Which classic rangefinder would you recommend?

CMur12 said:
See Post 5, above. The OP stated an interest in Canon, Nicca, or Leotax LTM RF.

Nobody appears to have seen this.

- Murray
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I would have missed that too. Well, it's kind of after the initial general statement. I'd hardly call Nicca or Leotax "classic." They certainly weren't available in Canada, and it was after i'd been using Leica M for decades that i eventually saw one, and that was in Japan.
 
CMur12 said:
See Post 5, above. The OP stated an interest in Canon, Nicca, or Leotax LTM RF.

Nobody appears to have seen this.

- Murray
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Oop. We all missed it. But then we all confess to a certain "bias". With Leicas, we all tend to be somewhat one-eyed, and rightly so.

The only Nicca RF I've seen for sale in a decade or more is a quite decent-looking Nicca 5 with a Nikkor 50/2.0 on offer (is or was, unsure of this) in Melbourne for a whoppingly low AUD $795. With our Kangaroo Kopek going at 65 US cents nowadays, this may be a real bargain.
 
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AndyCapp said:
Are you going just to wear it or take pictures also?
If the latter, get something you know can be serviced, which means the Leica M series.
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How exactly Leica M series can be serviced?

Well, in USA it is lame and sloppy Leica sales mostly office which sends it all to Germany for service or do they have someone?
Wetzlar service is so-so, comparing to companies making cameras and treating customers not like single use cash cow.

Aside from so-so Leica service here are one and half independent technicians left for USA. One might be on the quit soon and another one is the one - I don't know how to fix it here it goes to the first one.

Canada service is none by now. All are gone. Midland stock of parts (I know from whom it was) went to the number one in USA.

Europe? I'm not sure, is it just Wetzlar (so-so and expensive)?
UK - maybe one company with one year waiting list?

East, Asia ? No idea.

M is way too complicated for service. Nor it is robust and lasting camera for real use (not just taking pictures in leisure mode).

Now lets look at LTMs.
I looked inside of Japanese clones. They were made to be easily serviced. This is why they are larger than Barnacks.
But even Barnack series are much easier on the service comparing to M.
Wanna change RF mirror? It is sold as part on ebay and on-line manual is available.
Curtains, ribbons - easy to buy and here is entire video manual for how to DIY. Impossible with M.

So, if you have pile of money to waste on not much available service and to buy second M (because M service takes month and more) - go ahead.

If you want long lasting device which is serviceable without unique skills and many unique parts - LTM (Japan clones and Barnacks).

Even post-war Contax is made more like a watch and could be serviced by more-less common service and even DIY.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
How exactly Leica M series can be serviced?

Well, in USA it is lame and sloppy Leica sales mostly office which sends it all to Germany for service or do they have someone?
Wetzlar service is so-so, comparing to companies making cameras and treating customers not like single use cash cow.

Aside from so-so Leica service here are one and half independent technicians left for USA. One might be on the quit soon and another one is the one - I don't know how to fix it here it goes to the first one.

Canada service is none by now. All are gone. Midland stock of parts (I know from whom it was) went to the number one in USA.

Europe? I'm not sure, is it just Wetzlar (so-so and expensive)?
UK - maybe one company with one year waiting list?

East, Asia ? No idea.

M is way too complicated for service. Nor it is robust and lasting camera for real use (not just taking pictures in leisure mode).

Now lets look at LTMs.
I looked inside of Japanese clones. They were made to be easily serviced. This is why they are larger than Barnacks.
But even Barnack series are much easier on the service comparing to M.
Wanna change RF mirror? It is sold as part on ebay and on-line manual is available.
Curtains, ribbons - easy to buy and here is entire video manual for how to DIY. Impossible with M.

So, if you have pile of money to waste on not much available service and to buy second M (because M service takes month and more) - go ahead.

If you want long lasting device which is serviceable without unique skills and many unique parts - LTM (Japan clones and Barnacks).

Even post-war Contax is made more like a watch and could be serviced by more-less common service and even DIY.
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KF, My long term experience with Leica Ms has been better than yours. I never had one fail me in decades of use in all climate conditions. They've been good value for the money. As for repairs, DAG is a gem to work with and has serviced an M4 I bought that needed a CLA that and a Leica CL. I've now found a great guy in Calgary (lensmedicyyc) who works on everything and is fast. There are a number of places for Leica repair in Japan, besides Kanto.
Even though we're in the 21st century, not all information is on the internet. Although you can't buy film at the corner store, and not every town has a camera repair shop, it's not the end of the world yet, and the M series have proven to be reliable for 70 yrs now.
 
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Your Canons are close enough in capablities to an M2 or M3. I have a P and a VT and love them both, noting that the VT viewfinder is not optimal even with framelines.

If you get a Leica iii series, the advantage is using the LTM lenses on your M's via adaptor. Love the iii's as well except for loading.

You can try a different classic flavor if you don't mind a new lens mount....Nikon S2 or SP (have them as well). Just lovely.

You can avoid my disease and stick with what you have. My wife would love to voice in on that.
 
The only problems I have ever had with a Leica, was with my M6, once when the circuit board governing the meter when bad and was replaced by DAG, and once when I dropped it onto the marble floor of DC's Union Station (sob). Both were repaired pretty efficiently and the M6 is running well. Overall, I have (except as noted):

M2, M3 DS, M3, M4-P (sold to purchase M6), M5, M6, M7 (sold to purchase Nikon D3), M9

Let's face it: the shutter springs are under-tensioned by design and will probably outlast me. I am a dilettante, an amateur, a weekend warrior. But I have to respectfully disagree, Ko.Fe. As mechanical devices go, they are pretty robust in my experience.

Now the OP didn't say he wanted professional RF gear -- he said he wanted "classic." Well, the Leicas are as classic as you can get. The classic-ist. They are the design that all the others were copying. And I think they are neck-and-neck with the Rolleiflex for the pinnacle of mid-century industrial design. Still, this is all in the eye of the beholder, hence the fun in the debate. I'd say that between 1984 and the tapering of my film use in the 2000-somethings, I made roughly 20,000 exposures, about half on 35mm film. So: nowhere near the life expectancy of even one of the shutters in any of the above cameras.
 
Benjamin Marks said:
The only problems I have ever had with a Leica, was with my M6, once when the circuit board governing the meter when bad and was replaced by DAG, and once when I dropped it onto the marble floor of DC's Union Station (sob). Both were repaired pretty efficiently and the M6 is running well. Overall, I have (except as noted):

M2, M3 DS, M3, M4-P (sold to purchase M6), M5, M6, M7 (sold to purchase Nikon D3), M9

Let's face it: the shutter springs are under-tensioned by design and will probably outlast me. I am a dilettante, an amateur, a weekend warrior. But I have to respectfully disagree, Ko.Fe. As mechanical devices go, they are pretty robust in my experience.

Now the OP didn't say he wanted professional RF gear -- he said he wanted "classic." Well, the Leicas are as classic as you can get. The classic-ist. They are the design that all the others were copying. And I think they are neck-and-neck with the Rolleiflex for the pinnacle of mid-century industrial design. Still, this is all in the eye of the beholder, hence the fun in the debate. I'd say that between 1984 and the tapering of my film use in the 2000-somethings, I made roughly 20,000 exposures, about half on 35mm film. So: nowhere near the life expectancy of even one of the shutters in any of the above cameras.
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See my post #32 above and #12 above that. I know we all like Leicas and the other "usual suspects." but he's not asking for advice about them. Let's take him at his word that he's interested in Canon, Leotax and Nicca only. See his post #5.
 
KoNickon said:
See my post #32 above and #12 above that. I know we all like Leicas and the other "usual suspects." but he's not asking for advice about them. Let's take him at his word that he's interested in Canon, Leotax and Nicca only. See his post #5.
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Why not edit the initial post to focus the intention?.....
 
Richard G said:
I looked at Nicca a few weeks ago. I wouldn’t mind a Nicca 5 with the swing film loading door and the Nicca collapsible 50.
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I’m currently refurbing my Nicca Type 5. IMHO- It’s the all best of all worlds in terms of Barnacks…the small size of the IIIc, knob wind with the standard top plate height (not the taller height of the lever wind Niccas), flash sync, RF diopter adjustment, and best of all, the flip-open back door to ease film loading.
 
KoNickon said:
Folks -- the original poster was looking at Canon, Leotax and Nicca.
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Sorry for my Russian background. It was the way to say, I won't recommend Canon, Leotax and Nicca as real classic RF experience. I had all three, have Barnack and hold in hands mint, restored Contax IIa. Those are classic. And so is Nikon.
 
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