Just bought my first M, I think I got a good deal.

Creagerj

Creagerj

Incidental Artist
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Some of you probably remember the fabled thread where I recently asked for advice on buying my first M camera. At the time I had my heart set on an m4-p, because I had a superfluous desire to get a black camera. By the end of the thread, I decided I might look into getting an M2. I thought about buying a couple on that were posted here on RFF, but ended up deciding to wait, and put more thought into it.

Then, the other night I was just lurking on eBay, checking out the going rates of different bodies and lenses, when I stumbled on an auction for an M2 body, with an Elmar 50mm f.2.8 lens. The auction was below $500, and was ending in less than an hour, so I figured the camera was ugly, but I checked it out anyways, and I'm glad that I did. The camera looked really nice in the photos, but it was being sold as is because the seller was unaware if it was functioning properly or not. The seller claimed that the camera had belonged to his grandfather, and had been sitting in a safety deposit box for several years.

I pondered about it for a while, and decided to put a bid in, figuring that even if it wasn't working, I could probably at least break even if I turned it around. I waited the last minute to enter my bid, and I won the auction for $550 including shipping. Then I waited anxiously for two days for it to arrive. I just got it today, and it is beautiful. It has no dings, dents, scratches, or brassing at all. The rangefinder is clean except for a small amount of dust, but it is aligned properly. The advance lever is smooth, and shutter speeds all sound great. There is a small amount of vulcanite missing, and the lens has some minor cleaning marks. It even came with a case and a filter.

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I'm going to run some test rolls tonight. The nice thing is that now I can get myself some darkroom equipment. I'm pretty excited. Its the first time I've actually held a Leica, and I think its love at first site.

Edit:
I'm starting to think I may forgo getting the VC II and opt for a Sekonic L-308 instead. It looks pretty pocket-able, its only as thick as a AA battery.

I need to pick up some odds and ends though, any recommendations on the following would be helpful:
-A neck strap that won't scratch up the sides of my camera.
-A lens cap for my lens. I saw some 39mm #14031 lens caps on KEH but I'm not sure if those are the right ones or not.
-A wide angle lens: I'm thinking about getting either a CV 15mm Heliar, a 21mm Skopar, or a 25mm Skopar. I like that you can scale focus to 18" on the 21mm Skopar, and I'm kind of favoring it because KEH has them for just over 300 with a finder. Should I go this route or is there a better recommendation in the 300-400 dollar range?
 
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You got a great deal on a great combo. RF don't get much better than this, only more expensive :) You can buy a new leatherette from Aki Asahi, for instance. Will make your M2 look like new, if the missing piece is bothering you.

Have fun shooting !

Roland.
 
Looks like you have had a win.

I also bought an M2 that had sat in a cupboard for years. It was in good cosmetic condition but the fast shutter speeds were off. It needed a CLA but now is good to go.

Happy shooting.

David
 
Well done. The M2 is a wonderful camera, and I have always wanted an elmar, congratulations.
 
I bought my M2 around 1960, age 20 or so. I still have it, and my f/2.8 Elmar. That's the M2, in my Avatar, with a collapsible Summicron. They have been lifelong companions. Congratulations!
 
antistatic said:
Looks like you have had a win.

I also bought an M2 that had sat in a cupboard for years. It was in good cosmetic condition but the fast shutter speeds were off. It needed a CLA but now is good to go.

Happy shooting.

David
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think I'll probably end up getting a CLA on it, the speeds seem fine, but it probably couldn't hurt. I'll know when I run a test roll for sure.

ferider said:
You got a great deal on a great combo. RF don't get much better than this, only more expensive :) You can buy a new leatherette from Aki Asahi, for instance. Will make your M2 look like new, if the missing piece is bothering you.

Have fun shooting !

Roland.
Click to expand...

To be honest I'm not bothered by it. It looks so nice I'm afraid to put a strap on it. I hate the strap on the case though.

I'm thinking I'll get an adapter for my Canon 85mm f/2, and I was thinking of getting a CV wide angle as well. I can't decide between a 15mm heliar, a 21mm skopar, or a 25mm skopar. KEH has some great deals right now. I don't think I'll bother with 35mm, I like my wides, wide.

Might also get a light meter, but I'm trying to decide between a VCII or a MR-4.
 
I too got a great deal on my M3 from ebay. Came with a 35 summaron attached. The seller took bad pics, but had excellent feedback so I trusted their "mint" description. Love at first fondle is right. Near mint and still working and no CLA yet. After selling the Summaron I was out $500 for a mint condition M3.

Looks like you got a great deal. I love the "grandpa's stored away" Leicas.
 
Congratulations! What a DEAL! If you need repairs or CLA, Youxin Ye does good work for a reasonable price and very quick service! Happy shooting!
Vic
 
wjlapier said:
I too got a great deal on my M3 from ebay. Came with a 35 summaron attached. The seller took bad pics, but had excellent feedback so I trusted their "mint" description. Love at first fondle is right. Near mint and still working and no CLA yet. After selling the Summaron I was out $500 for a mint condition M3.

Looks like you got a great deal. I love the "grandpa's stored away" Leicas.
Click to expand...

I think that the same issue was what did it for me as well, the pics were taken on a cell phone or something, but the seller had perfect feedback.

I just can't believe how pretty it is. It makes my Canon L-1 look like a frumpy, oddly shaped ugly duckling. The RF of the M2 makes the L-1 RF seem like you're looking through a hotel peephole.
 
Congratulations! Sounds like you made an excellent deal. I love my M2. I paid $500 for it at a local dealer, and it's in VG condition, not mint. I was happy to get that price, so you should be ecstatic!
 
ferider said:
You got a great deal on a great combo. RF don't get much better than this, only more expensive :) You can buy a new leatherette from Aki Asahi, for instance. Will make your M2 look like new, if the missing piece is bothering you.

Have fun shooting !

Roland.
Click to expand...

+1 on what Roland said. Congrats! That's a great deal on a great shooter. When the vulcanite starts to fall off (it did on my M2), send it to Youxin Ye for a CLA and recovering. I've got the Aki-Asahi covering now on mine, and it's a thing of beauty. The shutter is even quieter than before, and the vf sparkles. :)

You now have an rf and lens that you can happily use for the rest of your life (or as long as you can still buy film).
 
That is a great deal! The M2 is a classic- and looks like a great combo with the Elmar.

I would check the 1000 speed for capping, back open and lens off. If the shutter is opening at both ends, load it up and use it.
 
Congratulations ... you got a great deal.

I bought exactly the same combination from eBay BIN a couple of years ago for a song thanks to a heads up from Roland (ferider) ... both camera and lens were in like new condition. The seller had underpriced it by a good fifty percent IMO!

Photographically it's the best buy I've ever had by far ... and Leica M's don't come much better than the M2 I reckon!

As Roger would say ... "Take it out and shoot it!" :D
 
Perfect. *That* is what an M should look like. Nice, but not pampered. Now: shoot the hell out of it!
 
Shot some c-41 yesterday, and going to shoot some more today since the weather is decent. I'll try to post some pics soon.
 
When the vulcanite on my M3 started crumbling like that, I dabbed a small amount of clear contact cement along the edge to stop it in it's tracks. That fix has held for years. I particularly like the feel of the original coverings of these M's.
The VC meter is recommended. Alternatively I like using an old gossen sixtino which I keep in my pocket.
 
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