M2 Owner to be...

[ernstk]

Hi,

I've just registered with the forum today, largely as a result of being impressed by the quality of the dialog and support that seems to be displayed here.

I thought that I should say a brief 'Hello' and introduce myself...

I've been taking photos for pleasure for 30+ years. I first started using my father's Retinette in the late 60's. Then followed a Pracktica super TL before I graduated to Nikons in the 70's. I still have a pair of F Photomics that I treasure. I owned a variety of SLRs over the decades (Olympus, Canon, Minolta) and was always slightly bemused by the Leica following and the mystique that seemed to surround them.

I flirted with digital SLRs in the early 2000's but found myself not really using them. A friend had a Digilux 2 and I liked the images that he produced. I bought one and found myself using it much more than my Canon EOS 300D. I guess that this got me interested in Leitz optics. At the same time that I was going off Digital SLRs, I was missing film. I used to have a fully equiped B&W darkroom and did all my own processing and printing.
I missed the deliberation, consideration and thought required to shoot. The joy of developing it myself. The certain something in the tonality that I wasn't getting from digital.

I planned to revert to a hybrid workflow; shoot on film, develop myself, then scan to digital and print digitally. I planned to use my Nikon F's for this. Then I got to handle an M3 when I was buying a filter for the Digilux. It felt wonderful. Compact, dense, solid, tactile. I wanted one.

I decided to look for an M2 as I wanted to major on a 35mm lens and I just didn't like the look or feel of the spectacles on the 35 M3 lenses.

After many weeks of deliberation, I bought a 1960 M2 fro eBay, complete with working MR meter but no lens. It should be delivered to me tomorrow.

I'm filled with anticipation but now need to find a lens. I'm leaning to a 35/2.8 Summaron, partly for period correctness but also as I've read good reports and it's cheaper than an f2 Summicron.

Any thoughts, suggestion or guidance would be welcome.

I'm looking forward to participating in M ownership and the dialog of this forum.

Best wishes

Ernst Kallus
Edinburgh, Scotland

 

[Ash]

you won't be disappointed with the purchase.

Look into CRR LUTON for getting the M2 overhauled in case something doesnt work or if its operation is less than perfect.

 

[Pablito]

Hi Ernst, I'd suggest a new CV 35mm lens, any of them depending on your budget, though the 1.2 is quite big and heavy. The CV lenses are excellent, but then period correctness is something I could care less about. Welcome to Rff!

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[Pherdinand]

welcome. 🙂
I am a novice M2 user myself, however i have a coll. 50 summicron on it... Works with that too!🙂

 

[markinlondon]

Welcome, Ernst.

Good choice 😉 . A CV 35 would be fine, but I'm very partial to the Summarons. I'm letting one pass me by on eBay as I type. If looking at CV 35's the Ultron has a nicer signature to these eyes than the Skopar. There are lots of examples with both of these lenses in my galleries.

 

[Ash]

I prefer the collapsible 50/2 summicron (ltm lens, used with adapter).

some shots from yesterday:

That's using an old, and scratched, example on the unpopular Agfa APX400s (expired).. I'm sure a newer summicron would do wonders in any focal length.

 

[thomasw_]

hello there,

i wanted to write a 'welcome' to you! although my preference is more for the 5cm focal length, I think your choice of a m2 is quite perspicacious, when one considers how you want to shoot.

will you be doing mostly available light shooting? do you ever plan to use a 90mm or 135mm lens?

hearty greetings!

thomasw

 

[colinh]

Magus, didn't you notice that someone suggested CV?:angel:

I've decided on a new tactic when recommending lenses... although I've been buying the Zeiss Biogons (25 and 35) new, I would recommend that anyone who asks gets the latest Leica ASPH, because they're very good and I'd like Leica to get the money.

When asking a gear question, you have to indicate how much you can/want to spend.

Also, whether you want a hazy, glowy image with fingerprints and signatures all over it, or something sharp and contrasty.

Good luck and congratulations on the M2. Funnily enough, I just got one myself, a couple of hours ago 🙂

colin

 

[Keith]

Hi and welcome Ernst,

We do indeed love our M2's here in fact if you're familiar with Flickr it has it's own M2 group started by a forum memeber here.

They the THE most tactile of cameras and are preferred by a lot here to the M3.

Again Welcome! 🙂






Ash ...waddya mean old and scratched ... it was perfect when I posted it to you😱

 

[Ash]

Ash ...waddya mean old and scratched ... it was perfect when I posted it to you😱

cleaning scratches and a loose aperture ring if I remember correctly? 😀

Seriously though you can see I love the lens 🙂

 

[borismach]

Interested in Leitz Optics

Interested in Leitz Optics

Welcome Ernest,

Since you mentioned that you are interested in Leitz ooptics, I wouldn't recommend anything other than Laica lenses.

I use a Summicron 35mm, the pre-asph one (I guess it is the so-called ver 4), which is really good...sharp and very handy. But also try not to exclude the possibility of having any 50mm lens. I find myself use 50mm more frequently than 35mm. I use an current Elmar and an 43mm filter dia. Summilix. Both are very good. And don't forget the Summicron, which was the standard "standard lens" of the M-system. 🙄

You wouldn't regret on buying any of these lens.

Have fun on your purchase! 😉

Cheerz 😀 😀 😀
🙂 bm

 

[ferider]

Welcome !

Just to make it a bit more complex: consider 40/2 Summicron-C or Minolta Rokkor or 40/1.4 Nokton. 40mm works well on the M2.

While mechanically not as robust, the 40/2 fingerprint is almost indistinguishable from the 35/2 (v3) for me.

Best,

Roland.

 

[Bill58]

Ernst:

You obviously did your homework on the camera--the M2 is a great camera. However, unless you're a Scottish millionaire and live in one of those many fine castles in your country, you can save a lot of dough on lenses and get some vintage Canon or even modern CV lenses. They're good enough for my eyes.

Bill

Hi,

I've just registered with the forum today, largely as a result of being impressed by the quality of the dialog and support that seems to be displayed here.

I thought that I should say a brief 'Hello' and introduce myself...

I've been taking photos for pleasure for 30+ years. I first started using my father's Retinette in the late 60's. Then followed a Pracktica super TL before I graduated to Nikons in the 70's. I still have a pair of F Photomics that I treasure. I owned a variety of SLRs over the decades (Olympus, Canon, Minolta) and was always slightly bemused by the Leica following and the mystique that seemed to surround them.

I flirted with digital SLRs in the early 2000's but found myself not really using them. A friend had a Digilux 2 and I liked the images that he produced. I bought one and found myself using it much more than my Canon EOS 300D. I guess that this got me interested in Leitz optics. At the same time that I was going off Digital SLRs, I was missing film. I used to have a fully equiped B&W darkroom and did all my own processing and printing.
I missed the deliberation, consideration and thought required to shoot. The joy of developing it myself. The certain something in the tonality that I wasn't getting from digital.

I planned to revert to a hybrid workflow; shoot on film, develop myself, then scan to digital and print digitally. I planned to use my Nikon F's for this. Then I got to handle an M3 when I was buying a filter for the Digilux. It felt wonderful. Compact, dense, solid, tactile. I wanted one.

I decided to look for an M2 as I wanted to major on a 35mm lens and I just didn't like the look or feel of the spectacles on the 35 M3 lenses.

After many weeks of deliberation, I bought a 1960 M2 fro eBay, complete with working MR meter but no lens. It should be delivered to me tomorrow.

I'm filled with anticipation but now need to find a lens. I'm leaning to a 35/2.8 Summaron, partly for period correctness but also as I've read good reports and it's cheaper than an f2 Summicron.

Any thoughts, suggestion or guidance would be welcome.

I'm looking forward to participating in M ownership and the dialog of this forum.

Best wishes

Ernst Kallus
Edinburgh, Scotland

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[ernstk]

Thank you to you all for your advice and feedback.

I've just bought a very nice 35/2.8 Summaron from eBay so hopefully by the weekend I'll get a few rolls of film through the camera. (Tho being Scottish, it won't be too many...😉 )

To say that I'm eager with anticipation would be an understatement....

Regards
Ernst