MP question

philipus

philipus

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Some reviews of the MP that I've read say that the MP has a smoother film advance than the M6/M7; that it is more like the M3 and M4. For instance Puts stated in his review that
Gears and other moving parts have been improved by a new shape and surface treatment, which will increase the mean time before failure and enhances the smoothness of the operation
Click to expand...

However, I have seen other reviewers say that the MP actually feels the same as the M6 and M7, that is, that the MP feels equally "rough". I have an M6TTL which, while nice to use, definitely is not as smooth as my M4.

I'd appreciate a bit of first-hand info from those of you who use an MP and have experience with other Ms, too.

Cheers and thanks in advance
Philip
 
I would say my MP felt smoother than my M6, but maybe it's the solid metal lever vs. the flappy plastic bit on the M6 that makes it feel that way. My SS M3 was probably smoother than both. The best for smoothness for me though was my DS M3, which I was resistant to at first, but the moment I used it, I loved it.

However, I expect a lot of these factors are about state of repair, condition more than the models themselves.
 
I've had two MP's and whilst smoother in advance to the M6's I've had neither was as smooth as any M2, 3 or 4 I've had but they are new and without the wearing in of a few hundred/thousand rolls of film that older cameras have likely had from the 60's.
 
my shelf queen MP is extremely smooth in film advance, it basically falls through by just tipping soft, and this with just a few rolls of film through.

my m4 is extremely smooth too, sound and feels different, mainly for the advance lever, but buttersmooth too.

my m2 beater it's the smoothest of them all, but this one has seen kilometres of film, so i guess all the above are the same, sooner or later

my m6ttl i used to have felt a little less smooth in advance than all others, the M6 classic I remember also being very smooth, differences are insignificant imo.
 
The MP I have is certainly smoother my M6 TTL, but I also have a M6 Millennium with has the brass top and I'd say it's very close to the MP if not the same in terms of smoothness.

I agree with the others that the M3 DS is quite possibly the smoothest M. I also recently acquired a M2-R and that camera is also right up there with the M3 DS in terms of smoothness.

I've been through many Ms over the years and I honestly believe that some Ms are just smoother than others. But in terms of modern Ms, the MP is smooth but not quite as smooth as the M3 DS. :)
 
onesixeight said:
The MP I have is certainly smoother my M6 TTL, but I also have a M6 Millennium with has the brass top and I'd say it's very close to the MP if not the same in terms of smoothness.

I agree with the others that the M3 DS is quite possibly the smoothest M. I also recently acquired a M2-R and that camera is also right up there with the M3 DS in terms of smoothness.

I've been through many Ms over the years and I honestly believe that some Ms are just smoother than others. But in terms of modern Ms, the MP is smooth but not quite as smooth as the M3 DS. :)
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Or indeed SS. But as you say, "some Ms are just smoother than others" and I strongly suspect that a well-used but not worn-out M beds in to a higher degree of smoothness than a new one. Even my M4-P is not too bad now, though it was rough as rats when it was new 30+ years ago.

Cheers,

R.
 
Thanks a lot for all your replies, much appreciated. I also have a feeling the fact that a camera has been "broken in" with lots of rolls through it, perhaps combined with recent(ish) service, will have an impact on how smooth the film wind is.

My TTL now has some 100 rolls through (so not much) and is definitely not yet very smooth although it is not unpleasant of course; it's just different to the M4 and the M3 SS I had before that.


A "smoothness-of-operation"-related question I have been wondering about concerns the shutter release.

On my TTL I have to have press down vertically and on the middle of the button. If I am a bit off-center the button will (of course) push down, but the shutter will only release once I remove pressure from the button at the most down-ward position (ie move the finger ever so slightly upwards). This is really quite annoying and, likely, something that can be fixed by a service point.

My M4, however, has a much more pleasant shutter release, which is softer to the touch and which can be pressed successfully also from the outer edges of the "cup". I don't know if this makes sense - it's pretty difficult to describe - but the bottom line is that the M4's shutter release feels much more intuitive and smooth than the TTL's; in using the TTL I have to think before pressing down with the finger to ensure that I press straight down and in the middle.

Can anyone relate to this (rather messy description; sorry) in the context of the MP?

Cheers
Philip
 
It's all very subjective. Older Ms might be smoother then newer Ms due to the fact that they are "broken" in more. BTW, my M7 had the quietest shutter of any M that I have ever owned or handled. Barely a whisper.
 
I've owned and sold an M6TTL and two M7s. I'd say my current bodies are smoother than all of them. Right now I have an MP, MP3 and an M2-R. The smoothest of those three is the MP, the least smooth is the MP3 which is just a gussied up MP. I'm pretty sure it has to do with use as Youxin tells me the M2-R wasn't used much.
 
Maitani and I share the same thoughts on this topic. For me, I strongly prefer the old style (M2, M3) film advance lever over the articulated lever found on my M4 and M6 cameras. As such, I changed out the original lever on my M6 TTL and put on an M3 lever, and that made a big difference in feel to me.
 
Hi,

My 2d worth on breaking in etc. I was looking at a rough Zenit SLR in a charity shop. It felt rough to work the bits and the shutter blind stuck. A couple of weeks later I looked at it again and it felt really nice and the shutter was OK. So I guess a lot of us had looked at it and wound it on etc, etc and done the job.

Regards, David
 
shutter release noise wise as far as I remember from all I had/have

M4
..
MP
M5
M2/M3
M6 classic
M6 ttl
M8.2
M9
M8

never had an M7 myself.. but fondled one of a friend, it was very silent too, but different sound than the machanical ones (obviously)

note that on those old M2-M4 boday theres extreme sample variation, cla'd or not, broke in or not, also an M6 millenium might sound different than a late M6ttl...
 
I haven't really noticed any particular difference in smoothness or maybe they've all been smooth enough not to matter. On shutter noise though, my list would be, based on what I have owned -

M7
M4P
M2/MP
M6 (my first)
M6 (my second) / M8.2
M8

However, apart from my second M6 (which wasn't loud by any stretch of the imagination) they were all very close.
 
Out of the box the MP is a little smoother than the M6/M7. I noticed this the first time I handled one.

I purchased both my M6ttl and M7 new. The M7, which supposedly shares some of the internal improvements of the MP, was noticeably smoother than the TTL out of the box.

The M2/M3/M4 use brass gears, instead of steel, so they are the smoothest. Brass is softer than steel and as the gears accumulate wear they deform a minuscule amount and mesh smoothly in to each other. Steel is much harder and it takes a lot, lot longer for that to happen. After 15 years and +1000 rolls my M6ttl is starting to break in and has become very smooth, but it still feels different than the brass geared cameras.

A few years ago I picked up a user grade M4 that has seen a lot of use. It is the smoothest M I have. I can even notice a difference between it and my less worn M4 and M2. Heck even Gerry at Kindermann commented on how smooth that M4 is.

PS: Leica went to steel gears when they added motor support, due to the extra stress of the Leicavit or motor.
 
Again thanks for sharing your experiences so willingly!

onesixeight, it is interesting to read your view on the Millennium. My TTL is also a Millennium (no. 1381) and while it is pretty smooth, I'd be rather disappointed if a MP would be like it is, even when new. I hope this would not be the case, actually.

In terms of smoothness of film advance my M4 is the best M I have used or tried so far. I think it may have been a press photographer's camera way back when, which may explain the smoothness. The shutter sound is also very quiet, at all speeds actually. Not the slightest metallic but just a soft click. It beats my old M3 in this respect.

About the film lever, I was initially against the M4 (et al.) lever but the more I use it the more I appreciate it. I like in particular that it can more easily be pulled out from the innermost position. The M3 lever tends to "stick" more to the hotshoe and require a more precise movement with the thumb to release it.

Btw, speaking of the M4 lever: did you know that you can trip the shutter in the outermost position?
 
M7 is double stroke, MP is SS, so if you get used to SS, it would feel smoother, at least to me. Both are equally smooth when actually advances the film, just sounds different.
 
My Millenium was so smooth it almost bothered me. Way too smooth.
My both MPs are just ok, just as they should. As smooth as my old M3.

I believe it's down to the camera itself, though.
 
mervynyan said:
M7 is double stroke, MP is SS, so if you get used to SS, it would feel smoother, at least to me. Both are equally smooth when actually advances the film, just sounds different.
Click to expand...

Eh? M7 is double stroke?

At any rate, I was fascinated by this thread that yesterday I popped into the Leica store in Ginza and tried an MP. The thing didn't feel like it was any smoother than my LHSA M6. But both my M4 and M2 are definitely far smoother.
 
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