Well, have been eyeing the Leica O for some months because:-

1. the good things I heard about the lens. 2.. like that niffty retro brown leather case 3. its a leica, old but new 4. like knobs for winding, rewinding 5. Always wanted to cut film leaders 6. is a camera where you "feel" to take pics, not by using precise measuring tools. 7. was designed before I was born....curious to know the state of the technology then. 8. want to be a bit out of control, too much control my pics look the same. This camera can impose itself on the pic. 9. want to use something old but don't want a worn camera. 10. It is light and with a collapsible lens, so very compact. 11. It is a Leica, will hold value well and a joy to use. 12. Love mechanical cameras. 13. has no lightmeter, viewfinder, rangefinder......basic and troublefree as you can get.....absolutely batteryless.

The results:-

Good, they were good, the colours were sweet and true, lens is sharp but soft. The framing had a 80% success rate and will improve with practice. The 5 speeds are handholdable. The trigger is firm but no shake. You can set up for each shot at a reasonable speed. You can cup the lens with the palm of hands when you wind for the next shot if you want to be a bit faster. I can feel my head buzzing with mental activity guesstimating distances, exposure and framing.........very involving/stimulating. If you want a challenge, this is it, stirring stuff. Its a beautiful work of artthat is totally usable. Your face is not hidden by the camera, you can look at the subject with both eyes..............very cool. Using the O will make using the M feel so advance !

-- Yip (koklok@krdl.org.sg), January 28, 2002

Answers

All except #9 would apply to old screwmount cameras which are a fraction of the price, plus they have interchangeable lenses and a real glass viewfinder! But the O is undeniably a one-off collector's item that is beautifully made - and takes pictures too! - and will probably appreciate in value.

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), January 28, 2002.

Hello YIP,

congratulation to a brave little camera. Tried one out and couldn´t cope with the v/f (aiming thing a bit like the digitals). If I should get one, I think I would also use it and try to have an old v/f from a LEICA A to C attached to it ...

Please put one or the other photo up here if this is technically possible for you. It´s not easy, please try. O. Barnack would have liked pics taken with the O-Series presented in the internet!

Best regards

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), January 28, 2002.

Unfortunately my hopeless scanner would not do justice. Hey, I am a retro guy and you want me to digitalise my sacred O images !! Oscar would confiscate the camera.

Trust me, think of an excellent 50mm pic taken by your M6, the Leica 0 can do it just as finely, the updated lens is a gem.

If you guesstimate the distance & light levels, well............... not forgetting to cap the lens when you advance the frame,to take out the cap when you click and to cap it when you finally rewind the whole roll !

And don't forget to wind a whole frame at a time....this camera can take partial frames, half frames, qtr frames you name it !

Framing the pic is the most difficult, the margin of error can be great using the crosshairs ! I have learnt to visualise the plane of the film, and the position of the lens and point the contraption like a shield......better rate of success that way !

It is so different but so fun !

-- Yip (koklok@krdl.org.sg), January 28, 2002.

". I can feel my head buzzing with mental activity guesstimating distances, exposure and framing.........very involving/stimulating. If you want a challenge, this is it, stirring stuff."

This part sounds really thrilling. I think I'll tape over the RF window on my M2. I could use the endorphin rush.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 28, 2002.

Yip,

"lens is sharp but soft"

Please clarify.

-- John (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), January 28, 2002.

It's so good to hear of someone who bought one and is enjoying using it to take pictures! I was interested in one but decided that it was too expensive for my desires in mechanical-minimalisms.

(I bought a very nice Voigtländer Vito B instead, had it overhauled. The overhaul cost too much but oh well, it's still less than $175 complete. It's an incredibly sweet camera, very nice to hold and use, utterly manual and mechanical. I just finished the first roll of film through it ... can't wait to see the results from that lens.)

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), January 28, 2002.

Am also fascinated by the "O". It is a bit too expensive for me too-- and I get my retro kicks out of my IIIf and IIf. Thanks Yip, you've inspired me to take those two guys out of a spin.

Any more "O" stories? Would love to hear them.

Godfrey, this is quite off the point, by where did you get your old Voigtlander serviced? I'm in a bit of a fix trying to get my Leica M6 repaired at a reason rate in Japan and might try the old home base. I recall you are in the South Bay Area. Thanks.

Back to the subject, the old Leicas are great for relearning the basics. Everyone should have a Barnack Leica. It's like going to the Gym, or going on a long hike.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), January 28, 2002.