Leica M2 M3 or M6?

[flipflop]

Thanks for the great replies. I wont be buying for a couple months....I hope this helps more than just me. Thanks to all for sorting alot of the questions I had out!

I Want a M6 but I think the M2 fits me better due to price and that I mainly shoot the 35mm and 90mm....If I want something wider it will be wider than 28 meaning I would have to use an external finder anyways!~

I have a Contax G1 with a 35mm + 90mm and not too long ago I sold my 21mm...I would want a setup like this in leica but I think I will start with one lens.

 

[photogdave]

I like the M4 the best. Peak of leica build quality, rapid load (no take-up spool to lose), clean frame lines, and no annoying LED light. (I'm still getting used to the M6 meter!)

 

[Dougg]

The M2 is so silky smooth and quiet, but I can only just barely make out the 35mm framelines even without glasses. But I've "suffered" that for almost 40 years. (Maybe I should add my M2 has the Quick-Load kit) So it's fine for 35 and great for 50mm as for the latter I can see some field outside the 50's view. I have a hard time believing the framelines of the M6, as both it and the M2 have .72x finder magnification. I suspect they just shrank the M6 frames so the 28 frame would come into view in about the same place as the 35 frame on the M2. The problem is that I like 28mm as much as 35mm, so I think I'd favor the .58x finder magnification.

In fact, I use my CLE a lot more than the M2 largely because its 28mm framelines are well within the .6x finder's window, easily seen. And I like 40mm as much as 35mm. 🙂

I think the Zeiss Ikon may be a good alternative, with an extraordinarily large bright viewfinder easily showing 28mm frames even with .74x magnification. Along with this magnification, its long baseline really makes the focus pop, and it's quite suitable for long fast lenses... as well as wide fast lenses!

Sorry to intrude with babble about non-Leica gear... so sorry I'll even add that I got a Contax G for its ability to mount the lovely 21mm f/2.8 Biogon, the best-least-expensive fast 21 I could find. I didn't really want a Kobalux, and couldn't afford the Elmarit. 😀

 

[flipflop]

Is the ZI a fully mechanical camera or does it need a battery to function?

THanks!

 

[Nachkebia]

ZI is not mechanical camera, not even at any shutter speed like M7.

 

[photocrazy]

As far as I can tell, my M2 and M6 have equally bright viewfinders. However, my M6 rangefinder patch will sometimes flare, but my M2 never has. The M2 finder is less cluttered, of course.

Richard

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That's absolutely true. It's due to Leica's cost cutting measures introduced in conjunction of the production of Leica M4-2 when a condenser has been emitted from the rangefinder system. And M4-P, M6, and M6ttl all share the design which makes the rangefinder patch easy to flare. M6ttl 0.85 is said to be the most flare prone Leica. In comparison, M3,M2 and M4 have never suffered from the flare problem. And the finders on M2 and M4 are also a little bit brighter than that on M3 as result of coating and simplification of the optic system.

 

[raid]

I am happy with using an M3 and now an M6. They are perfect together. The M3 is a must have camera [in my biased opinion] if you use Leica M.

Raid

 

[flipflop]

Well as good as the ZI viewfinder is, it doesnt sound like it would be a great travel camera. I dont want to have to worry about electronics malfunctioning in the middle of a trip to central america or europe.
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Because of Leicas cost cutting on the M2 it made it better? Brighter and less prone to flare?

Thanks again for the replies!

 

[michael.panoff]

M6 - for the meter, additional frame-lines, rapid loading and hopefully no need for a CLA

 

[richard_l]

...Because of Leicas cost cutting on the M2 it made it better? Brighter and less prone to flare?

On my M3 and M2 I have observed no difference in the performance of the rangefinder patch as regards flare. The M2 finder is a bit brighter, for whatever reason. The build quality of the two cameras is the same. I don't have an M4, but the impression I have gotten is that it shares all the best qualities of the M2 and M3.

Richard