Let's see your Leica M

[philipus]

I can only recommend the M6. I have the TTL version and am very pleased with the accuracy of its meter.

Depending on which Summicron you have the Elmarit-M would be a more portable 90. I have one in black and like it a lot for both its portability and performance. There are of course several other options. For ultimate portability - though it performs, I understand, a little bit less than the Elmarit-M - you could consider the Tele-Elmarit-M.

My current more streamlined setup:

M4-2
Pre-Asph 35 Summilux
ZM Planar
Pre-Asph 90 Summicron (on its way to DAG for collimation)
Sekonic L398
and lastly my CADPAT backpack which I think no one would assume to be a camera bag, plus it has loads of spare room for film, notepads, and my NEX-7 setup

Lately I have been thinking of selling the M4-2 and the Sekonic and putting the money towards and M6 to streamline things even more, and possibly even ditching the 90 altogether. The goal is to have a small and highly capable kit to take with me when I start my new career in the CF this year.

 

[maddoc]

What is not to like about your setup. 🙂 I would not change anything.

My current more streamlined setup:

M4-2
Pre-Asph 35 Summilux
ZM Planar
Pre-Asph 90 Summicron (on its way to DAG for collimation)
Sekonic L398
and lastly my CADPAT backpack which I think no one would assume to be a camera bag, plus it has loads of spare room for film, notepads, and my NEX-7 setup

Lately I have been thinking of selling the M4-2 and the Sekonic and putting the money towards an M6 to streamline things even more, and possibly ditching the 90 in favour of just the 35 & 50. The goal is to have a small and highly capable kit to take with me when I start my new career in the CF this year.

 

[jsrockit]

Great ) but do actuations really mean anything in terms of the reliability?

With regard to the amount that typical digital Ms for sale have (< 10,000) ... no. However, if you start to see 40,000, 50,000... maybe you should think a little.

 

[ravid905]

What is not to like about your setup. 🙂 I would not change anything.

I actually am very happy with the setup, since each item is almost exactly what I wanted to have. I would have preferred the Summilux to be without an infinity lock, but I am content with it regardless.

As for the Summicron, I tend to shoot for a couple of months between developing, and was unaware that its focus was off. For some reason I failed to shoot a test roll when I bought it. I think because it needs collimation, and I have yet to achieve results I like, I have not fallen for it yet. Maybe this will change when DAG fixes it for me, because I have no other reason not to keep this one; this specific type was one that I had been keen to purchase for some time. In response to philipus regarding the Elmarit-M and Tele-Elmarit, my desire for this E55 Summicron is why I ultimately chose to pass on the 2.8's, as desirable and practical as they may be.

The idea of a body swap would be to have an M camera that still had a mechanical shutter but also a built in meter, relieving me of the need to carry the Sekonic as well. While the meter doesn't take up a lot of space in the bag, given what I might be doing in the future, I may prefer the space it does occupy be saved for something else. Only time, and firsthand experience, will tell on this one.

 

[maddoc]

Dave, as nice as the Seconic meter is, if you shoot a lot of BW film then a meter might not be necessary at all. 😉 Also, keep in mind that the M6 and newer cameras have smaller frame-lines than the M4-2 or standard M4-P (not the latest M4-P with M6 top-plate), something that might be worth considering.

I have pretty much the same set-up, BTW, I had swapped the ZM Planar for a nice vs4 (tabbed) 50mm Summicron-M, though. 🙂

 

[Penzes]

Inside the M8 by Istvan Penzes, on Flickr

😀

 

[CrisR]

In the digital world it is analogous to highway miles on a car. 1000 miles on a car's odometer sure sounds better than 110,000 miles. So yes it matters.

For me it was an indicator that while 2nd hand, it was so hardly used, it was as-new. On recieving it, this proved the case and was exactly what I wanted 🙂 Just like a 5 year old 1000 mile car would be I guess!

Either way, it's what I was after in terms of condition and I'm loving it, it was just an aside.

 

[kokoshawnuff]

Here's my alc M7 after a couple rolls, now with 60 or so rolls shot its finally showing some brass 🙂

 

[Photon42]

Inside the M8 by Istvan Penzes, on Flickr

Wait ... what was that flange-to-sensor distance again ...

😀

 

[dogberryjr]

Here's my alc M7 after a couple rolls, now with 60 or so rolls shot its finally showing some brass 🙂

Very nice! If it's got a .85 viewfinder then I'm really jealous.

 

[philipus]

A very nice M7, indeed, Alex. Is that a Barton 1972 strap? Looks a bit like mine, which is attached to an M6TTL BP that is also beginning to brass 😀

 

[kshapero]

Here's my alc M7 after a couple rolls, now with 60 or so rolls shot its finally showing some brass 🙂

wow, it only takes 60 rolls to get cool brassing.

 

[splitimageview]

 

[mdwsta4]

Reskinned my M9

 

[mathiasprinz]

Reskinned my M9

As long as you don´t reskin that Eames it´s all fine and dandy 😀

 

[insomnia]

🙂

 

[elude]

Congrats ! I have the exact same setup. Classic chrome with Summaron 2.8.
Cheers mate ! It's beautiful.

 

[kokoshawnuff]

Thank all!

Very nice! If it's got a .85 viewfinder then I'm really jealous.

It is indeed 0.85x with the 4 frame lines too.

A very nice M7, indeed, Alex. Is that a Barton 1972 strap? Looks a bit like mine, which is attached to an M6TTL BP that is also beginning to brass 😀

It's the A&A 103n, a bit expensive but I like them for simplicity

wow, it only takes 60 rolls to get cool brassing.

Just a bit on the advance lever, the rewind, and a touch on the far right edge...

 

[kokoshawnuff]

M2 with a new skin from cameraleather.com—worth the 6 week wait

 

[back alley]

i love that blue!
had a zi redone like that!