help?

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claire

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Jul 25, 2005
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i'm very new to rangefinders but have been considering a leica... however, i have no idea what model to choose! i'm looking for something with good metrering and easy use... iwas told in the other forum that the m6 would be a good choice but i'm wondering if there is a model that could do what i need that's a little cheaper?
 
You could go with a used, but rebuilt, Leica CL or Minolta CLE. The latter offers aperture-preferred aumation and has a VF/RF that goes out to 28mm field-of-view. The CLE is electronic, the CL is all manual. A rebuilt CL should run ~$600US, the CLE closer to $750US (Rebuilt). An EX+ condition M6 will run ~$1,200US.
 
Another possibility to consider is the M-5. A bit bigger and not as beloved by the Leica people (hence not as expensive... :) ) but it has the older style of finder with a meter built in. KEH.com currently has one they grade as bargain (or what most others would call very nearly excellent) for $999 USD.

William
 
Brian Sweeney said:
The CLE is electronic, the CL is all manual.
Click to expand...

Do note that the CLE's meter does not function in manual mode. It will only light up in AE mode.

I prefer the viewfinder of the CLE to the CL though as it seems more 'spacious'.

Otherwise, they are both very well made cameras that are nice to use. :)
 
if i was to spring for the m6.. what would be my best bet in terms of lenses (brand etc) to get the best bang for my buck? i'm not looking to spend a grand on one lens...
 
If you're going to spend the money on the body, why not spend the money on a great lens? The fourth generation Summicron 50 is supposedly a very good way to go and rather cost-conscious, but it will run you around a grand CA depending on where you choose to get it from. Perhaps more in some places.
 
Claire, the Voigtlander lenses are reported to give good value for money. I can't really say as I've not used many of them (so far just the 35/2.5 and 50/2.5), and even then, on a problematic body.
 
Claire, you have a wide range of lenses to choose from.. the Leica m-mount system has been the standard mount for decades.. and with a cheap adapter ($40) you can also use LTM (Leica thread mount) lenses just as easily

the popular lens lineups are Leica, Canon, Zeiss, Cosina Voigtlander, and the FSU (formerly soviet union) lenses such as the Jupiter and Industar models.. I'm sure I'm missing some other obvious choices, as well

they all have their advantages, and it depends on what style of shooting you plan to do.. some are great landscape lenses, others are good portrait glass.. some are best for b/w and others give great color rendition
 
Brett, there are even choices by Konica & Minolta.

Claire... if you haven't used RF cameras, try a Canonet first. If you like the feel and experience... just take the plunge for an M6 or M6TTL. They're metered cameras, excellent bodies and will give you years of service. You can purchase new or old glass for them, and the best to start with is a 'cron 50.

Good luck and Happy Shopping!

PS. There's a CL for sale in Photo.net for $575. Thought you'd like to know... :)
 
Before you sink some serious money into a Leica, take a look at the Voigtlander Bessa series at CameraQuest (follow the the link on the left). They take the same lenses and are all excellent cameras at a fraction of the cost.

Also, I'd take SL's advice, I buy a Canonet to find out if RF's are even for you. And I'm not just saying that because I've got one for sale in the Classifieds forum. (Yes, that was blantant plug.)
 
getting a Canonet is a great idea.. but keep in mind that the user experience won't be the same as using a Leica, Bessa or Contax.. obviously there is the fact that it's a fixed lens camera so your options are limited.. but what always strikes me when I dig out my Canonet is the 'cute' focusing lever.. it doesn't exactly embue 'seriousness'.. ironically, I can still get some great photos with it

I guess what I'm saying is that everyone should have a Canonet, but don't judge whether a rangefinder is for you based solely on that
 
i probably should have specified that i have fooled around with friends' rangefinders before.. i'm ready to take the plunge :)
 
lenswise, one of the best bangs for the buck is the 40/2 m-rokkor that came with the minolta cle - the "water lens". goes for about $300.
 
Hi Claire,

A Leica as a first RF is a very good choice, it's not one that many people have the opportunity to purchase one so do consider carefully your alternatives. The engineering, the build, the long rangfinder base and that lovely quite shutter in a small package is ideal. The bottom film loading although 'different' is not really any harder than a swing back.

The Voigtlander lenses are an absolute bargain, they are solidly made with very smooth ficus rings. I've been fortunate to use both Leica glass and the Voigtlander offereings and am very happy to use either. The 28 F3.5 is tiny, the 35 F1.7 is very sharp as are the longer lenses. At full aperture they will not beat a Leica or Zeiss (and not a lot else will either). The Voigtander lenses are in my humble oppinion the best bang for the buck by far.

Good luck on your search.
 
claire said:
if i was to spring for the m6.. what would be my best bet in terms of lenses (brand etc) to get the best bang for my buck? i'm not looking to spend a grand on one lens...
Click to expand...


A lower cost option might be to forgo the TTL metering in the M6 and use a handheld meter. That being the case, you should be able to find a user M2 or M3, a 40mm Summicron or a 50mm.f1.5 Nokton, and a good meter (Weston, LunaPro) all for under $1000.
 
Claire the M6 is a good choice, and the meters seem to be very accurate in them. I have an M6TTL and I've tested the meter in that against a couple of highly trusted hand-helds and it is remarkably accurate. Note that there are two M6 models, the regular M6 and the M6TTL, they are a little different from each other but not much, the main difference from a usability perspective is that the shutter dials rotate in opposite directions.

As for lenses the best bang for the buck may be Voigtlander, or CV as they are sometimes called (stands for Cosina Voigtlander). Your optimal lens choice may differ depending on which focal length you want to buy so if you could tell us that you will probably get plenty of recommendations for lenses. :)

 
The older "vintage" lenses will not cost a fortune, and give great results. A Rigid Summicron 5cm F2 will run ~$350, a Summarit 5cm F1.5 ~$250 (CLA'd). A Canon 35mm F2.8 with an adapter for use on an M-Mount will run under $200. A 90mm F2 Summicron under $600, a 85mm F2 Nikkor in LTM will run under $300, and a Canon 85mm F2 or F1.9 will run under $200. Lots of options IF you are willing to build up an inventory of used lenses. They are built like tanks, and very little to mechanically go wrong on an RF lens. Try to figure out what your "system" should have for your $3K CDN. Then break down the amount for each component. Off hand, I would go with an M6 in EX+ or better, that had been CLA'd recently. I'd go with a later Summicron 5cm F2 for a normal lens, the 35mm F2.8 Canon, and a Nikkor or Canon short Telephoto. You should have some change back for your $3K.
 
or maybe a bessa r with a nice 35 or 50 cv lens.

are you new to rangefinders only or photography also?
will this be your only set up for awhile?

a great way to start with interchangeable lens rf cams is the cv route.
it's a good place to stay also.
if you love it, the camera can be used as a back up or sold and you can get the leica later.

just a thought...
 
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