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Looking for a good beginner leica setup. As of now i have a contax g1 and it is pretty solid. As for a leica, i would be using it for mostly street/travel/documentary types of shots. what type of setup (body and lens) would you recommend without breaking the bank? From what i hear i probably wouldnt want to get anything older than an m3 (because of horrible rewind).

Also, what kind of focusing do these cameras feature. is it a spil image, or do you solely rely on estimate?

matt
 
matt,
Best all around bet is a M2 (which is newer than M3) or Canadian M4-2. Either can be found for around $600-800 on eBay. Best all around Leica lens without breaking your budget is the f2.8 35mm Summaron. The cameras have a double image rangefinder, as opposed to a small split image that you find on SLRs. Lots of good, quick info at:
http://www.cameraquest.com/mguide.htm
http://www.cameraquest.com/mlenses.htm
And I don't understand your concern about the rewind. The old style knob works fine, and is still used today on the MP. Lots of other things to consider, and rewind knob should not really be a show stopper. Good hunting and good luck.
 
I have an M2 and M3, both with that "horrible rewind knob" that I don't notice anything wrong with. For an inexpensive lens, you can find a 35 or 50mm in LTM and use an adapter to fit the Leica M body. That would be the cheapest solution. There are lots of great LTM 35 and 50mm lenses available.
 
Horrible rewind? I have 2xM2 (knob rewind) 1xM4-P (crank rewind) 1xMP (knob again). I really don't find the knob 'horrible'. Slightly slower, yes; slightly more reliable so far, yes (though it was 20 years before I bent the M4P rewind).

The M is so different from a G-series (I've not had G1 but have had G2) that comparisons are next to impossible. Suffice it to say I now have Ms and not Gs.

Which to choose? anything except M6ttl and M7 with backwards shutter speed dials.

Cheers,

Roger
 
I will pile on and say that everything written about the "horrible" rewind is simply ignorant. It is a camera and a can of film, it is just different and absolutely no big deal. Two other pieces of Leica hog wash I will share. The shutter isn't silent, it is quiet. If you take a photograph in a quiet church, you will be heard. Anyone who says they have done it and were not heard is lying. And finally, the bottom film loading, M4 forward and my experience with my M3 and quick load kit, is easier than rear door loading. So, there is a starting point. Sorry to dispell some of the myths of Leica right off the bat for you.
 
I like the old style loading with the non fixed spool in my M3 and M2 better than the fixed spool in my M6 - always manage to screw the film loading up on the M6 a couple of times before it is in place!
I actually like the oldstyle rewind better too as it has a real solid feel - the rewind thing on the M6 is "flimpsy"
Quiet - not silent - but quiet eneugh to be unnotied in street photography!
The M3 is great if you plan on shooting mostly 50 mm - the M2 is great if you plan on shooting mostly 35 mm - the M6ttl and M7 is a little bit larger - people says it does not matter I will disagree on that - the 2 mm is just eneugh for me to make the cameras feel to big in my hands - good luck choosing camera
 
I would take any Leica, horrible or not, vintage or new, broken or working. Why? I like nicely made machines. Just haven't found one I can afford... yet.

That day will come.
 
Matt, I was probably a little grumpy in my response, but I was being honest.

As said above, any Leica M is a great camera. The Bessas are also very good, available new, and as such a less expensive option. The availability of lenses is vast. They have been making LTM and M mount lenses for almost 70 years. High or low contrast, razor sharp or attractively soft, name your desire and you can find it. Again, the new CV lenses are excellent and generally priced as a bargain considering their quality.

I would suggest that you pick out a focal length or two that you would like to use on the camera and then consider bodies from there.
 
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