Leica M5... good choice?

Leica M5, Summaron 35mm f/3.5, 400-2TMY printed on Adox MCC 110.

Erik.

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Nokton 35 1.2
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Still having loading issues and intermittent light leak (shown here). Camera is on the way back to Sherry :( OM1 and 28 f2 will be my mistress while my main squeeze is away.
 
Still having loading issues and intermittent light leak (shown here). Camera is on the way back to Sherry :( OM1 and 28 f2 will be my mistress while my main squeeze is away.

I love my M5, but I dread the day where I need to send it off for repairs. I think mine might be exhibiting some shutter bounce at 1/1000, with a strip at the right hand edge of the frame that has a bit more exposure. I don't often use the top shutter speed, but does anybody know if a bit of exercise dry firing would help? Or is it an issue that will only get progressively worse?

The tones on this one are amazing. Makes me want to invest on a few roles of HP5+

Thank you, Pan! I think I got lucky with some good light with this one, but when you get things right, I find HP5+ to have very rich mid-tones. Here in the USA, bulk loading HP5+ is pretty economical.
 
I'm developing my summer film rolls... I enjoyed a lot using my M5. Here you have one picture from them:


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So I spoke to Sherry last night and it turns out all of film loading issues were because of a broken take up spool.

Great, easy fix right? pop the broken one out put in a new one. Nope. Sherry doesn’t have any replacement spools.... she has an email into Germany to see if they have any and are willing to sell them. So I cross my fingers and wait.

In the meantime anyone have any leads?
 
that's gutting. I haven't dealt with Sherry before but I've heard that she's the M5 specialist. I'm sure she will find something to make it happen.
 
My M5 woes have continued as well. I got it back from being serviced only for the metering arm to break (it doesn't retract when the shutter is pressed), so it's off for another round of repairs. I have owned it since May and it has been away for service for five of the 7 months I've owned it.
 
So I spoke to Sherry last night and it turns out all of film loading issues were because of a broken take up spool.

Great, easy fix right? pop the broken one out put in a new one. Nope. Sherry doesn’t have any replacement spools.... she has an email into Germany to see if they have any and are willing to sell them. So I cross my fingers and wait.

In the meantime anyone have any leads?

Did Sherry say what about the spool is broken? My M5 has sometimes been finicky to load, not always taking up on the first try. The tines on my take up spool aren't completely rigid, and flop about slightly when shaken.
 
My M5 woes have continued as well. I got it back from being serviced only for the metering arm to break (it doesn't retract when the shutter is pressed), so it's off for another round of repairs. I have owned it since May and it has been away for service for five of the 7 months I've owned it.

Sorry to hear about your M5 woes. Hopefully it gets sorted out and is worth your while. Judging from your signature, you hopefully have a nice stable of RF cameras to shoot in the meantime.
 
I just got one of these and read the whole thread. It’s great. Couple things I found out: if you want to move the film take up reel, turn the camera right side up and the plastic piece will fall with gravity. Just pluck it out and replace.

Second, the base plate lock handle can be loose. Remove the inside pieces (obvious how.) Then remove the threaded stud. I used a bolt with a nut on the other end to grip it. Once that’s out you can tap the handle so that the gap closes. I used a jewelers hammer. Mine started at 12.92mm and I tapped it to 12.75mm. Measured with caliper tool. Now it stays put.

Also the chamber plate is really hard to put back. Took about 30 tries to line it up with the battery check.

I first got an M5 and immediately returned it. Then a CLE, m4, CL, m4-2. Sold all those. I miss the cle. This time around I like the M5 quite a bit and the size seems “appropriate”. I’m using a canon 28, I’ll take some test shots to show how accurate the finder is.
 
Hi,

I have a question for you: have you tried a Carl Zeiss C Biogon 4,5/21mm T used in your M5? Is there any problem using it?

Thanks in advance,
Xabier.
 
Hi Shab, sorry don’t own that lens. Hopefully someone that does will report back.

It was Christmas in January for me. Got my baby back. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder but after not using it for a while then shooting that first roll made realize how much I enjoy this camera. It is safe to say that this is my favourite camera of all that I have had (which is embarrassing to say but there have been very many). This has cured my gas for any other film camera, lenses on the other hand.... Voigtlander 35f2 I’m talking to you... haha

Still going through some test rolls looking for light leaks and second curtain showing up. So far there has been one questionable frame but will shoot the next roll at 1/1000 to see if it shows up again.

I can't believe how easy and stress free the loading is now. Just line it up per the diagram and close the bottom plate and away you go. Just as easy and drama free as loading my Olympus OM.

Below are a couple that I like from test roll #1
 
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