M3 advance lever vs. M6 advance lever?

[marke]

Oh me, oh my.

DOH!

bhahahah

Beemermark once wrote in a thread:

"I recently replaced my chipped vulcanite with red morocco leatherette from http://www.cameraleather.com/colors/ I went with the cheaper leatherette because I wasn't sure how I would like it or if I was even able to do a good job. Anyway it came out great (easy on but what a mess coming off) and now I want to do my M7. Too many choices but I like the exotic leathers. Help me choose!"

seems like such a silly question for such a serious photographer!

he also wrote in the same thread:

"I'm not that bold to go with cobalt. Morocco for the M4 was an uncharacteristic choice (for me) but I'm glad I picked it, looks so good. I the type of guy who thinks all cameras should be black or chrome and could not conceive of a leatherette color different then black. So this is a big jump for me."

so the dude is posting threads about the color of a skin but he blasts me for something practical like the advantages/disadvantages of an M3 lever!? hahahaha beemermark! if anything, this his thread is WAYYY more like the red vs black dot!

 

[-doomed-]

this thread sure has gotten ugly.

 

[canerino]

thank you all for your feedback. i have learned so much from this forum and am sincerely thankful. its not everyday that one can walk into a store and pick up a leica and test it out. so i rely on the experience of others to make a wise decision.

i do not see this as ugly at all, just calling out a chump for his unwarranted arrogance. there is no place for that...anywhere.

 

[-doomed-]

Thats about the only part that got ugly. I only got to try the m4 and later levers cause theres a place local that has an m4 and various other M's in stock. Unfortunately they have somewhat unrealistic prices and often ask more than what most people are willing to pay for User M's.

 

[aizan]

don't change it! i'm thinking of swapping my mp's lever because you have to twist your wrist inwards to get your thumb behind the tip...hence the upgraded m4-type lever.

 

[mgd711]

I have an M6TTL with the old style level and an M6 with the plastic tipped lever. I prefer the modern plastic tipped lever though I recently acquired a Rapidwinder and now that I've got the hang off it I prefer that method to advance the film and I'm considering a second one for the other M.

 

[Turtle]

Which pseudo-lever for its stabilisation and calming effect on the M9 tho? M6 or M3?

Come ooooooon! I use both and while they feel different it makes no difference to taking pics. M3 lever has more bite. M6 one has a softer feel. And thats about all there is to it.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

for what it's worth, i had my M7 at leica solms for another issue and asked for them to change the levers(advance and frame preview) to the MP style ones. the quote was around $400. i didn't do it.

Whoa, that's crazy! Kindermann did it very cheaply for me--$65 I believe. That was the cost of the part. They kept my old lever and called it a "modification" rather than an "upgrade" or some such semantic thing to keep me from having to pay more. "What about labor?" I asked. "There's no labor, it takes two minutes."

I agree, it isn't worth $400.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

boy, this got ugly fast.

...

Not full moon, yet.
So, probably male PMS?

I like the looks of the M3 style lever better, but unfortunately can't tell you whether it works better than the new style.

Cheers,
Uwe

 

[Benjamin]

Whoa, that's crazy! Kindermann did it very cheaply for me--$65 I believe. That was the cost of the part. They kept my old lever and called it a "modification" rather than an "upgrade" or some such semantic thing to keep me from having to pay more. "What about labor?" I asked. "There's no labor, it takes two minutes."

I agree, it isn't worth $400.

Sounds fair..

I prefer the old style lever, just because I find it easier to wind, especially if I've got a flash in the other hand and need to two-stroke using the ratchet.

It does make a practical difference, but I don't feel the need to argue with someone who's either happy with what they have, or feels that posting with a preference makes you less of a photographer.

 

[semilog]

What do you think I'm doing every day, that I should give a crap? If you don't care about feel, you might as well shoot with a plastic SLR. The red dot is meaningless, but the advance lever ought to make you feel good. It was cheap to swap, and I like my camera even better than I did before.

I care about feel insofar as it affects my photography. Hence, the things that happen before I press the shutter button matter. Smoothness of focus matters. Short shutter lag matters. Mass of the camera matters. A good VF matters. The wind lever? M3 or Nikon FE2 or M6, I don't care. If I cared about speed I'd use a rapidwinder or -- much better -- a camera with a motor, or a digital.

I am interested in cameras as cameras, not as fetish objects.

 

[Benjamin]

I care about feel insofar as it affects my photography. Hence, the things that happen before I press the shutter button matter. Smoothness of focus matters. Short shutter lag matters. Mass of the camera matters. A good VF matters. The wind lever? M3 or Nikon FE2 or M6, I don't care. If I cared about speed I'd use a rapidwinder or -- much better -- a camera with a motor, or a digital.

I am interested in cameras as cameras, not as fetish objects.

Then what are you doing here?

 

[canerino]

I care about feel insofar as it affects my photography. Hence, the things that happen before I press the shutter button matter.

do you not advance the film before your next shot?

 

[semilog]

do you not advance the film before your next shot?

Yes. but I don't particularly care about it, so long as it's not a hassle.

Here's something I DO love about the M6 film advance: the space between frames always falls *between* sprocket holes, so that when I cut my film into strips it's easy to get into the sleeves. That was not reliably true with my Nikons. I LOVE that about the Leica.

 

[Frontman]

Funny, one of the first things I thought when I got an M4 was that I wished it had the same lever as the M3; the plastic extension sometimes snags when I put the camera in a coat pocket. I won't bother changing the lever, I've already gotten in the habit of pushing the tab down before pocketing the camera.

 

[johannielscom]

First, I'm sorry for upsetting anyone with the following remark:

I have an M4 in good user condition in the Classifieds with an M3 lever.

So, if upset: I can fit the M4 lever back on as fast as you can say 'yes please'.

Just buy the darn thing 😀

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I am interested in cameras as cameras, not as fetish objects.

Well good for you!

 

[Rob-F]

If the original question still matters: I use both, with a preference for the solid metal M2/M3/MP style. I had one of my M6s changed from plastic to metal. I've never had a problem getting a grip on the metal tip. In practice however, the difference between them is not great. It's just a matter of preference.

 

[marke]

Originally Posted by canerino
do you not advance the film before your next shot?

Yes. but I don't particularly care about it, so long as it's not a hassle.

semilog, why are you being so difficult? :bang: That exactly what this whole thread is supposed to be about. Isn't that why the LTM's knob was replaced by the lever? Less hassle. Some people find the M3 style lever less of a hassle than the M6.

 

[Boniface XIII]

New MP advance lever would be my answer; M3/M2 is beautiful, too.

The other has a skimpy, skinny metal shank that is less robust. That was the case with my M6 - long gone, in any case. FWIW.