Leica M2,M6 or M8

[David Hughes]

FWIW, I wouldn't go from a 35mm film camera to a digital that wasn't "full frame" because all the lenses you have would then be wrong. And if you are considering the M8 then you might like to think about the M9. NB The M9 will be younger than the M8 and there are dozens of M9's that have been back to Leica for the sensor to be sorted out and so are younger than it seems; they are worth hunting down.

Secondly, metering; the M6 is nice and has built in metering but it is the two triangles sort and so when you have got he exposure right you will have no idea what the exposure is and will have to lower the camera and look at the dials and so on. Or memorise the setting at the start and count the clicks and so on...

So there's not much difference from the M2 with one of several meters; Leica and others. But you set the exposure before looking through the VF and that's a good thing imo.

As for the build quality; the M2 will be up to 60 or more years old and so may have been checked, repaired and so on several times. Meaning it will be run in and working smoothly (if you are lucky). The M6 will or might be a lot younger and may have been owned by someone who believes that Leicas never, ever need attention.

So be warned; in a nutshell they are second hand and a lot can happen to a camera that you've no way of knowing about and, in fairness, the seller may not know about it.

In your shoes I'd keep the M2 and get a Leica meter; I use the MC on my M2 and it's as old as the camera...


Regards, David

 

[Tom R]

Do you shoot more film than rely on digital imaging? What are your requirements? Do you need a 28mm in-body finder?

At the risk of stating the obvious: neither of these cameras are currently supported by Leica so obtaining service for the film bodies will be easier than servicing the M8, which is a fairly old, but solid camera ... if you don't mind UV/IR filters, and a 1.3 crop factor.

FWIW, I have used all of these cameras. The M2 was my favorite, unless, of course, I needed flash. I have an M8.2 that I keep for tasks requiring quick turnaround and/or purely digital delivery. I keep two M2-Ps because I am retired and shoot more film and because I have the time and the inclination to do so. (Hard to find parts for the M4-P bodies as well, but they are available. I don't know that the meters on the M6 can still be repaired.)

If I had lots of cash, I'd likely downsize to one M-A and maybe purchase one newer generation 28mm ... or not.

 

[Huss]

..

At the risk of stating the obvious: neither of these cameras are currently supported by Leica so obtaining service for the film bodies will be easier than servicing the M8, which is a fairly old, but solid camera ... if you don't mind UV/IR filters, and a 1.3 crop factor. .

Is the M8 solid though? Nothing I have read suggests that. From camera crashes needing battery pull reboots, to sensor failures, to coffee stain rear LCD failures, to shutter failures etc.
And none of the mechanical failures can be repaired any longer.

 

[Tom R]

Is the M8 solid though? Nothing I have read suggests that. From camera crashes needing battery pull reboots, to sensor failures, to coffee stain rear LCD failures, to shutter failures etc.
And none of the mechanical failures can be repaired any longer.

Good follow-up question here!

FWIW, I had the coffee stain but I think it's gone away. I don't "chimp" so I only look at that piece of glass when I need to use the Menu settings, etc. I rarely clean the sensor on that body because I keep one lens almost permanently affixed ... . I do the same thing for my film bodies as well---old habit, I guess. When I last checked, I had about 6000 actuations on this camera ... but I have no idea what the mean actuation count to failure count is. I doubt Leica knows that ... after all, why would they care?

Again: I use the M8.2 for quick turn-around tasks or for sketches. Should it become inoperable, I doubt that I'd replace it with a digital Leica---too much money for more problems down the road. The Leica company, it seems to me, appears to desire to transform itself into a software company ... or some such thing?

 

[jsrockit]

The Leica company, it seems to me, appears to desire to transform itself into a software company ... or some such thing?

How so... ?

 

[Tom R]

Dunno ... someone mentioned something about a "FOTOs" app that Leica is trying to circulate to a volunteer group of testers, which sounded like they were interested in trying to develop "apps" to run on Apple, Android, etc., devices.

I continued to make film photographs for more than forty years for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to get away from my "day job" which was Computer Science ... . I did this with Leica equipment because that's what I had from my previous career before going back to graduate school in the 1980's to do something with CS ....

 

[Range-rover]

Just a update on my Leica quest, so far the M6 I wanted, it was sold but still
on the sellers website and the M8 I wanted, I just didn't feel like dropping
$1200.00 on a 10 year old Digital camera when I have a Fugi Xpro-1. So
it looks like it's a M2 for me, and in the mail today came a Voigtlander 35mm
f2.5 lens and it felt great using a M again.

 

[Doug]

Tom, there is a Fotos app. It's for use with the Leica M10D to allow controlling the menu settings among other things, since that model has no rear screen. And it does much more than that...

 

[jonal928]

Everything in life has a replacement, but at the end of the road,
you'll regret not choosing the Leica M8 - the camera you craved
in the first place. And for the purposes the camera is supposed to fulfill,
the Leica M8 is a worthy heir to the LEICA M Camera Dynasty, and
a really good camera.

 

[jsrockit]

Just a update on my Leica quest, so far the M6 I wanted, it was sold but still
on the sellers website and the M8 I wanted, I just didn't feel like dropping
$1200.00 on a 10 year old Digital camera when I have a Fugi Xpro-1. So
it looks like it's a M2 for me, and in the mail today came a Voigtlander 35mm
f2.5 lens and it felt great using a M again.

Good choice ultimately Bob... enjoy it!

 

[Range-rover]

Good choice ultimately Bob... enjoy it!

Thanks John, I forgot how nice they are to shoot with.