What is the best shooting USED film Leica M camera?

[Steve Bellayr]

For me I found that the M6 & M6ttl were virtually the same.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

For me I found that the M6 & M6ttl were virtually the same.

Perhaps that is so in use SB, but repair parts for the ttl are no longer available.

 

[pvdhaar]

Voted for the M4. Uncluttered viewfinder with perfect framelines for 35mm. Rewind crank instead of knob, easy film load. Self timer.

 

[Keith]

The M2 will win this poll also it seems ... and rightly so! 🙂

 

[raydm6]

On @Tom A's urging and recommendation for M2's, I bought a pristine 1958 M2 (button rewind/ST) and a '66 Summaron-M 35/2.8 back in 2010 - both recently CLA'd by Kindermann before they closed shop. Still have the rig.

 

[skahde]

Perhaps that is so in use SB, but repair parts for the ttl are no longer available.

As much this is true but for the sake of this poll, the votes for M6 and M6TTL could be added to each another - as similar as they are - and this "M6 (all variants)" would be clearly ahead of the peloton. Not saying it should be done, just another view on the matter.

 

[splitimageview]

as of now, unmetered 58%, metered 42%

 

[Erik van Straten]

Why is the MP so low? Would be my choice of the metered M's. Probably the price is the problem. But it is a great camera (except for the body covering, but that is an easy replacement); mine is over 20 years old and works fabulous.

Erik.

gelatin silver print (cooke amotal 50mm f2) leica mp

C.d.R, 2023

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Why is the MP so low? Would be my choice of the metered M's. Probably the price is the problem. But it is a great camera (except for the body covering, but that is an easy replacement); mine is over 20 years old and works fabulous.

Erik.

Some of us dislike the cluttered framelines. In general i liked the build quality, but happily went back to the simple M2/3/4 vision.
In answer to your question, i'd say the M6 gets more 'likes' than the MP because over 175,000 have been produced and more people are familiar with it.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Some of us dislike the cluttered framelines. In general i liked the build quality, but happily went back to the simple M2/3/4 vision.
In answer to your question, i'd say the M6 gets more 'likes' than the MP because over 175,000 have been produced and more people are familiar with it.

Probably this is no problem for me as I use for 90% a 50mm lens. My other shots are made with a 35.

However, my repairman Ton Scherpenborg promised me to remove the remaining framing lines - he said it would be an easy job - but unfortunately he died before he did.

Erik.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Probably this is no problem for me as I use for 90% a 50mm lens. My other shots are made with a 35.

However, my repairman Ton Scherpenborg promised me to remove the remaining framing lines - he said it would be an easy job - but unfortunately he died before he did.

Erik.

Eric, the one that bothered me the most was the 75mm lines within the 50 framelines. I agree it's a superb machine, but in the end, I prefer the well-worn feel and simple framelines of my M4. Worth mentioning, the current value of the original black paint M cameras. In 2018 I sold my MP for more than the cost of the M4. All the black paint M cameras I see offered today are more than $10k!

 

[Erik van Straten]

Eric, the one that bothered me the most was the 75mm lines within the 50 framelines. I agree it's a superb machine, but in the end, I prefer the well-worn feel and simple framelines of my M4. Worth mentioning, the current value of the original black paint M cameras. In 2018 I sold my MP for more than the cost of the M4. All the black paint M cameras I see offered today are more than $10k!
View attachment 4823210

Also the MP?

I have four black paint M's: 1. M2 button rewind very low number, original paint and matching black paint Summilux 50mm f1.4 nr. 1703XXX, 2. M2 redone by Leitz in the M4 era (but with a late serial number from the first M2 black batch* and with lever rewind), 3. M3 chrome, but changed to black paint by Leitz, probably in M5 times (serial number without spaces) and an MP with a low number.

* This batch consisted of 500 cameras of wich the first 400 had button rewind and the remaining 100 lever rewind. I guess that my camera (serial nr. 990XXX) was restored by Leitz somewere in the 1960's, the finish looks like that of a black paint M4.

Erik.

 

[Deleted member 65559]

MPs (new issues) are still selling for less than a new one ( $5700 USD)

 

[Erik van Straten]

MPs (new issues) are still selling for less than a new one ( $5700 USD)

Maybe they are made in a - relative - large quantity. The black ones from the fifties and sixties are truly rare. The later serial numbering system of Leica is maybe intermixed with those of the digital toys from the era. Many Leicas may have been purchased as an investment. You can see that again with the new steel rim lens. They are no longer available, but I've never seen a photo taken with that lens. The same thing happened with the replica of the Noctilux 50mm f1.2.

Erik.

 

[splitimageview]

Considering all the variations of M bodies, I've started a thread here regarding what would be your ideal combination of features...

 

[KoNickon]

I still have a sweet spot for the original black paint M2 i sold. If i'm not using medium format it's the 8E 35mm on my M4. Like x-ray i never had an M6ttl or M7...& the M5 i used in '75 didn't last long. View attachment 4823102

This is a really fun picture -- the swirls of the coffee and strap, and the patterning in the surface. And the brassing of the camera body matches the foam in the cup!