Barnack Madness, What Was I Thinking?

 My last adventures with Scewmount Barnack Leicas didn't end well, on the few occasions I tried my brother's IIIf and IIIg, I botched the loading and got 36 exposures on one frame. I was quite content to just shoot with my M3 and M4-2, even though I wanted to get a IIIg because Alex got dad's from the estate. 

Logic has no place shooting with a Barnack Leica, if the cliche film photography slows you down, working with a III series body is an exercise in zen. First you have deal with bottom loading, wind the film advance before adjusting shutter speed and be careful where you point your camea as bright sunlight can incinerate a rubberized silk shutter cloth instantly. 

That said, Joan at Burlington Camera had this red dial Leica IIIf from the mid 1950s with a pre war Elmar 50 F3.5 lens, on the used shelf, I saw it, handled the camera, and put it back. In a fit of camera GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) a few weeks later I came back in and bought the camera. I wonder if Joan and other Burlington Camera employees had a pool going to see how long I would hold out. Of course I got a really cool wrist strap from Due North Leather. Ordered a FISON lens hood on Ebay along with the all important film leader cutting template. 

Of course, I screwed up loading the first roll, the second one however, took and I got what you see below. Stay tuned for my test roll with the Nikkor "Black Belt" H 50 F2 lens on the IIIf with Kodak Color Plus 200 on a future post. 

Camera: Leica IIIF, 50 F3.5 Elmar lens (Pre WW II). 

Film: Fomapan 400, Ilfotec HC 1+31.