Best Leica M at night time

Best Leica M at night time

  • M3

    Votes: 59 23.7%

  • M4/M2

    Votes: 30 12.0%

  • M5

    Votes: 10 4.0%

  • M6

    Votes: 29 11.6%

  • M7

    Votes: 47 18.9%

  • MP

    Votes: 48 19.3%

  • M8

    Votes: 26 10.4%
  • Total voters
    249
  • Poll closed .
Mean Panda

Mean Panda

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I am sure many of you have used your M bodies in dark, like night market, underground train station, concert hall and etc. Which M do you think work the best?
Thanks for your vote and suggestion!!
 
I would have to say the M7 as it's AE is very accurate in low light ... often it can be an environment that is fairly quiet also so the M7's near silent shutter also wins out here! :)

The worst in my opinion would be the M5 ... the match needle metering is extremely difficult to use in really poor light as the shutter speed readout at the bottom of the frame becomes almost imposssible to see.
 
I have a M3 and two M4s, sometimes I just wished I have a M7 to use at night, because the built-in meter and AE should be much faster in dark. Anyone want to trade their M7 for my M4 :D? In addition, the improved MP viewfinder on M7 is a great upgrade for this purpose.
 
I'm a little surprised that the M8 has garnered so many votes already ... I think the kick from the shutter makes it very hard to get a sharp image below 1/30 ... my M3 has produced surprisingly sharp pics down to 1/8 sec.
 
My vote goes for the M3 for the same reasons as Roland said, biggest RF patch and very bright finder. M7 would be great too for the AE but since I don't have one (but a HEXAR in the mail :)) I can only assume ... ;)
 
As far as I see it, Leicas divide into 3 categories (for nighttime shooting):
1. M3. Big, bold viewfinder.
2. 2/4/6/P. Same body as the M3, but smaller (magnification) finder.
3. M7. Same finder as Group 2, but with accurate AE.

I love my M2 and all, but for ideal viewing in low-light I'd have to go with the M3 if only for the magnification of the finder. If you don't have an external meter (or don't trust your head calculations), go for the M7's AE.

Of course, all this advise is moot if you use external finders.
 
Leica's aren't really night cameras IMHO, not that you can't use them at night. I just think they shine and do their best during daylight hours in the outdoors.
 
I'd have to go with the M7 with .85 finder. That finder with the 1.25 magnifier makes focusing the Noct a pleasure and the AE really is an asset at night.

M8 would be up there for me as well but focusing is more difficult with .68 (I think) finder. Hoping that a future version will offer a .85 at some point :)

Kent
 
All the ones I have tried using extensively in poor light (M2-M3-M4P-MP-M8) are pretty good EXCEPT the M4P where the patch flares out too easily.

Jan: I'd be intrigued to know what you think is a better low-light camera (faster lenses, easier to hold still at long exposures, easier to focus, quieter...)

Cheers,

R.
 
MP if you need built-in metering, since it has the low-flare finder. I prefer it to an unmodified M6. If the M6 has the low-flare MP-style finder, then it is just as good for the purpose.

If you don't need a meter, don't need wide angle lenses, and do need the lowest possible finder flare, then it's an M3. Low flare is very important because you run into harsh direct light sources in the picture when shooting at night.

If you do need wide angle lenses, but don't need a meter, then M2/M4. So in other words, almost any Leica might be the right choice, depending on requirements. I do agree that the M5 meter is hard to see in the dark!

I think it can be easier to avoid wide angle lenses for extreme night time lighting, because limiting the picture area may help to reduce extreme contrast problems. The light within a limited area may not have as wide a luminance range compared to a larger area that usually has a wider range of light intensity.
 
I have been shooting M4 and M3 for quite awhile with a Gossen meter. They work great for most of the time, especially during the day time. But I realize that I shoot much slower under very low light condition, because reading the meter and focusing the objects are quite time consuming.
I started this forum to find out if you have same problems and solution to this challenge. M7 with improved MP viewfinder seems to be a solution, but I am open to other suggestion. Thanks
 
I like using the M7 at night with a fast film, relying on AE - here's one from Bangkok's Chinatown taken recently (on Delta 3200). Mine has the MP viewfinder and does not flare.

moz-screenshot.jpg
2363770616_13dcbdf5ea.jpg

2363770616
 
I find my M2/M4-2 RF patches brighter/more contrasty than the M3's in the dark.

Is this just me?
 
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