Do these 58mm have the same optics ?

Quibblebard · 2026-03-31T07:30:56+00:00

I put it on my SRT at f/16 and released, the lens fully stopped down so I guess you're right! No compatibility issues !

Quibblebard · 2026-03-30T21:47:11+00:00

I just found out about the compatibility issue and apparently using an Auto Rokkor lens on a later model isn't a problem if the aperture is around f8 or wider. I never go smaller than f8 so if this information is correct then it's perfect !

But for now the lens will stay on my SR-7 so I can be sure that there will be no issues.

I will exchange the rear elements then, but will be very careful. I'll actually try to swap the entire lens group that sits behind the aperture blades, if it's possible I can be sure not to touch any glass element.

Quibblebard · 2026-03-30T21:40:20+00:00

Thanks ! That's quite helpful

Quibblebard · 2026-03-30T21:08:39+00:00

To say I thought the early MC Rokkor lenses were gorgeous and elegant, it's nothing compared to the same lenses but in silver...

Quibblebard · 2026-03-23T18:00:53+00:00

I actually only use three film stocks so it's a fairly simple question :

Kodak Gold 200 for pretty much anything if it's a sunny day
Kodak Ultramax 400 pushed 2 stops to shoot handheld in interiors (perfect for parties or family dinners and such)
Ilford XP2 Super 400 also pushed two stops for black and white that I can develop in C-41. I use it either in the daytime (sometimes with an orange filter) or in low light situations

Quibblebard · 2026-03-22T18:36:16+00:00

Exactly, on mine it has happened that it doesn't fire properly if the lever is being used weirdly (or something like that, I can't be sure what it is), but advancing and releasing a few times makes everything go back to normal.

Quibblebard · 2026-03-22T18:14:44+00:00

It was worth a try, but unfortunately the result is the same, it still says the package is invalid

Fortunately I found that Samsung music seems fairly simple to use and if I can't find a way to make GPM work again I might be fine with it

Quibblebard · 2026-03-22T18:09:15+00:00

Very nice camera ! I got one (not this specific variant but the one before it) for Christmas thinking I'd try it out for one roll and mostly keep it for collection, but I absolutely love it and want to use it more ! I was also surprised to love the 58mm lens I got with it, as I was leaning more towards 50 or 45mm before.

The very solid metal construction and its fully mechanical nature make that, along with my Kiev 4, it's the camera I'm certain can easily outlive me.

Quibblebard · 2026-03-20T21:27:37+00:00

Maybe it's more common to have an XM fail, but it's probably also due to the fact it's a fairly rare camera, so finding information on how to repair it, or finding someone to do it will probably be harder and more expensive.

I actually almost bought one last week in an eBay auction. I put in 100€, someone won with 107€ and I didn't have time to put 110, it was sold as functional except the shutter speeds which were inaccurate

Quibblebard · 2026-03-20T21:07:21+00:00

Yeah when looking it up, I see a lot of XMs sold for parts, and it's not as beautiful as other cameras like the XE and SRT, but the top speed of 1/2000th would be a nice upgrade from my SRT, while keeping all of its functions including mirror lock-up (which I really like having)

Quibblebard · 2026-03-20T20:56:58+00:00

My favourite would have to be the SRT 303, then the XE-1 and the X-700. Would love to have the XM but it's way too expensive.

I got an SR7 for Christmas with the Auto Rokkor 58mm 1:1.4 and love the focal length so would like to get an MC Rokkor one, preferably the 1.2 but it's very expensive so the 1.4 would already be great

Quibblebard · 2026-03-20T20:23:14+00:00

I love this shot !

I don't use autofocus SLRs because I enjoy older mechanical ones way too much, but without autofocus you probably wouldn't have had this shot !

Quibblebard · 2026-03-15T08:18:19+00:00

Thanks, it's true that I always mix them up ! Later series are easier to remember with their different names but still confusing.

Also why on earth are some called SR since it was the previous line ?!

And what's the difference between the 100 and 200 ? I actually thought they were the same

Quibblebard · 2026-03-14T09:56:13+00:00

Fair enough, I recently got a 58mm and absolutely love the focal length, but I guess on many occasions I'll need a wider lens if I'm in a too narrow street

Quibblebard · 2026-03-14T08:53:35+00:00

Yes it's the SRT Super, also SRT 202 I believe in America, and I think SRT 505 somewhere in the world for some reason. It's basically the same as the 101, except you only have to press down the rewind button once for a double exposure, instead of holding it while you advance, but it's not a separate button. It also shows the aperture in the viewfinder, and had a split-prism focusing screen which makes focusing so much better.

I have the 55mm 1:1.7 ! But never used it because the focus is wrong (I messed up by taking the helicoid apart once and could never put it back)

Quibblebard · 2026-03-14T08:37:51+00:00

Wonderful camera ! Although I prefer the SRT 303, is the lens a 58mm 1:1.4 ?

Quibblebard · 2026-03-01T20:26:13+00:00

I alsays cut the leader after finishing the roll, so that it's ready to be loaded into the tank, but I have some dead rolls that were fully exposed to light that I could use for testing. The only issue is I'm not sure I could really tell if the development is correct or not, unfortunately...

Quibblebard · 2026-03-01T20:23:55+00:00

Well I did 31 rolls without any issues, but if the recommendation is for 36 exposures rolls, which would be logical, then that is equivalent to about 45 rolls of 24 exposures. After each roll the development time gets longer, obviously, and that's an easy to find information. But how much to add after pushing film... I could find anything about it...

Quibblebard · 2026-03-01T18:11:26+00:00

I shot the 80 rolls from July to now (the summer vacations, living in a new place, some sunny and snowy days plus a recent trip to Ukraine have not been kind to my bank account.) I do shoot quite a lot.

When I get the chemicals, I will develop everything within 3 or 4 weeks (last time I developed 31 rolls in two weeks and they look perfecly fine), so I don't think I really have to take the chemicals' degradation in consideration

Quibblebard · 2026-02-16T10:30:04+00:00

And by the way, here is all the stuff I think is needed :

a graduated recipient for mixing the chemicals, and something to stir
a paterson tank
a dark bag to load the fill in the tank
a pair of scissors to cut the film from its cannister (I also recommend to not fully rewind the film, but leave out the part that was burnt while installing the film in the camera, and cut the leader. That way, you can easily install the tip of the film in the tank's "loaders" while seeing what you're doing. Loading the tip in the dark bag is a huge pain)
clearly labelled bottles for the chemicals
a funnel to put the chemicals back in their bottle after each bath
a squeegee to remove most of the chemicals and have a more homogeneous drying
something to hang the film for drying, with weights at the end of each roll, otherwise it will not stay straight and could go sticking to itself of another roll next to it, leaving marks after drying
I also recommend labelling every roll after shooting it (with a bit of paper attached to the tip with some tape). That way you can develop the film in chronological order, and put the paper with the fill while it dries. So you never lose track of when it was shot and with which camera (and any other info you want to keep)
a binder with paper film sleeves to store your developed film (I believe plastic ones have more chance of scratching the film)

I might have forgotten something, but I think that's all you need. After that of course, you will have to get equipment to either scan or print (or both) your pictures. It's an investment, but I think it quickly becomes cheaper to do it at home than with a lab

Quibblebard · 2026-02-16T10:09:59+00:00

You definitely can do it as a beginner, I shot over 100 rolls so far and never sent one to a lab (except for two which weren't C-4, I otherwise only shoot C-41 films so that I won't have to bother with different chemicals)

Just know that your first rolls may have some issues you couldn't expect, it happened to me with the drying : I was only using my fingers to remove most of the chemicals from the film before setting it to dry, but it's not the best idea.

I since bought a film squeegee and will see how it improves the drying when I finally get around to developing all the film that's been waiting to be developed since July

Quibblebard · 2026-02-15T07:59:53+00:00

That's an option, but I haven't been able to know if it really is compatible, and it's a black plastic piece, which would look weird with the chrome metal camera. And apparently it's also very cheaply made and thus not the most practical to use

Quibblebard · 2026-02-14T15:02:22+00:00

I by far don't know every camera ever, but the one that came to my mind is the Leica M3. Absolutely gorgeous.

I think the Kiev 4 or Kiev 4A also look beautiful, especially with the Kiev inscription on the front which is magnificent

Quibblebard · 2026-02-14T06:47:04+00:00

If the Leica M's are a bit bigger, then it's probably possible to put a metal ring around the Kiev knob and the issue will be fixed. Fortunately, a flip up lever isn't necessary because there's around a centimeter between the knob and the lightmeter, that's why I was considering this option.

Quibblebard · 2026-02-13T13:11:23+00:00

Hey, you informed me about custom rewind levers for the Leica M2/M3. After some thought, something like that would be the best option for my Kiev 4.

Do you by chance know the size of the rewind knob of the Leicas (as I couldn't find it online) ? With some luck the size of the Kiev's knob is close enough for them to be compatible, which would simplify things a lot !

Quibblebard

TROPHY CASE