tmfabian
I met a man once...
there's an m2 in the classifieds for a shibby dibby price right now...
An M2 with a CLA for $500 is a good deal as long as the CLA is relatively recent.
An M3 with a Summitar for $775 isn't necessarily a lesser deal; it mostly depends on the lens condition and the condition of the M3. If they are near mint, it's a bargain; if they are ding and dented and worn out and hazy and scratched....that's something else.
As stated, Youxin will turnaround any CLA mighty quick for not much $ (recent M4 and M3 CLA's he turned the same day he received them.)
That said, I prefer the larger magnification of the M3...even though my favorite focal length is 35mm. I don't use an aux viewfinder with it.
M2s and M3s are equal in build quality, but since both were built so long ago that doesn't mean any two such cameras are equivalent today.
An M3 with a Summitar for $775 isn't necessarily a lesser deal; it mostly depends on the lens condition and the condition of the M3. If they are near mint, it's a bargain; if they are ding and dented and worn out and hazy and scratched....that's something else.
As stated, Youxin will turnaround any CLA mighty quick for not much $ (recent M4 and M3 CLA's he turned the same day he received them.)
That said, I prefer the larger magnification of the M3...even though my favorite focal length is 35mm. I don't use an aux viewfinder with it.
M2s and M3s are equal in build quality, but since both were built so long ago that doesn't mean any two such cameras are equivalent today.
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rui
M2&IIIf user
For what it's worth, I would say the M2. You can find later a nice 35mm f/2.8 Summaron to make a great combo. Add a rigid 50mm 'cron and you're in heaven. That's the gear I've been using in the past few months and I couldn't be happier with it.
That's the gear I've been using in the past few months and I couldn't be happier with it.
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
I would go for the CLA'd M2. The M3's are nice, but you can spend a lot of money on CLA if the finder is dim or the rangefinder patch is fading. The early M3 (double stroke also can have problems with the shutter brake). This said, the smoothest camera to advance is probably a M3 DS, at least side of a well run new version MP.
For $500 the M2 is a good deal, splurge for a 40mm f1.4 VC Nokton and you should be set for quite a while. The Summarit is a nice lens, but compared to the newer lenses by Leica/VC/Zeiss it is soft and has a tendency to flare.
Hmm. $500 - Do I need another M2? No, particulary as my M2 drawer in my camera cabinet is full as it is! Go for it!
For $500 the M2 is a good deal, splurge for a 40mm f1.4 VC Nokton and you should be set for quite a while. The Summarit is a nice lens, but compared to the newer lenses by Leica/VC/Zeiss it is soft and has a tendency to flare.
Hmm. $500 - Do I need another M2? No, particulary as my M2 drawer in my camera cabinet is full as it is! Go for it!