Leica M2 a retirement gift to myself

In the background of your theatre shot is a surgical microscope. Is it a Leica?
I sold them before I retired and was impressed at the innovation of the Swiss branch of Leica Microsystems.
My first M Leica was a button M2 with Summicron 35mm Version 1.
It is now retired as the shutter is beyond repair and I have other younger Ms.
A great camera.
Thanks for your medical service. My training was in Pathology so I saw the end results.
Cheers
Philip
 
kangaroo2012 said:
In the background of your theatre shot is a surgical microscope. Is it a Leica?
I sold them before I retired and was impressed at the innovation of the Swiss branch of Leica Microsystems.
My first M Leica was a button M2 with Summicron 35mm Version 1.
It is now retired as the shutter is beyond repair and I have other younger Ms.
A great camera.
Thanks for your medical service. My training was in Pathology so I saw the end results.
Cheers
Philip
Click to expand...


Well spotted Philip, my unit has 1 x oh3, 4x oh4 and 1 x oh6, have a soft spot for the old OH4, Leica microscopes are the back bone of our micro work
 
ktmrider said:
Perhaps being with family at any time is the best thing about retirement (assuming Covid goes away soon and we get back to "normal"). The flip side of that statement is being around your significant other may induce some stress. I know it did when both my wife and I were retired at the same time. I used to travel over 35% of the time and did shift work when in El Paso. Does absence make the heart grow fonder?

I remember a Xmas/New Years back in 2001 or 2002 when I was doing airspace security in Washington DC and had to work both New Years Day and Xmas day (12 hours each day) while family was home in El Paso. To add insult to injury, I made over $1000 above the legal limit for federal employees due to holiday and overtime. And all I got out of the $1000 was a note in my paycheck that I made too much money (no money)!
Click to expand...

yes only time will tell if my wife and myself will cope with me being around more
 
The M2 Retirement Thread

The M2 Retirement Thread

Well its now nearly that time, after 35 years in critical care OR, I retire in two days, this week has been quite emotional, people have popped into my unit to say their goodbyes, I am a bit of a wreck. Three decades nearly over, my unit is a designated 'hot' unit, we nursed the first two cases of Covid in the UK and continue to be heavily involved in that care, next week will feel strange that I will not have to don and work twelve hour shifts in my HAS suit and full PPE. I feel guilty to leave at this time but my retirement was and has been planned for a long time, pre covd and my replacement is already in post. With hindsight I would not have retired had I known about the onslaught of covid, but as someone pointed out over the past three decades I have nursed, HTLV3 (HIV)<, Avian, Swine and SARS to name but a few, its not like I am running away. In truth it feels like I am. Anyway I digress, I have treat myself to an M2, Leitz Summarit 5cm 1.5 and a 7 Artisans 35/2, I plan to document my year of transition through the eyes of my M2. Warning, I love bmx and graffiti, (still ride bmx at the age of 55), so this thread might contain a lot of the later. Anyway here to the future, stay safe everyone and keep smiling.
 

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Darthfeeble said:
As a father of one nurse and a friend of 5 or so, thank you for all you did. Enjoy that M2, you more than deserve to. Mark my words, at some point you are going to say "I just couldn't fit work into my schedule".
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Many thanks for your kind words, I have the first roll of film in the M2, starting with a roll of Fomapan 100🙂
 
I feel for you- and understand. Two weeks from now marks 42years at work. Somedays feel like hanging it up, moving to the beach and taking lots of pictures. I can carry my Daughter for 3.5 more years on my insurance, so that's the plan.

You held a high-stress job, did the world a service, time to relax.

Tiffen #611 Series VI filter adapter? Did I mention that before? Use S-VI filters on the Xenon and Summarit. Much easier to find filters for B&W in S-VI than 41mm.
 
Mike,
I said it before, in your earlier thread (here), and I stand by what I said! 😛

Just go with the whole thing, and I think you'll quickly 'move on' to the new phase. It should be fun. 🙂
 
Good plan.

I'm interested how often you will get into this 35/2 barrel distortions. Never seen this lens on long run.

I just watched naked bikes eight minutes commercial. Gravel bikes are new thing.
 
Congratulations. 2020 was a crazy year. Probably a good time to retire actualy. I am not sure 2021 is going to be that much better (but I am hopeful). Speaking of graffiti, I think this person pretty much summed it up (through the eyes of an Exakta VX/CZJ Biotar 58 f2 and FP4+):


2020 Sucks by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

I got curious about the thread because I was wondering if you were

1. retiring the M2 (bad)
2. Retiring to an M2 (good)

The good usually wins (maybe not in 2020).
 
I was out just yesterday with my newly serviced (new shutter curtains as well as full CLA) to test it was all fine, equipped with a beautiful Summarit 50mm f1.5. There is an immensely pleasing heft to the camera in hand, the framelines are really bright and clear. I showed it to my 81 year old father and said it was the Leica economy model of the time and he laughed.

Enjoy it!
 
Congratulations on your retirement Mike and well done for all the years of professional caring and attention to (I guess it must be many, many thousands) of people in need of your critical care. You've made a huge difference to so many people's lives. It will feel good to use your M2. Looking forward to seeing your first pictures. Enjoy! You've earned it!
 
Congrats on your retirement, and on the perfect present for that transition.
I wish I could see the end of my professional career so clearly, but probably I won't never see my retirement, so no Leica for me.
I will stick to my poor FSU 😛.



BTW, I have a project soon starting at Durham and Darlington.
 
Congrats again, Mike. I still remember the surreal feeling of walking out of my building for the last time. And I'm still delighted by the Sunday evening realization that I don't have to get up and go to work tomorrow. Just think, you can go out shooting Monday morning, if you want.

Have you considered starting a photo blog for your project? It's a nice way to build and share a project.

John
 
Congratulations, still young at 55 and may all your negatives be easy to print without too much dodging and burning. I’m 71, bailed out at 62, and 5 minutes after walking out the door I felt absolutely no regrets.
Also had purchased a Leica, M4-2, but......it didn’t grow on me...but that is very individual and no prediction of how anyone else will do with one.
 
NorpA said:
Congrats on your retirement, and on the perfect present for that transition.
I wish I could see the end of my professional career so clearly, but probably I won't never see my retirement, so no Leica for me.
I will stick to my poor FSU 😛.



BTW, I have a project soon starting at Durham and Darlington.
Click to expand...


Sounds interesting if you are in the area send me a message, I can show you round
 
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