Leica M5... good choice?

Voigtlander 35 1.2 v1
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I own both the M5 and M6 and would give up the M6 before the M5. The M5 is pure ergonomic shooting joy. It truly was the evolution of the M, but by then the M had become a piece of jewelry as well as a camera, so the great functionality took a back seet to classic looks.

The bottom line is that you cannot go wrong at that price. The M5 is a photographer’s camera.
 
Since buying my M5 I've hardly used my M3 at all. I love the metering (especially now with the correct 1.35 battery), the ergonomics are superb and the build quality is tank like. It has the mass to cope with the longer lenses like the first generation 90mm Summicron, and it screams quality. My elderly father had a good look the other day and said what an exquisitely well made camera.

If you want a metered M for photography, it's better than an M6 and half the price. A wonderful camera, albeit just a little heavy round the neck at times!
 
Loving this thread. Been wanting an M6 but the prices have gone up more than what I'm willing to shell out.

I have two questions for the M5 owners here:

1. What am I looking out for when buying a used M5? I don't mind a heavily used one but I would like all its functions working, especially the metering

2. Will current ZM Biogon lenses work well with the M5? Do they not recede too far back into the metering arm?

Thanks
 
Answering b - I use the 35mm f2.8 Biogon on my M5 with absoutely no issue.

To the extent you can check the metering (a 1.35v battery and an app or working camera for the meter). There should be nothing loose, the film advance should be slick without slack or excess force required. Check that the viewfinder is nice and bright and the contrast patch decent. Check the display registers the change in shutter speed and ditto on the meter. Buy from someone with return rights should your test roll show any shutter speeds not working.

They wear on the black ribbed paint around the rear window, but they are incredibly well made.

I was staggered by how much they have gone up so if you really want one, don't hang around. Personally I sold my M6 as I hated the metering, and I'm glad I bought the M5.
 
taffy said:
Loving this thread. Been wanting an M6 but the prices have gone up more than what I'm willing to shell out.

I have two questions for the M5 owners here:

1. What am I looking out for when buying a used M5? I don't mind a heavily used one but I would like all its functions working, especially the metering
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Look for delamination in the rf patch. The patch should be completely uniform. It should not have what looks like drip marks or discolouration. I did not know about this and bought one that had the drip marks (signs that it is delaminating) and everything was fine until one day it completely failed and the RF patch was black.
An expensive fix (about $400) if you can find someone with the parts wiling to do it.
 
CharlesDAMorgan said:
Answering b - I use the 35mm f2.8 Biogon on my M5 with absoutely no issue.

To the extent you can check the metering (a 1.35v battery and an app or working camera for the meter). There should be nothing loose, the film advance should be slick without slack or excess force required. Check that the viewfinder is nice and bright and the contrast patch decent. Check the display registers the change in shutter speed and ditto on the meter. Buy from someone with return rights should your test roll show any shutter speeds not working.

They wear on the black ribbed paint around the rear window, but they are incredibly well made.

I was staggered by how much they have gone up so if you really want one, don't hang around. Personally I sold my M6 as I hated the metering, and I'm glad I bought the M5.
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Thanks a lot, I am making notes with you advice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Huss said:
Look for delamination in the rf patch. The patch should be completely uniform. It should not have what looks like drip marks or discolouration. I did not know about this and bought one that had the drip marks (signs that it is delaminating) and everything was fine until one day it completely failed and the RF patch was black.

An expensive fix (about $400) if you can find someone with the parts wiling to do it.
Click to expand...



This is valuable advice, thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Huss said:
Look for delamination in the rf patch. The patch should be completely uniform. It should not have what looks like drip marks or discolouration. I did not know about this and bought one that had the drip marks (signs that it is delaminating) and everything was fine until one day it completely failed and the RF patch was black.
An expensive fix (about $400) if you can find someone with the parts wiling to do it.
Click to expand...

Hi Huss, my M5 has the first signs of delamination (I think) with some marks--kind of looks like coral or fern patters--in the patch and framelines. Wondering how long yours held on before it gave out, and where you ultimately got it serviced. Thanks!
 
New M5 owner here, and generally very pleased. I do have a metering issue though- the meter is sometime sluggish to wake up after taking the lens cap off.
First test roll took about 30mins/4-5 shots for the meter to wake up, and after that was perfectly accurate.

Any ideas? Mechanism a bit sticky from lack of use? Have tried a different battery, one that was woking fine in my Minolta SRT101.
 
I don't post much anymore. Mostly because life changes. Things happen. I would LOVE to get out and shoot street every day like I did but it's just not something I can do at this point. Ended up souping a couple old rolls and thought this image was interesting the way the shadows played. The image brings me back to the streets of Toronto on a brisk fall afternoon. Long shadows, reflections the hustle and bustle.

Leica M5, Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2, Ilford HP5, DDX

 
BLKRCAT said:
I don't post much anymore. Mostly because life changes. Things happen. I would LOVE to get out and shoot street every day like I did but it's just not something I can do at this point.
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Too bad you can no longer take pictures. I have always really enjoyed your work.


Erik.
 
It's more so that I've moved pretty far from the big city. Small quiet town and with COVID here not a lot happening outside. I'll get in tune with what works in the small downtown core and end up posting again.

I also will probably get a proper darkroom built next year for me to make prints again. That should be fun. Scans never do a negative justice.
 
Got my M5 back from a local tech and shot a test roll to see if my light leak issue has been sorted.
I took it out on what seems to be the only sunny day in weeks and am happy to report there is no signs of light leaks in any of the shots.

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j.scooter said:
Got my M5 back from a local tech and shot a test roll to see if my light leak issue has been sorted.
I took it out on what seems to be the only sunny day in weeks and am happy to report there is no signs of light leaks in any of the shots.
Click to expand...

Did the tech indicate what the exact issue was with the camera, and how he fixed it? Interested because I’ve had the same problem, got it fixed by Sherry, so am wondering what other repairers are finding.
 
He said that a number of the seals at the top and front of the camera were not in good shape and one under the top cover was missing.

He just went in and added the missing seal and changed the replaced the seals and thankfully that did the trick. He also used thicker than original seals around the front windows.
 
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