If you were to buy your first Leica...

Scoop, is right. I've bought a beautiful -- I hope it is as described when it arrives -- collapsible 1:2 Summicron to replace the Red Scale Elmar. Just give me an OKARO & I'm set!
 
Guess I got very spoiled by a TTL metering system using Nikons for over 30 years - that is why I chose the M6-TTL! Now this is my daily, always with me camera.

The rangefinder is much easier for me to focus accurately and quickly than the SLR/Nikon systems I have - especially in low-light situations.

Although I own two Nikon F3's (which have "automatic exposure"), I still use the old set-it-myself method with help from the center-weighted spot meter that I first learned with the old Nikkormat! So that is why I did not go with the M7.

Regards to all - this is a great forum!
Skip Cashwell
 
I'm buying back into the M system- so far I've gotten a 35 lux asph chrome, 50 lux chrome. I want to get an MP (perhaps .58 with a 1.25x magnifier since I wear glasses), and maybe a 90 cron APO-ASPH. I can't imagine I need anything else! I shoot slides, so perhaps an M7 or the upcoming Zeiss Ikon are better choices.

To any newbie who reads this, good luck with your choices. It's all about what your final lens array will be in order to figure out which lens to start with. For me, the 50mm is the main lens.
 
Newbies: To fully enjoy the M system it is not necessary to purchase the latest and "greatest" lenses unless you are seriously into low light (and shallow DoF) photography. The 50mm f/2.8 Elmar, stopped down to f/5.6 or so, is just as good as the 50mm Summicron. Similar considerations apply to the 35mm f/2.8 Summaron and the 90mm f/2.8 Tele-Elmarit.

Richard
 
znapschatz said:
The f1.5 Summarit had a so-so reputation, but some photogs thought the lens was unfairly maligned. It was pretty good at moderate apertures, but crapped out at its widest apertures, not a good thing for a lens intended to be used there. All this is second hand, I never actually used a Summarit.
Click to expand...
For bench test excellence the Cron wins. In practice it depends on the desired "look." There are many very satisfied Summarit users.

Richard
 
Indeed, latest and "greatest" isn't always the preferred look. I like fast lenses for DOF and speed. The screw mount bodies and lenses are pretty freaking neat. I'd love to have a IIIg with some vintage lenses!
 
vizioneer said:
Indeed, latest and "greatest" isn't always the preferred look. I like fast lenses for DOF and speed. The screw mount bodies and lenses are pretty freaking neat. I'd love to have a IIIg with some vintage lenses!
Click to expand...
I have an M6, M2, and M3, but I think a nice IIIg would cure my GAS for at least a year or so. :)
 
Yes, a iiig is really nice. They are sought after but not terribly rare. You should be able to find one that is used at the US$800 range.
 
I think I would actually get a Leica II with a 50/3.5 Heliar. Then maybe add a 35/2 UC-Hexanon and a CV 28/3.5 with a CV 28/35 minifinder. An alternative to the 28 would be a CV 21/4.
This would be my small film camera, and a Mamiya 7ii would be my large camera.

The alternative would be an M2 with a 50/3.5 Heliar. Then add a 35/2 UC-Hexanon or Summicron IV. Finally a Hexanon 28/2.8 with CV finder.

/Håkan

SolaresLarrave said:
What exactly would you get? A metered body like the M5-M7, or a meterless one? Would you go for the LTM kind or the M type?

How about lens? A 50mm? A wide-angle?

I'm curious about what you guys would do. Why? Well, I want one, but I don't know what to look for. Besides, I'm not adept at the Sunny 16 rule, but I do have a handheld meter.

Input? Thanks a lot!! :)
Click to expand...
 
kajabbi said:
To be honest, I have, since 1952, had the habit of metering the area where I am BEFORE I start looking for pictures. I keep the variables in my head and set the camera accordingly. I use negative film exclusively so the film latitude saves me when I make an error. I still have my original M3 but mow use the M5. Though the M5 has a great built-in meter system, I still choose the exposure before I look at the scene though the viewfinder. i'm not bragging, mind you, but i'm 80% within 1/2 a stop of the final meter reading.
Click to expand...


I agree entirely with Kajabbi here about the necessity for on-board metering.

For most shooting situations, the range of required exposures in narrow and visual estimation of exposure serves quite well, particularly with negative film . Outdoors for example, with the shutter speed set to 1/(film speed in ASA) a typical range is f11 in bright sun, f8 with cloud cover, f5.6 in open shade and either f4 or f2.8 in deep shade. ( I've checked this many times with a calibrated meter and the f16 in "sunny 16" seems to be for the beach or desert). So for a city street, the choice becomes f11 on the sunny side of the street and f4 on the shady side. If you're using a camera with on-board meeting, or a hand-held meter, check this; you will find that the range of exposures falls in this range. It is nice to have the exposure confirmation that a built-in meter provides, but by no means is the meter essential.

Indoors, with artificial lighting and ASA400 film at 1/60th, the range of exposures will fall between f2 and f4. This is probably a consequence of most artificial lighting being set to a range where people are comfortable.

I have, and use, cameras with built in meters, even an automatic one (R4), but find it more engaging to be my own meter.

As to a camera preference, my choice is either a Barnack Leica or an M3 with a collapasible Summicron - one often needs f2 indoors. Either camera can be carried easily in a coat pocket or belt pouch.

If you prefer the on-board meter, a interesting (and clearly quite off-topic) choice might be a Leicaflex Standard. It certainly has the Leica "feel", is just slightly larger than a M2/M3/M4, and has an on-board meter (which can be adjusted to use a silver oxide battery). These are available, with a 50mm Summicron, for less than the price of a used Summicron M. If you are used to focusing with a rangefinder patch, you shoul have little difficulty with the central microprism spot on the Leicaflex.
 
I'm going through similar equations in my head, too. Do I want an M3 and really teach myself sunny 16, and the inside version: flourescent 2? Or do I want to keep that Leica CL for its diminutive size, relative economy, and the nice 40mm cron, which to me negates my need for both a 35 and 50mm.

That way I could have the TTL if I needed it, and then meter manually when I wanted. But I know myself, I'll revert to staring at that tiny needle all the time out of laziness.

Oh, tough choices. If i had the money, I'd get the M5 and never look back. Doesn't seem much bigger to me and seems made for aperture priority style shooting with the well placed shutter speed dial.
 
Just do what I did and get an M6 ;) I missed out on a black one, but the chrome one looks sexy as well :D
 
That way I could have the TTL if I needed it, and then meter manually when I wanted. But I know myself, I'll revert to staring at that tiny needle all the time out of laziness.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with looking at the needle as long as you understand that centering it by adjusting the aperture and shutter controls will adjust the image to to a weighted average of 18% grey, the weighting depending on the metering pattern. TTL is extremely convenient for filter use. It is not 100% accurate for filters (because of varying sensitivity to the wavelengths of different colors), but it is usually better than using the filter factors supplied by manufacturers.

I was out yesterday shooting my M3. My old beater is just getting smoother and smoother. It must have been unused for a long period of time. Anyhow, the controls are almost buttery smooth now, and using it is getting to be a very pleasant sensual experience. Alas, my M6 is collecting dust.
 
Francisco,

Creo q el modelo mas equilibrado, por precio-prestaciones es la M6 clasica. Tienes un buen cuerpo, con buenos acabados, buen visor, facil de cargar en comparacion a otras leicas... Y con fotometro. Si, no tendra el visor de la M3, pero tiene fotometro. No tendra la construccion de una M4, y q, si es tambien muy solida. Las leica de rosca, no son practicas en muchos casos... son bellas, curiosas, pero t aseguro q un fotografo de esa epoca, ahora si tuviera posibilidad usaria otra camara.
 
I started with an M4 and a 50/2.8 Elmar...the lack of meter was a slowing factor in my shooting. I traded it on a nice M6 - what a difference in useability. The M4 was a jewel but the M6 is more practical, especially if one does a lot of low light shooting.

Lens? 50 is still my favorite focal length, but the 35/2 'cron I bought a while back is spending more and more time on that M6...oh yeah, in the interim I bought a user M3...still miss the meter. The M3 is getting 'pimped' with a repaint and recovering job. Should be quite a shock to the purists when I'm done :)
 
skipcashwell said:
Guess I got very spoiled by a TTL metering system using Nikons for over 30 years - that is why I chose the M6-TTL! Now this is my daily, always with me camera.
Click to expand...
I suppose you know that the plain vanilla M6 also has TTL metering, as does the M5 and the CL.

Richard
 
easy choice...M2 with timer and rapid load...elegant VF and silky smooth....and a 35/50 summicron

if u want to go the LTM route, get a iiia on the cheap, have it CLA'd and track down an orange contrast filter to put on the RF...collapsible summar for the glow...summitar/summicron for everything else...aux finder works best...i have a kieve turret finder that appears to be pretty accurate....today i have a 28mm ultron on my iiia, nice sweet combo...
 
I had an M6 and sold it to get an M3. It's easier to meter with a hand-held incident meter than it is to make sure you're hitting middle-grey with a reflective meter. My most-used lenses are the 50 and 85.

Tri-X rules: but I'm about to try Efke.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom