Need some (urgent) help about a M4

[javimm]

Hi. This is my first post in RFF. I'm Javier from Spain. I think I should tell something about me beferore explaining about the M4.
I'm 30 years old, and always loved photography. My passion is shared with my father, so I think he's something to do with this passion, as I remember him always talking about photography and with his Nikon SLR.
Anyway, I've been shooting for some years now, first with film, then with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 when they came out, and now with a Canon 350D. I like the convenience of digital, but I can't get the results color-wise as the prints of my film days. I'm not totally satisfied, and don't enjoy the digital workflow. I'm leaning towards B&W this days too and I want to try to do it all by myself, no computer. So I want to buy a rangefinder body and a couple of lenses and try B&W. I've always heard about Leica. The other day I went to a local photo store in Madrid where I live. He's an official Leica dealer and has a great selection of 2nd hand equipment (a bit overpriced in m opinion; a used M6 goes for 1500 euros). I asked if I could try a Leica M6 he had there and OH BOY what a feeling. It was a joy to use. The focusing system, the size, the mechanical feeling, the sound... everything was way better than the every other cameras I've tried, and I've tried several Nikon SLR like the F4 and 801S which I own.

Bottom line is that I want a Leica body. I'm deciding between a M4 or a M6. Now there's one M4 in Ebay that finishes in 90 minutes. The owner describes it as good, but I've asked him some questions and he didn't answer what I wanted. Besides that, he has extended the auction for 4 hours. It was going to finish at 7:00 am. You can see my questions down the auction page. Do you think it's worth the risk?. I admit I don't know how to test it, and I don't own a lens to test how it shoots neither.

http://cgi.ebay.es/Leica-M4-guter-bis-sehr-Guter-Zustand-1176702_W0QQitemZ130123888002QQihZ003QQcategoryZ26844QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem

The price is good now, at 392 euros by now. What do you think?.

Thank you very much,
Javier.

 

[kully]

It is a good price (392 Euros), and from the pictures the M4 looks OK (no seperation in viewfinder).

The seller has good feedback, he is saying its OK.

But. You never know with eBay, it's completely up to you. It may need a CLA or it may not have any innards 🙂

 

[javimm]

Thanks for the FAST answer, Kully. That's what I thought, a good price. What's a fair price for a M4 this days?.

 

[jaapv]

An similar M6 in A condition is between 1000 and 1600 Euro. I guess a M4 would be a few hundred less....I would expect to pay up to 800 for a user M3, depending on condition.

 

[ChrisN]

Greetings and welcome to the forum. The M4 is one of the best of the older Leica M series. The one listed appears to be in excellent shape cosmetically, which is a very good start. It is at least 35 years old, and will require a CLA (Clean, Lubricate and Adjust) soon if it has not been serviced in the last ten years. You should allow for that.

I love my M4.

 

[kully]

Have you got a lightmeter / eye-meter skills?

 

[javimm]

Thanks again for all the answers. This forum rocks. I've been thinking about the CLA, but I don't know where I can give it a CLA. In the shop I mentioned in my 1st post the owner said to me that they had a technician that serviced all their 2nd hand cameras, and he's and expert on Leicas. Maybe the tech could CLA it if needed. If not, I have to send it abroad. If I end up buying it, I'll ask about the CLA.

I own a light meter (well, my father does, but we uses each other's gear 🙂 ). In the future I'll end up buying the CV lightmeter that is on cameraquest. I've read ALL the camerquest site. It's a great source of info.

Javier.

 

[javimm]

I'm letting it go. It has gone up too high for an untested camera. Thanks for all the answers. I'll edit the title of the post and remove the urgent word.

EDITED to add: Auction ended in 666.51 euros WOW. I hate ebay last minute price increases lol.