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Leicina Special Eye-cup


Edward Goldner

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Hello,

 

My Leicina Special has finally arrived in beautiful condition.

 

The only noticeable setback is the absence of an eye-cup, which is particularly fiddley with this camera in particular given the "headrest" battery back, which jabs into your forehead.

 

Just wondering if anyone knows where I'd be able to get one.

 

I'm also looking to get a Leicina Otivaron if anyone is looking to sell.

 

Thanks for your time!

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Edward,

 

Congrats on the purchase of a fine machine.

 

Why don't you treat yourself to a new, cheap and hygienic chamois eye piece? I can't measure my Leicina Special eyepiece at the moment but one of the listed diameters should work, i.e.

 

http://www.filmtools.com/eychamsmal.html

 

And yes, the rear battery/forehead "rest" design failed camera engineering design 101. :) It's worth the money to find the associated ST1 controller to power the LS remotely and thereby removing this intrusive battery casing.

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Hmm, A camera without a lens or eyecup is still a very nice camera?

 

Leicina accessoiries are rare. A eyecup and Optivaron just auctioned off at ebay last month. And that was after many months of hardly any Leicina goods.

The ST-1 is somewhat more frequent.

 

The recommended chamois thing simply does not work as you must have a rubber eyecup to fit the chamios on. Even when you would have the original eyecup the chamois are all too big as these are intended for modern video eyepieces with really big cups around them. The Leicina cup is really verry small. All S8 camera eyecups must be extended before they can support standard chamois.

 

Maybe one of these could be of interest? http://www.filmtools...p2-28mm-ef.html :)

Otherwise use Leica M-lenses while waiting to find a Optivaron or Cinegon.

 

The forehead rest is a very simple method of holding the camera much stiller then using a pistolgrip on its own. Nothing wrong with it and other topmodels like ZC-1000 have the same thing. Using the camera without the batteryholder and using a ST-1 on a cable as powersupply is just stupid. As if the bare metal rims and the ST-1 dangling from it are comfortable.

Edited by Andries Molenaar
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Maybe one of these could be of interest? http://www.filmtools...p2-28mm-ef.html :)

Otherwise use Leica M-lenses while waiting to find a Optivaron or Cinegon.

 

 

 

Edward,

 

Snide, derogatory and impractical references to $3,900 US Zeiss lens not withstanding your 10mm Cinegon is an amazing piece of highly correct optics. I have experienced remarks to the effect that my footage looks like "miniature 16mm". Vision 200T looks amazing. Plus-X (if you can locate stock) is tack sharp and positively glows.

 

Here is some practical advice regarding adapting an old 35mm eye cup to accommodate the larger diameter chamois from the "other" forum, i.e.

 

"The R10 has a simple slotted* cylindrical eyepiece

that extends from the body of the camera about half an

inch or more. This is an ideal design to work with. A

fine technician at a local camera & lighting rental

house gave me a ripped 35mm camera rubber eyecup. The

chamois fits on that. Cut a plastic (width of slot*)

disk to fit the rubber cup over. Cut a round hole in

the center of the disk, not the diameter of the

eyepiece, but of the slot*. Cut from edge of disk to

center hole on one side. Now the disk can be twisted

to fit in the slot*. Mine was still a bit loose, so I

slipped a big fatty slot-car slick tire over the

eyepiece first, to push the disk solid against the

facing wall of the slot*. Rubber washers would do the

job of the big fatty."

 

Whilst some users are deliriously happy resting their superior foreheads on the badly designed Leicina Battery case...I am not. I am presently engaged in cold weather cinematography as opposed to hyperbole...whereby my Leicina is mounted on my bicycle via a Manfrotto Super Grip /Ballhead setup...and the logical placement of my external ST1 battery pack/controller is in my polartec inner layer pocket absorbing body heat and keeping relatively warm. I am utilizing Lithium batteries.

 

The LS shutter is well engineered and capable of automated time exposures. I am presently utilizing 3 sec exposure per frame with a 0.5 sec frame interval. Times are approximate.

 

Another key design quirk reproduced across the entire Leicina line of R8/S8 cameras is the perpendicular plastic stick also known as a "handle". Resting ones superior forehead on the extended battery casing does not alleviate the displeasure of holding this handle at 90 degrees perpendicular for extended periods of time due to the all metal design and weight of this otherwise excellent camera.

 

In contrast to my other cameras, e.g. Fujica ZC1000, Bauer 715Xl and Beaulieu 6008 Pro, etc...their designs compensate correctly for the camera weight offset and the human wrist by designing their respective handles/grips at a more natural 45 degrees. They are much more enjoyable and comfortable to handhold. I guess Leitz skimped on "improving" the handle or there was an abundance of incredibly well muscled German and Dutch wrist testers. :)

 

"Ya. I can hold eet fore a veeery long time. Pleeeze ignore da purple bruising..ya"

 

Enjoy your recent excellent purchase and keep on shooting Super 8 film!

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Please elaborate a bit more on first the really practical suggested use of eyepiece chamois on a camera without an eyepiece cup.

 

Copying Mitch Perkins instructions without reference is a bit lame and is not really practical to OP's question.

This R10 there was modified furhter with the grip taken off and the camera on a tripod and-or dolly. Quiet contraire to fixing it to a bicycle. Check the FriendlyFire website. If it is still open.

Also nice was the other Nikon there with the shutter removed which produced funny night-scenes.

 

OP better measures the diameter of the eyepiece and starts looking for possible fitting eyecups.

 

BTW Using and risking a Special with lens on a bicycle in an art-like-2001-odessey attempt with 3 sec exposures is a bit odd. It certainly is not depending on the high quality optics of the machine and a $100 Nizo will do just as well. These can handle external power-supply too and does B-timed expsoure.

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Hey Edward,

 

Congrats on the Leicina Special. I got one earlier this year and am very happy with it. The eyepiece falls off ALL THE TIME, though, and it's very frustrating. (I thought mine didn't come with it, since it wasn't attached, and I had to fish around the case to find out that it actually WAS in there somewhere. If it's not too late, maybe double check..) But with the Macro Cinegon, I've shot some great images with it, and it's nice to have a camera so small and portable for trips, etc. But I've had to double back several times after a shoot to find the damn eyepiece in a field, etc.

 

If you find a place that sells them, please let me know because I'd love to buy a spare!

 

Good luck!

 

Bo

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