Normal price for leica m2

[Streetmaniac]

Hello to the forum, i am thinking to buy my first leica and a 35mm lens. The prices are insane but they dont seem to go any lower. The cheapest m camera that has 35mm framelines is the leica m2 as i understand. How much would be a fair-good price for one in usable condition ? What lens would you suggest to start with ? I want 35mm and a focus tab would be nice, i dont want the lens to focus under 70cm, if the camera cant.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Can't answer all your questions, but I can tell you a Leica M2 (which is a fantastic camera by the way), if you want one that has been serviced and is in good working order, is going to cost you in the ball park of $2000. You might find one a few hundred dollars less, and ones a few hundred dollars more. That is for the body alone.

A good 35mm lens in Leica M mount is going to vary, from a used Voigtlander for maybe a few hundred, to a nice Leica for a few thousand. Start searching the auction site, and if you're in Germany, look at local camera stores.

Good luck.

Best,
-Tim

 

[splitimageview]

Just arrived today: I just bought an M2 with 6 month warranty from a well-known dealer for $854. Excellent condition, no dings/dents, super clean/clear viewfinder, strong RF patch, good curtains, speeds seem fine.

Even came with the fancy Leica body cap.

 

[Coldkennels]

That's an absolute steal!

Here in the UK you're looking at about £1000 / $1300 / €1150 at a good dealer for an M2 or M3 in good shape with a guarantee, although you can pay extra for one in near-new condition: M2 Chrome Body, Boxed. 1061085

Either way: avoid eBay and the like. Go to a dealer! The prices are more likely to be justified and the camera is more likely to actually work.

 

[Rob-F]

A quick search on eBay of sold M2 bodies shows that the selling price currently has been anywhere from $850 to $1800, varying with condition. That's the price they sold for, not the asking price; and it's for cameras that are supposed to work. Most are in the middle range, around $1200 to $1300. Buying directly from "Used PhotoPro" (Roberts Camera) rather than through eBay is a good idea. There is nothing cheap about eBay. Also check with Sherry Krauter, at "Golden Touch Camera Repair." Also Tamarkin, and Igor Reznick have high-end used Leicas; not cheap, but good. Igor and Sherry are members of the Leica historical Society. They know Leicas, as does Tamarkin.

The M2 is fantastic for those of us who like to shoot with 35, 50, and 90mm lenses. I bought my first M2 at around 1960 or 1961, and still have it. Great camera!

 

[JeffS7444]

850 USD sounds like an good price for a common chrome M2, somewhat cheaper than 1990s prices. Black cameras and less-common variants like M2R may command a hefty collector's premium.

Lenses: Even ardent Leica fans have shifted more towards non-Leica brands, because they can offer amazing value for the money.

 

[Ljós]

Since the OP is located in Germany: I've been monitoring M2-prices for the last months and my takeaway is that you can (privately, used market) find M2 cameras below 1000 Euro, about as low as 800 Euro for cameras with minor issues ... but you have to calculate 1000 plus for nicer ones. I've seen examples with proven thorough and recent CLAs for around 1200-1300 Euro.

 

[chuckroast]

Hello to the forum, i am thinking to buy my first leica and a 35mm lens. The prices are insane but they dont seem to go any lower. The cheapest m camera that has 35mm framelines is the leica m2 as i understand. How much would be a fair-good price for one in usable condition ? What lens would you suggest to start with ? I want 35mm and a focus tab would be nice, i dont want the lens to focus under 70cm, if the camera cant.

Many good answers already, let me add my 2 pfennigs worth as well. Noting that US pricing is probably different than German/EU:

I bought a just-CLAed M2 a few years ago that was not cosmetically perfect. It has been dropped or hit somehow, and the Leica repairman hammered it out pretty well. It's not perfect to look at, but it's perfect to use. The moral of the story is, if you don't care about collectable appearance, you can save some money.

In my opinion, the 35mm f/2 ASPH Summicron comes very nearly to optical perfection. I have carried that lens and body combination all over the place -most recently Greece earlier this year - and it consistently delivers superb results. That's why I chose the M2. The 35mm focal length is my every day shooter for the 35mm format.

If you want to save (a lot) of money, I find the 35mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar to be a worthy lens as well. Mine is in Leica Thread Mount which can be used on an M body with an adapter ring. You have to take care because some of these older Voigtländer lenses develop internal haze that cannot be removed. But if you can find a clean one, they are terrific lenses that consistently deliver wonderful images, at least on film. They are also about 1/4th the price of the Summicron. There are also some very highly rated Zeiss M mount lenses.

I would also take the time to find a good Leica repair shop within reasonable reach from where you live. Leica themselves are stupidly expensive and - I am told - very slow. A camera this old will sooner-or-later need a tune up and it's good to know where to go. The best guy in the US Is DAG Camera Repair. Don is Wezlar trained and does do international work, though I don't know how the current tariff stuff factors into this.

Best of luck. You'll love your M2. Though I have access to newer, more modern bodies, the M2 remains my favourite for every day shooting.

 

[38Deardorff]

850 USD sounds like an good price for a common chrome M2, somewhat cheaper than 1990s prices. Black cameras and less-common variants like M2R may command a hefty collector's premium.

Lenses: Even ardent Leica fans have shifted more towards non-Leica brands, because they can offer amazing value for the money.

Will command!

Leica M2 black paint | Leica Camera Classic

Leica M2 black paint at Leica Camera Classic! Official Classic Store ✓ Rare and historical devices ✓ Collectibles ✓ Tracked and insured shipping ✓

classic.leica-camera.com

18,000 € ......

 

[Coldkennels]

If you want to save (a lot) of money, I find the 35mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar to be a worthy lens as well. Mine is in Leica Thread Mount which can be used on an M body with an adapter ring. You have to take care because some of these older Voigtländer lenses develop internal haze that cannot be removed. But if you can find a clean one, they are terrific lenses that consistently deliver wonderful images, at least on film. They are also about 1/4th the price of the Summicron.

I'll second this.

I recently found an absolutely mint LTM version of this lens. It cost me £350 from a dealer in London, and while I'm still not a big fan of the 35mm focal length, it does stay semi-permanently affixed to my M240, because that viewfinder - like the M2's - is really optimised for 35mm... and the results in all light conditions are pretty damn good.



(You do have to be careful to assign it the right six-bit code on a digital M, though - you need to pretend it's a 21mm lens to have the right lens corrections.)

But yeah, the 35mm Color Skopar is easily the biggest bang-for-the-buck in that focal length. Do recommend.

 

[David Murphy]

M2's tend to price a little less than comparable M3's today (which I find strange), but they are close in price. M2's are not rare, but are much less common than M3's. They might be purchased these days for about $1200 and up in working condition (with patience), but yes closer to $2000 for a really fine example, especially when it comes to cosmetics. Many are available on eBay from Japan and other countries, but these now incur expensive tariffs and shipping fees to import. Most everything very desirable by Leica is expensive, and classic Leica-M product is in that cagetory, both lenses and cameras. I am of the opinion a Leica M3 or M2 is well-worth paying for however, not withstanding some of the very good competition from Canon, Voigtlander, and others through the years.

 

[chuckroast]

I'll second this.

I recently found an absolutely mint LTM version of this lens. It cost me £350 from a dealer in London, and while I'm still not a big fan of the 35mm focal length, it does stay semi-permanently affixed to my M240, because that viewfinder - like the M2's - is really optimised for 35mm... and the results in all light conditions are pretty damn good.

View attachment 4881934

(You do have to be careful to assign it the right six-bit code on a digital M, though - you need to pretend it's a 21mm lens to have the right lens corrections.)

But yeah, the 35mm Color Skopar is easily the biggest bang-for-the-buck in that focal length. Do recommend.

FWIW, the 21mm f/4 Color-Skopar is a monster piece of glass. I've shot on both Barnack and M bodies and it's just amazing. It is razor sharp, contrasty, and rectilinear pretty much from edge to edge. The only problem with it - other than the aforemention haze issues these sometimes have - is find a lens hood. I paid nearly half again what I paid for the lens to get the matching LH-1 hood.

 

[Coldkennels]

I agree, @chuckroast. I have most of the original LTM Color Skopars - the 21, 28, and 35mm versions; I'm just missing the 50 (I have more than enough 50mm lenses as it is!), and they're all pretty incredible. Personally, I just stick with the regular circular "hood"; not only does that keep each lens nice and compact, but it means you can just slip the lens cap over the front. I don't think I've ever really had a problem with flare on any of them, either. Looking through my Lightroom library I can only find one image from the 21mm with any sort of flare at all, and for a lens that wide and a hood that small, I think that's pretty good going.

Sadly, my 21mm has some of the dreaded "haze" inbetween two of the elements. The only time I ever really notice it is when there's a strong light source in an otherwise dark shot, but it's rarely that objectionable:



Incredible little lens. My Leica Ic usually has either the 21mm or 28mm Color Skopar on the front, but the 21mm in particular makes it a very easy walk-around camera.

 

[chuckroast]

I agree, @chuckroast. I have most of the original LTM Color Skopars - the 21, 28, and 35mm versions; I'm just missing the 50 (I have more than enough 50mm lenses as it is!), and they're all pretty incredible. Personally, I just stick with the regular circular "hood"; not only does that keep each lens nice and compact, but it means you can just slip the lens cap over the front. I don't think I've ever really had a problem with flare on any of them, either. Looking through my Lightroom library I can only find one image from the 21mm with any sort of flare at all, and for a lens that wide and a hood that small, I think that's pretty good going.

Sadly, my 21mm has some of the dreaded "haze" inbetween two of the elements. The only time I ever really notice it is when there's a strong light source in an otherwise dark shot, but it's rarely that objectionable:

View attachment 4882015

Incredible little lens. My Leica Ic usually has either the 21mm or 28mm Color Skopar on the front, but the 21mm in particular makes it a very easy walk-around camera.

I have the 21mm, the 35mm, and the 50mm all in LTM for my IIIf. But the 21mm also serves as an ultrawide on my M bodies. Here is one I did this year with my M4, the 21mm f/4 Color-Skopar w/adapter ring, and TMX semistand processed in Pyrocat-HDC. Scan of silver print:



The sharpness and tonal fidelity of that lens is just beautiful and worthy of the ultrafine rendering of TMX, I think.

I do wish I had composed to keep the truck out of frame right, but then the clouds above would have been objectionably cropped.

Like you, I think of the 21mm as a fine walkabout lens.

 

[Freakscene]

I agree, @chuckroast. I have most of the original LTM Color Skopars - the 21, 28, and 35mm versions; I'm just missing the 50 (I have more than enough 50mm lenses as it is!), and they're all pretty incredible. Personally, I just stick with the regular circular "hood"; not only does that keep each lens nice and compact, but it means you can just slip the lens cap over the front. I don't think I've ever really had a problem with flare on any of them, either. Looking through my Lightroom library I can only find one image from the 21mm with any sort of flare at all, and for a lens that wide and a hood that small, I think that's pretty good going.

Sadly, my 21mm has some of the dreaded "haze" inbetween two of the elements. The only time I ever really notice it is when there's a strong light source in an otherwise dark shot, but it's rarely that objectionable:

View attachment 4882015

Incredible little lens. My Leica Ic usually has either the 21mm or 28mm Color Skopar on the front, but the 21mm in particular makes it a very easy walk-around camera.

Poor Hope, but I suppose preservation for her may be better than lingering decomposition.

The Hintze Hall is quite amazing.