Leica M-A Now the Best

[Pioneer]

From my interpretation of the attached link, the recently introduced Leica M-A is the culmination of Leica's manufacture of M film cameras over the past 60 years. It takes all the best of each of the cameras and combines them into the M-A.

http://www.35mmc.com/19/04/2015/leica-m-a/

Since I am a Leica M-A owner I naturally agree with the author's conclusions (as I interpret them of course.)

But, since each Leica M film or digital camera user has different wants and needs, your conclusion may differ. 😀

EDIT - I am now off to the party in the park to take photographs of my son-in-laws fighting valiantly over their giant, macho male, BBQs as they struggle mightily to defeat the dastardly, but delicious, hot dogs, hamburgers and steaks. 🙂

I hope you each enjoy your day whether it is a holiday for you or not.

 

[Fadedsun]

I had no idea a modern mechanical Leica existed. It's certainly $$$$. Is there something about the limitations of a mechanical camera that only allow it to reach shutter speeds up to 1000? I was somewhat shocked to see that was highest shutter speed for a modern mechanical camera.

 

[dave lackey]

I had no idea a modern mechanical Leica existed. It's certainly $$$$. Is there something about the limitations of a mechanical camera that only allow it to reach shutter speeds up to 1000? I was somewhat shocked to see that was highest shutter speed for a modern mechanical camera.

For us Leicaphiles. 1/1000 is all you need!😛

Seriously!

But I sure enjoy my Nikons with a tad higher speeds!😀

 

[dave lackey]

Happy 4th of July, Pioneer!!

That M-A is quite interesting. Enjoy and shoot lots! My M3 is constantly with me and I am still grinning when I think it has no batteries and shoots so sublimely. I am sure the M-A is no less satisfying.🙂

 

[f16sunshine]

I think it's the cloth Shutter curtains running horizontally that limit the accurate top speed .
Mechanical Vertically hung metal FP shutters can and do exceed 1/1000.
They don't sound as nice though.

The MA is cool. I'm happy you all enjoy it. I can't say it's anything I would ever buy.
It's an admirable effort even if a bit redundant considering the millions of film leicas already in the marketplace.

I would have prefered an MP with a 1 degree "spot" meter ... How would that be for B+W users!! 😀

 

[dave lackey]

Ok, I just read the review. Nice read and I learned a lot.

Now, go and shoot lots! There is only so much gear talk that I can stand so let's see your photos as soon as you get to it!:angel:

 

[serjohn]

I think it is the nature of the cloth shutter that limits the top shutter speed. The Nikon FM2 which a manual body which came out in 1983 or 1984 had a top speed of 1/4000 in part due to the vertical shutter made out of titanium.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Nice read. I hope that the prediction that there will be a black paint M-A is true. With six M Leicas I don't really need it, but it would be nice nevertheless.

Erik.

 

[jcrutcher]

I love mine!

 

[hamish_gill]

Cheers for the link Pioneer

It continues to be interesting reading people's thoughts on the camera!

I've got more to add to that post through the expletive of ownership ... But I'm keeping that under my hat for the time being 🙂

 

[Flat Twin]

I love the look that the 50mm f2.5 Summarit gives...

Simon

 

[ray*j*gun]

Thank you for sharing the link. My favorite companion has always been the all mechanical Leicas (going back to the Barnacks which I still own and use) and if I had the funds I would not hesitate to buy the M-A. My hat is off to Leica for staying the course and providing some art to the tools that we use.

 

[Out to Lunch]

I am quite happy with my M6 and M7. This said, after having worked for a number of years in countries without a reliable electricity supply / without a supply of anything but basic necessities, I've always been interested in products that work without batteries of any kind. One day I might just buy the M-A.

 

[Godfrey]

The article is underwhelming to me, with a lot of personal opinions that don't actually match up to the historical reality.

But regardless, the M-A isn't supposed to be an overwhelming novelty shouting NEW NEW NEW NEW nonsense. It's supposed to be the latest, available, all mechanical, meterless Leica M film camera. With, as usual, all the best bits from the continuous incremental development of the past 62 years incorporated into it.

And that's exactly what it is. If you want a new, mechanical, Leica M film camera without a built-in meter, the M-A is the current model, just like the MP is the current model new mechanical M with a meter, and the M7 is the current model electronic shutter M with meter and AE. As such, the M-A replaces the now long discontinued M4-P, the M4-2 before that, the M4 before that, and the M3/M2 before that.

If you like any of the older cameras more, well, they're all good—buy and use what you like. If you want a NEW mechanical, meterless M camera, buy the M-A—there isn't any other option. Simple as that.

I've had M3, M2, M4, M4-P, M6, and M6TTL bodies in the past. When I returned to Leica in 2011, I bought a nice, first production batch M4-2 because it incorporated the M4 viewfinder optics and frame lines, fast load and rewind, into a modernized body that could take a motor winder, if I so chose, and a hot shoe flash sync terminal. And it was very reasonably priced compared to ordering up an MP because it was a 33 year old camera. Having had all of these cameras, I'm just not sensitive to the supposed "cheapening" and other often-disparaged things Leica has done along the way; they've all been excellent cameras, each better than the one before, that felt good, that worked well, etc.

The M-A wasn't available at that time; if it was, I might have bought that instead, but I'm still pretty happy with the M4-2. I'll have the shutter overhauled at some point as I know it's slightly off, but otherwise there isn't much need to spend more for an M-A unless I want the frame line set that includes my Summarit-M 75 lens as well.

G

Oh yes: the modern Summarit-M series lenses seem really sweet. I love this new Summarit-M 75mm ... It's every bit the performer my old Summilux-M 75mm was at half the weight and less than half the price, just giving up the two larger lens openings I rarely used. 🙂

 

[mfogiel]

I think that from a certain point of view, buying a film Leica new nowadays could have it's logic. Whenever I sent one of my cameras to Solms for whatever smaller or bigger adjustment, the bill never fell short of USD 500. If you are anticipating to use your camera a lot, you might be saving USD 1000 to begin with, as probably a couple of first issues could be covered by warranty. I am expecting M-A to eventually phase out the MP, as soon as they are ready to incorporate it into the a' la carte program. Personally, I prefer my working Leicas to be M7's, and when I feel to slow down and use a camera without AE, I scale up the format.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I love this new Summarit-M 75mm ... It's every bit the performer my old Summilux-M 75mm was at half the weight and less than half the price, just giving up the two larger lens openings I rarely used. 🙂

That's my favorite lens, and I stupidly don't own one right now. When I get a little dough, I'll get one. It's my favorite Leica lens to handle, and I love the images from it.

 

[hamish_gill]

The article is underwhelming to me, with a lot of personal opinions that don't actually match up to the historical reality.

It is supposed to be personal, it is my personal blog ...
Always looking to learn where my knowledge falls short, so if you would like to correct my historical inaccuracies, a comment below the post would be useful for me and anyone else reading it

But regardless, the M-A isn't supposed to be an overwhelming novelty shouting NEW NEW NEW NEW nonsense. It's supposed to be the latest, available, all mechanical, meterless Leica M film camera. With, as usual, all the best bits from the continuous incremental development of the past 62 years incorporated into it.

And that's exactly what it is. If you want a new, mechanical, Leica M film camera without a built-in meter, the M-A is the current model, just like the MP is the current model new mechanical M with a meter, and the M7 is the current model electronic shutter M with meter and AE. As such, the M-A replaces the now long discontinued M4-P, the M4-2 before that, the M4 before that, and the M3/M2 before that.

If you like any of the older cameras more, well, they're all good—buy and use what you like. If you want a NEW mechanical, meterless M camera, buy the M-A—there isn't any other option. Simple as that.

I've had M3, M2, M4, M4-P, M6, and M6TTL bodies in the past. When I returned to Leica in 2011, I bought a nice, first production batch M4-2 because it incorporated the M4 viewfinder optics and frame lines, fast load and rewind, into a modernized body that could take a motor winder, if I so chose, and a hot shoe flash sync terminal. And it was very reasonably priced compared to ordering up an MP because it was a 33 year old camera. Having had all of these cameras, I'm just not sensitive to the supposed "cheapening" and other often-disparaged things Leica has done along the way; they've all been excellent cameras, each better than the one before, that felt good, that worked well, etc.

That was pretty much the point of what I was saying ...
I was, like you, suggesting that it shouldn't be more than underwhelming, because I'd read so many people bemoaning it for being underwhelming.
Beyond that, buy the Leica that suits you... I bought the m-a because it suited me at the time... In short, I think we agree

 

[Bill Clark]

Thanks for the link.

I bookmarked it!

 

[aizan]

the m-a is great, but there are a number of things they could do to bring it closer to perfection, or at least to my idea of perfection. i wish leica could drastically expand the options for a la carte, but it's probably not going to happen.

 

[Erik van Straten]

The speed dial has a slot in it to couple with a Leicameter. Remarkable. The last Leicameters were made in 1985, thirty years ago. Isn't it about time Leica offers a Leicameter again? A modern, digital lightmeter that couples to the speed dial would be a most welcome accessory for many users, also for users of the old meterless M Leicas.

Erik.