Lyon, France - August 2008 (Leica M3)

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After my last post about the Leica M3, I thought that it would be appropriate to show some more photographs made with this fine photographic tool.

On a hot summer day, we were travelling by car from Germany to Portugal. Not wanting to fall asleep at the wheel and needing to stretch our legs, we decided that it was time to take a short break in the French city of Lyon.

Rangefinder cameras can be very good travel companions. They are small and unobtrusive, people usually don’t seem to take them very seriously. That’s why many photographers – obviously myself included - consider them ideal for street photography.

I hope that you enjoy the photographs.



Technical Data:

Camera - Leica M3

Lenses - 28mm Elmarit-M + 50mm Summicron-M + 90mm Tele-Elmarit-M

Film - Kodak Tri-X

Developer - Kodak D-76 1+1

Location - August, 2008

Scanner - Epson 4990 Photo

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Film Cameras For Lovers - Leica M3 (Photo Gear 14)

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It seems to be fashionable these days to make things look retro.

Now you better not get fooled by the looks, the Leica M3 doesn’t look retro...

The Leica M3 is "The Real Thing"!

Leica M3+Versenkbar Summicron 5cm+Leicameter MC

(Camera and lens from the same vintage: 1955)

Introduced in April, 1954 – yes, that is 58 long years ago!!! - the Leica M3 was the first Leica to have a bayonet mount - the Leica M mount – permitting that lenses are changed faster and easier.

Previous Leicas were screw mount (The Leica Thread Mount - or M39 - was used on all previous Leica models with interchangeable lenses. The Leica IIIg released in 1957 - three years after the introduction of the M3 - was actually the last screw-mount Leica).

Comparing to former Leicas, the finder on the M3 – the first Leica finder to combine rangefinder and viewfinder into one window - is much improved, being of larger diameter and exceptionally bright.

The base length of the M3 rangefinder has been increased to 68,5mm for greater accuracy and the M3 finder has a high magnification factor of 0,92x. That together with framelines for 50, 90 and 135mm, make the M3 the rangefinder camera of choice for the normal and longer lenses.

The 50mm framelines are permanently visible in the finder, while the 90 and 135mm are shown when such a lens is inserted in the camera, or when you activate the finder frame preselector located on the front of the body  (the first M3s didn’t have the preselector lever!).

The parallax error is compensated in the Leica M3 by moving the framelines diagonally  through the field during focusing.

For wide-angle shooting use a separate viewfinder slid into the accessory shoe, or use a 35mm lens having the “goggles” that correct the frame of view attached.



Leica M3 + Visoflex III + Telyt 4/200mm

Leica M3 + Visoflex III + Telyt 4.8/280mm

Some other important features of the then new Leica M3 can be resumed as follow:

- Easier film loading with the opening backdoor (previous Leicas had only bottom loading);

- The transport lever used to tension the focal plane shutter and advance the film by one frame (former screw-mount Leicas had a winding knob);

The first M3s had the so called double-stroke, as in the case shown in this post: you have to wind with two short strokes. Later on, Leitz changed the film winding of the Leica M3 - and all subsequent models - to single-stroke film advancement.

- A single non-rotating shutter speed dial to control the exposure times (LTM Leicas had a second dial for slow shutter speeds). Shutter speeds set before or after winding.

- The film counter automatically returns to its starting  position when the take-up spool is withdrawn.

- Built-in self-timer.



Some thoughts about the year of 1955?

Elvis Presley made is 1^st TV appearance, Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” is considered obscene, Winston Churchill resigns as British PM, Gaullists lose elections in France, West Germany joins NATO, Warsaw Pact is signed, Bill Halley hits nr.1 with “Rock Around the Clock”, Carl Perkins records “Blue Suede Shoes”, and so on, and so on…

It was still a long time coming for the world to know and hear about The Beatles, men landing on the moon was still a dream waiting some 14 years to become true, Portugal still had longer to wait to be a country free of dictatorship…

And all this time the Leica M3 was shooting and shooting and shooting…



Fátima, 13th of May 2011

(Leica M3 + Elmarit-M 28mm)

1955 was also the year of my birth...

...and the Leica M3 keeps on shooting... keeps on shooting... keeps on shooting...

Long live the Leica M3!

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Lac de Gaube, Hautes-Pyrénées, France - September 1985

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Photographed with Hasselblad 500 EL/M and Carl Zeiss lenses.

For my good friend "Paquica" - Salut!

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Crown of Creation

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Yours truly...

(Portrayed by Maria Helena, 2012)

“Crown of Creation”

You are the Crown of Creation
You are the Crown of Creation
and you've got no place to go.

Soon you'll attain the stability you strive for
in the only way that it's granted
in a place among the fossils of our time.

In loyalty to their kind
they cannot tolerate our minds.
In loyalty to our kind
we cannot tolerate their obstruction.

Life is Change
How it differs from the rocks
I've seen their ways too often for my liking
New worlds to gain
My life is to survive
and be alive
for you.

From the album “Crown of Creation” by Jefferson Airplane (1968)

Two of Us

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Évora, Portugal - September 2010

(Leica M2 + Summicron 50mm)

“Two of Us” – Lennon / McCartney

Two of us riding nowhere
Spending someone's
Hard earned pay
You and me Sunday driving
Not arriving
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home

Two of us sending postcards
Writing letters
On my wall
You and me burning matches
Lifting latches
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home

You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead

Two of us wearing raincoats
Standing solo
In the sun
You and me chasing paper
Getting nowhere
On our way back home
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home

You and I have memories
Longer than the road that stretches out ahead

From the album “Let it Be” by The Beatles (1970)

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Film Cameras For Lovers - Rolleiflex SL 35 (Photo Gear 13)

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Carl Zeiss Planar 1.4 / 50mm HFT (Germany)

Rollei Planar 1.4 / 50mm HFT (Singapore)

Rollei Sonnar 2.8 / 135mm HFT

Rollei Tele-Tessar 4 / 200mm HFT

Rollei Quick Bayonet Mount

Attachable Accessory Shoe (sold separately)

Carl Zeiss Sonnar 2.8 / 85mm

Rolleiflex SL 35

Introduced in 1970, the Rolleiflex SL 35 was the first 35mm single lens reflex manufactured by Rollei.

The camera was supplied with lenses made by Carl Zeiss - or made by Rollei under license from Zeiss - and Schneider Kreuznach.

A economical range of lenses was also delivered by Japanese makers - notably by Mamiya - and sold by Rollei under the brand name Rolleinar.

Camera type: 24x36mm single lens reflex camera with exposure measurement through the lens and mechanical focal plane shutter with rubber blinds.

Shutter speeds: 1/1000 to 1 sec and B, electronic flash synchronisation up to 1/60 sec. Continuous rotable shutter speed dial.

Lens bayonet mount: Rollei QBM (Quick Bayonet Mount) – also used on most Voigtländer VSL models.

Exposure measurement: through the lens system with CdS cells, centre-weighted, at working aperture. Meter needle centred with index in finder. Meter switched on by stop-down key on camera top. Film speed range: 12 to 6400 ASA / ISO.

Finder system: Pentaprism, instant return mirror. Focusing screen with central microprism grid, matted screen ring and matted screen with Fresnel lens. Rectangular finder eyepiece with fitting for eyepiece cup and correction lenses.

Weight and dimensions: 585 grams / 141x93x50mm without lens.


Please note:

HFT (High Fidelity Transfer) is a multi-layer anti-reflection coating co-developed by Zeiss and Rollei, similar to the Zeiss T* coating.

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Ballad of Easy Rider

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Sítio das Hortas, Alcochete - 2008

(Gandolfi Variant 4x5 + Horseman 6x12 film holder)

“Ballad of Easy Rider” – The Byrds

The river flows
It flows to the sea
Wherever that river goes
That's where I want to be
Flow river flow
Let your waters wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town

All he wanted
Was to be free
And that's the way
It turned out to be
Flow river flow
Let your waters wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town

Flow river flow
Past the shaded tree
Go river, go
Go to the sea
Flow to the sea

The river flows
It flows to the sea
Wherever that river goes
That's where I want to be
Flow river flow
Let your waters wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town


Written by Roger McGuinn

From the Album “Ballad of Easy Rider” (1969)


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Vampire Blues

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Coimbra, 1979

(Minolta XD-7, Kodak Tri-X)

“Vampire Blues” – Neil Young


I'm a vampire, babe,
suckin' blood
from the earth
I'm a vampire, baby,
suckin' blood
from the earth.
Well, I'm a vampire, babe,
sell you
twenty barrels worth.

I'm a black bat, babe,
bangin' on
your window pane
I'm a black bat, baby,
bangin' on
your window pane.
Well, I'm a black bat, babe,
I need my high octane.

Good times are comin',
I hear it everywhere I go
Good times are comin',
I hear it everywhere I go.
Good times are comin',
but they sure comin' slow.

I'm a vampire, babe,
suckin' blood
from the earth
I'm a vampire, baby,
suckin' blood
from the earth.
Well, I'm a vampire, babe,
sell you
twenty barrels worth.

Good times are comin'.


From the album “On the Beach” (1974)



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Porto Brandão, Portugal - August 2011

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Technical data:
Camera - Leica M4
Lenses - Leitz Summicron 35mm + Tele-Elmarit 90mm
Film - Agfa APX 100
Developer - Kodak D-76, 1+1
Location - Porto Brandão, Portugal
Date - August 2011
Scanner - Epson Perfection 4990 Photo


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Praia de Mira, Portugal - Setembro de 1977 (The Minolta Years)

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Exactamente dez anos depois de eu ter tirado estas fotografias, o Dr. Adolfo Correia da Rocha escreveu:

Praia de Mira, 22 de Setembro de 1987 – Portugal não parece o mesmo. Em meia dúzia de anos, perdeu o carácter. Quem familiarmente lhe conhecia as feições que o singularizavam, fica espantado quando o percorre. Tudo mudou. As casas, as ruas, os trajes, os hábitos. Da praia de Mira que trazia na memória, e onde, num cenário mágico e a comungar com almas que o mereciam, vivi algumas das horas mais autênticas da minha vida de poeta, restam o mar, sempre revolto, e a capela, de madeira ainda, com os castiços palheiros de antanho. E é neles que consolo os olhos desiludidos. O velho oceano, na sua imutável e fascinante inquietação, e o templozinho de tábuas, na sua incorrupta e amorável rusticidade, dão não sei que razão calada ao meu espírito desencantado dum progresso que não sabe melhorar sem desfigurar.

Miguel Torga, Diário XV

Sim, o mar e a capela talvez ainda lá estejam, mas esse povo, onde anda ele?

Povo amado, que tão mal te tratam!

Peço desculpa pela qualidade técnica variável das imagens, mas talvez se deva perdoar a diapositivos que já resistiram a três décadas e meia de vida atribulada...

Quem me dera ter eu próprio resistido com tanto aprumo!

Para despedida - e por piada, como se costuma dizer - uma fotografia de moi durante a realização destas imagens, olhar perdido algures nos confins do azul, o coração invadido de esperança no futuro deste país...

 

Ficha técnica:

Câmaras - Minolta XM + Minolta 303b

Objectivas - Minolta Rokkor

Filmes - Kodak Kodachrome + Kodak Ektachrome

Lugar - Praia de Mira

Data - Setembro de 1977

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