€4000 ($5500) starter kit

Thank you all for the responses so far. Very interesting and lots to think about.🙂
As I several suggesting getting the M9 as a starting point: Would anyone care to elaborate a little..? Why not e.g. stick with an M8 or RD-1 until (eventually) the M10 or whatever brings the M9 prices significantly down and trade when I have the money? Of course that would bring the M8 prices down as well, but probably not as much as the M9..? In addition it seems to me that the Leica lens prices still are going in the opposite direction, getting more expensive year by year. Am I missing something here..? I can se the argument regarding (fast) wide angles on M8 vs M9, but I don't require anything wider than "normal" for now (35-50mm).
 
I'd get an M8 and cv 28/2. Or, if you can find a $2000 M8 and a $3000-$3500 used 28 summicron, you'll be fine. I hope to have some time this week in Oslo to shoot that exact combo, but my time here is just getting filled more and more! Maybe friday afternoon... hopefully the weather will cooperate.

I would wait on an M9–isn't the next M supposed to show up at photokina in the fall? If it's a stretch, you won't lose as much on the M8 as you will on the M9. I agree that it's better to get into the glass now–the prices just keep going up.
 
I think the OP is making a lot of sense. Cameras are becoming cheaper and cheaper, while lenses go up. As camera systems go, you could do a lot worse than an m8.2 and a 35 cron. The cron will stay with you for ever and if need be the camera can be exchanged for an m9 later on.

The pre-asph 35 crons are great with b&w film, but the prices are becoming ridiculous. I think it makes much more sense to spend that last bit more on the asph. It is a wonderful lens you'll have a lot of fun with. You can get em mint for not much more than a v4, and for another bit more you get 2 years of factory warranty. You sound confident about sticking to this lens for a while, so I'd say it makes sense to make the investment.
 
I would not shoot the CV 28/2 on digital. Wonderful on film (have owned one), but the focus shift on digital would be too much for me... you more or less cannot shoot close up with f2.8-5.6 due to the shift.
 
randomm said:
I would not shoot the CV 28/2 on digital. Wonderful on film (have owned one), but the focus shift on digital would be too much for me... you more or less cannot shoot close up with f2.8-5.6 due to the shift.
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Really? I didn't know that. I've been using mine on my M8 and haven't noticed any focus shift issues.

I'd go so far to suggest to the OP that an M8 + 28/2 CV would be a great combination to start off with.
 
randomm said:
I would not shoot the CV 28/2 on digital. Wonderful on film (have owned one), but the focus shift on digital would be too much for me... you more or less cannot shoot close up with f2.8-5.6 due to the shift.
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Exactly, and my experience as well. Which is why I suggested its a bad idea recommending such things to a newbie who is going to be on a massive learning curve as it is.

Steve
 
emilsand said:
To get a bit Norwegian here: I understand that the OP has a budget of 30000 NOK, which is around 5000 NOK less than what a used M9 goes for here. I've seen an M9 for 30000, but that one was sold in ten minutes.

Personally, I would take the M8 over the M8.2 any day of the week. You save quite a bit, and the sensor is the same.

If you are interested in a pre-asph 35mm Summicron I may have a lead for you (PM me). I was offered one that was pretty much "as new", with everything (box, papers, caps, hood). Also made in Germany, if that matters. Price was around 12000 NOK if I remember correctly. Not 6bit coded, and that may be a deal breaker if you're gonna use it on an M8/M8.2. Only reason for turning it down was that I found one for 8000 NOK (more of a user, really).

Other than that, a 35mm Nokton f/1.4 is also a good option, if you can work around the focus shift issues (I don't care about that, but I understand a lot of people do).
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I would also second the M8 over the M8.2...and I know the OP said initially that digital is a must, for having not used M's before, I would caution against such an investment having never used one. Pick up an M6 and see how you like RF shooting before investing that kind of cash (which to me is a lot, but maybe not to some folks).
 
Austerby said:
Really? I didn't know that. I've been using mine on my M8 and haven't noticed any focus shift issues.

I'd go so far to suggest to the OP that an M8 + 28/2 CV would be a great combination to start off with.
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On any EVF camera where you can mount the lens you can just put the camera on a tripod, focus on something, say 1 meter away, wide open. Look through the viewfinder, turn the aperture ring and watch your target get blurry.

I did this on an E-PL1. The effect is really rather marked, and I'm not even a pixel peeper!

I'm not saying that one could not use the lens on digital, its just something that I would not recommend to someone who might not even know what focus shifting is. Also, one can work around the issue by sticking to f2 or over f8 at close up. On film, there is no problem due to emulsion thickness.
 
I doubt M9 prices drop significantly when M10 comes, same way as Nikon D3/D700 dont depreciate much. depreciation is even smaller with Leica cameras where unit numbers, and whole market is smaller than dSLR's. digital seems to have reach certain maturity level where latest and greatest can bring only small improvements over previous generation.
 
If you go M8.x, you need to go for speed, due to what I consider ugly noise at 640 and above (IMO, and with my M8). I'll echo others and recommend the VC 35/1.4 or 1.2. Buy used, and if it doesn't work for whatever out you haven't lost much on resale. Conversely, if it does work out, and you want to upgrade, you still haven't lost much on resale.
 
Once again thank you all for your responses so far. I've actually taken my first (large) step, as I came across and bought the following this weekend: Package with M6, 35mm Summicron V4 (German made), 90mm Elmar C, Leica tripod with ball head, some filters, case etc. Bought from an optician the 90mm is in great condition while everything else is so mint it's impossible to see that they've been used at all, and the price was impossible to say no to.🙂
So now I have - at least - two options: Learn to shoot film with the M6 (always shot digital) while saving up for an M9, or sell/trade it for an M8(.2). The M6 shutter sounds totally amazing, but getting into the mysterious film game seems like a big investment both economically and time-wise...
 
Well, as you now have a film camera you may as well run some film through it to see what you think. Start off with getting someone else to do the processing and scanning, then take it from there. Personally, I'd get some HP5+ and take the camera for a walk.
 
Thanks, it sure feels great!
I guess I'll buy a few films and give it a try, although I suppose I'll get less for the M6 if I use it for a while and it loses its mint condition (original plastic is still on the bottom plate).
 
jsrockit said:
That's snobbery though... since the color skopar works great on the M9. Don't let its price tag fool you.
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Agree, just because it has a Leica logo, does not make it inherently better. Personally, I find the 50mm Heliar a more pleasing lens than my Summicron, it's matter of taste, not budget.
 
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