M5 - Rediscovering Leica
M5 - Rediscovering Leica
I also use a Leica M5 for some years now, and I've been somewhat amazed how people's minds have changed over the years. If I remember well, I bought mine in Photo Reichardt in Wiesbaden, Germany, around 1980. I was living in Germany then. Bought it used, in mint condition. I already had other M models, so using a Leica was not new to me. In those times, the M5 was enjoying, at least in Germany, the cult status of the best camera Leitz had ever built. People praised not only the light-meter, by then a novelty by Leica, but also the shutter quietness, the protruding shutter speed dial, the built quality, and so on and so on. Resuming: having a Leica M5 was the only way of really getting the Leica "nirvana", everything before was almost worthless (I am exagerating a little, but that was the kind of talking you could hear...).
So I find it strange to see the M5 guilty of beeing the worst Leica ever, something ugly and useless, etc., etc. "The camera that almost killed Leica!".
The M5 was introduced in 1971, so I think that maybe now we can be able to try to put it in perspective: it was not the M5 that ruined Leica. The phenomenon was general to all the very fine german camera industry. They somewhat overslept over their prestige and arroganz of it's leading post in the industry. When they finally woke up, the market was invaded by a much cheaper, in some ways a lot more modern, and after all not-that-bad competition. The japanese had done their home work and were taking over! Think about 1971: what do you think a pro (or somebody who wanted to look like one) wanted to buy then? A Nikon F, of course! Maybe a Canon, but probably not a rangefinder. Much less a much more expensive rangefinder! The rangefinder was old-fashion by then. We, rangefinder lovers just could sit and watch the market shrink and shrink... That was, in my opinion, paired with not so much interesting SLR models, what almost killed Leica, as it killed (or almost killed) so much more very fine german camera/optical companys: Zeiss Ikon, Exakta, Meyer Görlitz, Steinheil, Astro Berlin, Rollei, Voigtländer, and many more. No, the M5 was not to blame, it was then a very desirable camera, only to much expensive and out-dated by nature of the market. In fact, if we stop and think a little, it is a wonder that there are still rangefinders at all. Thank's God for the rangefinder renaissance! I surelly love rangefinders!
Back to M5: what do I think? That both sides (pro and con) exagerate. I don't think that the M5 is better than the M4, or any other M, but it surely is a damm good camera! I prefer the shape of the other M's, on my camera the protruding shutter-speed dial turns too easily so I don't notice that I am using a different speed than I set, the meter has "lazy" CDS cells (although very efficient!), the batteries are not easy to find, I don't enjoy the rewinding knob in the botton, and I don't aprecciate the two strap holders putting the camera sideways.
I know that there is a remedy for almost all said above (other mechanics built in the dial, converting the batterie chamber, mounting a third strap retainer, Luigi's half-case, etc), but I still can't change the size and weight of the camera. That can be even good for people with bigger hands, but I am a small type of guy. My hands prefer the round-shape.
My veredict: if you have already a M5 enjoy it, it's a great camera, if you can get one for a good price and in good shape, go for it if it suits your taste. But don't discard your other M's and go crazy looking for an M5, thinking only the M5 can take you to heaven. Both positions, pro and con, are using a lot of exageration!
Rui
