THE BEST Of Both Worlds - Best M type camera II

[Bully]

As a successor of the old "Best M type camera" poll here I want to ask the ultimate question:

Which is THE BEST M of both worlds, analogue AND digital?

Feel free to vote!

Bully

 

[Keith]

If you're not a fan of digital then you really have to nominate the M7 ... it's the only film Leica M with AE and has one of the quietest shutters you'll ever hear! I never really bonded with the one I had so got rid of it ... but in hindsight it really was the near perfect M!

 

[Austerby]

I agree - I've not been tempted by the digital Ms so it has to be the M7 for me. My second choice is M3.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I agree, it must be the M7. Leica's digital M efforts have been underwhelming and a compromise, where the film M's never were.

 

[Mudman]

M6 TTL - all the love of the M7 (minus AE), with a non battery dependent shutter for less money.

 

[bidnez]

Keep voting M4. have the M8 now, love it, but the M4s are so very smooth! 🙂 (don´t know the M7, but the M6es I´ve tried are behind the M4 in my book.)

 

[maddoc]

M4-P as the best meter-less M Leica, M7 as the best M Leica for versatility. 🙂

 

[FPjohn]

Hello:

I suspect the full frame M9 or a successor, if of a similar M-style form, will eventually win this poll. As of the moment, my vote would go to either the M3 or MP.

yours
FPJ

 

[Roger Hicks]

If you're not a fan of digital then you really have to nominate the M7 ... it's the only film Leica M with AE and has one of the quietest shutters you'll ever hear! I never really bonded with the one I had so got rid of it ... but in hindsight it really was the near perfect M!

Dear Keith,

Not really. I'd far rather have an MP.

But then, I have 'bonded' wth my MP -- maybe 'cos it's a better camera? (Sorry, couldn't resist).

I didn't vote on this because the MP and M9 occupy very different niches. I'd hate to be without either film or digital.

Cheers,

R.

 

[johannielscom]

M6 non-TTL 0.85, closely followed by my M3. It's the lightmeter that makes the difference for me, and yet I like the fact that the camera is fully functional without a battery.

I shot an M8 but am happy as a pig in mud to go walkabout without the purple filters on😀

 

[Richard Marks]

Dear Keith,

Not really. I'd far rather have an MP.

But then, I have 'bonded' wth my MP -- maybe 'cos it's a better camera? (Sorry, couldn't resist).

I didn't vote on this because the MP and M9 occupy very different niches. I'd hate to be without either film or digital.

Cheers,

R.

Oh go on Roger
Have a vote
Its only a bit of fun. Humbug.
Richard

 

[Roger Hicks]

Oh go on Roger
Have a vote
Its only a bit of fun. Humbug.
Richard

Dear Richard,

All right.

MP.

But it's not both worlds. It's only the film world.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Harry Lime]

M6ttl - Mechanical shutter, TTL flash support, meter, motorlug, as reliable as a hockey puck

If you added the flare fix and frameline mask from the MP3, you would have the ultimate M.

If you can live without TTL flash I would vote for the MP3 with the 1m frameline mask.

 

[Bully]

Dear Richard,

All right.

MP.

But it's not both worlds. It's only the film world.

Cheers,

R.

Thank you Roger!

Nice to see that you made your choice.

Robert

 

[Bully]

Oh go on Roger
Have a vote
Its only a bit of fun. Humbug.
Richard

Richard,

that´s true, it should only be a bit of fun!
But perhaps there is also bit of truth in it...

Robert

 

[Richard Marks]

Richard,

that´s true, it should only be a bit of fun!
But perhaps there is also bit of truth in it...

Robert

Dear Robert

Truth and fun are not mutually exclusive although I agree sometimes truth can hurt. However an internet vote is certainly something I do not take too seriously. This one is a bit flawed as few posters will have used an M9 for long enough to forman opinion and may well have used a film M for many years.

Id have voted hasselblad if there was a choice. It can do film and digital. I suspect Alpa might attract a few votes as well in the best of both worlds category. I could just about get an Alpa system for the price of an M9 and then think about a digital back at my leisure. Its a real shame the DMR concept did not take off. That also offered best of both world possibilities.

Best wishes

Richard

 

[Keith]

Dear Keith,

Not really. I'd far rather have an MP.

But then, I have 'bonded' wth my MP -- maybe 'cos it's a better camera? (Sorry, couldn't resist).

I didn't vote on this because the MP and M9 occupy very different niches. I'd hate to be without either film or digital.

Cheers,

R.

Hi Roger,

I realise that the MP is likely going to top this poll for one main reason ... that being it's obvious emotional connection to the past which is OK!

My choice of the M7 is based more on my respect for Leica's attempting to do something progressive and different with the film M platform by equiping it with AE. I would imagine some (many) of the purists would have scoffed at the M7's electronically controlled battery dependent shutter and also would have been critical of the few extra millimeters height it gave the body.

But ... the truth is they made a significant change to a camera that had remained static in it's design for half a century and I applaud them for that!

🙂

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hi Roger,

I realise that the MP is likely going to top this poll for one main reason ... that being it's obvious emotional connection to the past which is OK!

My choice of the M7 is based more on my respect for Leica's attempting to do something progressive and different with the film M platform by equiping it with AE. I would imagine some (many) of the purists would have scoffed at the M7's electronically controlled battery dependent shutter and also would have been critical of the few extra millimeters height it gave the body.

But ... the truth is they made a significant change to a camera that had remained static in it's design for half a century and I applaud them for that!

🙂

Dear Keith,

That, and independence from batteries and a circuit board. No batteries or blown meter on an MP = no meter. M7: no batteries or blown circuit board = (substantially) no camera.

I understand and respect your argument. I just don't agree with it. This doesn't mean that either of us is right.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Richard Marks]

Dear Keith,

That, and independence from batteries and a circuit board. No batteries or blown meter on an MP = no meter. M7: no batteries or blown circuit board = (substantially) no camera.

I understand and respect your argument. I just don't agree with it. This doesn't mean that either of us is right.

Cheers,

R.

I voted MP!!
However I believe you do get a couple of reasonable manual shutter speeds on an M7 even if the batteries are done. Not a bad camera. And I do not think battery usage is all that high.
Richard

 

[MCTuomey]

Id have voted hasselblad if there was a choice. It can do film and digital .... Its a real shame the DMR concept did not take off. That also offered best of both world possibilities.

agreed! a reasonably compact, nice handling body with interchangeable film and digital backs - that would be the best of both worlds for me. next best is to have both a digi and a film RF. not only one or the other, which is why i didn't vote.

i could be happy with any film M - they're small degrees of difference apart, really.