Question about buying a film Leica

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andrew00

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Heya,

With this bizarre year I've been thinking a lot about documenting memories and this has led me back to wanting to shoot film and so a Leica.

I was thinking of getting an M6 (to shoot with a 28mm or 35mm lens only) and having that as my main memories and adventures camera.

I just checked the price -> yikes, they've gotten expensive.

Before I commit, I was wondering if this price was consistent, i.e. high as it is it's the price you have to pay now.

Also, anything you'd suggest about looking out for this or that version? Basically things to note that would push me in one or other direction?
 
The M6 is hot because its a mechanical leica with a meter, and the only alternatives on the market are the new leica film Ms which are similarly priced. I do not expect the prices for the M6 to go down anytime soon, as it is simply supply and demand (people who have them are keeping them and this keeps the supply relatively low!). This is a trend for almost all quality film cameras, but especially medium format, leicas, and higher-end P&S cameras. They just won't be making them again, so supply is limited.

Now- film SLRs have been less affected by this. There are a ton of good quality film SLRs that can still be had cheaply. You miss out on some of the leica sexiness, but for 35mm these things will put out fantastic images. Look for a system with good legacy glass you can readily find where you live.
 
andrew00 said:
Heya,

With this bizarre year I've been thinking a lot about documenting memories and this has led me back to wanting to shoot film and so a Leica.

I was thinking of getting an M6 (to shoot with a 28mm or 35mm lens only) and having that as my main memories and adventures camera.

I just checked the price -> yikes, they've gotten expensive.

Before I commit, I was wondering if this price was consistent, i.e. high as it is it's the price you have to pay now.

Also, anything you'd suggest about looking out for this or that version? Basically things to note that would push me in one or other direction?
Click to expand...

Personally, I'd only consider investing in a Leica M body if I already had at least one Leitz lens. Otherwise, you might be better served, if you really want to get back into using film, by exploring other, less expensive options, such as Nikon?

Of course, it also might be the case that current prices are excessively high for a variety of reasons, and they will drop within the next year or so ... assuming some return to a "new" normalcy.
 
If a Nikon appeals to you as an alternative, IMO just get an F3 and a suitable lens and be done with it. Auto exposure + a robust camera, they have been going up in price lately so get one while it's hot...
 
andrew00 said:
Heya,

With this bizarre year I've been thinking a lot about documenting memories and this has led me back to wanting to shoot film and so a Leica.

I was thinking of getting an M6 (to shoot with a 28mm or 35mm lens only) and having that as my main memories and adventures camera.

I just checked the price -> yikes, they've gotten expensive.

Before I commit, I was wondering if this price was consistent, i.e. high as it is it's the price you have to pay now.

Also, anything you'd suggest about looking out for this or that version? Basically things to note that would push me in one or other direction?
Click to expand...

M6 is waste of money now. Just a fashion item. Few years ago I could get M6 TTL for 1.6K USD.
Don't be Kardashian, get classic film M like M2 or M4 and TwinMatte or just use free meter app for the phone.
For life documenting I found no difference between M4-2, FED-2 and Bessa R, R2M.
GW used M4 for 28mm lenses. I use entire M4-2 VF for 28mm lenses. No problems.
Leica VFs with 28 mm framelines are not accurate for 35mm framelines.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
M6 is waste of money now. Just a fashion item. Few years ago I could get M6 TTL for 1.6K USD.
Don't be Kardashian, get classic film M like M2 or M4 and TwinMatte or just use free meter app for the phone.
For life documenting I found no difference between M4-2, FED-2 and Bessa R, R2M.
GW used M4 for 28mm lenses. I use entire M4-2 VF for 28mm lenses. No problems.
Leica VFs with 28 mm framelines are not accurate for 35mm framelines.
Click to expand...

I don't usually agree with KoFe, but I do here. The prices on the M6 are really high right now, and who knows what direction they'll go in in the future. A Konica Hexar RF is arguably a better buy, with a 0.60X finder perfect for 28mm and 35mm lenses, auto shutter and advance, for about a third of the price. If you want a mechanical camera that lasts a lifetime with servicing, M2/3/4/5 prices are not as crazy and the framelines are more accurate. Besides the meter, they are better cameras. Many great photographers including Winogrand used the edges of the M4 finder for 28mm lenses, or used a separate finder, or both.

You could also join the Nikon Rangefinder cult, er, club. Not as quick to focus as a Leica, but prices are far lower and they are a real joy to use. They pair nicely with a F, F2, or FM series.
 
The Leica M1 was my first Leica. However, it did not have a rangefinder.

Before I bought my first Leica rangefinder, I had used the following rangefinder cameras:
Argus C3
Contax G1
Canonet QL17
Minolta Hi-Matic 9
Fuji 6x7cm medium format

For years, I also used Nikon SLR film cameras.
When I started looking for a film Leica rangefinder, based on my experience with Nikon SLR film cameras, I knew that I wanted my first lens to be a 35mm.

I narrowed my Leica search to an M2, M6, and MP. I bought the M6 because it was the first one I found in excellent condition for a reasonable price.

What cameras have you used in the past and how did you like them? How did you decide that a Leica rangefinder was the only camera that you could use to document memories?

What experience have you had with rangefinder cameras? The reason I ask is because some people buy an expensive rangefinder and then discover that they do not like rangefinders.
 
Having owned and used over the past 46+ years most of the film Ms, I'm completely happy with the "cheap" Leica M4-2 that I bought in 2012 or so for $700 (body only) and any of the M-mount lenses I use on it (the small Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5 is a winner, I paid $380 new for it about that time).

The advantage to an M6/M6TTL/M7/etc is the incorporation of a meter into the body so you don't need to have one in your pocket or in the accessory shoe, but I've not found using a separate meter to be much of a burden; usually just use a metering app on my phone.

I like the M4-2 early version like mine because the viewfinder is the same as the one from the M4, with only 35/50/90/135 frame lines ... Less distraction. I mostly fit a 50mm lens, sometimes the 35 or 90.

G
 
gb hill said:
Since price is a small issue why not consider a Bessa R4M. According to Tom A. I miss Tom, It"s an epiphany camera for shooting wides.
Click to expand...

It is terribly overpriced from its initial price. While it is still cheap FM10 body with RF slapped into it. Biggest flaw I wasn't able to deal with was wrong placement of lugs. Drove me nuts.
But, again, I used 28 mm lenses on R2M without external VF. Framing was accurate enough. R2 might be still OK deal.
 
You can buy a CLA’d Nikon FM3a and two good AI lenses for less than the going rate for a M6 body. The Nikon is, feature-wise, a better camera (better meter, better shutter, auto and manual modes, etc). The only thing that’s missing is the “rangefinder experience”. And the “coolness” factor. The money you would save buys quite a bit of film.

I still have a M2, and it’s the best Leica film camera I’ve ever owned (M4, M5, M6, M7), but I use my barnack II more often because I like the size and the tiny LTM lenses. It’s fiddly to use, but in a good way.
 
Another vote for the FM3a. I’ve just this week purchased a rather nice chrome example (would have preferred black, but this came up and the price was about 2/3 of what they go for on eBay). It’s basically an SLR version of the M7, but the hybrid shutter of the Nikon is superior, having A and the full range of shutter speeds in manual mode.
Apart from many other cameras (how many is too many 🙂 ) I have an M6 Classic, and I consider it a different tool to an SLR, eg for the street style of work where speed is of essence.
 
Supply and Demand...

Supply and Demand...

Hi,

With just a few weeks to go to Christmas I think the point is obvious that now is a good time to sell but not to buy. This sellers' season will extend beyond Christmas as people realise they are not getting one as a present and will then start looking for one themselves.

But by the middle of January all the bills will come in and for a month or so people will be thinking of selling something to raise cash and fewer will be buying. And some will be unloading their presents...

So my advice is to wait a while and go for the Leica; I've an M6 they are very nice cameras to use and the lenses are good. (Even the elderly lenses are good, look at the 35mm Summarons, f'instance.)


Regards, David




PS (Edit) a Nikon is just not the same. Chase after the Leica otherwise you'll be scratching an itch for ever and a day...
 
I loved my FM3a and deeply regret selling it but I found an inexpensive alternative for it - the Nikon FE. It has the same match-needle meter. Does auto mirror lock ups for long exposures. It's built like a tank yet just as compact in my hands as the FM3a used to feel.

Like the others, I also recommend considering a Leica M5.
 
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