Which camera Should I keep? M4-P or M2

roundg

roundg

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Hi, my friends. I am quite hesitating now. I just ordered an CLAed M4-P and now I have chance to get another M2 (user condition and recently CLAed). I have M5 and Bessa T, used to have Bessa R2.

I may grab the M2 as M2 is always the most beautiful M body in my concept and I decide to stick to 35-50-90 lines.

But I also know M4-P should be more convenient in using than M2.

I think I will keep only one camera finally. but which one?

I know I'd better play with both camera for a long period of time before making decision. But I am willing to hearing from you here.

Thanks in advance.
 
Keep both! 🙂

Seriously, the decision is completely subjective, and only you can make it. Which camera feels better in YOUR hands?

If it were me, I'd keep the M2 because it was built in an era when craftmanship and quality were placed ahead of "the bottom line" (because at that time Leica could afford to do so.)
 
I sense you have already made your mind up - and in the same way I would. I 'd have kept the M2. You already have the M5 which covers you for all the framelines that the M2 doesn't. Other than the extra framelines I don't know how the M4-P is more 'convenient' than the M2. There's the colour difference of course but again I would go for chrome.
 
I haven't made final decision as I haven't view the M2. But frankly I am more cling to M2. I prefer a Chrome body than the black M4p. All my leica lens are among 1950-1960, all chrome. SO fit them on a M2 will be the perfect match.

I will use M2 as daily camera. So I don't need rapid film load or rewind actually. ...................................................
 
If you want my opinion (and no one ever does, but I give it anyway), keep both. Either that or make sure that the one you don't keep goes to someone who will use it. In my opinion, the M2 is a good choice. Then again, it's also the one I want. You really have to choose the camera that works best for your style of shooting.
 
Having never used the M2 and since I like all black cameras and 28mm framelines I'd say keep the M4-P . It's a great user camera and the one camera I have that I'd never get rid of. Plus it's not too precious that you couldn't replace it for under $1000 if it got stolen or run over by a large truck.

Not sure why you'd want more than one Leica anyway (I know this is sacrilidge here on the list but whatever). Dump the M5 and the Bessa if you want the M2. Sometimes having less cameras is nice and the M5's are pretty ugly and once you have a Leica, do you really need a Bessa? You asked for opinions...
 
Horses for courses...I have B+W film in the M2 and colour in the M4-P myself, but then what to do with the M5 and the bessa? The M2 very definitely has the better viewfinder, no flare ever and really clear frame-lines, the M4-P is so much quicker to rewind and reload but the viewfinder is a little cluttered and occasionally (twice in 6 months/12 films) with strong contre-jour lighting the rangefinder patch flares. I'm not parting with either of them. What about selling the M5 and Bessa and buying a meter? The advantage is you then have 2 cameras that handle pretty much identically.
 
M2+M5=Very good!

M2+M5=Very good!

Keep the M5. Keep the M2. If you ever plan to use a 28mm or 75mm lens, keep the M4-P.

Somebody, Frank maybe, said keep them both. Good advice!

FrankS said:
Keep both! 🙂

...If it were me, I'd keep the M2 because it was built in an era when craftmanship and quality were placed ahead of "the bottom line" (because at that time Leica could afford to do so.)
Click to expand...

So was the M5. Keep the M5!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Last edited:
Thanks, all my friends, for your valuable suggestions. I read quite a lot comments on M2 and m4P here and PNet. All great cameras, I think I more cling to M2 (It's a later version with selftimer and level rewind) because

1. It's chrome and I need a chrome body to match all my old chrome lenses
2. I love the all metal elegant advance level, so with the levels of the selftimer and frame preview. IMO, the levels since M4 with a black plastic tips are ugly.
3. I have M5, a too advanced camera, so I should keep one more traditonal.

So u see I choose camera based on very trivial things. I think that's persnal taste.

For M5, quite mixed feeling. The building is second to none. It's bid. The operation is so intuitive. It has the best VF. After all, I like to have things different and M5 is the mose different in M lines.

I decide to keep them all for a while first, then to see............anyway I will clear my Bessa definitely. Frankly speaking, bessa T is good. IMO better than R2 I used to own.
 
In one of these photo room dicussions at a paper some decades ago, a grizzled veteran press shooter explained it to me "you want to be comfortable, use a m2 wih the 35, you want to be really comfortable use two M2's with a 35 and a 50 and the 90 in the pocket. Over the decades I have pretty much stayed with that. Some changes have occurred. I always carry a 21 along, the 35 is "welded" to a M2 and the 40/1.4 nokton on another M2 (occasionally on a MP 0.58) and the 75f2 Summicron goes on a Bessa R3M as it has a spectacular, free standing 75 frame
At the moment I have two M2's loaded, both with TriX and a 35f2 Planar as well as a 50f2 Planar. I like the 35f2 Planar, but it is a BIG lens. The 50f2 Planar is an improved Summicron. This is the kit for this weekend, just for walking around. There are another 5-6 rolls of TriX in my pocket. Monday I will probably go back to a 35/2 Summicron or the Skopar 35f2.5 II on one body, but the Planar 50 stays on its body.
If you want to use a 28 on the M2, just stick some black tape over the rangefinder illumination window (this blocks the frame lines) and use the whole view finder window as a 28 finder. This can work as a 25 finder in a pinch too. Neither view is 100% perfect, but no rangefinder is going to be that precise anyway,
 
Howdy! So, is this the same M4-P I sold you a while back? If it is, that is a very nice camera. I'm sad to see it didn't work out for you... However, I will admit to prefering the M2 as well. The finder is pleasantly much simpler and inuitive in use.

On the other side of the coin, the film loading and rewinding is much faster in the M4-P. Plus, it's probably one of the few M-mount Leicas that you can pick up with a black finish for less than $700-$800. Also, you can mount any lens from 28mm-135mm and not need an external finder (unless you want one for odd focal lengths like 100mm).

In the end, we aren't really going to convince you. You'll make up your mind, despite what we might think you should do.
 
Hi, I have an M2 and have just sold my M4-P. Be aware that the M4-P is available with 2 different finders, mine had the M6 finder, which suffered the M6 flare and the other version that is fitted with the M4 finder and very nice. The M4-P is newer but I'd keep the M2 if you cannot have both. My M2 is quite a few Db quiter than my M4-P of any of my other M's for that matter. The finder is beautifully spartan and practical and as Tom said, mask of the illumination window if you need 28mm.
Try and keep both for a while and see which you instinctively reach for, or which one gets left at home, cheers Andrew.
 
Are you absolutely sure, behond the shadow of a doubt, that the M4-P was equipped with two different finders? Are you sure these finders came from the M4 and from the M6?

Just asking, as I want you to be absolutely sure of the information you are passing along.
 
burninfilm said:
Howdy! So, is this the same M4-P I sold you a while back? If it is, that is a very nice camera. I'm sad to see it didn't work out for you... However, I will admit to prefering the M2 as well. The finder is pleasantly much simpler and inuitive in use.

On the other side of the coin, the film loading and rewinding is much faster in the M4-P. Plus, it's probably one of the few M-mount Leicas that you can pick up with a black finish for less than $700-$800. Also, you can mount any lens from 28mm-135mm and not need an external finder (unless you want one for odd focal lengths like 100mm).

In the end, we aren't really going to convince you. You'll make up your mind, despite what we might think you should do.
Click to expand...

Dear Burninfilm,

Pls refer to my signature. I am using the M4P as my everyday camera.

The thread is an old one. And a long story after that..........

At first as I replied, I kept the M2 and sold the M4p to one of my friend. Then I purchased a M3. After comparing M2 and M3, I realized I like M3 more........ The same friend took the M2.

With the M3, I didn't miss M2, but started to miss the M4p. So I bought another M4p two month ago from Burninfilm. It's a gem.

Now I own M3/4p/5. Everyone is my favorite.


Dear Tom, always pleasant to reading your comments on equipments. Got a lot of info from your comments in this forum, e.g. on 35mm lens, thank a lot.


Yours,
Robin
 
If you decide to sell one body over the other remember all you'll have for the sale is money. What would you rather have, two great cameras that you might treasure forever or a handfull of cash that could be here today and gone tomorrow?. Keep both. I bet if you don't someday down the track you'll remember it as one of your regrets in life.
 
What exactly do you mean by M4 and M6 finder? The M4-P utilized the 28-135mm framelines that the M6 had. I had an extremely early M4-P, and it did indeed have the larger range of framelines of the M6 (or should we say the M6 has the larger range of framelines as the M4-P?). Also, even the Cameraquest website seems to indicate that the M4-P had the more "cost efficient" rangefinder optics of the later M4-2s (due to the removal of a condenser lens). This same cost saving method was carried into the M6. So, again, I'm just looking for clarification in case one of us is mistaken.
 
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