Leica M7 and MP used prices

It's amazing how much hate the M7 gets by by a very small but vocal collection of people. The fact is the MP is much more geared towards collectors, someone who wants to use an all manual leica can arguably get the same thing from an M6 or M3 depending on their need for a meter, but if they have a bunch of cash to spend and want the appeal of the "best" leica, then Leica is happy to offer that for them with the MP.

If you want a film camera that Leica still makes, that works and feels amazing and offers you many options on how to use it, with brass top plates that you can carry every day without fear of "devaluing" it a used M7 is the best deal out there.

I think the price difference lies, as noted above, that there are many competitors to the M7 but not the MP. There is a very niche market that would buy an MP over an M6 or M3 where as the M7 has lots of appeal and thus competition which regulates the secondary prices a bit more.

Almost all the MP owners I know take it out every once and a while, but it mostly lives on their shelves at home while they shoot daily with an M9.
 
If most of you will agree, that the primary field of use for Leica cameras, is street photography, then for street photography (not for falling asleep while you prepare your shots) an AE camera is manyfold more useful.
I know, you will say, that HCB did not use a meter, and that Hillary climbed Everest without oxygen bottles and goretex.
Once they were even lighting fires by frictioning two sticks, but a match will work better.
 
We shall wait for new upgraded M7 than fully operational with or without battery installed like Nikon fm3a can be.
 
mfogiel said:
If most of you will agree, that the primary field of use for Leica cameras, is street photography, then for street photography (not for falling asleep while you prepare your shots) an AE camera is manyfold more useful.
I know, you will say, that HCB did not use a meter, and that Hillary climbed Everest without oxygen bottles and goretex.
Once they were even lighting fires by frictioning two sticks, but a match will work better.
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I didn't know the primary field of use for Leica cameras is street photography. Maybe I missed the memo.

Alas if you follow that argument of progress an M7 isn't really going to cut it either.
 
mfogiel said:
If most of you will agree, that the primary field of use for Leica cameras, is street photography, then for street photography (not for falling asleep while you prepare your shots) an AE camera is manyfold more useful.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's the streets I wander around on, but the light rarely changes more than three stops in the short term. I just don't see an AE M7 being "much more useful", even if I were to agree and categorize (another need by some I don't understand) Leica M's primary field street photography.

But then I don't have all the answers like some have...
 
seanbonner said:
The fact is the MP is much more geared towards collectors...
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Hmmm, I though they were geared towards photographers and special editions were for collectors.

The thing I dislike on this forum is that people always imply that rich people do not photograph and only use their cameras to look at and fondle. Yes, some people can afford to waste cash on the newest of Leicas. Some of us cannot. However, I'm not going to assume that because you can afford a $5,000 all mechnical Leica, that you are stupid (you could have bought a M3 or M6) or a lesser photographer. Perhaps they just purchased what was ideal for them?
 
I knew I'd upset people, but why is what I said any more offensive than the assertions that a M7 is a more useful camera, or that 'real' photographers use M7s and fondlers buy MPs to take pictures of? They're ALL bloody stupid statements. I just thought I might as well add a bloody stupid counter-statment to the bloody stupid 'more useful camera' statement.

Cheers,

R.
 
Because the old masters used all manual Leica cameras, there is a bit of " maybe I can be a master if I use the same tried and true manual model".
 
Roger Hicks said:
I knew I'd upset people, but why is what I said any more offensive than the assertions that a M7 is a more useful camera, or that 'real' photographers use M7s and fondlers buy MPs to take pictures of? They're ALL bloody stupid statements. I just thought I might as well add a bloody stupid counter-statment to the bloody stupid 'more useful camera' statement.

Cheers,

R.
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I do not believe you were being facetious or trolling. Nice effort at spinning it, however.

I'm off to take some photos now. I hope I can remember which way to point this M7.
 
My repairman does not work on the M7, because the electronic circuit board prevents access to the mechanical components of the camera. He will work on the MP, but only very few are around.

Erik.
 
I seem to remember that there was a period when it was very difficult to obtain new MP cameras (wasn't there a problem with the supplier of one of the parts?), and subsequently prices for those on the second hand market increased greatly.

John
 
maddoc said:
M7 is a camera to take photos with, MP a camera to take photos of ... and yes, batteries for the M7 are easily available and the camera can be used manually. BTW, black chrome on brass looks more professional than the shoe-polish type finish of the MPoser ...:)
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You refer to the black paint MP as MPoser, and state black chrome looks more professional. Now maybe you are a professional, not sure, but for those who aren't, doesn't someone using something that looks the most professional in the absence of professionalism define a poser.
 
jsrockit said:
The thing I dislike on this forum is that people always imply that rich people do not photograph and only use their cameras to look at and fondle. Yes, some people can afford to waste cash on the newest of Leicas. Some of us cannot. However, I'm not going to assume that because you can afford a $5,000 all mechnical Leica, that you are stupid (you could have bought a M3 or M6) or a lesser photographer. Perhaps they just purchased what was ideal for them?
Click to expand...

I actually didn't say any of that, but nice work putting words in my mouth. I actually don't know any "collectors" that don't take photos - they all do. But they also have a bunch of cameras and don't take all of them out with them when they go shooting. They have their every day carry cameras and their super nice show off cameras - all of which they take photos with just with different regularity. The people I know who on MPs will all talk about what an amazing camera it is and how beautiful it is but they rarely shoot with it, instead opting for one of their other daily shooting cameras. The people I know with M7s carry them every day and take photos with them every day. Many of the people I know with M7s, that is their only Leica. I don't know anyone with an MP that doesn't have at least one, but more frequently 3-4 other Leicas to choose from at any time. I don't consider any of those people stupid, I consider them good friends and many of them are excellent photographers.

The people I know on limited budgets who prefer mechanical cameras don't go for MPs, they go for M6s and M3s. MPs are designed and marketed to a different audience. Not better or worse, just different.
 
dogberryjr said:
I do not believe you were being facetious or trolling. Nice effort at spinning it, however.

I'm off to take some photos now. I hope I can remember which way to point this M7.
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Facetious be damned. I put my hand up to bloody stupid. We all say bloody stupid things sometimes. It would be nice if some other people would admit to the same thing.

If it's any help with para 2, the big round shiny glass bit -- the bit that comes off -- goes at the front.

Cheers,

R.
 
If I'd have a dog, I wouldn't have the need to take out my M7 on my every day stroll around the park. Now it's the camera that takes me out.
And it somehow feels nice that it's "just a camera". Small bag, one extra lens, two spare rolls and a few filters, great convenience. And after the 1st scratch, never looked back.

Nescio
 
Leica made a nice marketing job out of the MP - not the ones made in the fifties of course - (just like they did with the M-monochrome): they let people believe that owning a more expensive camera, makes them better photographers......guess who's becoming a snob.....
 
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