Views on the M5

[neil gowlland]

I had an M5 for a couple of years and have just replaced it with an M3 (hint: my old (chrome) M5 is currently on sale at www.ffordes.com). The M5 is a brilliant camera in virtually all respects. If I had to mention just one thing, it would be the metering system.

Why did I sell it? Originally, I thought the bigger size would fit my largish hands better. However, I now find that the smaller size of "normal" Ms is more comfortable. I also decided to get an M3 because I do not like the field of view of 35mm lenses and use 50mm mainly. All this means, of course, that I am starting to use "sunny 16".

I would recommend an M5 to anybody who doesn't mind the larger size, which is after all still smaller than many SLRs.

 

[Bertram2]

The M5 was too big, too ugly and too heavy. That's why it didn't sell. That's why people didn't like it. That's why it nearly broke Leica.

We talk about camera porn sometimes, when you look at an M2 or M3 or M4, you see the retro elegance and classic design, but when you look at the M5, it's just a hunk of metal.

Leica is a philosophy as much as a camera-- the belief in being light, compact and discreet. The M5 broke away from all that.

Thanks. Mwanwhile I have found the very interesting comment of Craig Hoehne at p.net, which explains the story with all details.
Personally I like the camera, it's bigger but not huge IMO and it seemed to be better manufactured than the later M6, tho modern features, more to the M 3 standards of material and tolerances ? Hard to understand how bad the acceptance was .

bertram

 

[waileong]

Debate?

Debate?

I sense a hot debate coming up on the M5's virtues and would like to sidestep it if possible. Bertram asked the reasons for its lack of acceptance and I tried to give them candidly.

I know that there are a lot of people who feel that the M5 was under-appreciated and I've read many of their posts, and armed with the knowledge they provided, went back to the dealers and tried to love the M5 again.

But I found that its advanced features still could not overcome my dislike of its size and weight. You are of course entitled to your own views. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

However, the market was clear in its non-acceptance of the M5 during its time of release, and I do not think it was because of the SLR revolution. If so, the M4-2, M4-P and all other M's which followed would surely have achieved even less success because SLR's obviously got progressively better in the subsequent years.

It was only by returning to the classic size, shape and weight of the M4 that the later M's (M4-2, M4-P, M6, etc) were able to regain their marketplace acceptance.

The CL is a different matter, Gandy has given his conspiracy theory, which I think is a reasonable one. I think Leica was wrong not to promote a budget line of rangefinder cameras, but they had their considerations when they made their decision.


Wai Leong
===

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.... never truer than when seeking it in a camera. Many felt this way when the M5 was introduced, but it has found it's place in the collector/user ranks, and is now much more desirable. That's largely due to the factors that have been well described by others in this thread. It might be a good idea to handle several models, but I doubt the M5 would be a dissapointment for an informed buyer.

Harry

 

[Ergo]

Have owned 2,among best cameras i ever used.

 

[wlewisiii]

I sense a hot debate coming up on the M5's virtues and would like to sidestep it if possible. Bertram asked the reasons for its lack of acceptance and I tried to give them candidly.
===

Which I, at least, do appreciate.

For me, this is probably one of the better M models. I have, and love, a Canon 7 for example. This is also a very large camera by RF standards. It happens to fit my idea of how a camera should feel quite well. I haven't ever held a M5 so I can not be certain, but I have held a couple of M3s and they all felt small to me. Yes, I am very much in the minority here, but that may simply mean that a 5 is appropriate to my tastes without commenting on the larger issues of the camera's acceptance.

I like the fact that it was an attempt at being higher tech and that they made a real attempt at a break with earlier styling as well. Plus since the only Leica I own right now is a CL, if I were to get a 5 as a full sized body, the lens limitations would be the same for both cameras. This is not a small thing for someone who is as challenged in budget as I am... 😉

The M5 is a camera that will have strong opinions about it, in all directions, as long as film is being shot. I find I like it - I do not expect anyone else to agree with me or why I feel that way. Heck, I use a high tech flintlock rifle (TC Firestorm for those who care) as my deer hunting rifle. I appreciate contradictions... 😀

William

 

[Tim]

<snip>

...high tech flintlock rifle...

<snip>

William

Now **THERE'S** a contradiction in terms!!!!!

😀

me, a full stocked .50 Pennsylvania flintlock rifle, all 54" of it. The only thing modern is the metalurgy!


OK, now back onto M5's.....

😉

 

[John Shriver]

But why, oh why, did they do match-needle metering in a 1971 camera? Geez, Topcon had a "center the needle" system in 1963. Even the Nikon FTn Photomic was a "center the needle" system.

 

[cameosis]

i like my leica m 5. harmsr put it beautifully, as did mike: it's funky.
looks great, feels great. my m 3 is very nice too, but i root for outsiders and underdogs, so the m 5 is a winner in that respect.

 

[ERV]

i like my leica m 5. harmsr put it beautifully, as did mike: it's funky.
looks great, feels great. my m 3 is very nice too, but i root for outsiders and underdogs, so the m 5 is a winner in that respect.

I am also drawn to the underdogs of the world and that's one reason that I was initially drawn to the M5. If a camera is capable of causing such a binary responses in a group of people, then I'm interested. (that's the Cal Berkeley in me talking 😎 )

I sometimes go through periods where I think of trading mine for an m6 (such as right now as I watch the time on a nice chrome m6 tick away) however the 5 is a work of art in its own right and I know that if I would regret it in the morning.

 

[Flinor]

After much agonizing and analyzing which one came off the shelf most often, I sold the M6 and kept the M5. It just suits me perfectly.