Trade in Leica Film Gear for MM Silver?

K

kknox

kknox
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I came across a mint Monochrome M 2014 ver in Silver. I have a nice M4 that has had a full CLA & Zeiss 21 2.8. I have 3 M film cameras, I'm not worried about the sensor if it becomes an issue Leica will repair it. Is the MM worth the $$, I shoot & develop my own film. Its getting to be more hassle for me to do the processing. I also have just sold an M8 I owned.

Who has used the MM & any advise, will I get a similar look with this camera that I get when shoot film?

Is it worth it to part with some nice vintage gear for a digital camera. Im thinking I might shoot it more as I don't have to process film.
 
A couple of considerations:
- image quality on the MM is totally unique. If you're used to shooting film you'll probably really like it compared to other digital sensors. In fact, I'm starting to really like and use ISO 3200 just because of the unique film-like noise. So in that regard, moving to an MM is a good move. I absolutely love mine, it's a perfect fit for me and hopefully I'll never be forced to sell it.
- if you're worried about maintaining the value of your gear, the MM prices are rapidly plunging straight off the side of a cliff. I bought mine (as a Leica recertified) about 18 months ago for over $7k, I'm now seeing them for a shade under $4k and still dropping. My film M bodies on the other hand have been more or less holding their value through the years. There have been some fluctuations of course but there's no way I'm losing 50% of my investment in less than 2 years.
 
kknox said:
Its getting to be more hassle for me to do the processing.
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How is that when developing black and white film has always been super easy? I can easily meet same day deadlines within 90 minutes of coming home from the shoot, especially if less than 5 rolls.

I could not imagine how developing black and white film would *increase* in hassle factor, it's always the same. I shoot digital too but black and white is as easy as it gets.
 
If you don't shoot as much as you would like with your current setup and think you will get more use of the MM then go for it.
Personally, if I ever would stop enjoying film development, I would sooner mail out my film for development and scanning than return to digital.
 
Hello K.
if you like to shoot Leica M and you love to shoot and "see" in black and white, then get the MM. If you want a film look stay with your film M's.
I am not religious about film look. For me reality does not have grain. When I developed and printed myself I got some really nice results. With the MM and very little processing I easily get results that I could never have gotten from film. If you consider the "film look" as artistic expression, then avoid digital cameras in total, all of them incl. the MM.
 
icebear said:
Hello K.
if you like to shoot Leica M and you love to shoot and "see" in black and white, then get the MM. If you want a film look stay with your film M's.
I am not religious about film look. For me reality does not have grain. When I developed and printed myself I got some really nice results. With the MM and very little processing I easily get results that I could never have gotten from film. If you consider the "film look" as artistic expression, then avoid digital cameras in total, all of them incl. the MM.
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Well said....

I love my MM and I never look at any of these digital cameras as investments but as tools. I have shot over 40K images and I have had 2 major exhibits and been selected to be in a juried show in New York all with images I made with the MM. Images I might not have made. So the investment was in my vision and the way I see. Finding a tool that work s well with that is truly priceless. The MM is the only B&W digital I have warmed up to. I am an old film guy and major darkroom rat. BTW Leica M digital seems to hold it's value better than most other digital camera if that is a worry.
 
I bought a MM last March and have no regrets. I did purchase a silver model that was new at a great price and will enjoy using the camera for years to come.

Hopefully the cost can be defrayed by the sale of your M8 and one of your film cameras.

Good luck with your decision.
 
KM-25. I have been battling cancer since spring. It's not good for me to be around the chemicals. I love film, but my life has taken a turn I just want to still shoot without the extra step of developing.
 
Kevin, sorry to hear you've been unwell. The MM: you'll love it. I'm still enjoying the Automat I bought from you. Indeed it is the medium format-like tonality which is perhaps the greatest argument for the Monochrom. And I held off a long while hoping for a silver one to emerge. Too late for me, but not for you. That would be wonderful to have.

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Thanks Richard. I have Lymphoma B cell stage 4. Halfway done with chemo. The cancer had shrank after 2nd treatment. I have 8 treatments, half way done I'm positive about it and have a other scan on the 25th. Hoping no sign of the cancer. That's my motivation for the MM. I have a M4 from 1969 I will part with. A Zeiss 21 2.8 and a Leica 111F with 5cm Elmar.

Best Regards
Kevin.
 
Oh man, hang in there. Keeping my fingers crossed for you that the therapy is as effective as possible. If you get through this, you have earned a MM, that's for sure. I just today picked up a Q and traded 3 film M's in for that. No more film for me, chapter closed.
All the best for you, mate.
 
Personally I still shoot just as much film as I did before buying the Monochrom. But the MM files are nice enough that I would find it easy to rely on that camera alone if I were in similar circumstances.

BTW - Good luck and good light.
 
Thanks for all the good wishes and input on the MM. I will kick this cancer. Im doing a photo blog of my battle daily. The good photos and the bad, it keeps me going.
 
Pulling for you Kevin.
For your health and for your MM adventure :)
Our long Seattle nights this time of year beg for the Monochrom.

Best!
 
I think the MM would be a fantastic addition to your tool set. You still have some other film M's, so you'll be having the best of all worlds.
That's how I'm looking at it, although for me its an M9, and film M's (my M2 being favorite). In the end, you're the decider, but seems either choice allows for continuing photographic enjoyment.

Now, as a complete hobbyist, who loves film, I can say that film is indeed a bit of a hassle for me. I have to drag out the gear and chems, load film in dark, bring everything up to temp (or down), commandeer the kitchen sink for a while, do my develop thing, hang negs in my makeshift drying cabinet, clean up my mess and put stuff away, wait for negs to dry, then I can scan (or print when I used to do that). Scanning (or printing) takes time and effort too. No way around it. Film is time-consuming, space-consuming, and requires effort (that I enjoy) that just isn't the same with digital. Of course, let no one tell you digital is without its effort and time-sink too. Just not as wet and messy?

Good luck and best wishes!
 
There are photos you cannot take on film, but will be able to take on the MM. But for the majority of images the inverse is true. Before selling fine film gear, rent a MM for a week and judge for yourself, as buying all that stuff back will be difficult.
 
mfogiel said:
There are photos you cannot take on film, but will be able to take on the MM. But for the majority of images the inverse is true. Before selling fine film gear, rent a MM for a week and judge for yourself, as buying all that stuff back will be difficult.
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Sound advice! I did that - I was completely determined to get a M9 and almost bought one, only lost the auction by one Euro. Then I went to the Leica store and borrowed on for a weekend after which I decided that a M9 is too much money spend on digital and "only" buy a used X100
 
I bought an M-M in October for around $4100 and have since seen prices going down. Even though M digital holds value better than other brands, it still is an ultimately disposable camera. The workflow is awesome compared to film, especially the scanning part-- how I hated scanning!

The M-M tones are indeed different than most films so if you're looking for a similar look, consider just using good tools like Nik to get closer to film.

But I'm over the moon with the M-M's output in spite of not looking traditional. It's the first digicam that I've privately resigned to commit to using for at least a decade, if for the base reason that that'll be the only way I justify the enormous cost!
 
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