rsh Posted February 26, 2010 Share #1 Posted February 26, 2010 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Today, I gave my 14 year old daughter an chrome M5 with a 50 mm Summicron. My first Leica was an M4 with a 50 mm Dual Range Summicron that my parents purchased for me in 1970 for $250.00. I was 16 and heading into my second year at Culver. Edited February 26, 2010 by rsh Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 26, 2010 Posted February 26, 2010 Hi rsh, Take a look here An M5 for my Daughter. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
antistatic Posted February 26, 2010 Share #2 Posted February 26, 2010 Has she worked out where the CF card goes? What a nice thing to do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsh Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share #3 Posted February 26, 2010 She is a smart cookie. We shall see what she does with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdemas Posted February 26, 2010 Share #4 Posted February 26, 2010 That's a terrific combo, she'll love it. The M5 is a fantastic platform for the 50mm. Remind her not to meter with the camera in the vertical shooting position, a simple mistake made by many first time M5 users. Kent Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jager Posted February 26, 2010 Share #5 Posted February 26, 2010 That's a terrific combo, she'll love it. The M5 is a fantastic platform for the 50mm. Remind her not to meter with the camera in the vertical shooting position, a simple mistake made by many first time M5 users. Kent I don't have an M5, so my interest is academic... but can you elaborate Kent on why it wouldn't meter properly when held in a vertical position? I've never heard that and am most curious. Wonderful gift to your daughter, Richard. I hope she takes to it and we see her around here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 27, 2010 Share #6 Posted February 27, 2010 The needle gets pulled down by gravity. Iirc the difference is about 1/2 a stop. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jager Posted February 27, 2010 Share #7 Posted February 27, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Ahh. Thanks Jaap. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted February 27, 2010 Share #8 Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) Richard--Congratulations on your daughter and your taste. The M5 is the most 'Leica-like' of all Leicas in my opinion, taking technology beyond what was thought possible at the time. You are aware that the batteries the M5 originally required are no longer drugstore-available, right? Wein offers a special battery that does the job. And many people on the forum say they've squirreled away and frozen PX-13s from eBay. But don't make the mistake I did of thinking the alkaline cells that look the same will work the meter correctly. Shirley Kräuter (and maybe Dan Goldberg?) will modify an M5 to use the alkaline cells. The only drawback to that is that if you later send the camera to Leica for repairs, they will necessarily return the camera and metering system to its original specification. (Of course, both Sherry and Dan could also repair the M5 without changing out the metering circuitry.) I hope your daughter comes to like the M5 as much as I do. But then, if she doesn't, neither did the Leica world of its day. Edited February 27, 2010 by ho_co Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsh Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share #9 Posted February 27, 2010 Caroline got one of the three M5s that I own. Sherry gets all of my business and has worked on every M5, including updating the cameras to use alkaline cells. Leica New Jersey no longer repairs film Ms. All are now sent to Germany. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted February 28, 2010 Share #10 Posted February 28, 2010 Thanks, Richard. I was afraid I might be preaching to the converted. And I was unaware that the older cameras all go to Germany. Quite a tidbit of news there! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
antistatic Posted March 1, 2010 Share #11 Posted March 1, 2010 Thanks, Richard. I was afraid I might be preaching to the converted. And I was unaware that the older cameras all go to Germany. Quite a tidbit of news there! Older cameras? When I last looked Leica had two film cameras in their current lineup. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted March 1, 2010 Share #12 Posted March 1, 2010 Rumor, David. Strictly rumor. They keep those in the line-up just so they can say, "Why, of course we're shipping M bodies..." Or maybe I should say, "Oh, but it's only the older ones that need repair." Or, "Ah, but compared to the achievement of the M5, those don't count." Obviously, my error; thanks for calling me on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
antistatic Posted March 1, 2010 Share #13 Posted March 1, 2010 Ahhh the internet, the last refuge of the pedant:p It's a bit of a concern that Leica NJ will not serve some current model cameras. Mind you I probably would feel happier if my camera went straight to Germany. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsrockit Posted March 1, 2010 Share #14 Posted March 1, 2010 Did your daughter appreciate it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsh Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share #15 Posted March 1, 2010 She did appreciate it. I am not certain how well she will do with an M as she has learned on Digital, but I applaud her willingness to give it a try. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 1, 2010 Share #16 Posted March 1, 2010 I was going to say, don't be too hard on her when she comes back one day with a pink Fuji digital she's swapped for but clearly she has already become frustrated with the limitations of digital and wants to try the real thing! Do post a photo or two for her. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsrockit Posted March 1, 2010 Share #17 Posted March 1, 2010 She did appreciate it. I am not certain how well she will do with an M as she has learned on Digital, but I applaud her willingness to give it a try. That's great, that's all you can hope for. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted March 1, 2010 Share #18 Posted March 1, 2010 (edited) For me digital or film is irrelevant (although digital is more convenient) but what is relevant for me is the way Leica lenses draw a picture. I made some pictures last saturday at a wedding and they were not sharp (my fault) but they did catch my attention for some (intangible?) reason. It is as if there is more light, or more texture, they look real.. So if your daughter "gets it" this time round it is an immediate succes, if not, it will still remain lodged in her brain and she probably will "get it" later on in life. My father (long deceased) told me about f/numbers and guessing exposure and stuff, while I was not really listening, but I am still hearing him now. He was not even a "serious" amateur he was just taking snapshots during holidays etc. as his father had taught him, and he passed this on to me. So from my point of view this is a wonderful present! Maybe we will see some of the pictures she made posted here. Edited March 1, 2010 by SJP Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 1, 2010 Share #19 Posted March 1, 2010 BTW my 11yo godson though my M2 was "a really really cool camera" so there's hope for these youngsters yet!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdemas Posted March 2, 2010 Share #20 Posted March 2, 2010 Jäger- Jaap has it right, just gravity. It's really very minor but can be important if shooting slides. Great camera, I'm sure your daughter will enjoy it! Kent Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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