Best Leica M at night time

[venchka]

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.

Bigfoot is hurt. Tmax p3200. 50mm/2.0 D.R. Summicron. Rodinal stand. After dark at Town & Country. Houston, TX.



http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/venchka/1+hour/T-C+Nocturne/

Several more. Night or indoors in the dark. M5.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/venchka/Houston/?g2_page=1

 

[venchka]

M5 hands down. A spot meter ya know.

Bigfoot feels much better now.

 

[zauhar]

A good M3 is best:
(1) you can keep both eyes open
(2) the patch is bigger

Roland.

What he said.

Here's a recent nighttime shot with my M3. I was able to time this because I could keep my eyes open, and look around the camera, which gave me a better sense of where the performers were going.

Randy

 

[taskoni]

I voted M2 because that is the M I have. Saying that I get better results with my Leica III...

Shot from M2 and Elmar 50mm f/2.8 @ 1/4 sec.

 

[mfogiel]

The best Leica to use at night is obviously the Zeiss Ikon - I have it matched to the 35/1.2 Nokton permanently.

 

[peter_n]

Of the six Leicas I've used my 0.85x mag MP; easy to focus and has a meter.


Handheld:

 

[illuminati_02]

Of the six Leicas I've used my 0.85x mag MP; easy to focus and has a meter.

My .085x mag M7. Same finder; more sensitive meter; stepless speeds.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Bigfoot is hurt. Tmax p3200. 50mm/2.0 D.R. Summicron. Rodinal stand. After dark at Town & Country. Houston, TX.

Beautiful, Wayne!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[peter_n]

My .085x mag M7. Same finder; more sensitive meter; stepless speeds.

I used a 0.85x M7 too but sold it and bought the MP. I prefer the VF meter display of the MP and only shoot B&W so don't need the stepless shutter speeds.

 

[jordan.dickinson]

Im becoming more and more of a fan of the M7. The metering and AE are excellent in low light/night shooting. I also own the MP/M2/M9 and although each has it's own use and character, I find the M7 very convenient and trustworthy under most conditions.

Here are a few with the M7 and 35 cron ver.IV from last weekend...


the stand bw by slantface, on Flickr


the chair and the wait bw by slantface, on Flickr


the lean by slantface, on Flickr


the standers by slantface, on Flickr

 

[menos]

Nice photographs Jordan!

Man do I miss my broken M7!

I voted MP out of all mentioned cameras.
It is easier to adjust shutter speeds (mostly shoot manual exposure in low light as of over and under exposures by the tricked center weighted metering).
The MP rangefinder also is the best for focussing in almost darkness - no flare, always contrasty.

I would actually prefer the more simple "glowing LED" meter with just two arrows of my M6 classic, as it is more precise, but I like the higher sensitivity of the MP meter.

BW film still beats out Today's Leica digitals in low light, hands down.

 

[peter_n]

Actually I'm going to try out my M2 at night as I have a Calcu-Light XP meter; good down to EV -7 at ISO100.

 

[venchka]

Beautiful, Wayne!

Cheers,

Juan

Thank you Juan! I appreciate your kind words.

 

[Peter Klein]

Any M will work fine at night if you know it well enough to operate the controls without always being able to see the numbers on them. The M4-P through M7 have the rangefinder patch flare problem with oblique light sources. If you send it to Leica (or a good independent repair person) to have the little condenser installed that they removed as a cost-cutting move, all's well again.

The pictures below are with the M8 and 35/1.4 Asph.

The M8 does fine at night. Below, Jerusalem, wide open, 1/6 second, hand held(!)

Behold! by peter.a.klein (Boulanger-Croissant), on Flickr

Below: Tel Aviv Art Museum:

Part of the Art? by peter.a.klein (Boulanger-Croissant), on Flickr

Below: Jerusalem, Western Wall Archeological Tunnel.

Near the Holy of Holies (B&W) by peter.a.klein (Boulanger-Croissant), on Flickr

--Peter

 

[flip]

Any.
I used to think M3. I still think so, IF I am using a 50. But I more often shoot at night with the 35/1.2, so the M2 is more convenient all around. I expect if I show tithe a 28/2 at night, I might broaden my opinion to other Ms.

 

[Richard G]

M5 is easier to hold still.

 

[pagpow]

Don't have it so can't comment from experience, but I had read that the M5 meter was most sensitive. Would appreciate comments on how that advantage is compromised by earlier comments about meter, or comments about VF.