My God the M2 is a work of art!!

Well no kidding The M2 rules! ...unless you prefer 50 as your focal length in which case i suppose the M3 rules too.

The point of release on the shutter is more repsonsive (happens sooner) and for me more responsive than the M6 which enables greater success when shooting slower shutter speeds. Also having no meter to distract and, fewer framelines in the finder......and so on.
 
Kyle said:
Yes, the M2 was a cost cutting endeavor. However, they cut costs at the expense of unnecessary features such as self-timers and automatically resetting frame counters.
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... bright, flare free RF! Parallel framelines! Ground glass diffuser with frameline illumination!

Just a few more unneccessary features.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


Andreas
 
Kyle said:
Yes, the M2 was a cost cutting endeavor. However, they cut costs at the expense of unnecessary features such as self-timers and automatically resetting frame counters. The M3 would be perfect if it had 35mm framelines.
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Automatic resetting framecounters are a godsend!!

The M3 is the ultimate shooting machine for 50 mm not for anything wider. An M3 with 35 framelines is no M3 anymore!
 
LeicaM3 said:
... bright, flare free RF! Parallel framelines! Ground glass diffuser with frameline illumination!

Just a few more unneccessary features.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


Andreas
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I don't miss them. ;) :D

I LOVE the M3, but it is of course not great for shooting wider than 50s.
 
DwF said:
The point of release on the shutter is more repsonsive (happens sooner) and for me more responsive than the M6 which enables greater success when shooting slower shutter speeds.
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Consider a CLA on your M6. Shutter response should be the same.

Roland.
 
Congrats on the new M2 it is a joy of a camera! It is said before that everyone has a favorite M, that is true! The best methodology is to buy all M's then see the pros and cons of each body, then resell the ones you don't like... But it may be a little expensive especially for those M7 and MP3, not mentionning the special edition anthracite MP and so on!

For me I bought an M2 then sold it because the finder wasn't bright for my taste (surely needed a CLA) and was blueish.

I then bought an M4 and my god, it is so smooth... Viewfinder is clear, frame lines are uncluttered and perfect, the 135mm one is very discreet to respond to the pairing frameline issue. And the quickload system is well very handy for changing film even while standing with the bottom plate in one hand. Rewinding is also very much quicker...

I'm now planning on a M3 that I will paint in black and see if I really miss the quickload and the 35mm frame.

Brass and GAS do rime together!
 
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Its amazing how the 'little things' set M-series cameras apart, but they do make a difference. All Ms are well made and in the right hands can do the work intended. The M3's strong point is its flare free and larger finder. The M2 was introduced as the 'wide-angle' Leica and out sold the M3 from the start till the last couple years of each cameras production. Every bit as well made as the M3 with [for many] a more versatile finder.

Having had most every M-series at one time or another I can say there definitely is something about the Wetzlar made models that sets them apart, they are 'works of art' as you say and things of mechanical/optical beauty. Part of the fun of having them is the appreciation of this.

Congratulations on a great camera in your hands.
 
Magus,

I must say, when I first held the M2, I had this feeling of utter ecstasy, of completeness, of a search coming to an end...I had to share this with you all, and the title of this thread just came to my mind : I mean your words described exactly my feelings :)
 
Well, the only Leica M I have ever owned is the M2 and I sought it out because of it's relative simplicity, ie the uncluttered viewfinder and battery independence. I have a desire to try a camera with a built-in meter, but...

I, for one, am quite thankful that not everyone considers the M2 to be their favorite M. I never could have afforded one if everyone else wanted one too;)
 
steve garza said:
shutter being quieter than the MP a little strange....My MP shutter has a far more damped (quiet) sound than the M2. Could this be due to the difference in finishes?
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I have the feeling that the condition of the shutter has more to do with it than the model. My first M2 was much quieter after it came back from the shutter service the dealer did under warranty. The M2 I've just bought was snappy and loud when I got it but is sounding smoother and quieter with some use.
 
Like Mark said. The last CLA has a big impact on the shutter noise.

If you want a real quiet M body, put it into a Luigi case !

Roland.
 
Thanks All and to Mark for the Leica M2 Nirvana group in Flickr.
Here's my M2, found 35 years ago in Tel Aviv. I'm just rediscovering it...
It is an exceptional, visceral feeling.
Ciao, mike
 
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like2fiddle said:
Well, the only Leica M I have ever owned is the M2 and I sought it out because of it's relative simplicity, ie the uncluttered viewfinder and battery independence. I have a desire to try a camera with a built-in meter, but...

I, for one, am quite thankful that not everyone considers the M2 to be their favorite M. I never could have afforded one if everyone else wanted one too;)
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hi!
Let's not be too effusive about the M2! There are only 80-90 000 of them around versus the 200 000 M3's! We could have shortage soon.

My opinion has always been that the M2 is the perfect Leica. Nothing on it that is not needed and even things like the finder can still be fixed as most of the parts are common with the later M's. The M3 finder is complex and very expensive to repair. Older, double stroke M3's also can suffer from failing shutter brakes with hefty repair bills.
I have M2's (many!) and my excuse is that I make the Rapidwinder for them and I need them all for testing. But, truth be told even without that excuse I would keep several around .
A couple of M2's and 21/35/50 package with possibly a 90 along should cover just about everything you would want to shoot. The lack of flashing lights in the finder also frees you up. Do a quick exposure check at the beginning and then guess. Pretty soon you will be able to shoot fast and almost intuitively. It is the only camera model that I own that is so "tuned" to my way of shooting that I sometimes find myself taking a shot so quickly that it becomes a "see it, shoot it "and only afterwards do you analyze the why/how!
There are days when you feel bogged down and my "recharge" is to throw a couple of rolls of Tri-X in my jacket, take a M2 with whatever 35 is on it ( or 40 for that matter) and go for a walk. No meter, no "extras" and after an hour or so I feel perked up and anticipating a processing run. So what if some of the exposures are off or you missed the focus.
Of the modern Leica, the only one that comes close to the smoothness and simplicity is the MP with the 0,58 finder and dead batteries!
Nirvana might be a couple of M2's, 3-4 small, compact lenses and a bag full of Tri-X and one of those "Around the World " airline tickest, " Around the World on 80 rolls". Catchy title isn't it?
Best,
 
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Nirvana might be a couple of M2's, 3-4 small, compact lenses and a bag full of Tri-X and one of those "Around the World " airline tickest, " Around the World on 80 rolls". Catchy title isn't it?
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Sounds good to me.
 
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