Got my first Leica! And some questions.

[Ko.Fe.]

Nice camera and very nice lens!

HCB used mostly 50, had second camera to use with 35 and 90 and different film. They say he had third camera for !color! sometimes.
Garry Winogrand had two, but I seen him with only one on videos.

I walk for the street with one camera, one lens. 50 is good for not busy streets, 35 is universal, 28 I need to be very close. I have tried to use two cameras, it didn't do anything good for me. Not for concerts, not for events.

I'm using small but deep Tamrak bag, which fits two cameras, big valet, light meter, films and bottle of water and mobile. Those two external pockets to keep water away from cameras and mobile out side to hear phone calls, but away from my body makes it really best bag I ever used for street photography. It is my every day bag over five or so years as well.

 

[FrankS]

Congrats on a fine camera! The worn black chrome gives it a very appropriate industrial look.

 

[pgk]

Can anyone confirm that this is actually a Black Chrome M4

The serial number is certainly low, but black chrome M4 cameras , whilst a little more expensive than chrome ones, are not sufficiently enhanced in value to make them worth faking - given that this would be quite a tricky thing to do. There could be a few reasons why the serial number is out of sync, but I wouldn't worry about it as its a well used camera which is probably worth what it is as a black chrome 'user' anyway. I have one in somewhat worse condition but still working, and they are real workhorses. Enjoy.

 

[Daryl J.]

I almost always use two M bodies. 2 film types readily available.....

 

[michaelwj]

That page however contradicts its own KE-7A remark, a few lines above the first KE-7A line is this one:



Which also is black chrome.

I saw that, but it also contradicts itself further by stating that all M4 mot are black paint! I've never seen an M4 mot in anything other than black paint but I don't profess to have seen it all!

Mmm, quoted quotes don't show up? Johan pointed out that the page also lists M4 mot as "Schwz" which refers to black chrome.

 

[LChanyungco]

Official black chrome M4s usually have white inserts in the frame line and self timer levers.

Can anyone confirm that this is actually a Black Chrome M4, as I was told in the ebay listing? Or is it a repaint?

 

[leicapixie]

Enjoy your M4.
It looks great, but most definitely used.
That's good! Pristine makes me scared of marking it.
I own M6TTL.
I wouldn't worry about battery drain.
The camera will work without.
No meter and no flash synch.
The M4 viewfinder frames are definitely more accurate than M6.
Yet when all the shouting has stopped, m3 still the King.

Oh!
I hate working with 2 or more cameras!
I tie myself up like in Japanese Bondage. 😀
I hate searching for sequence images.
One lens, one camera, one film.

 

[johannielscom]

Euh...

the M4 has no battery anyway so battery drain indeed won't be a problem, leicapixie...

 

[froyd]

Ruben ,

I have an M4 and a Contax G1 with 3 the classic 3-lens kit.

I must say, I do not enjoy using both systems side-by-side. The operation is too different between the two that it throws me off and slows me down. What I usually do is alternate between these two cameras (and others), sometimes for days at the time, sometimes for months. Usually the G goes on family vacations because it's very light and I tend to shoot color on family trips; as you know those Contax G Zeiss lenses are phenomenal for color. In the fall, winter, evenings, indoor, walks about town, etc, I tend to grab the M with a 35 mounted on it.

My biggest issue switching between these two systems in close succession is the mental approach of manual focus and off-camera metering vs auto exposure and AF. Sure, you can set the G to work in manual focus, but the lack of DOF scales is aggravating and I never feel confident the focus wheel stays exactly where I want it. I can also tuen AE off, but then I have to contend with annoying arrows reminding me at every shot that the exposure I set disagrees with what the almighty processor thinks it's best.

The plan was always to sell the Contax and duplicate the system with an Ikon and ZM lenses to have a second system that worked more similarly to the M4 and M lenses, plus the ability to switch lenses and bodies. However, after a 6 month dally with an Ikon and a Planar, I was not happy with it as a replacement for the G and I sold it, so I'm back to the M4 and G1 combo for rangefinders. I'm not worried about repairs of the G because I paid very little for the kit, and G1 bodies are cheap. My understanding is that G2 are better and more expensive, but I like the lighter weight of the earlier G and its sub $200 price tag. If it all bites the dust some day, I'll get back to the Ikon or get a second M and look into converting the G lenses to M mount.

 

[rubercoober]

Hey Ruben!

Congrats on the M4 man, but I have also long pined after a Contax G2, especially a black one. I can't answer your question on the authenticity of your black chrome m4 (though I'm sure someone undoubtedly will be able to though).

I can however answer your question regarding two body shooting from my own experience. In short, I love working that way.

I've long used two cameras simultaneously with most any system I've had as it allows for rapid versatility "in the field". I try not to carry too much equipment with me at any given time anymore (I don't need to have it all available "just in case") but I really like working with two bodies / two lenses. And ironically enough my favorite pairing is 28/50. When I go with one camera and one lens it's most often a 35mm, but when I take two, it's the 28/50 pair.

I think it's super versatile, and you'd enjoy it, plus the 28 Biogon for the G2 is excellent!

Hey!

Thanks for the advice! I'll have to spring for the 28 once I have enough cash for it. I don't know if I'd actually need to carry/use both, but I'd like to try. The 35mm suggestion is a good idea. I had originally planned to get a 35mm summicron, but I've been using basically a 50mm (G2 45mm) for the past year and a half, and I got a good deal on the 50 and that as close as it gets. We'll see how it goes, thanks!

 

[rubercoober]

Somehow I forgot to come back to this thread, my bad.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! It's really nice to have a community forum that is as helpful as you all can be.

So far, I'm loving the M4. Just ran 6 rolls through it in Chicago this past weekend. The Contax has gotten no use since, but I'm gonna hang onto it for now anyways.

Ahh this is what I LOVE to read on a Monday morning 🙂

Congrats on becoming one of us -chants: one of us/one of us/one of us - O_O

Usually, I would carry just my M6...I try not to carry 2 cameras but if I do, I carry a point and shoot as a second one.

🙂

Haha, awesome.
If I decide to get rid of the G2 ever, maybe I'll downsize to a Contax T2 to carry as well. Good suggestion with the point and shoot, thanks!

Regarding authenticity, you'll never really know. But, black chrome is rarely faked if ever. It's hard to do and they don't fetch a premium like black paint do. On the other hand, black paint is relatively easy to fake, and they fetch a premium price.
Your black chrome looks nice by the way, like it's had a very good life!

A follow up to my earlier reply;

The serial number on this camera comes from a very big batch (7520 cameras) in 1968/9 which officially contained some chrome and some black paint cameras. Yours is definitely black chrome (I haven't known of any "fake" black chrome cameras so it is most likely an official job). But, the KE-7A is supposedly the first Leica to be made in black chrome, was produced in 1972.

So this puts your camera in an interesting place...
My guess is that it was sent back to Leica by the original owner and converted to black chrome.
The other plausible option is that it may have been a left over serial number that Leica decided to make a black chrome camera when one was required (don't forget the batch does not refer to the number of cameras made in a particular time period, but when the serial numbers were assigned - so a serial number might be assigned years before the camera is manufactured)?

Did you buy it from the original owner? It would be nice to know its story.

That's wild. Definitely interesting. I picked it up off eBay, from a guy who bought it from a retired photographer's estate. I messaged him for more info, need to go back and check that now that I remembered.

Black chrome cannot be faked. It's a process that cannot be duplicated since it's highly industrial and if it would be faked, it wouldn't look anything like the real thing.

This is a very good point. I have seen multiple black chrome repaints on here for sale in the classfieds though, so I'm not really sure what the deal is.

Official black chrome M4s usually have white inserts in the frame line and self timer levers.

Another good piece of information, thanks. The wear on the camera is the one characteristic making me think it's an original black chrome.

 

[michaelwj]

But more importantly, it's good to see it getting some solid use! Enjoy it!

 

[rubercoober]

I use precisely the combination you outline I.e. 28mm on my G2 and 50mm on my M6. I shoot street mainly and find this combination perfect although periodically I'll attach the 21mm Biogon to the G2.

Keep the Contax, it's a lovely machine, and I'm sure you'll enjoy your Leica for many a year.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm interested in trying the two together for sure, I know they're both keepers. I hear many people prefer the 21mm to the 28mm, I think 21 may be slightly too wide for me though.

Ruben ,

I have an M4 and a Contax G1 with 3 the classic 3-lens kit.

I must say, I do not enjoy using both systems side-by-side. The operation is too different between the two that it throws me off and slows me down. What I usually do is alternate between these two cameras (and others), sometimes for days at the time, sometimes for months. Usually the G goes on family vacations because it's very light and I tend to shoot color on family trips; as you know those Contax G Zeiss lenses are phenomenal for color. In the fall, winter, evenings, indoor, walks about town, etc, I tend to grab the M with a 35 mounted on it.

My biggest issue switching between these two systems in close succession is the mental approach of manual focus and off-camera metering vs auto exposure and AF. Sure, you can set the G to work in manual focus, but the lack of DOF scales is aggravating and I never feel confident the focus wheel stays exactly where I want it. I can also tuen AE off, but then I have to contend with annoying arrows reminding me at every shot that the exposure I set disagrees with what the almighty processor thinks it's best.

Thanks! It's great getting all the different perspectives on this stuff, especially these two that contrast so greatly. I totally see where you're coming from, this has me wondering how difficult it may be for me to switch between the two when it comes to the mental approach. Even if I don't carry them both at once, I'll for sure switch between using both for periods of time.

 

[rfaspen]

There's black paint and black chrome. The finish everyone drools over (including myself) is black paint. Thus black paint is "faked", or more often, an honest re-finish taking a chrome camera, stripping it down, and painting it (usually black, but there are some other colored Leicas floating around).

The black chrome finish is something else. Not as desirable as black paint, but a perfectly nice finish for a perfectly nice camera. Definitely enjoy your black chrome M4. Nice camera.