I started my photographic journey with a high school course and a borrowed Voigtländer. I purchased my first SLR in 1972 (a Canon FTb) and followed that with a Durst enlarger and a full darkroom set-up. Then life intervened and photography disappeared until about 15 years ago when a job I took included photography as one of those “other duties as required”. I was given a brand new Lumix GX7 my first week on the job and was assigned the task of photographing 40 employees for their Microsoft Outlook portraits my second week. Over the ensuing years I decided photography was fun again and I began adding digital cameras. Somewhere along the way, I decided that I needed to have working examples of the first two film cameras that I ever used and I picked up working examples of the Canon FTb and the Voigtländer VITO CLR.
But I never owned a Leica.
There’s a pretty good shop here in Portland, Oregon (Blue Moon Camera) that has an amazing inventory of film cameras large and small. I had had a disappointing brush with an eBay purchase (you can read about that here) where I ended up with a lens for a Mamiya 645. Blue Moon had a 645 and I visited the shop to explore finding a body to go with the lens I had. Upon leaving with a Mamiya 645 1000s, I discovered that I also had a beautiful Leica iiic with a 50/2 collapsible Summicron.
I was anxious to give it a go. I took a few shots at a property nearby (where they brew ale and distill whisky). The property used to be the county “poor house” (actually a work farm) that has been converted into a hotel with multiple buildings housing: restaurants, spas and their brewery. They also host outside music during the summer ranging from free performances by small groups to large lawn concerts with well-known headliners.
I live relatively close to the Pacific Ocean, so I headed over and spent a couple of nights. Things you can count on in Oregon in February are clouds and rain. Even on an overcast day the coast is beautiful.
One of the frequently photographed landmarks of the north Oregon coast is the wreck of the Peter Iredale a four-masted steel barque that ran ashore October 25, 1906. Only the skeleton now remains embedded in the sand about 4 miles south of the mouth of the Columbia River.
Given this was my first outing with the Barnack, I was quite pleased with the performance although I feel that the 68 year-old Summicron paired with the Ilford HP5+ yielded less than the amount of contrast I would have liked (despite the weather). I was really pleased with the performance of the rangefinder and found myself using the rangefinder’s 1.5x magnifier to aid with focus.
The shooting experience was certainly different from that of my FTb which includes a built-in meter. I was using a combination of an iPhone app as well as “sunny 16” despite the weather. I think the shots turned out OK. I was also a lot happier with the iiic’s rangefinder compared to the one on the Voigtländer VITO. Maybe it was just the fact that I was finally using a Leica or maybe the viewfinder is better. Hard to say as I haven’t shot the Voigtländer in a year or two.
The iiic is currently loaded with Kodak Tri-X and while I’m again headed to the coast next week, I’ll be taking yet another (new to me) Leica. Stay tuned for my five frames with a Leica M3, TTArtisan 50/1.4 loaded with Tri-X.
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John Bennett on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 22/05/2024
Comment posted: 22/05/2024
Comment posted: 22/05/2024
Roger on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 22/05/2024
Comment posted: 22/05/2024
JC on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 22/05/2024
interesting report of your analogue photographic life.
Nice shots here, my favourite is the pic from the coast at Hug Point.
I would like to see your Canon FTb pics too.
Cheers, Jens
Comment posted: 22/05/2024
Geoff Chaplin on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Ibraar Hussain on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
You make Oregon sound like the sort of place I’d want to visit - isn’t Mt St Helens there? I was at school when the volcano exploded
I too haven’t ever had a Leica and I can imagine finally owning one is like having your first Rolex or Mercedes!!
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Curtis Heikkinen on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Paul Quellin on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Comment posted: 23/05/2024
Tony Warren on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 24/05/2024
I don't know how you post process or how flat the negatives were but I find modern software can save many negs that would have really tested me in the darkroom. Levels and Curves can work wonders or even just Contrast/Brightness.
Thanks again for an interesting piece.
Comment posted: 24/05/2024
Comment posted: 24/05/2024
Michael Jardine on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 26/05/2024
Comment posted: 26/05/2024
David James on 5 Frames with a Leica iiic, Summicron 50/2 and Ilford HP5+
Comment posted: 27/05/2024
That made me literally laugh out loud!
Great shots, Gary. Thanks for sharing.
Comment posted: 27/05/2024