Want to get a Leica, need some help

[MarkoKovacevic]

I want to get a leica M6 and some Leica M mount 50 or 35mm F2 lens.
Do you think i can get that if I sell off my nikon kit, or trade it off?
My nikon kit is
a BGN F5,
EX+ SB 600
EX+ 50mm f1.8 AFD
EX 28mm f2.8 AFD

What do you think?

 

[kxl]

I want to get a leica M6 and some Leica M mount 50 or 35mm F2 lens.
Do you think i can get that if I sell off my nikon kit, or trade it off?
My nikon kit is
a BGN F5,
EX+ SB 600
EX+ 50mm f1.8 AFD
EX 28mm f2.8 AFD

What do you think?

I think $800 would be a very generous estimate for your gear. So, can you get an M6 and lens for that? Good luck.

 

[Pablito]

In today's market, your Nikon stuff is worth very little so you will have to add in a lot of cash if you want an M6 plus lens.

 

[Al Kaplan]

For now set your sights on a Bessa body with a Voigtlander lens. That's about where your budget falls. Then over a period of time you can add to your kit, upgrading as opportunities arise.

 

[MarkoKovacevic]

For now set your sights on a Bessa body with a Voigtlander lens. That's about where your budget falls. Then over a period of time you can add to your kit, upgrading as opportunities arise.

I might go with a Voigtlander lens, but I really want to use a Leica body.
I feel that the best option would be save more, then later on sell the Nikon stuff and purchase a leica kit. That way I'm staying with top quality.

 

[mdozier]

MarkoKovacevic, I too had the desire to get an M6 and thought of selling/trading my Nikon gear. I couldn't get an offer that was worth it for the Nikon gear. In fact it was worth more to me to hold onto it than what I was offered.

I saved and got my 1st Leica (M6) and a Summicron 50 and never regretted it. I've since added 2 MP's and a couple more lenses (not through yet!).

If you want an M6 I say sell (if you want) and save what you can and go for it. You'll not be sorry.

Just MHO.

Matt

 

[MarkoKovacevic]

What's the difference between a M6 with a in body meter and the MP?

One of the reasons I want a Leica, apart from the smaller size and manual usage [I actually wish I had gotten a F3 over the F5, but the meter was just too good] is that it is a lifetime camera, a CLA every 10 years or so and it works like new. Plus I'm only 16 so I have a lot of time to use it!

 

[Al Kaplan]

The Bessa cameras aren't all that bad. You can probably buy one for about what a CLA will cost on a used Leica. Even after you do buy a Leica it's nice to have a second body around for a different lens, another type of film, and the Bessa flash synchs at 1/125th of a second compared to 1/50th for a Leica. Yes, the Leica is a superbly made and finished camera. It's quiet and operates more smoothly than other cameras. The Bessa will take great pictures while you wait for the right Leica to come into your life. You don't need a Mercedes to drive to the corner milk store.

When I was your age I didn't even dream of ever owning a Leica, and I certainly couldn't afford one. My first 35mm camera was an Ansco Memar, scale focusing with a 45mm f/3.5 three element lens and shutter speeds from 1/25 to 1/200 second. The photos in the school yearbook looked fine.

 

[mdozier]

Both have meters. The MP meter is a bit different than the M6 but the differences extend beyond that. The MP has a black paint finish on the brass; the M6 is a "black chrome" type finish on the body which is apparently not brass. The rewinder is better on the MP's (imo) and more like the M3 rewinder.
Additionally, the finder is brighter on both of my MP's than the M6 making it a bit easier to use in low light; however I'll add the M6's finder is still quite good.
You'll not be sorry with either. As much as I love and use my MP's I can't seem to part with my M6... and I don't think I ever will.

There's lots of threads discussing the M6 and MP's around which can be more informative than my simplistic description.

Best of luck,
m

 

[Shac]

There's an M6 in the classifieds right now for $750 - a steal

 

[RF_newbie]

There's an M6 in the classifieds right now for $750 - a steal

Wow Shac, that was a nice way to end this thread, you thread end'r you.
:smile:

 

[BillBingham2]

Marko,

The M6 is a great camera and sadly the Nikon gear is very depressed these days. I had am M6 and an M4-P and sold them last year.

You might look for a good M2 or M4-P from the classified here and pick up a CV lens to start with. You will also need to budget for a meter, I'd recommend a Sekonic 318 or 328 (if you like flash). As for a CV lens the 35/1.7 was my first CV and it's great. You will need a LTM/M adapter (about $40 USD for used Leica) but they are easy to find.

While a 'Cron is a wonderful lens the new CV glass is great and more often than not a LOT of fun. You can get a 15mm CV lens for a LOT less than a ZI. There are so many aspects about which lens to buy and some great glass old and new that you can get these days. Each lens has a feel and look to it, really old stuff is just as much fun as the razor sharp stuff of today.

B2 (;->

 

[Al Kaplan]

Nikon prices will stay depressed. There's a lot of it out there and people are jumping ship in a mad rush to "go digital". I have several M Leicas and a nice set of lenses but for the past 3 or 4 years I've been mostly shooting with a cheap little Bessa L sporting a 15mm f/4.5 Voigtlander Heliar. I even use it on paid shoots. This is a camera body that several years ago you could buy brand new for $59.95 if you bought it with a lens. I've run many hundreds of rolls of film through it with no problems. I was shooting a gig with it this morning. If your goal is to be a photographer then buy what you can afford now and go take pictures. That's the only way you'll learn anything. You can start by learning that it's the photographer, not the camera.