leica IIIf RD ST Camera as art form http://www.cameraquest.com/3frdst.htm

Leica IIIf with Elmar 5 cm f3.5 lens extended into shooting position

Leica IIIf fitted with a Leitz Hektor 13.5cm (135mm) telephoto lens

front view of Leica IIIf with 5cm Elmar lens collapsed and lens cap mounted

Top view of Leica IIIf with Elmar 5 cm lens collapsed

Leica IIIf rear view showing location and size of eye openings for Rangefinder and separate viewfinder

Leica IIIf side view showing Elmar 5 cm lens extended into shooting position

how to trim the film leader for loading in a Leica IIIf

Screwmount Lens size comparison: l. to r. Jupiter 8 5cm f2.0 lens (non-collapsible), Elmar 5cm f3.5 (collapsed), Cosina Voigtlander 5 cm f3.5 (collapsed) – a bit misleading, the CV has its lens flare hood attached