Considering my first Leica M body (film)

[Bill Blackwell]

DAG is leagues better than anyone else in the US doing this work, with the exception of Sherry Krauter who I understand is semiretired (not confirmed), who is comparable.

YYE is fine for simple stuff but anything as complex as an M overhaul, I'd send only to DAG. He is Wetzlar trained and is now training his son to follow in his footsteps.

Yes, you wait 6-8 weeks for DAGs overhauls but they come back pretty much operating flawlessly. And he stands behind his work. I sent him a IIIf he'd only done very minor work on with an entirely different problem almost a year later. He declared it to be warranty work and charged me only the return shipping.

I bought my M2 after the prior owner had just had DAG do repair and CLA work, and it's been pretty much perfect ever since. He also did my M5 and it also has been perfect. In fact, he did some minor vulcanite fixes on it later because I am anal-retentive about that camera since it is so very nice.

I won't use anyone else but DAG either. My comments dealt directly with the OP's comments on who he was planning to use. But 6-8 weeks? The only time I've gotten something back that fast was a lens CLA or 6-bit coding. For camera repairs (and a CLA) you're looking at a minimum of 3-months - and that's if you bug him. But he's the best - I agree.

 

[CameraQuest]

Most Leica M newbies buying their first M don't realize that first M will likely be the first of many.
Over time you will have different M preferences.
So don't take the first one so seriously.

You might keep it, but most M's have a way of moving on.
Leica M ownership is a moving door with a moving bottomless camera bag.

Have fun and Njoy the journey.

 

[chuckroast]

Most Leica M newbies buying their first M don't realize that first M will likely be the first of many.
Over time you will have different M preferences.
So don't take the first one so seriously.

You might keep it, but most M's have a way of moving on.
Leica M ownership is a moving door with a moving bottomless camera bag.

Have fun and Njoy the journey.

Yabut every time someone sells one, they end up regretting it, at least with film bodies 😉

 

[Bill Blackwell]

... For those who find the articulating advance onerous, I believe DAG can fit an M2/M3 style rigid advance onto the later bodies. ...

The change either way can be easily done yourself on pretty much any Leica M film camera if you have the proper tool. I changed out the plastic-tipped advance lever on my M6 for the all-metal one and ended up switching it back. For some reason I prefer the original advance lever on the M6. I have no idea why.

 

[chuckroast]

The change either way can be easily done yourself on pretty much any Leica M film camera if you have the proper tool. I changed out the plastic-tipped advance lever on my M6 for the all-metal one and ended up switching it back. For some reason I prefer the original advance lever on the M6. I have no idea why.

Clearly, you need two M6 bodies so you can have one advance of each type at your disposal. That way you can also keep shooting while you're waiting for a DAG repair turnaround 😉

 

[deadrangefinder76]

That may be your truth... but it's not a universal truth. Have you ever lost part of the articulated winder? I didn't think so. I have a great appreciation for the M2...it was the first Leica i bought, but the M4 is not the red-haired stepchild by any stretch of the imagination. Mine is still going strong since '68....
& To use your term, the M3 is the OG. 🙂
View attachment 4873413

Because you said it, it is universal truth? , I dont think so, It is not my own truth, it is a fact, we all do and you know it too...it is a common sense truth, it is a fact, M2 is the predecessor of all M til MA.

Again it has been realized and be known now that M2 is not a red-haired step child, which journal did you find these? need facts.

No M3 is a different beast but not the same as M2 successors. Mechanically M2 til MA has the same mechanism. Did you teardown an M? , I do.

I did franken-style it too myself with nikon F slr titanium focal shutter too perfectly fit with no modification or whatever.

Other humble knowledgeable tech low key well known member here specified this too, there is not much the different on all late M's after M2.

Theyd just made it do a cost cutting e.g. (like M4 til Midland and to M6.)

Your M4 need repaint, as Syd Barrett said "it is old"

 

[deadrangefinder76]

Yes, but that's an M4 and later thing. I have never seen an M2 or M3 with that articulated winder.

I believe that DAG can fit an M4 or later with an M2 style non-articulated winder, but I am not certain of this.



Certainly, the M3 isthe ur M of legend. I just don't like the frameline choices so I opted for the M2 as my first M body. Never regretted it.

The truth is that we're discussing tiny angels on the head of a tiny pin. Pretty much any well tuned M body is a joy to use, and despite noise to the contrary, that includes the M5...

M5 is my favorite, I wish I could build one or own one.

 

[38Deardorff]

Because you said it, it is universal truth? , I dont think so, It is not my own truth, we all do and you know it too...it is a common sense truth, it is a fact, M2 is the predecessor of all til MA.

What you mean articulated winding? can you elaborate?

M2 is not a red-haired step child, which journal did you find these? need facts.

No M3 is a different beast but not the same as M2 successors. Mechanically M2 til MA has the same mechanism. Did you teardown an M? , I do.

I did franken-style it too myself with nikon F slr titanium focal shutter too.

Moogie specified this too, there is not much the different after M2.

Theyd just made it do cost cutting like M4 til Midland and to M6. Lol!

Articulated film advance.....what you call "PITA plastic on shutter lever"
I'm having more than a little difficulty understanding what you've written.
"Did you teardown an M? I do" ..... excellent.
By the way who is "Moogie"
This is usually a forum for discussion not arguments.
We all have differing opinions based on our individual experience with cameras.
I'll leave this discussion on that note.

 

[chuckroast]

M5 is my favorite, I wish I could build one or own one.

I love my DAG serviced 50 Jahre M5 a ton.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I ended up ordering this (Serial #: 300****), build circa 2004? An MP wasn't on top of my list, but as soon as I saw this one, I could not resist. I'll be sending to Steve Choi @ Steve's Camera (he's about an hour's drive away) or to Youxin Ye (I've exchanged emails with him) for a CLA.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experience and expertise.

-Keith

You are going to love that camera. I have had my M6 since I bought it in the late 1990's. The thing never lets me down. Congratulations, and may yours give you as much pleasure over the years as mine has given me.

Edit: regarding the CLA, just get the shutter tested and see whether the shutter speeds are within 1/3 of a stop you're good. FYI, the 1/1000 of a second has never tested that fast on any of my M cameras. Film doesn't really care that much. 1/750 is fine. The shutter springs on these things are so credulously undertensioned that I have a IIIa and IIa that still have all their OEM parts.

 

[Freakscene]

You are going to love that camera. I have had my M6 since I bought it in the late 1990's. The thing never lets me down. Congratulations, and may yours give you as much pleasure over the years as mine has given me.

Edit: regarding the CLA, just get the shutter tested and see whether the shutter speeds are within 1/3 of a stop you're good. FYI, the 1/1000 of a second has never tested that fast on any of my M cameras. Film doesn't really care that much. 1/750 is fine. The shutter springs on these things are so credulously undertensioned that I have a IIIa and IIa that still have all their OEM parts.

Also check with a film - preferably a B&W film overdeveloped for high contrast - that the shutter is operational in terms of evenness and that there are no light leaks. If one side of the frame or the other is a different density or there are stripes on the film or consistently weird spots, it needs a CLA.

And check that the rangefinder is adequately accurate with your lenses. If it works it does not need a CLA.

No need for CLA if there is no need for a CLA.

 

[kxl]

Edit: regarding the CLA, just get the shutter tested and see whether the shutter speeds are within 1/3 of a stop you're good. FYI, the 1/1000 of a second has never tested that fast on any of my M cameras. Film doesn't really care that much. 1/750 is fine. The shutter springs on these things are so credulously undertensioned that I have a IIIa and IIa that still have all their OEM parts.

Yeah, I actually have a shutter speed tester that I use for my film SLR's. It works with a cloth focal plane shutter as well, so that's one of the first things I will check.

 

[rfaspen]

M3 was the first M. In case someone was reading through previous posts and thought it might be the M2. I have an M3 that I rebuilt. Beautiful camera. I had to order a gear from Don (DAG) who is simply the best we have in the US and maybe world? Don has touched nearly every Leica I own, and quite a few of my lenses too. Outstanding. I've had mixed results with YYe. Nothing awful, but mixed for sure.
My M2 has a wax seal with stamp indicating it was last serviced in Bogota, Colombia. I've had my precious M2 for almost 20 years now...still working perfect. No need for CLA yet.
I actually also have an M6 classic, but it's a "parts camera" and not financially viable to bring back. I suppose it's good to have all those parts, but the closest M model I have currently is the MDa, which is an M4 without rangefinder/viewer. I noticed that the MDa has an old style wind lever...at least mine does. I do like it that way.

 

[Beemermark]

I've owned most of them, sometimes more than once. For example a few M3's, a couple of M5's, and maybe a dozen M2's, a sorry M4-2 that no one could make right,and more than few M4's. Right know I have an M4, and M7 (both overhauled by DAG) and an MP with a 0.58 VF that I love because I shoot only 50's and wider. Before you can offer an opinion you need to know what your comparing it against. When the M6 arrived (80's?) I rushed out an bought one. Like my M4-2 the VF flared badly, and I couldn't get used to the two diode metering setup. Too fiddly. I just can't understand why people pay so much for an M4-2, or M4-P, or an M6. The M3 and M2 were mechanical perfection. I hated the rewind and couldn't live with the M3 VF (since I shoot wide angle lenses). The M4 was perfection. like the Nikon F2. Downside is these cameras where made to be used by and could be repaired by making many adjustments to the clock work mechanism. My DAG CLA on the M4 was over $500. Same DAG work on the m7 was $180. So my advice is to buy an MP. Much like the M4 except the crappy rewind.

BTW my M4 & M4-R meter will be buried with me. The rest of it can go to good will -🙂

 

[wlewisiii]

Good luck, I was unable to log in all weekend or I'd have been blathering all along.

If I were looking for a film "M" again I would want a 7 probably (unless I got another CL). Been spoiled by the A on my M240. That said, I do hope you enjoy your MP.

BUT if it needs a CLA do not go to anyone other than DAG. It really is that simple; There is no one else that good.

 

[pvdhaar]

The change either way can be easily done yourself on pretty much any Leica M film camera if you have the proper tool. I changed out the plastic-tipped advance lever on my M6 for the all-metal one and ended up switching it back. For some reason I prefer the original advance lever on the M6. I have no idea why.

When I got my first M4, I thought that loose plastic tip was the strangest thing ever; was it even intended to be loose? But soon after shooting with it, found that it's actually a smart piece of engineering. Especially at the start of the winding action, it moves the direction in which you apply force further out from the camera body, giving immediate leverage.

 

[Ray Kilby]

I have an M6; it’s never gone wrong and has never let me down. It's simple to use, the metering is accurate, and with a bit of practice, it's very, very controllable. The M4 is a classic too, though you'll need an external meter, but you already know that. I always shoot at 400 ASA. I know that's a bit lazy, but it allows me to guess exposure without metering, which I find really useful.

To be honest, trust your own judgment. When the camera is in your hand, you'll know.

 

[trix4ever]

Bought levers from DAG, fitted myself in 2 minutes. Easy.
M4-p and M6 0.85
Much prefer M4-p, don't like meters in film cameras, slows me down...
YMMV

 

[Rayt]

I bought a mint condition M2 from Fujiya Camera in Nakano Tokyo 10 days ago. If I can have any camera I would choose a late M7 with all the updates but they are expensive and since I also own an M11M I doubt I will use it enough to justify the price tag. I also own an SL2 the digital one and was never happy with the color. The M8.2 I used to own was much better. Anyway I plan to shoot color C41 film so a meter isn’t essential.

 

[Bingley]

DAG is leagues better than anyone else in the US doing this work, with the exception of Sherry Krauter who I understand is semiretired (not confirmed), who is comparable.

YYE is fine for simple stuff but anything as complex as an M overhaul, I'd send only to DAG. He is Wetzlar trained and is now training his son to follow in his footsteps.

Yes, you wait 6-8 weeks for DAGs overhauls but they come back pretty much operating flawlessly. And he stands behind his work. I sent him a IIIf he'd only done very minor work on with an entirely different problem almost a year later. He declared it to be warranty work and charged me only the return shipping.

I bought my M2 after the prior owner had just had DAG do repair and CLA work, and it's been pretty much perfect ever since. He also did my M5 and it also has been perfect. In fact, he did some minor vulcanite fixes on it later because I am anal-retentive about that camera since it is so very nice.

+1. DAG overhauled my M3 (a well used sample I picked up from a member here years ago) and it’s now smooth as silk and a joy to shoot. I appreciate the long baselength and larger RF patch, and it’s great w/ a 35mm lens and an external vf for framing.