is the M2 an easy camera to use ?

[DeeCee3]

Loading Ritual!

Loading Ritual!

Well put! As the Book of Common Prayer says, "Read, mark, learn and inwardly digest..." and you'll LOVE the M2 as I have for many years.

No, the VF is not as big and bright as the Voigtlander's but it's big and bright enough and once you get the knack of composing in it, you'll understand why many old Leica hands think the M2's the ne plus ultra of the M series.

dc3

 

[Ronald_H]

There is a ritual to loading this camera. Learn it - rehearse it - and go take pictures. I've had mine since 1971 and wil never willingly part with it.

Paul

Consider this: I was BORN in 1971.

This year I bought a well used Leica M2. It's from 1963. Imagine what it must have seen! A CLA and it was good to go. Maybe somewhere around 2050 someone else will discover it again...

 

[Pherdinand]

It is NOT a cliche.
I like to use my m2 but film loading is MUCH more complicated than in a swing-open type camera.
You have the camera body, the bottom plate, the film roll and the takeup spool all separate. FOUR things to keep from dropping with TWO hands, while you try to tuck in the film tip into the slit on the takeup spool. Then slide it in, trying to fit it properly in the gap and on the film railings.
It does take time and practice and patience.
My friend with a 1.5y old son compared it to diaper changing when looking at the process.

 

[d_ross]

Thanks very much everyone, the camera is in an estate auction out of town to where I live, so I'll only get to see it and the lenses today just before the auction, so if I get it I will have no choice in which model it is. I'm totally new to Leica cameras so your comments are all helpful.

Cheers

 

[Al Kaplan]

I started out with a III-f about 1962. Now THAT is a fiddly camera! When I "went M" in the late 60's the M2 and M3 were still common newspaper photographers' cameras.

To rewind you hold the camera in your left hand while pushing lightly against the bottom of the extended rewind knob with your index fingernail. Starting near the tip of your right index finger pressing against the knob's knurling move the hand away from you. As your hand moves the knob turns, the film rewinds...simple! A few fast right hand strokes and you're done. Another way, if you have sensitive uncalloused hands, is grab the knob in your right hand, camera in your left, and turn both in opposite directions at the same time. Again, push up on the knob with a fingernail to keep it from flying back between strokes.

Take off the base plate and tuck it under your belt or in the waist band of your pants while you're unloading the camera or sticking the leader in the spool clip.

 

[mich8261]

minor gripes for me are:
- film counter can be moved by accident (inserting in coat pocket, carrying bag)
- and inability to lock the shutter, so I get the occasional blank frame from accidentally hitting the shutter release.

Great camera.

 

[fbf]

I am not a big fan of button rewind, other than that I have no complaints about m2. It is as smooth as leica can get (if CLA'ed properly). It is a joy to use m2 with 35,50mm.
You will love it.

 

[funkaoshi]

Oh, I forgot about the manual frame counter. I didn't think it'd be a pain when I bought the camera, but I regularly find I have no idea how many shots I have left in my camera. ("Did I already take 16 photos? Did I forget to move the counter? Should I move it now...")

Despite what other people say, I really don't think loading film onto the spool is that big a pain in the ass. Its trickier than your typical camera, but it's really not rocket science.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I don't usually bother setting the frame counter.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy one of those quick loading kits that Leica sold in the early 1970's. They WILL NOT make loading as easy as an M4. They ended up closing them out at $12.50, a fraction of the original price, once word got out. Now, of course, they're worth a bloody fortune if you still have the original box and instruction sheet with it.

 

[drewbarb]

If you understand the basic principles of photography WRT exposure, i.e. how to select aperture and shutter speed, any manual camera is simple. If you know what a rangefinder is and how to use it effectively, a Leica is very straightforward- and M's have pretty good finders. Loading film on the older Leicas is easier than many would have you think- it's a matter of seeing it done properly and learning to do it that way. There is no need to wind on multiple exposures with the bottom off and the back open. If you first seat the film cartridge and the take-up spool properly, then tension the rewind knob, and then watch that the film takes properly, you are done. Close it up, advance a frame and make sure the rewind knob is turning. I get 38 or 39 frames on a standard 36 exposure roll every time. Once you get the hang of it, it's much more easily done than said.

The short answer is that within the framework of understanding these things, the M2 is a very simple camera- this is part of it's charm.

 

[fbf]

if you really hate the film loading, you might want to contact DAG. I i think he can convert it to m4 style loading for a reasonable amount (can't recall how much exact).

 

[Al Kaplan]

Take the end of the film carton where it says the film type. Cut it and fold it so it tightly slides in to the accessory shoe, or you can use a piece of masking tape on the top or bottom of the camera. Write the film type with a Sharpie pen. You can even note the ISO speed that you used for the roll, then transfer the tape to the cassette when you unload the camera.

 

[Melvin]

It depends on what you think is easy. I find using a DSLR with all the settings, auto focus, cables and files to be an aggravating nuisance, almost as much bureaucracy as photography. The M2 is very simple and direct by comparison.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

you may forget which speed film you placed in the camera - and there's no window to look at the markings on the canister

When in doubt...it's Tri-X

 

[helen.HH]

Just got my 1962 /M2 today
I have been using an M4 the last few months
and find my M2 RF patch & viewfinder brighter than the M4
and the camera a tad lighter

as for loading the Film
I don't mind it at all ...taking out the spool and loading
its easy - don't know why some people make a FUSS over that

I'm over the top pleased & just coupled her with a 1962 Lux
I have lots to be THANKFUL about this THANKSGIVING

Film is a Drug....a Worthwhile addiction

Best- H 😀

 

[Gadge]

Hey Ronald - Really nice picture but is that Matt Alof's lady in an earlier life????

She sure looks similar. Check out Matts web site ..

http://www.1point4photography.com/blog/

Thing about photogs???

🙂

Gadge

 

[Gadge]

<Take the end of the film carton where it says the film type. Cut it and fold it so it tightly slides in to the accessory shoe, or you can use a piece of masking tape on the top or bottom of the camera. Write the film type with a Sharpie pen. You can even note the ISO speed that you used for the roll, then transfer the tape to the cassette when you unload the camera.>

Nice Tips Al.

I use an ERC so I just put the film carton lid in there before replacing the camera then chuck it when replacing the film.

Gadge

 

[WoolenMammoth]

as for loading the Film
I don't mind it at all ...taking out the spool and loading
its easy - don't know why some people make a FUSS over that

because its the internet. there is probably no more irrelevant issue made into such pointless drama than that one. I much prefer the take out spool of the 2/3. The M4 loading system is faster only if you get it right the first time. If you dont it takes much longer backing the film out and reloading than loading the spool on a 2. For some film stocks its no fuss to get it right the first time, but other thin base emulsions can be a real pain especially if the film has been left in the heat and is brittle.

 

[Pherdinand]

because its the internet. there is probably no more irrelevant issue made into such pointless drama than that one. I much prefer the take out spool of the 2/3. The M4 loading system is faster only if you get it right the first time. If you dont it takes much longer backing the film out and reloading than loading the spool on a 2. For some film stocks its no fuss to get it right the first time, but other thin base emulsions can be a real pain especially if the film has been left in the heat and is brittle.

It's not a fuss and it's not internet drama and it is not irrelevant.
You might prefer whatever you want, but the OP asked and I (and some more people) answered saying, obviously, what our own experience is.

If you say loading the M2 is easier/faster than loading e.g. a hinged-back camera, i think you are a masochist and are actually misinforming the OP but i don't call it bull**** because i do respect your choice, your oppinion.
I expect that you also respect what i think of it without calling it an irrelevant drama.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Another tip, just because it's a holiday here in the U.S. (is that a good enough excuse?)

Take some masking tape and stick the end on your Sharpie or pen, then spin it between thumb and finger so you wind your own little "roll of tape" where it'll be handy to find and not take up a lot of room in your bag or pocket. You just end up with a fatter pen and a nice supply of labeling material.