My first Leica... I have $1300, what should I get?

[AndySig]

Basurf9,

I have both an M6 and an M4. I got the M6 first and then sort of stumbled on the M4. While I suppose I could live without the M6, I wouldn't want to part with the M4 for all the tea in China. That said, if you are used to metered cameras, I would recommend getting an M6 first (go the whole hog and get an M6 TTL). Once you have got used to it, then you would be in a good position to have a play with an M4/3/2 and decide if it were right for you. The reason that I keep both cameras is that the M6 is my colour slide camera and the M4 is for HP5 or FP4.

Obviously, if you are convinced that no meter or an external/handheld meter are for you, then go straight to an M4 as I don't think you would regret it. If you can couple it with a 35mm summaron, you will be a very happy cat indeed.

 

[David Hughes]

More money would be ideal... Broke college kid here.

Hi,

The more you have the more you waste. Being poverty stricken sharpens the senses and brain. Plus you have to think before buying...

Regards, David

 

[bhop73]

Basurf9,

....That said, if you are used to metered cameras, I would recommend getting an M6 first (go the whole hog and get an M6 TTL). Once you have got used to it, then you would be in a good position to have a play with an M4/3/2 and decide if it were right for you. The reason that I keep both cameras is that the M6 is my colour slide camera and the M4 is for HP5 or FP4....

Why do you recommend going TTL? The "backwards" speed dial (compared to M6 classic) would annoy me going back and forth between it and older cameras.

 

[Godfrey]

Why do you recommend going TTL? The "backwards" speed dial (compared to M6 classic) would annoy me going back and forth between it and older cameras.

Given a recommendation to someone looking to buy their first M, this is hardly an issue.

I had the M6TTL as well as an M6 ... it was easier to use than the M6 since the shutter control movement matched to the direction indicators in the viewfinder, plus you could operate the shutter selector more easily without having to take your eye from the finder.

Minor issue, really. Whichever way the knobs work on whatever camera I am using, I seem to adapt pretty quickly. 🙂

 

[johannielscom]

Basurf, is the jury still out? Or did you make your choice yet?

 

[AndySig]

Why do you recommend going TTL? The "backwards" speed dial (compared to M6 classic) would annoy me going back and forth between it and older cameras.

When I want to change speed on the M4 I tend to take the camera from my eye, look at the speed dial and turn it as necessary. With the TTL the positioning of the dial means that turning the dial in accordance with the exposure arrows in the display is something I can do easily while looking through the viewfinder. I proved this to myself yet again yesterday when using both cameras.

I simply do not see that the difference leads to the remotest degree of confusion or inconvenience.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hi,

The more you have the more you waste. Being poverty stricken sharpens the senses and brain. Plus you have to think before buying...

Regards, David

Dear David,

Hard to argue!

Cheers,

R.

 

[paulfish4570]

no argument here, either ... 🙂

 

[denizg7]

this is exactly what i was talking about previously , i wish the owner of the thread would keep us updated

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/pho/3338410394.html

 

[David Hughes]

Still, it's also nice that there are a lot of rich fools in the world who buy a new camera every year or less; hardly use it and then sell it off cheaply. I'm often very grateful...

Regards, David

 

[thegman]

Still, it's also nice that there are a lot of rich fools in the world who buy a new camera every year or less; hardly use it and then sell it off cheaply. I'm often very grateful...

Regards, David

It's not necessarily foolishness, it's just they have more money to play around with than we do. I know a couple of rich people, they didn't get to that point by being foolish.

It's all relative, I'm sure there are many people who would think I'm foolish for paying for someone else to make me a pizza and take it to my door, I could do it myself a lot cheaper.

 

[Jani_from_Finland]

There is a CLA'd M2 for 399 Euro for sale at the moment, i started a thread about it, check it out if an M2 suits you.

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's not necessarily foolishness, it's just they have more money to play around with than we do. I know a couple of rich people, they didn't get to that point by being foolish.

It's all relative, I'm sure there are many people who would think I'm foolish for paying for someone else to make me a pizza and take it to my door, I could do it myself a lot cheaper.

They didn't necessarily get there by being clever, either. Among my rich friends, some got there by inheriting it; others got there by completely neglecting everything but money, sometimes for decades on end; and yet others got there via artistic talent.

Besides, a lot depends on how you define 'rich'. Able to live well? (And defining 'live well' at this point.) Millionaire? That's nothing like as unusual as it used to be.

And finally, it's perfectly feasible to be foolish in some ways and not in others -- such as believing that constantly 'upgrading' your cameras will somehow make you a better photographer. Or working so much that you never have the chance to use the expensive cameras you buy.

Cheers,

R.