First Test: Leica Standard and Hektor 2.8mm 1:6,3
Camera: Leica Standard (Model E, Leica code ALVOO), made in 1936
Lens: Leitz Hektor f=2.8cm, 1:6,3 (HOOPY), made in 1939
Kodak Ultramax 400 colour negative film
Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de
Converted to B&W in post-processing.
These are shots from the very first roll I put through the camera.
The diagnosis is clear: Each and every photo is underexposed by at least 2 stops, probably 3 or even more. I could fix that partially in post-processing but there is some loss in sharpness and a distinct increase in graininess.
No surprise there. It was the same with my other Barnacks. They are built to last, but they are not maintenance-free. The exposure times get wrong with time, so the camera needs a CLA, after which they will be as new.
On the up side:
The film transport worked.
The shutter worked (albeit not with the right times, as mentioned).
The film could be inserted and rewound without any problem. Not a foregone conclusion, as this is an 81 year old camera, after all.
No problem.
First Test: Leica Standard and Hektor 2.8mm 1:6,3
Camera: Leica Standard (Model E, Leica code ALVOO), made in 1936
Lens: Leitz Hektor f=2.8cm, 1:6,3 (HOOPY), made in 1939
Kodak Ultramax 400 colour negative film
Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de
Converted to B&W in post-processing.
These are shots from the very first roll I put through the camera.
The diagnosis is clear: Each and every photo is underexposed by at least 2 stops, probably 3 or even more. I could fix that partially in post-processing but there is some loss in sharpness and a distinct increase in graininess.
No surprise there. It was the same with my other Barnacks. They are built to last, but they are not maintenance-free. The exposure times get wrong with time, so the camera needs a CLA, after which they will be as new.
On the up side:
The film transport worked.
The shutter worked (albeit not with the right times, as mentioned).
The film could be inserted and rewound without any problem. Not a foregone conclusion, as this is an 81 year old camera, after all.
No problem.