THE HISTORY OF LEICA - VIDEO

Oskar Barnack, the inventor of the Leica at his desk

YouTube has a movie about the history of the Leica.  The video was first aired by the Hessischer Rundfunk in Germany.  Unfortunately no English version or a version with subtitles is available.  But even non-German speaking viewers might find it interesting.  The video contains a large number of images taken by Oskar Barnack, some of which appear to never have been published before.

The Ur-Leica, the original prototype made by Oskar Barnack

Go to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWwarnnM71A&feature=relmfu

For more on the history of Oskar Barnack and the Leica go to:

http://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2014/03/oskar-barnack-and-early-history-of-leica.html

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For high quality camera bags and accessories worthy of Leica equipment, go to

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CLEANING YOUR LEICA LENSES

Regardless of how careful we are, sooner or later our lenses need cleaning.  Opinions differ widely on what the best method to clean a lens is.  Subsequently there are quite a large number of products on the market, and virtually all of them claim that their method is better than anyone else’s.  What to do?

Regardless of which product or which method we use, the two important objectives are that the product and method does clean the lens properly, and that it can be done in a manner that does not harm the lens. 

It is often said that glass scratches easily.  That is correct.  But with modern lenses we actually do not clean the glass surface but rather the anti reflection coating on the lens.  This sometimes brings up some outlandish claims, like the coating is substantially more scratch resistant than just glass, therefore making it unnecessary to be overly careful.  As a matter of fact, at one camera store I overheard a sales clerk claiming that the lens coatings are almost impossible to scratch.  To my horror, he used a pencil with an eraser tip and vigorously rubbed it all over the lens.

One problem is that harmful ways to clean a lens don’t necessarily show up in visible scratches immediately.  These effects are accumulative, and prolonged use will eventually show up.  At that point the harm is done.  It is virtually irreversible.

The best approach is to touch the surface of your lens as little as possible.  If only some dust has settled on the lens, use a rubber blower to remove it.  That often is all that is necessary.  It is advisable, however, not to use so called canned air.  These items emit a rather powerful stream of “air” which inevitably will pick up small dust particles in the air and pound them into the lens surface.  This parallels the principle of sandblasting.  When full, these cans also have the tendency to emit so much of the material inside that it does not gasify before it reaches the lens.  In that case it will settle on the lens in a frozen state.  That obviously will be harmful and should be avoided.

 Typical blower bulb

Any dust that still clings to the lens ran be removed with a soft lens cleaning brush.  Here too a lot of cheap, useless products can be found.  High quality lens cleaning brushes, in many cases, use camel hair or other similarly soft materials.  Any good lens cleaning brush should come with a protective casing to prevent the brush from picking up dirt while being stored.  It is also necessary to shake or blow off any accumulated dust and dirt from the brush, otherwise we end up simply moving dirt around on the lens.

 So called lipstick brush. It retracts and is protected by the cap

Unfortunately it will happen that we get a fingerprint or other smudges on the lens.  Blowers and brushes are of no help here, we need something in addition.  Several years ago, on a visit to Leica, I asked them about this.  I expected some complicated, overly technical approach.  To my surprise I was told to use lens cleaning tissue and lens cleaning fluid.  A bit of research on the internet revealed that this still holds true today.

But caution is definitely on order.  There are a lot of cheap products of this kind on the market.  Some of these are often used as promotional items.  Stay away from them.  Instead pay a bit more for a high quality lens cleaning tissue, as are sold by Zeiss, for instance.  These should be soft and lint free.  The same goes for the cleaning fluid.  To use this system first remove any loose dirt and dust with a blower or brush,  Then use a sheet of the cleaning tissue and put a drop or two of the cleaning fluid on the tissue.  Never put it directly in the lens.  Most lenses have a front element with a convex surface.  Adding the cleaning fluid will most likely result in the fluid to run to the edge of the front lens element and potentially into the lens.  Moisture inside a lens is never a good thing.

Use the moistened lens tissue and gently rub the surface of the lens in a circular motion for just a few seconds, beginning in the center and working your way outward, removing any marks or smear.  If necessary use a second tissue and repeat.  Some lens cleaning fluid might leave a slight haze after drying.  The Kodak lens cleaning fluid used to do that.  This is not harmful. In such cases simply breathe on the lens and clean off the haze with another, clean piece of lens cleaning tissue.  As a matter of fact, breathing on the lens is often all you need to clean it.  The thin layer of moisture works as a lubricant.  Never use dry tissue on the lens.  This too can cause harm.

Instead of lens cleaning tissue, you can also use a microfiber cloth.  These are relatively new on the market.  They are made of extremely thin fibers that will actually reach underneath smudges and dirt on the lens and lift it off the surface.  Of course here too exist substantial quality differences.  Promotional items, like the ones you get with your eye glasses, are usually too coarse to be of any use.

One of the best microfiber cloths is the one offered by EDDYCAM.  It was especially developed for cleaning high quality lenses.  It offers high moisture absorption.  To achieve the extremely fine fibers used, the regular microfibers are split 16 times to render the extremely fine fibers used in the manufacture of this cloth.  The structure of  the surface is so dense that a square meter of the material weighs 180 grams.  Another advantage over similar microfiber cloths is that the EDDYCAM one comes in white.  This makes it much easier to see when the cloth is dirty to the point that it needs to be washed.   It even comes with an envelope in which you can leave the cloth at the end of its usability at a dealer or send it directly to EDDYCAM and receive a 10 percent discount when buying a new one.

Finally there is the LensPen.  It consists of a special cleaning tip and a lens brush that retracts into the pen for safe storage.  The cleaning tip surface is covered with a special invisible carbon compound that removes fingerprint ans smudges. This is not “high tech” – this is “old tech”! Many years ago our grandmothers often used newspapers to clean the windows and mirrors in the house. Why did that work so well? Newspapers are covered with printer’s ink, which is about 25% carbon … and the carbon molecule has a unique ability to absorb oils. The invisible carbon compound in LensPen products is unique and it has been specially formulated to handle the fingerprint oils on lenses, filters, eyepieces and screens.

To use it first remove any loose dirt or dust off the lens with the built-in brush.  Then twist off the cap and wipe the lens surface with smooth, circular motion of the cleaning tip.  If some smudges persist, breathe gently on the lens and repeat the process.  At the end, simply twist the cap back on.

I have used all of the above methods over the years and all have served me well.  But most importantly, they have served my lenses well.  Even the oldest ones are clean with no scratches.  Treat your lenses well and they will give you almost unlimited years of good service.

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For high quality camera bags and accessories worthy of Leica equipment, go to

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A CAMERA STRAP WORTHY OF A LEICA

Why would anyone replace the original Leica camera strap that is supplied with the camera?  After all, it is a Leica strap, even says Leica on it.  I was wondering about the same thing; that is until I discovered the EDDYCAM  strap from Germany.

This thing exudes quality.  Not that the Leica strap is bad, but the EDDYCAM  strap is in an entirely different league.  The EDDYCAM is the first and only ergonomic elk-skin camera strap.  It was developed by Edlef Wienen, an avid photographer and industry insider with decades of experience and a genuine passion for aesthetics and nature. Created for people that expect the best quality, functionality and comfort from their camera strap. The ergonomic design, use of Scandinavian elk-skin leather and painstaking production in a small German factory make EDDYCAM particularly comfortable yet extremely durable – and therefore simply unique.

The raw elk hides are first preserved in salt or by drying, and stored at low temperatures

This is where the initial quality control and sorting takes place.

   

the EDDYCAM straps are mostly made by hand

Elk-skin is a high quality natural product and is not only one of the thickest leathers in the world, but also one of the finest.  Production of the elk-skin straps doesn’t start with the actual manufacturing in Germany, but much earlier – somewhere in the Scandinavian boreal forest. This is the home of the elk whose leather is responsible for EDDYCAM’s high quality. The elk-skin is tanned and dyed in a small Finnish tannery before being sent to the workshop in Bavaria for further processing. This is where the cutting, bonding and stitching takes place and components are attached – all very carefully, as you would expect from an exclusive natural product, and mostly by hand. The soft and skin-friendly surface, ergonomic strap shape, infinitely adjustable length and pure natural rubber padding attached with solvent-free adhesive ensure that EDDYCAM doesn’t pull or pinch your neck or shoulder – even after hours of wear.

Above all, EDDYCAM’s extreme durability is down to solid artisanal workmanship and the robustness of the elk-skin and other product components. From webbing quintuple-stitched with special thread (4700 N tensile strength), to non-breakable stainless steel length adjustment clips or sturdy polypropylene connecting elements – only consistently high quality in every part of the camera strap can guarantee its supreme durability. This makes it almost indestructible, even put to the toughest use in the harshest climates – and we guarantee that for five years.

   

The Leica strap has been retired and the EDDYCAM now is doing its duty on my Leica M8.  Fastening it to the camera turned out to be a bit tedious, but that was well worth it.  I don’t think I have ever used a camera strap that is as comfortable to wear as the EDDYCAM.

For more information on the EDDYCAM strap go to: www.eddycam.com

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For high quality camera bags and accessories worthy of Leica equipment, go to

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates-validated.aspx?type=affiliate

THE LEICA STAMMBAUM (FAMILY TREE) – WHAT HAPPENED TO IT?

The first time I saw the Leica Stammbaum (Family Tree) was in 1972 during a visit to Ernst Leitz Wetzlar (that was the name of the company before it was changed to Leica Camera).  It was on display in the Leica museum, located at their old headquarters, which is now occupied by Leica Microsystems.  It was an impressive display.  You would reach it via a freestanding staircase in the main lobby, going up to the second floor.  The Stammbaum was the first item you saw at the entrance to the museum.

It has changed little since then.  It still shows the Ur-Leica, the original prototype at the bottom and then all subsequent models of the Leica rangefinder cameras up to the first Leica reflex cameras.  At that point the Stammbaum splits into two sections, one for the Leica reflex models and one for the rangefinder cameras.  The only changes have been the addition of new camera models as they were developed, and the original Ur-Leica has been replaced with a replica.  The original is now sitting safely in a vault.

Of course the appearance of the display has changed many times, especially when Leica made the move to Solms several years ago.  Even there the display changed its appearance, the last time after the renovation of the Solms lobby  about four years ago.

The original Leica Stammbaum in Solms prior to the renovation of the lobby

Photo: R. Kok

The Leica Stammbaum in Solms

Photo: H. Richter

Now that Leica has moved back to Wetzlar, to their new headquarters at Leitz Park, the general assumption was that the Leica Stammbnaum would move also.  But it hasn’t been on display at all.  The new Leica museum is showing a lot of exciting and rare items, but the Stammbaum is nowhere to be seen

What happened?  The simple answer is that Leica doesn’t own the Stammbaum any longer.  Just yesterday I received word of what happened to it from the Leica Store in Manchester, UK.  The owner David Stephens kindly gave us permission to use his account and photographs of this historical event.

In November 2013  David and Richard visited the old Leica Solms Factory to collect some equipment. On display was the Historic Leica Stammbaum minus the iconic collection from Leica’s 99 years of camera production. The receptionist told us that the cameras had been taken to the new Leitz-Park in Wetzlar for display in state of the art glass cabinets. So begged the question – ‘What are you doing with the Tree?” –  After several conversations/emails and phone calls with the powers that be we received an email in February 2014 saying that, for an agreed price, we could ‘collect’ the Tree from Solms for our new Leica Store in Manchester. Guess what? Richard and David booked the next available ferry from Hull to Rotterdam and drove down to Solms, cash in pocket, to collect the one and only Leitz Family Tree. What a coup !

The Leica Stammbaum in Solms after the move to Wetzlar
Photo: Leica Store Manchester

Not all went smoothly – the tree, even in its disassembled three pieces was somewhat a snug fit in our trusty Octavia Estate. So with chins on the dashboard we set off back to Manchester. Back at base we started the task of assembling the history of Leica from 1914-2014 (100 Years of Leica in Leica’s 100th Anniversary Year).

After several months and many trawls through various online sites we finally managed to replicate the original ideology of the tree display filling it with Pre Leica M Cameras, LeicaFlex Cameras, and Leica M and R Cameras. Some of the cameras on the tree are exceedingly rare, and we are privileged to be able to display them all in our store for Leica lovers around the world to enjoy.

The Leica Stammbaum at its new home at Leica Store Manchester
Photo: Leica Store Manchester

What we have is a truly historical piece of Leica Art which we hope you will come and enjoy next time you’re visiting Manchester.

I have to agree.  This was indeed a coup. 

For more information about the Leica Store Manchester. Go to: www.leicastoremanchaster.com

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For high quality camera bags and accessories worthy of Leica equipment, go to

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates-validated.aspx?type=affiliate

IS PHOTOGRAPHY WITH FILM A THING OF THE PAST?

A while ago a reader questioned that Leica continues to manufacture film cameras.  The opinion was that in this world of digital photography, it would be too costly to continue to make film cameras, especially ones with the level of quality like Leica.

Of course, the writer is wrong.  Leica does indeed continue to make film cameras, both the Leica M7, Leica MA and the Leica MP.  It is easy to think that high end film cameras are a thing of the past.  Both Nikon and Canon websites do no longer list any film cameras.  Does that mean that film is a thing of the past?

Definitely not.  Film continues to have an avid following.  That is the very reason why the Leica film cameras are still being made.  Unlike with many other makes of cameras, especially Leica enjoys a faithful film shooter following.

That made me think of my own film cameras of which several are sitting on my shelves, waiting to be used.  I have to admit, I haven’t shot a roll of film for a long time and just about when I am ready to keep it that way, I come across an article by Ricky Opaterny that makes me think about film again.

He too hadn’t been shooting film for several years.

... So last week when I had the chance to shoot a couple rolls of film with a Leica M7, I wasn’t expecting much, having not shot any film since 2004.

 

Leica M7

Photo by Ricky Opaterny

That caught my interest.  I have never shot with the M7.  My M6 was the last film Leica that I shot film with before changing to digital.  Ricky continues...

A few years ago in the New Yorker, Anthony Lane described the sound of a Leica shutter as a seductive kiss. I had never handled a film Leica M series camera before last week, and I have to say that Lane’s ostensibly cheesy observation is dead-on. After I loaded my first roll of Kodak Portra 400VC in the camera and advanced it a couple frames, I thought there was something wrong with the shutter. “Why isn’t it making more noise?” I asked myself. Seduction begins with a little mystery, I suppose.

 

This man sat next to me to watch the Spain vs. Germany game at the soccer store on Haight

Photo by Ricky Oparterny

That mystery eludes me.  Probably because I have owned a Leica since my dad gave me one for my 5th birthday.  After all those years, I have learned what the Leica can do for me.  Shooting with that camera is no longer a mystery but it has proven to be a thoroughly professional tool.

Handling the camera was great. It just feels absolutely right when you’re holding it. And I had mounted on it my favorite lens of all time, Leica’s 50mm f/2.0 Summicron.

One of the great things about the Leica M cameras is that you can shoot them at very low shutter speeds—even with the 50mm lens, I can reliably get shots as slow as 1/10 second. It’s like having a faster lens or better high ISO performance or just, generally, an extra stop! This comes in quite useful indoors where light is usually low. With the exception of the first shot, I don’t think any of these were taken at speeds above 1/50 of a second. Normally, on an SLR with a 50mm lens mounted, that would be the minimum shutter speed that someone could expect to use—here, it was my maximum shutter speed.

I have to agree.  I have never shied away from using a Leica at relatively slow speeds.  I suppose this is one of the reasons why I think that the current quest for ever higher ISO capabilities of digital cameras is a wasted effort to some degree.  But to each his own.

Ricky makes special mention of the Leica viewfinder.  He considers it easily the brightest viewfinder of any camera.  He is right.  Another advantage of the Leica bright line viewfinder is that it always shows more than the area covered on film.  This allows seeing and observing the scene past the edges of the image area.  It allows the photographer to become more aware of his surroundings, something that no SLR camera ever offered.

 

I even liked the images that showed more of the film grain

Photo by Ricky Opaterny

Because I was shooting film—expensive film that would need to be developed at additional cost—I was patient waiting for shots I was anticipating. I tried to avoid wasting a single frame. I spent more time thinking about what I was doing rather than blindly snapping away.

That comment definitely made me think.  I used to take the same, more deliberate approach, and I must admit that since shooting digital, that has all but disappeared.  The gratification of instant frame review does allow for more of a machine gun approach without any cost penalty.  The only time I still work substantially more deliberate is when doing studio shoots, especially with product photography.  There it eliminates a lot of trial and error shots to get things right.

Shooting, with a Leica, as many others have noted, makes you slow down. It makes you more careful about composition and exposure. And shooting with film compounds those effects. In general, I’ve spent the past few months trying to regain two abilities I feel I’ve lost in the Internet age—that to be patient—to delay gratification—and that to concentrate on something for an extended period of time.

Digital photography conditions us to expect instant gratification, providing us with instant previews of our images. In some cases, this is useful and helps us get the shot we wanted. However, more often it’s simply a distraction from doing the thing we should be focused on—taking photographs. Is there any other activity in which people so immediately evaluate their performance with such scrutiny as photographers checking the LCD image previews on their cameras?

 

The bruschetta was very good

Photo by Ricky Opaterny

It isn’t just the process that blew me away; the results were awesome. I waited with anticipation for the local lab to develop and print my film. What would it look like? What surprises lay in store? I can say that I felt my patience was rewarded. Even though their content is boring, the prints I got back from the lab had a contrast and vividness that makes them look not only unlike digital images, but cinematic in a way that I absolutely love—rich, textured, almost tactile. Unfortunately, getting to that result means paying a lab for developing and printing, which is why I don’t think I can shoot exclusively on film.

I wholeheartedly agree and it makes me think all the more to get some film, load one of my film cameras and shoot.  Of course that brings up the question of what film to use.  My main interest is black and white.  Therefore I don’t think I will bother with color film.  My favorite black and white film used to be the Agfapan APX 25.  Unfortunately that is no longer available.  Then I switched to Efke KB 25 which later available as the ADOX CHS 25.  Unfortunately, to my knowledge nobody offers an ISO 25 film at the moment.  Of course there are times when ISO 25 just isn’t enough.  For those times I occasionally used Agfapan APX 100 or later the Efke KB 100 or the ADOX CHS 100.  But my favorite higher speed film is without question the Ilford XP-2 Super.  It has the advantage of an ISO range from 100 to 800 without the need of any exposure or development compensation.  However, at the lower speeds it does display noticeably finer grain.  This allows the user to switch between higher and lower ISO indices on the same roll of film and thus assure the finest possible grain under varying lighting conditions.  XP-2 super is a chromogenic film meaning that it must be developed in C-41 color chemicals, like all standard color films.

 

Watermusic

Photo by Heinz Richter

Leica M6, 50mm f/2 Summicron

Agfapan APX 100

 

Kallie

Photo by Heinz Richter

Laica M6, 50mm f/2 Summicron

Agfapan APX 25

cropped to 20 percent section of whole negative

 

Lou Bellami

Penumbra Theater, St. Paul, MN

Leica M6, 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit

Ilford XP-2 Super at ISO 800

Stage lighting

 

Don Stolz

Old Log Theater, Excelsior, MN

Leica M6, 50mm f/2 Summicron

Ilford XP-2 Super at ISO 800

I guess I have convinced myself to shoot some film.  Now I just have to decide which film and which camera to use.  Maybe I will be back here at a later date for a report.

For the complete article by Ricky Opaterny go to:

 Rediscovering film with the Leica M7

http://rickyopaterny.com/blog/2010/07/21/rediscovering-film-with-the-leica-m7/

For more information on the ADOX films go to:

BLACK AND WHITE FILM PHOTOGRAPHY

http://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2012/08/black-and-white-film-photography.html

For more information on black and white films and sample images go to:

YOUSUF KARSH REVISITED

http://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2012/02/yousuf-karsh-revisited.html

Film verses Digital

http://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2012/02/film-verses-digital.html

LEICA M2 No 1048416 - HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY

http://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2012/08/leica-m2-no-1048416-happy-50th-birthday.html

THE 90 ELMAR THAT NOBODY WANTED

http://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-90-elamr-that-nobody-wanted.html

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For high quality camera bags and accessories worthy of Leica equipment, go to

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates-validated.aspx?type=affiliate

LEICA ON EBAY

Nobody would argue that Leica equipment is very expensive.  It always has been.  Subsequently, many look at the used market to find a Leica, a Leica lens or Leica accessories at an affordable.price. 

One excellent source for used Leica equipment is eBay.  I have purchased many items from eBay over the years and I recall only one instance where I had to return an item because it was not anywhere near in as good a condition as it was advertised to be.  A little bit of research, and eBay is a good source for that too, can quickly reveal an average price range for whatever item one might be looking for.  Most people describe their items accurately and often even underrate them.  National Camera Exchange in Minneapolis and KEH Camera in Atlanta are two such companies.  It is not my intention to publish a complete list here, but these are two companies, besides numerous individuals, that I have dealt with on many occasions in the past.

Since some Leica equipment has brought rather astonishing prices on auctions recently, it is unfortunately a fact that some individuals and companies try to take advantage of this.  I have seen some rather outlandish asking prices for Leica equipment, so, beware.

Just recently I came across the most absurd price I think I have ever seen being asked for used Leica equipment.  It is a package consisting of a Leica IIIg, 50mm f/2 Summicron, and 90mm f/4 Elmar.  In addition there is a metal neck chain, a Leitz CEYOO flash with nonstandard flash bracket, and a sunshade.  In good condition, the package price for this equipment would be no more than $2,000, maybe 500 dollars more if it were all in near mint condition.  This equipment was originally listed for $7,000 and has been reduced to $6,000 since then.  The camera has all of its Vulcanite covering missing.  The two lenses are listed as “excellent” and the rest of the equipment is not rated in any manner.

Leica IIIg

For demonstration only.  This is not the camera listed on eBay

This is an absurd price to ask.  The individual listing it, is obviously is trying to take advantage of Leica’s reputation of being worth a lot of money for used equipment.  This package has been listed on eBay for almost three months.  Obviously, people interested in used Leicas are not as ignorant as the owner assumes.

But there are also bargains to be had.  Currently, a Leica M (Type 240) is listed for $4,900 in mint condition.  That is definitely substantially less than the usual $5,500 to 6,000+ for this camera in similar condition.

Leica M (Type 240)

For demonstration only.  This is not the camera listed

With a bit of caution, eBay and the used camera market in general can be an excellent source to save often considerable amounts of money.  A fair purchase price, combined with a reasonable return policy or warrantee will be a good protection against any hidden faults.  This has served me well.

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For high quality camera bags and accessories worthy of Leica equipment, go to

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates-validated.aspx?type=affiliate