View Full Version : She shoots with her Grandfather's IIIa and 50/1.5 Sonnar
CameraQuest
11-08-2005, 18:29
see http://www.amybphoto.com/
Stephen Gandy
JoeFriday
11-08-2005, 18:44
gorgeous shots.. and where did she get the lens adapter??
gorgeous shots.. and where did she get the lens adapter??
Contax IIIa, not Leica IIIa.... it's in her bio.
JoeFriday
11-08-2005, 18:51
d'oh! I was suddenly hopeful that I could find an adapter to use my 50/1.5 on the M3.. I totally skipped over the obvious
Really good pics though! Thanks for the link Stephen!
wlewisiii
11-08-2005, 18:57
She was posting here earlier today asking about repair resources for her IIIA. Looks like she does some fine work with Grampa's cam. Hope she hangs around - we can always use more good shooters.
William
Gabriel M.A.
11-08-2005, 18:58
Nice pics indeed. The lack of flare in situations where you'd expect it from this lens is interesting, though.
Mike Kovacs
11-08-2005, 19:01
Yes, Amy posted about getting her IIIA repaired and emailed me her nice webpage. I think its wonderful that she simply didn't unload this camera on ebay.
My grandparents were more the box camera types!
Mike Kovacs
11-08-2005, 19:06
Nice pics indeed. The lack of flare in situations where you'd expect it from this lens is interesting, though.
Zeiss lenses, many optimized for uncoated optics before WWII, fare really well in general in this regard when coated. Consider the 50/1.5 Sonnar is a 7 element, 3 group design. No more air/glass interfaces than a Tessar or Cooke triplet. They are also very contrasty as a result.
OOOoooh, I love the Coney Island shots! :)
ZeissFan
11-08-2005, 19:51
Yes, I was very impressed by Amy's work. Well done. Makes me want to try harder to be a better photographer.
Amy mentioned yesterday that Stephen had sent her our way with questions regarding her camera. Thanks for the thought Stephen.
Brian Sweeney
11-09-2005, 01:25
Beautiful pictures. I love the Sonnar look. It's nice to see these cameras appreciated in the family.
Fabulous pictures - thanks for the 'heads up'.
On the subject on inherited cameras: I inherited a 1955 praktina IIa with a 50mm Zeiss Jena "Flexon 2/50" lens: has anyone heard of this lens ? After firing the camera about a 100 times to get it unstuck the times seem to run about right, I've just put a film in it but havent got any pictures taken with it yet :)
darkkavenger
11-09-2005, 02:58
It's wonderful! That is why I am aiming at getting a Contax, though my Kiev-2A does fine work for now... but again, the camera is a tool in the hands of the artist... :)
Stephen (CameraQuest): Maybe you know about Chris Weeks, he told me you're kind of friends/neighbors ? :D the world is small! I know him through DeviantArt, where I've my gallery hosted ;)
It's wonderful! That is why I am aiming at getting a Contax, though my Kiev-2A does fine work for now... but again, the camera is a tool in the hands of the artist... :)
Stephen (CameraQuest): Maybe you know about Chris Weeks, he told me you're kind of friends/neighbors ? :D the world is small! I know him through DeviantArt, where I've my gallery hosted ;)
Heheh, I'm watching him on DA too, he shoots some nice pictures with that noctilux. I think he talked about buying an M2 or M3 from Stephen Gandy quite recently :)
darkkavenger
11-09-2005, 03:07
On the subject on inherited cameras: I inherited a 1955 praktina IIa with a 50mm Zeiss Jena "Flexon 2/50" lens: has anyone heard of this lens ? After firing the camera about a 100 times to get it unstuck the times seem to run about right, I've just put a film in it but havent got any pictures taken with it yet :)
Isn't the Flexon 2/50 the early name of the Pancolar 2/50 design? At least I found this on several eastern-european websites (I speak a bit of czech) ;)
Isn't the Flexon 2/50 the early name of the Pancolar 2/50 design? At least I found this on several eastern-european websites (I speak a bit of czech) ;)
Yes thats what I found on the m42 site too, but there arent any pictures shot with one unfortunately, anyway I'll post some when I've finished this roll of xp2 :)
I wish I was half as good, hmm I wonder if less GAS and more shooting would help ;)
From her site: "Suddenly the ordinary becomes extraordinary! In life's short journey, photography helps me to step back and marvel at the significance of every day"
Difficult to define better the whole essence of street photography !
Wonderful body of work there, hope she'll become a RFF regular, even though I guess (and hope) she will spend way more time out there shooting :) Thanks for the link Stephen !
It's lovely to see this kind of enthusiasm and artistry. Thanks for the link, Stephen!
Gene
Kudos. Amy has a good eye for subject matter and compositions. This is one vintage manual shooter that truly has entered a second life.
Wow. Thank you Stephen and thank you all for your kind words. It is so encouraging to have found such a great group. I have been feeling very lonely in this digital world. I was at a PWP (professional women photographers)meeting recently and just about all the members are now shooting digital. The meetings are turning out to be all about printers, scanners and the latest photoshop techniques. Yawn.
I certainly don't want to imply that their work is not as valid. I have seen beautiful digital work. But as an artist, its not how I like to work. I love the entire analog process, from shooting to developing the film and the print. Its always felt kind of magical to me, standing in my darkroom watching images emerge...
One of my favorite things about my rangefinder is its unassuming size. I think when you shoot on the street it helps to have a smaller less aggressive camera. People are much more likely to respond positively. Also, no batteries necessary!! You can't beat that.
Welcome zburch, hope you stick around. You'll find lots of like-minded folks here.
darkkavenger
11-09-2005, 12:40
Yes thats what I found on the m42 site too, but there arent any pictures shot with one unfortunately, anyway I'll post some when I've finished this roll of xp2 :)
Could you post some details on the lens ? or send a private note?
Welcome zburch, hope you stick around. You'll find lots of like-minded folks here.
Let me add to Frank's welcome! This is a good forum and I think you'll enjoy it here. As long as you realize that no discussion topic goes in a straight line ... things go off topic quickly, but we're used to it. Think of the place as 'organic' :D
Gene
I am lucky to have a Zeiss 50/2 in LTM that I can use on my M3. There as an adapter (Zeiss on Leica) being auctioned off a few days ago ... it may have reached over $300.
RObert Budding
11-09-2005, 14:37
Welcome! And I must complement you on both your photos and your choice of equipment!
Robert
Mike Kovacs
11-09-2005, 14:56
I am lucky to have a Zeiss 50/2 in LTM that I can use on my M3. There as an adapter (Zeiss on Leica) being auctioned off a few days ago ... it may have reached over $300.
Of course, there is the postwar Biogon 21 and 35, Sonnar 85/2 and 135/4 that you could all use with such an adapter :) These are all killer lenses that any classic Leica user would be envious to use.
For $300, you might as well buy a nice Contax to put them on ;) Point them at the sun all you wish :p
CameraQuest
11-09-2005, 15:52
yes, Chris and I are neighbors. We talk at the local Saint Starbucks from time to time. He is a very successful Hollyood celebrity photog. Unlike the stalking paparazzi, Chris is paid by the stars to take their shots. He shoots EOS digital for the various wire services, but b/w Leica M for his art work. He shoots a lot with the 35/1.4 ASPH, but also loves his new 75/2. I helped him find a nice M3 a few months ago. I am not sure, but he is probably the most successful celebrity photog in Hollywood still shooting with a Leica M. Recently he did a presentation for Leica at a San Diego photo show.
Amy was an unexpected surprise. A good photographer shooting away in b/w with her grand father's Contax, apparently completely unaware how few people are still shooting with classic Contax RF for art pics. That is a nice story in and of itself.
Stephen Gandy
Dan Chang
11-09-2005, 16:56
Wow. Thank you Stephen and thank you all for your kind words. It is so encouraging to have found such a great group. I have been feeling very lonely in this digital world. I was at a PWP (professional women photographers)meeting recently and just about all the members are now shooting digital. The meetings are turning out to be all about printers, scanners and the latest photoshop techniques. Yawn.
I certainly don't want to imply that their work is not as valid. I have seen beautiful digital work. But as an artist, its not how I like to work. I love the entire analog process, from shooting to developing the film and the print. Its always felt kind of magical to me, standing in my darkroom watching images emerge...
One of my favorite things about my rangefinder is its unassuming size. I think when you shoot on the street it helps to have a smaller less aggressive camera. People are much more likely to respond positively. Also, no batteries necessary!! You can't beat that.
Digital is the future for professional, film Rf is for amature to paly. YOu haedly to make money with these slow antiques.
>>One of my favorite things about my rangefinder is its unassuming size. I think when you shoot on the street it helps to have a smaller less aggressive camera. People are much more likely to respond positively.<<
Absolutely. With a classic film rangefinder (or an Epson RD-1) you get the versatility of an SLR but with much smaller sized lenses. The body of my Nikon FM2 SLR is the same size as my Nikon RFs, but the rangefinder lenses are tiny, less than half the size of their SLR versions.
Of course, there is the postwar Biogon 21 and 35, Sonnar 85/2 and 135/4 that you could all use with such an adapter :) These are all killer lenses that any classic Leica user would be envious to use.
For $300, you might as well buy a nice Contax to put them on ;) Point them at the sun all you wish :p
Mike: I don't think that Leitz lenses aare/were inferior to Zeiss lenses. Both are great lenses. I am more intrigued by the history of the older lenses made by these two giants.
danielnorton
11-12-2005, 11:42
Digital is the future for professional, film Rf is for amature to paly. YOu haedly to make money with these slow antiques.
Dan- I have to disagree a bit, while digital has certainly made a huge dent in the film market, I can tell you I'm a professional photographer (shooting fashion, catalog and magazine work) in NYC which is a pretty major market, and I shoot primarily film (medium format and 35mm) as do many of my piers. While I don't do a huge amount of work with my RF's I have used them on film sets and for some documentary work. I'd say the decline in film sales from digital is more on the amateur side.
best..
Daniel
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