The Heavenly Leica M5…

[chuckroast]

All tongue-in-cheek, in good fun. I think it's a tough argument to state than the M5 doesn't have superior ergo, but certainly the people have spoken for 5 decades. Even today a perfect M5 is $1000-$1500 less than a perfect M6.

Which is weird to me, since I think the M5 is better in pretty much every way than the M6. But ... if someone were to give me an M6, I'd keep it around to make fun of it ...

 

[hap]

well....it sort of works

 

[hap]

I’ve added 2 on top of that one ✌🏻

the person I bought about that time range....yes. Howver, the person called himself Asiafish , I saw his name not too long ago on a forum. He did not answer.

BTW I couldn't get any response from Sherry. Years ago she said "just put in a alkaline battery and forget about it" that doesn't work either.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Which is weird to me, since I think the M5 is better in pretty much every way than the M6. But ... if someone were to give me an M6, I'd keep it around to make fun of it ...

That's funny CR. I agree with you, even though I don't care for the M5....the engineering & build is superlative. But strangely enough i had a few M6 (including a titanium), used them hard and never had one fail. It was only after 10 yrs of LF & MF with no 35mm, when i picked one up again, that their idiosyncrasies started to bother me. Any M6, MP, or M5 that came my way would quickly get flipped. (For the price of an new M6 I could have a new steel-rim Summilux 35 and an M2 or M4. Believe it or not the M6 is capable of taking a good photo (50mm Summicron).

 

[hap]

Based on

That's funny CR. I agree with you, even though I don't care for the M5....the engineering & build is superlative. But strangely enough i had a few M6 (including a titanium), used them hard and never had one fail. It was only after 10 yrs of LF & MF with no 35mm, that their idiosyncrasies started to bother me. Any M6, MP, or M5 that came my way would quickly get flipped. (For the price of an new M6 I could have a new steel-rim Summilux 35 and an M2 or M4. Believe it or not the M6 is capable of taking a good photo.

It helps to clean air.

 

[hap]

so...after a lot of filing the M5 gives aperture and speed metering is about 1 stop compared to my new sekonic twinmate. I suppose I could try different adapters. Or just give up set the asa as a stop faster.

 

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Actually, the M5 meter as it is now powered (somehow) is pretty unreliable. The twinmate is very close to my F6.

 

[Richard G]

Brutalist lines revealed in chrome. Some say ugly. I say beautiful.



M5 ZM 21 4.5 by Richard, on Flickr

 

[Ororaro]

Brutalist lines revealed in chrome. Some say ugly. I say beautiful.

The silver M5 is really a classy badass.

 

[splitimageview]

So is the black! 😊

 

[chuckroast]

That's funny CR. I agree with you, even though I don't care for the M5....the engineering & build is superlative. But strangely enough i had a few M6 (including a titanium), used them hard and never had one fail. It was only after 10 yrs of LF & MF with no 35mm, when i picked one up again, that their idiosyncrasies started to bother me. Any M6, MP, or M5 that came my way would quickly get flipped. (For the price of an new M6 I could have a new steel-rim Summilux 35 and an M2 or M4. Believe it or not the M6 is capable of taking a good photo (50mm Summicron).

Yeah, equipment bigotry is an entertaining pastime, but all that matters is the image. Also, The only reason I don't like the M6 is because I can't afford one

Great pic, BTW ... but it would have been better with a Hasselblad....bwhahaha

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Yeah, equipment bigotry is an entertaining pastime, but all that matters is the image. Also, The only reason I don't like the M6 is because I can't afford one

Great pic, BTW ... but it would have been better with a Hasselblad....bwhahaha

Maybe, but i walked for 24 days that trip and didn't hire a porter to carry my cameras. (Pentax LX, 24mm & 80-200 and Leica M6, 35 & 50 summicron). Chuck are you sure you're not related to Sirius Glass over on the Photrio Forum....(who's answer to every question is....Hasselblad).

 

[agentlossing]

I'm ashamed to say I've never handled an M5 (yet), but it earns my appreciation for the sideways strap lugs alone. I've always thought a camera looks extra rugged and utilitarian when hanging sideways.

 

[Shab]

I simply love using my M5 too.

I used to use it with two lenses: VM21mm 1.8 (now it is dead, after it was to the ground from 3m...) and VM35mm 1.7 Ultron. I'm thinking on buying another 21mm... but surely it will be the VM 21mm color-skopar 3.5 (I have read good things about it)... but I haven't decided still...

But one thing is clear for me: M5. Absolut pleasure.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

I'm ashamed to say I've never handled an M5 (yet), but it earns my appreciation for the sideways strap lugs alone. I've always thought a camera looks extra rugged and utilitarian when hanging sideways.

Well they do look cool, but IMO not entirely practical. In later production M5 models Leica added a 3rd lug for horizontal carry. I've owned and used 6 cameras with side lugs: M5, CL, Pentax LX, Pentax 6x7, Fuji GW680lll, Fuji GW690lll. Lifting them up to your eye is very smooth if the camera is on your left shoulder. If you try that off your right shoulder, the strap is in the way. Carried around your neck you have to turn the camera every time you pick it up. Carried cross-body on a longer strap is also awkward because the lugs on one side close together (and the longer body) allow the camera to swing somewhat while you're walking.... that's my experience anyways.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Well they do look cool, but IMO it's not entirely practical. In later production M5 models Leica added a 3rd lug for horizontal carry. I've owned and used 4 cameras with side lugs: M5, CL, Fuji GW680lll, Fuji GW690lll. Lifting them up to your eye is very smooth if it's on your left shoulder. If you try that off your right shoulder, the strap is in the way. Carried around your neck you have to turn the camera every time you pick it up. Carried cross-body on a longer strap is also awkward because the lugs on one side close together allow the camera to swing somewhat while you're walking.... that's my experience anyways.

Agreed. I appreciated the three-lug M5 I had. A camera over the shoulder might seem more ergonomic and faster handling, but there is a simple equation I've learned, the hard way: shoulder carry + metal doorframe = disaster.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Agreed. I appreciated the three-lug M5 I had. A camera over the shoulder might seem more ergonomic and faster handling, but there is a simple equation I've learned, the hard way: shoulder carry + metal doorframe = disaster.

I had to edit my post.... i had forgotten I owned both a Pentax LX and 67.....but never carried them vertically.

 

[chuckroast]

I'm ashamed to say I've never handled an M5 (yet), but it earns my appreciation for the sideways strap lugs alone. I've always thought a camera looks extra rugged and utilitarian when hanging sideways.

M5s are really wonderful AND really different than the usual M camera ethos. If you do look for one, be sure to get a later serial number to be assured you don't run into the dreaded roller problems that affected earlier production runs. Wikipedia has the serial numbers to look for.

 

[chuckroast]

Well they do look cool, but IMO not entirely practical. In later production M5 models Leica added a 3rd lug for horizontal carry. I've owned and used 6 cameras with side lugs: M5, CL, Pentax LX, Pentax 6x7, Fuji GW680lll, Fuji GW690lll. Lifting them up to your eye is very smooth if the camera is on your left shoulder. If you try that off your right shoulder, the strap is in the way. Carried around your neck you have to turn the camera every time you pick it up. Carried cross-body on a longer strap is also awkward because the lugs on one side close together (and the longer body) allow the camera to swing somewhat while you're walking.... that's my experience anyways.

I carry mine (and my GW690II) on my left shoulder mostly around my neck. When in shooting position, this ensures the strap doesn't get in the way of the film advance. The perfect camera would have two strap lugs on both sides so both right- and left-handed carry would be accommodated.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

I carry mine (and my GW690II) on my left shoulder. When in shooting position, this ensures the strap doesn't get in the way of the film advance. The perfect camera would have two strap lugs on both sides so both right- and left-handed carry would be accommodated.