Dumb Question?

[bgb]

Hi,
I have just spent the first day with my excellent condition Blue Fed 2 and I like everything about it.
Ok the viewfinder could be a little brighter and the shutter a little quieter but it feels great to use and I rather like having to use a light meter again, my Weston Master 4 seems to do a good job.
If the first roll of film shows no problems I might be able to find happiness with one camera and lens a light meter and lots of film...
However this forum has opened my eyes to the huge amount of wonderful rangefinder gear ... and I keep wondering if I should have got a Leica and to hell with the cost.
Everything I read about them seems to generate this feeling and they have such a strong following there must be something to it
If any of you have both FSU cameras and Leicas ... what am I missing out on?
Do I start saving?
Sell my soul?
It doesn't matter which Leica model you have or which FSU camera you have
I know that in the end it will be up to me but anyone considering a Leica has most likely had similar doubts
Thanks in advance,
Brian

 

[Duncan Ross]

Leicas are wonderful machines but unlike fsu rfs they are truly collectable too. I think it is difficult to divorce these aspects; their collectability adds to their 'specialness' and desirability. Unfortunately I can't justify buying one but the consensus seems to be: if you can, you should.

Why not buy a nice I61LD for the Fed while you're deliberating..? 🙂

 

[bgb]

Thanks Duncan, I' m not sure i can justify owning one just to take photos. Being collectable is nice to , so all up i think they are most likely worth the $.
I have seen a few on internet auctions that I really wanted .One M6 with 3 lenses and a flash in perfect condition for $5000 NZD. A lot of money to be sure for us little kiwis but with the exchange rate it's only $1700 pounds or $2500 USD. It's also a lot of camera.
There is also an M3 for $1500 NZD with a light meter and some other stuff so it's a possibility
cheers

 

[xayraa33]

How about a decent IIIf or IIIc?
a CLAed body is no more than 500 dollars US or less.
there is an Elmar ad here asking $ 250 US.

 

[bgb]

old screw mount Leicas are good too ... very beautiful in fact and capable of some lovely images ... once i decide that a Leica is worth having i will look with an open mind as to which model. I hadn't considered buying one off the forum but it's a good idea thanks for reminding me of the obvious 🙂

 

[reagan]

...what am I missing out on?

You're missing out on owning a Leica... that's about it. It's up to you whether that's something you're actually missing or not. Along with several Zorki models, (see links in my sig) I have two Barnacks, one has been CLA'd, one hasn't. My Zorkis are in pretty good shape, but both of the Leicas are a little bit smoother in operation, a little closer tolerances in construction [IMO], the etchings are a little neater/cleaner, finish is a little nicer, etc. You get the picture. (And keep in mind, the Leicas are 30 yrs. or so older than my FSUs.)

I bought the first one because I'd wanted one since high school and woke up one morning and I was 50 --- ish... and thought it was time. I bought the second one because it was a cheap beater and what the heck, I liked the first one. I shoot the Zorkis frequently, really like 'em - and c'mon, value-wise, they cost squat and if you get a good one, they're a lot of fun. Can't beat that. But the two old Leicas are my hands down favorites. And maybe it's just because I waited a very long time to get one.

Should you decide to give a Leica a try, take your time, be patient and keep your eyes open and you can find a Leica.IIIsomething at a fairly reasonable price that won't break the bank. IIRC, both of mine were under $175 each and I've heard several members here finding one for under $200.

I don't own an M (yet, who knows?) but I'm sure they are yet another level up in quality and just plain good fun. Others here will have to speak from experience there. Good luck! And enjoy the FSU!

 

[BillBingham2]

Brian,

There is something about a Leica, but not having one does not stop you from taking great pictures. While I used my fathers IIIa several times when I was much younger, but never did much with it. I used a Nikkormat for years and took (IMHO) some great shots. I switched to Leica for a number of reasons, but my number of great shots has not changed dramatically. My style of shooting has, but that is more changing to an RF than anything Leica specific.

Do not get me wrong, I am moving back to Leica after about six years of using Bessas because I love my Ms. I will still have a Bessa as a second body primarily because of the weight.

I have a FED-2 that is a fine camera, I am getting ready to sell it to generate some money for other things I need to do. I had it CLAed by Oleg and have to say, it is one smooth camera. I have too many cameras not being used and I'm starting to get sad about that. I'm a user, not a collector.

GAS is a hard thing to break once you start giving into it.

B2 (;->

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I will still have a Bessa as a second body primarily because of the weight.

Last night I was out with a guy who operates heavy stuff and when I gave him the R3 to use he couldn't believe how heavy it was.

 

[BillBingham2]

My second body is a T. She is about 2/3s the weight of my M6 Classic. As I have a 25 on her all the time, the external finder is a wash. The L disappears on my shoulder it’s so light.

B2 (;->

 

[Spyderman]

IMO the important thing on a every camera is the lens. The body is there just to hold the film in dark and flat.

You can make equal photos with a Fed or with M6 if they both have the same lens mounted. So keep this in mind when you get a GAS attack and direct your GAS to buying lenses instead of Leica bodies 😉

And they needn't be Leica lenses - Voigtlanders, or even Jupiters can be also very good, and unless you make 10x15'' enlargements you won't notice the difference. Just take a look in the Jupiters rule group on Flickr and my photos taken with Jupiter lenses (links are in my signature).

 

[wolves3012]

Leicas are wonderful machines but unlike fsu rfs they are truly collectable too. I think it is difficult to divorce these aspects; their collectability adds to their 'specialness' and desirability. Unfortunately I can't justify buying one but the consensus seems to be: if you can, you should.

Why not buy a nice I61LD for the Fed while you're deliberating..? 🙂

I'm not going to try and say FSU cameras are collectible in the way Leicas are...however, have you noticed the prices on them lately? They aren't falling, they're rising and that's because people *are* collecting them and they're getting rarer (not rare but rarer).

 

[lushd]

Hi - I think you have landed in a lucky place. The FED 2 handles very well and is very quiet - definitely one of the better products made in the USSR, even with the slightly squinty viewfinder. I find most rangefinders a pleasure to handle and they make taking pictures a comfortable easy experience while allowing control and providing high quality. The ones I like to use most are FED 2 (especially after a service by Oleg Khalyavin), Leica IIIa (serviced by Leica, expensive but wonderful), Bessa R, Yashica GSN (fantastically accurate lightmeter and handling a joy) and Zorki 1 (also after serviced by Oleg). If I could only have one camera I would have the Zorki 1. Great quality, lots of fun, very compact, historical device.

I have an M6 too and forming the relationship has been a bit uphill. I find it big and heavy compared to the others. However, the more I use it the more I like it and it is starting to feel like a part of me. Can't get it in my jeans pocket though like I can with the Zorki or the IIIa with a collapsible lens on it.

 

[Jocko]

If I could only have one camera I would have the Zorki 1. Great quality, lots of fun, very compact, historical device.

I think Donald hit the nail on the head. The choice of camera is not simply a matter of "better" or "worst" but of intangibles. No-one would deny that the FED II is in many respects a considerable improvement on the classic Leicas from which it derives. "Is it a better camera?" and "Do I need a Leica" are very different questions. And "need" is very different from "want".

Personally, I have (so far) found Leicas to be oddly uncompelling. The technical perfection has left me cold. They are - so it seems to me - in that sense very modern. In contrast the FED 1 or 2 have the intimate crudity of old friends. Also they come with a sense of wider historical and artistic associations that I find of enduring interest.

If I could have one "serous" camera, it would be a perfect FED 1. Yet, in tragic contradiction, I've recently sent away my Leica IIIf to be brought to effectively as-new condition simply because of the nagging assumption that I must have "missed something" and because I want perfect reliability (a serious problem of late). We all fall for the myth of "the better camera", but in truth, one becomes a better photographer simply by taking photographs and developing a distinct sensibility. If the FED works and works for you, don't doubt it. Just use it and enjoy. 🙂

Cheers, Ian

 

[TimSmith-Laing]

After getting into rangefinders thru FSU cameras - FED2, Zorki 4 - I finally bit the bullet and bought an M6. The russians are amazing, take beautiful photos when you get it right, and have their own special beauty of course ... but the M6 is just a world away. There really is no comparison. I'd love to compare one of the old screwmount leicas too, but there's no way I can afford it.

In short tho, if you get a good FSU camera you'll be happy for ever. And if you can afford a Leica, then you probably have enough money to make you happy for a while anyway, so every way you win!

 

[w3rk5]

I don't own a Leica but I don't think you're missing out on much. I'm sure Leica's are built much better but I don't think you'll take better pictures with one.

I can see the charm in owning one though. 🙂

 

[rolleistef]

If you want to buy a Barnak Leica, you might consider waiting a couple of months. Prices keep going up and down, and it seems to be in an ascending phase. Last time was between 2004 and 2006 : 250$ for a IIIf w/ a summar at Christmas 04, more than 700$ in September 2005, 200$ for a IIIf body in March 2006 and now around 500 for a body. but it's starting getting low again so wait for a while.
Otherwise a nice Zorki 4 with a couple of lens (J12, J8, J9) is cool a choice. nice vf though no framelines.