scenic core

Hyde Park, Sydney

2011-12-26T17:34:00.001+11:00

Fig trees in the park, looking towards Archibald Fountain.

Leica Repair: Sending a Lens for Cleaning (CLA)

2011-05-10T21:49:00.001+10:00

Recently, to my dismay, I found out that my hazy Leica 50mm Summicron Dual-Range F/2.0 has already started to spread oil in the inner elements and the aperture blades while temporarily stored. Since I don't have any expertise in taking apart lenses, and putting it back together in good working condition, I decided on sending it to someone instead of making it worse by a DIY repair. After thinking on who to send it to, I tried to contact Sherry Krauter (Golden Touch), a well known Leica repair specialist, to handle the lens cleaning.

Inner element contamination.

She was very quick to respond to my email and after finding that the rates and turn-around time for a clean, lube, and adjust (CLA) is very reasonable, I immediately packed the lens to be sent out for cleaning.

After a couple of days, Sherry sent an email to inform me that she has already completed the job. Surprisingly, it was way ahead of her three week estimate, and the lens was back in my hands before a month's time was over. After inspecting the lens, the glasses were crystal clear, no traces of oil in the elements and the diaphragm, and turning the focusing ring is smoother than before. And the missing red dot was also replaced!

Cleaned aperture blades.

To sum it up, I was very satisfied with the quality of the work and communication. Now off to test the newly serviced lens out at the next possible opportunity and see how a lens serviced to factory specification performs.

Leica 50mm Summicron Dual-Range F/2.0

Any experiences with your repair person?

Under the Sydney Tower

2011-03-27T23:04:00.001+11:00

Sydney Tower, also known as Centrepoint Tower, is Sydney's tallest structure.

1.25x Viewfinder Magnifier for Leica M Review

2011-03-13T18:15:00.004+11:00

I recently obtained a 90mm and a 135mm lens for my Leica M6 body (0.85 magnification). I have no trouble focusing using my 50mm lenses, but I want to have more accurate focusing using the telephoto lenses that I have.

A viewfinder magnifier will help me deal with this issue since it magnifies the rangefinder image to help in focusing. After deciding that an original Leica 1.25x viewfinder magnifier is too expensive, and getting a cheap used one from eBay is difficult, I had to made do with an aftermarket 1.25x viewfinder magnifier which retails for around US$65.00 from HKSupplies with free shipping. It is a cheap alternative and after receiving the item, I am not dissapointed.

The package consists of a small leather case, and the viewfinder magnifier. The aftermarket 1.25x viewfinder magnifier feels solid and well made. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the leather case which we will deal with later. There are no rough areas in the metal, the glass is clean and clear. The lettering is just painted and not engraved. Another plus is that it has threads on the viewing end which accepts a Leica diopter correction lens.

Unlike the original Leica version, this magnifier does not come with a cord which can be a positive or negative thing depending on how you see it. For me, the cord may be a liability since it could catch into things, though it helps prevent losing the magnifier in case it unscrews from the viewfinder. I don't forsee the magnifier dislodging itself from the body during use. But then again, I am just using the product occasionally since I do not shoot that much with a 90mm or 135mm lens.

There is also no rubber cap on the back of the magnifier which would be a problem for eyeglass wearers since their glasses may be scratched. This can easily be resolved by gluing a piece of rubber or felt cloth.

The leather pouch is good enough to fit the magnifier inside. It comes with a strip of leather which goes in so you will not have any difficulty popping out the magnifier for use (and risk dropping it). It has a snap around attachment to put it to a neck strap. The snap around attachment just consists of two flimsy pieces of leather which I think can easily tear if the pouch snags on to something.

The magnifier should fit all Leica M bodies, but I have only managed to test it on my Leica M6 and Leica M2. On attaching the lens to my Leica M6 0.85x body, the 35mm framelines is no longer usable but the framelines can still be seen if you move your eyes around the edges of the finder.

Using a 50mm lens, the sample image above shows how the rangefinder patch appears without, and with the 1.25x viewfinder magnifier attached. The framelines disappear when the magnifier is attached since I cannot poke further using the camera I used when taking the picture. But when you use your eyes, you will see that the 50mm framelines are visible.

Here is the corresponding magnification equivalent for various bodies when using the 1.25x viewfinder magnifier:

0.58 = 0.72
0.72 = 0.85
0.85 = 1.06

Since the magnifier costs way lot less than an original Leica 1.25x viewfinder magnifier and it does the job despite its shortcomings, I would definitely recommend having one specially if you often use telephoto lenses.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Keyboard Shortcuts

2011-03-06T14:01:00.003+11:00

If you want to increase efficiency and productivity in using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 for your workflow, learning the keyboard shortcuts really helps.

Here is a printable PDF in a cheat sheet format and an HTML version for quick reference.

It is also good to have a book handy for reference and I recommend Nathaniel Coalson's Lightroom 3: Streamlining Your Digital Photography Process. I have the Lightroom 2 version of this book and it is a good resource for beginners.

An Afternoon at Observatory Hill

2011-03-04T14:25:00.003+11:00

Another study on light and shadows on Sydney Observatory.
A scenic spot which is a favorite location of local photographers.
There are lots of big old trees, and has a nice view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A Seagull in Light and Shadows

2011-03-02T22:24:00.001+11:00

Studying with light and shadows on this shot of a lone seagull at Darling Harbour.

Yep, lots of seagulls there so be careful if you are eating around them. Nasty opportunistic snatchers they are, likes to sneak around and take a bite on any food you have on your hands. Something like what happens in this video.

Balusters and Girl

2011-03-01T13:57:00.007+11:00

Managed to take this gritty looking shot while relaxing after a long walk.

I don't really recall if its really a girl or a skinny guy with long hair on the other stairs.

Cart

2011-02-23T06:10:00.003+11:00

Sails

2011-02-22T04:46:00.001+11:00

Under the Bridge

2011-02-21T12:54:00.001+11:00

An afternoon under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Printing Puzzle: Nikon EL 50mm F2.8 Enlarger Lens

2010-03-21T17:21:00.000+11:00

Having plans of actually having a home darkroom made me acquire several pieces of the printing puzzle. I've already gotten hold of a Meopta Axomat 4a enlarger for quite sometime now. I found out that the Meopta Anaret 50mm F4 lens that came with the enlarger seems to be quite hazy so I opted to get a new one which should be decent enough.

There aren't much details on both of the lenses available so I hope this post will be useful to some of the readers.

The Nikon EL 50mm F2.8 lens thead size is 39mm while Meopta Anaret 50mm F4.5 lens is smaller at 23.5mm. This means that you will need a proper lens board to be able to fit the Nikon lens to the enlarger.

The lens comes in a small bubble jar and the lens is held in place by foam and a packet of silica gel. Shown below is how the Meopta Anaret 50/4.5 compares to the Nikon.

Next is the enlarger lens compared to its big brother, Nikon 50mm F1.8 Series E. The main difference that I can see between these two lenses apart from the size and the mount is that the enlarger lens lacks a focus ring.

I have heard that some people are using the enlarger lens for taking pictures. Since it is using a 39mm mount, it should fit in some cameras or an adaptor will be necessary. Focusing will be a challenge then since the lens does not come with any focus ring.

Specifications:

Mount Size: 39mm.
Aperture Range: f/2.8-16
Click-Stops: Yes
Illuminated f/Stops: Yes
Magnification Range: 2x-20x
Elements/Groups: 6/4
Filter Size: 40.5mm
Dimensions (HxW): 2 x 1.5" (51x39mm)
Weight: 3.7oz. (105g)

If you are interested in building your own darkroom, here is an excellent checklist.

Parker "Frontier" Fountain Pen Review

2010-01-02T23:04:00.022+11:00

One of the Christmas goodies that I got was this fountain pen. I glanced upon it while taking a stroll in the mall with my wife, and upon finding I was interested in it, she got it for me as a gift.

I last used these types of pen when I was in grade school when my parents bought me a cheap plastic one to use for drawing and doodling. Too bad that pen never survived the test of time and found its way into the garbage bin after probably some months of (mis)use.

Parker Frontier comes in a black professional looking box. It has a brushed stainless steel finish which is quite good since small scratches due to daily use will not be noticeable. Construction is very solid and suprisingly, the pen is lightweight even though the cap and body is made of steel.

The trims and the nib is 23k gold plated according to Parker's website but I'm not really sure about this particular model that I have. I don't know how durable the finish is but I think it will be good since I have my father's 15-year old (?) Parker Jotter which is still in good condition.

Grip area is made of some hard but rubbery material which makes it a bit tacky so handling this pen is considerably good.

My current every day carry (EDC) pen is a black Fisher "Bullet" space pen. Comparing sizes, Frontier is quite bigger than Fisher so this will be stashed inside my bag.

It is too big for carrying in the pants pocket anyway and I think it is a good precaution since I do not want ink stains on my clothing if ever the cap comes off without me knowing it.

Loading the pen with ink is a breeze since it uses a cartridge system. No need to fumble with dipping the pen in an ink jar and wiping the excess. A spare cartridge is not included with the purchase unfortunately but the good thing is my wife got me a box which contains five spare cartridges so I can start using it.

Overall, I found that using this pen to be quite a pleasant experience. No drips, ink blots, or any unevenness in the ink flow.

Since this is quite new, I haven't found anything negative to say about it yet. Maybe I'll just update this post once I find any issues.