What was your First Leica and First Lens for it?

My first Leica was a M4 with a Russian 50mm Industar lens attached via adapter. I then "upgraded" towards Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-12 with which I found out that I prefer 35mm. Ended up with mostly using M6 with ZM Biogon 35/2 now. :)
 
An IIIc with a Summarit 50mm 1.5

The lens was in poor condition. It produced great low contrast images but wasn't general purpose. I quickly replaced it with a Jupiter 8. If the camera had 35mm framelines I probably would have stuck with it. I love the camera.

And like others, from there it was all down hill from there. I think I stopped the body slide by picking up an M4. I think I'm basically stable on the lens front now too with a compact lens (Summar), fast/sonnar (J3), general purpose (Canon 50mm 1.8), wide (Canon 35mm 2.8) and long (Canon 135mm 3.5).
 
MY first Leica was a IIIf BD with matching Summitar. Last owner had it done up by DAG some years ago, got it for a fair price, and it's been great. Tried 'upgrading' to a CL and Summicron-C - posted them in the classifieds yesterday. Added a CV 15 and Hektor 73/1.9 - 15 in the classifieds as well, 73 stays. Maybe I just like the old fiddly ones?
 
I bought my M2 because i thought it was cheap.

Later I realised it was.
One of the earlier smaller window M2's.
Hardly any signs of use but for a small part of vulcanite missing

Because I had some refunds and a GAS attack I bought a Summarit 1.5 50mm for it a week later.

Next acquisition was a 2.8 90 elmarit that was cheap because of fungus or haze.
Couldn't tell in the shop.
That turned out well, seems someone spilt some milk on the rear element. :D
Glass pristine.

So far so good.

Now on the prowl for a 35 mm to complete my framelines.
 
It was in 1979, a converted M3 - from DS to SS - and the lens was an early rigid Summicron. It was then considered a very old camera.
This is one of my first shots with it, on TriX, the film of the day.

Erik.

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My first Leica rangefinder was the M2 that I happily use today. By the time I got it, I had a number of lenses (mainly LTM mount) to use w/ it; I've sold some of those and purchased others, so I can't say that I got a lense specifically to go w/ the M2 at the time I got it. The lenses that I've most enjoyed using of late w/ the M2 are the Canon 35/1.8, the CV Skopar 50/2.5, and the Canon 50/1.8 (version II, chrome and black).

My first interchangeable lens RF camera was a Canon P, which I still have, and a CV Nokton 50/1.5, which I purchased shortly after buy the P and later sold, mainly b/c I wanted something more compact. The Canon 50/1.5 is my favorite lens for the P.

I've since purchased a couple of Barnack Leicas, but that's another story....
 
It was 1963. A used M1 with Elmar 50/2.8 and FOKOS external rangefinder; with freshman budget I was able to afford this much only.
 
In 2003 whilst at university I spent a terms funds on an early black M6, 1985 vintage, serial number began 1666, and a 35mm Summicron ASPH!

It was so different to the Nikons that I was used to using, I loved it... Then, stupidly, I sold it and bought an M7 because I thought it would be quicker to use! I didn't get on with the M7 and moved to the M2 which I still have and will always keep...

I really wish I had kept that M6 though! :(

Simon
 
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My first Leica was an R8 with a 35 Summicron R because I wanted to use Leica lenses but couldn't bring myself to buy an M because of the price. I soon bought an m6ttl to pair with my then Ultron 35mm. It was the start of an expensive road.
 
My first Leica was a IIIc with a 50/2 Summitar (got it in 1981 when I was 15). The second Leica was a III wit a 50/2 Summar (got it in 1988), and I still have that one.

First M was an M2 with an old collapsible Summicron in about 1990, and I just sold that body a few months ago. Cool thing about it was that I had it converted to take an M winder, and it was a late ELCAN body.
 
JSU said:
... I went back to the same seller and bought a M2 (button rewind, no timer) w/ 35 Summicron (8 elements).
...
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Same as my first Leica, nine years used ($150) plus a new 35 Summicron v.1 ($164.50) from Olympic Camera Center in downtown Seattle. Still have it!

My main axe (been wanting to use that term!) at the time was a fairly new Pentax Spotmatic, which I also still have. I would often carry them both, with a longer lens on the Pentax.
 
Beaten up M3 S/S with a goggled 35mm Summicron. Both were traded on the long road to an M6 with lenses.
 
Last year I purchased a Leicaflex and a 50mm Summicron which has just come back from a complete overhaul by Peter at CRR Luton and looks like new. This year I purchased my first M an M6 Classic plus 50/2.5 Summarit.
 
My first Leica wasn't a Leica at all but a Leotax. t did, however, have a 3.5 Elmar. an M3 followed shortly thereafter.
Phil Brown
 
BobYIL said:
It was 1963. A used M1 with Elmar 50/2.8 and FOKOS external rangefinder; with freshman budget I was able to afford this much only.
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I was a bit curious how much did you pay for that combo in that moment and could you convert to an equivalent thing at that time? I am eager to know how expensive the Leica was (in comparison with the current M9 for instance)

Rgds,
Trung
 
Technically its a Zorkiy -4 with a 5cm lens, but the first shooting camera I used was a Leica M6 and a Minolta 40/2 CLE - Shame I have to sell it!
 
A mint IIIg w/ 50mm LTM Summicron, from JayBee Camera in Manhattan, back in the dawn of time. A ravishing kit, wish I still had it.
 
First Leica

First Leica

Mine was a IIIc with an f2 Summar lens which had seen better days, but apart from flare, was quite good.( In those days dealers sold cameras with lenses). I loved it but eventually went to a IIIf RD which I still have 40 years later! (It came with a coated Elmar which was very nice).
 
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