looked at an MP today

marcr1230

marcr1230

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I have a bad case of GAS. I was looking for a Nikon SP 2005, then I started thinking, they look very nice, but for the price, I could be in Leica-land. I did some research and really like the results I see from the Leica lenses. Now I'll be the first to admit that my photographic skills and vision are probably more hamburger than steak. That said, I do get a lot of enjoyment not only from taking pictures, but also from the industrial art aspect of the cameras.
So I went to my local shop, and checked out the MP
It is an exquisite piece of workmanship, here are my thoughts
Boy it is expensive. I like the black version, the paint/lacquer is shiny, it sure catches every fingerprint. The viewfinder is spectacular , especially after having used older rangefinders, Nikon and Contax.
Did I mention it was expensive?
I wasn't that impressed with the shutter noise, I kind of expected silence after reading the reviews, if fact it seemed equivalent to my other, older RF cameras

Questions.
I went to the Leica site and they have the "A La Carte" thing, it seems that the black chrome is meant to be durable and the black lacquer is meant to wear and reveal brass - any thoughts or experiences ?

The black chrome seems to be available only via the "a La Carte" , which since it is a special order takes more time and the dealer indicated the cost is different and perhaps the ability/motivation to discount is less. Has anyone bought via the "made to order" feature and was it what you expected, how long did it take ?

The rewind knob is a little retro - they showed me the M7 with a crank also, the crank is an option on the "a La Carte" , but on the M7 it seemed plastic-like, not as solid as the knob, am I mistaken ?

Lenses - awesome lenses, the problem is they are also a fortune, and I'd probably have to pick one to start with and wait until my wife divorces me to buy the next 🙂 , so which one ? I'm thinking the 35 2.0 because I have a lot of 50's for my other cameras. I know it primarily should be determined by what pictures you take.

Price - not sure what the rules are in the forum re discussing prices, they offered me a pretty standard price for each piece, similar to what you see online at the well known stores. Are there
any great bargains out there ?

Thanks for your thoughts and advice - especially since if there one things we like almost as much as taking pictures, it's taking about gear.
 
black chrome starts looking like hematite as it wears. it's more of an industrial look. worn black paint reminds me of trains...classic.

only the tip of the crank is plastic, and there are stories of the lever bending if it falls on hard ground. i've never heard anyone report that the knob rewind fared better in that situation, though. i like the cleaner look of the knob, but the crank is easier to use, all in all.

35/2 is a great lens for rangefinders.

best bargain for new gear is probably robertwhite.co.uk. you can also find used gear here, on the leica user group mailing list, l-camera-forum.com, keh.com, ebay, etc.
 
after awhile things we perceived problematic go away. Crank vs knob - ceased to be a concern. Loading -- not a issue. Even my meterless Hasselblad I dont give a second thought -- take one reading and adjust as necessary.

Took me a nice learning curve to get here. Now, if I could take some nice fotos that would be groovy.
 
A lot of the details in these cameras are made for personal preferences, like the knob vs crank, or the black paint vs black chrome. It's not that one feature is better or more trouble-prone than other... it simply fits the variety of tastes and preferences of Leica maniacs.

I'd go for black chrome myself, although there's absolutely nothing wrong with silver chrome. I do like the look of black paint, but I'd probably cringe if I put a scratch on it. But then, that's a personal thing.

Pick what you like, and enjoy it. As for glass... there are always bargains to be had, but you have to be like a hawk and keep an open eye (ear to the ground) all the time. Watch auctions on the *bay, sales here, stores like KEH... and see if you're own camera store has specials. At least in Chicago, Leica representatives come at least once a year, and they let you play with their toys while offering either discounts or picking up the sales tax that particular day.

In any case... you have been cursed, so might as well resign yourself to buying an MP.

I survived to my encounter with one... because I already had two M6TTL bodies. 🙂 See... I am lost too! 😉
 
I've owned an MP since 2004, black enamel, 0.72 finder. Best camera I've ever owned. Consider buying used if cost is an issue. As for lenses, I bought a 35mm Summicron ASPH but use a Canon 50/1.4 more than I use the ASPH. Regarding an ala carte MP, I think I've read it takes about 8 weeks to build.

Jim B.
 
Do it!!

I also noticed when my black paint was new it showed up fingerprints but somehow they are not so obvious after about 9 months use.

The rewind knob is easy to live with.
 
I purchased two MP a la cartes but can't remember how long it took. Seems like it was about three months and was around the time frame I was told. I have one silver chrome and one black chrome. Personal like is black chrome over paint but no real preference of silver over black chrome. Black chrome is much softer than silver and wears much faster. My old M6 that I sold a couple years back as black chrome and was worn through to the base metal which was zinc on the M6. I like the dull black finish of the black chrome vs gloss black. I've had many black paint cameras over the years and don't see any beauty in a worn looking camera.

I'm more used to traditional controlls so I ordered the knob and old style wind. The crank and plastic tipped wind are fine but not my preference. Both are .85x vf's and my black has my signature on the back and black ostrich covering ( gift from my wife ). Both have Leicavits. I also won a hammertone set in a raffel and like the finish

Don't overlook a clean M4 or M6 if you want a meter. Both are fine and you can buy a very clean one for far less than the MP and put the difference on a lens or two. The M4 represents the peak of QC vs todays M's.
 
This is like a brotherhood (sisters too) of Leica MP. Once you have touched an MP you are officially gone. GAS will strike when you least expect it. You will become one with your MP in a little time. It is your fate, your destiny. Just one story.... I was asked to photograph a filming of a documentary and after being told to sushup when my nikon shutter rang through the room I used the MP and no one knew I was there. Whether you get a MP, or any other M you will be happy. Become close friends with your local leica guy. I did, as was allowed to take a second hand M6 home for a weekend. Like a test drive. I prefer the black paint as its designed to wear and reveal the very sexy brass underneath.
 
I handled several black MPs and survived to tell the tale. But black MPs are indeed very very sexy 😀

Here's something weird I noticed with two I looked at that someone may be able to shed more light on for me...

I compared the finders on MP serial no. 288**** and MP serial no. 349**** (I forget the exact serial no.s) and the one with the earlier serial no. had a different type of coating on the finder compared to the later serial no. MP. It looked the same colour as the coating on the earlier M7 finders. Do some of the earlier MPs actually have an M7 finder???
 
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I think some of the earlier M7's had the first version of the MP finder. They did change at some time later (don't know the # range for the change though as I only use 0.58 finders on my MP's/M6 TTL's and one lonely 0.85 and a battered M6 with 0.72 (+ a whole lot of M2's).
OK, if you held a MP - you are a goner!!!! Nothing will satisfy you until you own one. BUT - look at the classifieds here - occasionally good deal pop up with MP's and I suspect it is safer than E-bay.
One advantage that you have today is the sheer volume of alternatives when it comes to optics, both used and new. Some of us are old enough - or long time users of M's to remember that there was only 1 brand of lenses you could get!
Start with a 35 and use it for at least a couple of month or a couple of 100 rolls of film. After that you will know if you want something wider or longer and can start looking for that.
 
IMHO an MP is nothing more than an M2 with a meter. I'd say do yourself a favour and your marriage, buy an M2, save $$$$$$$$$ and buy some nice glass with the change. I enjoyed my MP but sold it. Just didn't do it for me and I felt that it was and is one of the most over coveted and rated M's out there. No regrets whatsoever and now using a couple of M2's and an M4. Nice. But if it's an MP that you NEED!!! HAHAHA!!!!! then that's what you should get. Here's an idea, with the money you have to pay for 'a la carte' you could probably pick up an original black paint M2 or M4 and IF you do get bored with it because of GAS or whatever a few years down the line, you can sell and get better resale than a new MP.
Sorry all you MP fondlers! they are just not as good as everyone would like to convince themselves after shelling out so much wonga!
regards j
 
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I actually like my M4-P better than my MP3, but that's not to say the MP3 is any slouch. One poster suggested buying used. I agree. You can save alot of bucks, and there are many used MPs in near-mint condition around in almost any configuration you would want, if you're patient. If not patient, just take the best looking used MP that comes along next.

/T
 
An investment

An investment

In 2003, I purchased a black paint MP with matching 50mm Summilux (pre-asph). Later, i added a matching 90mm Summicron. All were purchased new. These items are now going for about 20% more on the used market than I paid for them. Wish I had bought more. They're doing a whole lot better than my stocks.
 
Get a used black paint MP 0.72x mag and a used 35mm Summicron ASPH. You should be able to pick up a decent lens for around $1300. Here's one that may not have sold yet. I'm leery of the a la carte program and only buy bog standard bodies. If you try to sell an a la carte I guess you have to find someone with the exact same taste as you and willing to pay those extra bucks for a used cam.
 
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