Love my M2 !!!

Well, finally I can post here. I just purchased a M2 and now I am confusing which body to use with my beloved 35/2 IV. It used to be glued to my M6 but now seems that it has to share his time with the new M2.

One thing I recognize that the viewfinder of M2 is brighter than my M6. Don't know if it's the result of a CLA after purchasing. The M6's viewfinder is a bit yellowish in compare to blueish M2's one.
EDIT: I should add that my M3 viewfinder is also a bit blueish. I guess they used similar coating in that time. Did they change it later? Correct me if I am off here.

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I also have not used my Bessa or medium format cameras since acquiring my M2 and a couple new lenses. I've developed a level of comfort shooting that I never had before. It's actually allowed me to get shots I never used to be fast enough to get. Truly a superior machine.

One of the largest improvements over my Bessa R is the vastly superior focussing screen/range finder. Far more visible in low light and in general. The Bessa was frustratingly finicky, I had to look into it at just the right angle and into some light just so I could focus. Wearing glasses didn't help.

That being said, I think a large part of the M2's functionality is in NOT having a meter. I've become really pretty good at estimating exposures with my brain, and I spend more time shooting and less time trying to get the exposure exactly correct. When I'm really not sure, or when I just want to do a light check on occasion, I simply use a 1 dollar app on my iPhone (lightmeterwheel) which I really like.

- Alex
 
Who did the conversion Tom? It's something I'm looking at doing in the summer. I have the M3 I need with Buddha ears. Now I just need an M2 for the mechanicals.
I'll need to braze the counter window opening over, take out the self timer and then paint it. Did you have any steel gears put in it?
 
The conversion was done by Shintaro in Japan. We assembled various "dead" M's and came up with this one. It is even engraved MP TA 1. Kept the brass gear as I have never liked the 'crunchiness" of the original MP gear train. The brass is smoother. If you need steel gears you can use M4-P gear which is steel - and generally are smoother than the original MP 's gear.
 
I thought it might be. Do you know which frame lines the MP had or was it up to the person ordering it. Were they all .78 finders? thx for any info Tom.
 
The original MP came with the M3 finder (50/90/135) but many were converted to M2 (35/50/90). The original finder was a standard M3 (0.91) and the M2 the 0,78. Leica would do the conversion at the time. The MP was just another version of the M3/M2 at the time - aimed at the pro market. The Leicavit MP was an added bonus - and it does help for fast shooting.
 
Thx for the info Tom. I've done a little research and there are 2 obvious ways to go about this.
First for me as I like M2 viewfinder is just drop into the M3 shell the mechanicals of an M2.
Second is to use the M3 mechanicals with the winding head of the M2 just like the above article.
In both cases I will have to braze the top plate so this is my main quest. Figuring out the best way to braze it. I have some old MD top plate blanks so I can cut a correct material disc to fit the framecount hole.
I'm going to leave the M3 serial as the first MP's had the M3 serials I believe.
I have also just had a delivery of paint so will be experimenting with different mixes of gloss and matt to get as close to original as I can.
I do like a project!
PS if anyone has mechanicals of an M2 sat around PM me! otherwise I'm going to have to sacrifice one for this 🙁
 
Stephen, Head Bartender for RFf sent me a couple of the black M rewind cranks. I had been using the nickel plated on on this camera as any colour rewind is better than no rewind crank! The black looks good on it now - and the nickel one went on to a chrome body instead.
It makes a huge difference with the crank. No more fumbling for grip on the knurled knob - and you half the time for rewinding.
This is shot with Panatomic X, 30 years out of date and a Nikon F3HP and the Zeiss ZF Macro Planar 50mm f2.0. This is the closest focussing without an extension ring. Probably the best 50mm Macro I have ever used - and I think I have tried them all at one time or another.
 
wjlapier said:
Great! That's all I need to see/hear. Just when I thought I was in Leica nirvana wiht my M3, the M2 looms.

😉

Congrats on the Leica M. Since I've had my M3 ( maybe three weeks ) I can't stop picking it up, feeling it's heft, and wonder why I took so long to get one. Truthfully, I think a M2 is in my future--just have ot find the right one!
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Get an M2 and leave a 35mm on it. Leave a 90 on the M3.
 
Ronald M said:
One great camera.

BTW, the lens does not focus backwards. Nikon lenses do. Pentax, canon, Leica are all correct.
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Oops... Unfortunately, Pentax focus direction is the same as Nikon, so both focus and f/stop rotate directly opposite Leica. Except the SMC Pentax-L f/1.9 43mm Special in ltm which adheres to the Leica conventions.
 
OK, I think the M2 is my favorite film M. I have a 1958 button rewind which is so smooth, I find myself checking the film rewind knob mid roll to make sure everything is working correctly. Have owned a bunch of different M models and keep coming back to M2. I want to add another film body and am looking at either M2 or M4 to go with M9.

The 35mm is my favorite focal length and I usually travel with 35/90 combo. If lazy, then the 35 or 50. So go with another M2 or perhaps a bit of variety (M4 or other M). I must say the M2 finder is the best one out there unless you want to spend thousands for a "a la carte" body.
 
I see that I was the last post back in Dec. Well, I have found an M2 which is between mint and LN, at least according to Sherry. Now, it is another button rewind M2 from 1958 almost identical to my present version. I cannot help wondering if b&w will get mixed up with color.

Going around the world and thinking film only, leaving the M9 at home.
 
You can always stick tape on the top-plate to differentiate the bodies. I use different colour Soft releases to tell them apart when using to pretty identical bodies. Still use green Softies for TriX, red for the few times I shoot colour and blue for slower films.
 
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