Leica M2 in UK - bit beat but is it a good price?

[Lilserenity]

Just watched this on eBay (wasn't bidding) - another M2 with lots of the original material and a case:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEICA-M2-ORIGINAL-LEATHER-CASE-INSTRUCTION-MANUAL_W0QQitemZ250331283742QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Photography_Film_Cameras_ET?hash=item250331283742&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Finished at £277!

It looked in good condition. So long as the seller is genuine, looks like someone got a bargain!

I narrowly missed out on a Summitar 50mm f/2 by a few quid. Oh well. Either way it's probably best to get the M2 first before getting the lens!

Goes to show that if you are ok with a meterless M, you could potentially get a seriously good bargain in the price range of the Voigtlander Bessas.

Vicky

 

[Lilserenity]

Found out today that the M2 isn't ready yet and is still in the workshop (sounds like they're a bit snowed under) so it won't be ready this weekend 🙁 D'oh! I'm not a big gear person but I was like a kid at Christmas until this lunchtime, marking the minutes until I get my 'new toy' 🙂 Hopefully it'll be ready mid-next week and I can take an afternoon off work to collect it (assuming it is OK)

 

[Lilserenity]

I've now got the M2!

I've now got the M2!

I have now got the M2 🙂

Oweing to a small mistake, I didn't end up with the £215 one, but instead the £300 one. Cross wires on the phone when the item was initially reserved but it's by no means the end of the world. From my perspective as a non-Leica-phile to me it looks absolutely cracking. Few scuff marks on the top (brighter patches against the more dull silver colour) and the metal edging around the back film transport window is a little worn in a few places but the Vulcanite seems perfect -- no scratches or gouges, nor any dents and seems to work a treat.

Sure it was a bit more money (I've just been able to stretch the finances before Xmas and being paid!) but I'm really happy with it. Hope to get a lens sorted very soon (as soon as my wages drop in on Monday) and I'll be sorted.

I'll post some photos at some point of the M2.

I also picked up the meter, MR. Seems to work perfectly well with the Wein-cell replacement (I'm very fortunate that I can buy these, and just about everything you could want from papers, to developers, fixers etc. in a shop about 2/3rds a mile from my front door!) so at some point I shall pop this onto the M2.

Either way it seems perfect! 🙂

I'm sure you will see over time a lot of output from it too!

 

[JamesP]

Congrats Vicky. I can feel your excitement through the computer🙂

 

[John Lawrence]

I'm pleased it all worked out for you Vicky.

I guess the guy who e-mailed me to say he had purchased the £200 Leica actually had! Just as well I didn't send him a nasty e-mail back about wasting my time and making me look stupid.

Have fun with it.

 

[Lilserenity]

Hiya!

Yes I'm as ever very excited with a 'new camera' 🙂 I've even brought it into work so I can now read the manual with it to hand at lunch!

As for the £200 or so one, I don't know what happened as when I reserved one of the M2's over the phone I did say it was the one with the dings on the top plate and user condition for £215 that I was interested in.

Whatever happened I don't know but in seeing the condition of the one that had been put by, the more expensive of the two, it was too good to pass up, especially with 12 months of warranty and the shop being local (well, 30 miles away) and being a previous customer of theirs many times 🙂 In fact one person had asked if it was a new camera, from the front it looks absolutely brilliant for the money!

They had saved the right meter however which was something 🙂 I'll let them off as they're great guys.

 

[John Lawrence]

Vicky,

It's still a great buy at the price you paid, and MXV really do look after their customers well.

One thing I wasn't aware of when I first started with the M2, is that the meter measures an area equivalent to the 90mm frame line on the camera. So you can just bring up the 90mm frameline with the preview lever and use it to meter from the exact area or areas you want to measure.

I only found this out (from the proverbial wizened old pro) after I'd used the camera for a few months, and it made a big difference to my pictures.