Canon P as good as Leica M2/M3?

[Fadedsun]

I'm curious about the Canon P and how it compares to these early Leica M models. Currently, the only Leica I own is a IIIC, but I'd like to own one of the M's someday. I'm wondering if people who own the Canon P could say if it scratched that itch of wanting to own a Leica M camera. Aesthetically they look very similar, and I believe I read that a Canon P can use Leica screw mount lenses? It would be great if I could get various opinions from users of both cameras 🙂

 

[JP Owens]

I've found the Canon screw mount cameras to be excellent cameras.

But, there is really nothing like a Leica M. That's not to praise or damn them. It is simply to say they are unique in the world. And if you are itching for one, you might as well buy the M, instead of a dozen other brands. Because nothing else is going to scratch the itch.

 

[newspaperguy]

Here's my two-bits worth.
I dumped my M's years ago, but I'm still using my Canon P.
Yes, you can use your ltm leases with no problems... And no adapters.

 

[Corran]

The Canon P is a fantastic camera. But the viewfinder is a little dimmer than most. The lifesize 35mm finder is awesome though so it's well worth the trade-off.

Not sure if the mechanism is as robust. My shutter curtain just pulled off the drum the other day on my P. I am sad about it but I only paid $75 for it.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Are apples as good as oranges? 'Cos they're about that different. I really like Canons and have had several, but none that I like/liked as well as M2 or M3. Put it this way: I still have Leica RFs, but no Canon RFs.

Cheers,

R.

 

[raid]

I have an M3 and an M6, and I have three Canon P cameras. The P is basic and very functional. The M cameras are luxury cameras. Both are functional.

 

[oltimer]

I have an M3 and an M6, and I have three Canon P cameras. The P is basic and very functional. The M cameras are luxury cameras. Both are functional.

Well I have Luxury in my very bright gold view finder on my Canon VT. My 7sz is clear a very sharp. M2 and M3 have to go a long way to be as nice in the view finder, and they were recently serviced and are very clear

 

[Mackinaw]

The P is a great camera, but watch the viewfinder, which, on some cameras, can flare with age.

The Leica M’s main advantage is its excellent rangefinder/viewfinder. The rangefinder patch on a M3 or M2 is sharp-edged, making focusing sure and precise. The focusing patch on the P is more “mushy,” making focusing a bit more problematic.

Jim B.

 

[FrankS]

The short answer to your question is no.

With its screw mount, a canon P will limit you to screw mount lenses only. An M camera mounts M lenses as well as screw mount lenses with an adaptor. The M cameras have a step up in build quality over the Canon P and 7, which were built to a lower price point.

That being said, one CAN find happiness with the canons, but that will depend completely on you.

 

[aizan]

the only thing that will scratch the itch for a leica is to buy a leica, afterwhich you will wonder what the fuss was about and start itching for something else. that's life!

and, no, it's not as good, but it's good enough. save your money if you've got better things to do with it.

 

[Joe Vitessa]

Canon P is a great camera, but I found focusing with Leicas much easier. The Ms also feel more solid/durable.

 

[lawrence]

Personally I found the P's viewfinder unsatisfactory for 35mm lenses as I couldn't see the whole frame, however I wear glasses and no doubt if my eye had been closer it would be have been fine.

 

[Mike Fish]

I've never had a Canon P or an M3. But I did have a Yashica YF prior to my M2s. The YF is a pretty sweet camera with a nice feature set and I had no complaints with it. It felt great and I was happy with the results. But I didn't get the feeling that it was "robust" enough to give me another 10 or 15 years of heavy use - which is what I was after. The Yashica wasn't as tank-like as as Leica, and it's certainly easier to get M2 parts. So I sold the YF before I had a chance to wear it out and bought an M2. And then another.

I'm not sure if long-term serviceability is high on your list on considerations, but that was my thought process.

 

[Fixcinater]

I have not used a P model Canon but I have a VT and two 7s, and had a II and a IVSB. The 7's patch is not as friendly to use as the focusing patch on my '61 M3 but I like using that camera just as much if not more than the M3. The M3 is so much more money that I end up worrying about it a bunch more while out which reduces my ability to just make photos. Just like I worry about the Canon RFs and lenses more than I worry about cheap M42 or Pentax K mount gear.

A Leica is a Leica but the Canons are fine cameras.

 

[Corran]

The focusing patch on the P is more “mushy,” making focusing a bit more problematic.

I always find these statements interesting.

I personally greatly prefer the indistinct RF patch like on my Nikon SP or indeed the Canon P. When it's in focus it just sort of disappears, while on my Leica M6 and Bessa it's just this big bright rectangle in the middle that is sometimes distracting. I don't think the indistinct patch makes focusing "problematic," it's just different.

As a side note, on my P the RF patch is way bigger than on any other camera I've used, which is interesting.

 

[MaxElmar]

I like my Canon P - but it's still LTM, and all that implies, lens wise. It's like the difference between a nice Toyota and a basic Mercedes - they both are well made and very useable for the purpose. But if you really want the Mercedes.... It won't cure that. I find the RF to be excellent, the VF to be very good overall. The 35mm lines are not really there for me wearing glasses.

 

[farlymac]

One thing about the P is you can mount a Jupiter-12 to it with no problem. Now finding a good J-12 in LTM is another thing.

No matter what camera you have, you will have to compromise one way or the other. None of them are perfect, though some come close. And it's all about how it handles for you. Everybody has their own preferences.

PF

 

[raid]

I have Canon P cameras in chrome, black, and olive.
I trust these cameras to work well.

 

[David Murphy]

The P is a first rate rangefinder which can accept many outstanding lenses. It is also bargain priced these days. Another key feature of the P is that it has metal shutter curtains which will last forever. The view finder is comparable to that of the M3 in my estimation, although I think the M2 beats it. The M's have the best rangefinder patch of any vintage rangefinder that I know of - just awesome really. The Leica M's are all extremely fine cameras overall (that almost goes without saying). Both P's and M's often need servicing when encountered on the used market today if serious use is contemplated.

 

[Huss]

Another key feature of the P is that it has metal shutter curtains which will last forever.

From the Cameraquest site:

"Above is a rare shot of a 18/1000 mm thick plastic coated stainless steel shutter curtain WHICH HAS NOT BEEN CRINKLED. Nikon decided to go with Titanium shutter curtains in the SP and Nikon F, and they proved unbelievably durable. In contrast, the stainless steel curtains in the later Canon RF's are EASILY crinkled. It is very unusual to find unwrinkled Canon steel curtains today. "