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MP or M-A?


jmr237

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I have been leaning toward getting an M-A, but then I thought why not spend another $250 and get the MP? You get a better warranty (3 year passport plus 2 years limited) and you can always remove the batteries if you want a meterless experience.

 

So if you were in the market for a new MP or M-A (I'm not interested in the M7), which would you choose and why? For those of you who recently bought an M-A, what was your decision based on?

 

Whether I go MP or M-A, I would chose a stock configuration (no a la carte).

 

I think part of the M-A's appeal is a romantic notion of simplicity. From a functional perspective, it doesn't have anything that the MP doesn't have. But buying a film Leica in 2014 is as much about the heart as the mind, so this decision is not about a purely rational comparison of features.

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and you can always remove the batteries if you want a meterless experience. ....

From a functional perspective, it doesn't have anything that the MP doesn't have.

 

But it does. It has a less cluttered frameline view including a complete bottom line for the 28 and 35 framelines. It also has a slightly more responsive shutter release (less travel without a metering position). These factors may or may not be important, depending upon individual preferences but I know that I wouldn't have bought an M-A if it was simply an MP with the battery removed.

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It has a less cluttered frameline view including a complete bottom line for the 28 and 35 framelines. It also has a slightly more responsive shutter release (less travel without a metering position).

 

 

I agree that those points are relevant, especially since we are firmly in the land of Leica gear-headedness.

 

When I saw the M-A in person I was smitten. It's in reflection since then that I am wondering if I should reconsider the MP.

 

I suppose a corollary to my original question is how do the M-A users plan to meter (or not)?

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So if you were in the market for a new MP or M-A (I'm not interested in the M7), which would you choose and why? For those of you who recently bought an M-A, what was your decision based on?

 

Whether I go MP or M-A, I would chose a stock configuration (no a la carte).

 

I think part of the M-A's appeal is a romantic notion of simplicity. From a functional perspective, it doesn't have anything that the MP doesn't have. But buying a film Leica in 2014 is as much about the heart as the mind, so this decision is not about a purely rational comparison of features.

Jmr, ... both because it is only the price of one M240 :D

... without joking :) , the two are good with a slight preference for the MP.

If finances allow me I would buy both

The M7 is also a good camera ! :)

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m7-mp-film-m/345620-i-love-my-m7.html

Best

Henry

Edited by Doc Henry
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Jmr, ... both because it is only the price of one M240 :D

 

:D

 

If I didn't mave 2 MPs, and there was a BP version of the M-A, I'd definitely get the M-A, but I'm used to using M2s so I wouldn't miss the internal meter. I'm another who appreciates the short travel of the meterless cameras' shutter release.

Pete

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I agree that those points are relevant, especially since we are firmly in the land of Leica gear-headedness.

 

When I saw the M-A in person I was smitten. It's in reflection since then that I am wondering if I should reconsider the MP.

 

I suppose a corollary to my original question is how do the M-A users plan to meter (or not)?

 

That´s the question: If you have to meter, which way will you do so? With a coupled Leicameter on top of the elegant M-body? With a handheld meter? Right hand the camera, left hand the handheld meter?

 

My personal opinion: one of the real milestones in the evolution of the M-System was the integration of an internal light meter in the classic M-body with the M6 in 1984.

 

The new M-A could be seen as a successor to the M4-P from the 80´s, the MP is the direct successor to the M6 with many more or less important internal changes but with a far better viewfinder (which is included in the M7 and M-A, too) and above all fully mechanical.

 

It is up to you to find out your personal preference.

 

I use the MP since it´s introduction more than 10 years ago and i have to say, for me it is THE PERFECT CAMERA :)

 

Robert

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:D

 

If I didn't mave 2 MPs, and there was a BP version of the M-A, I'd definitely get the M-A, but I'm used to using M2s so I wouldn't miss the internal meter. I'm another who appreciates the short travel of the meterless cameras' shutter release.

Pete

Pete,but we agree :)

Do not forget that the two are "real" M telemetric , not like the "false" electronic telemetry ,making it lose its charm to the Rangefinder

Best

Henry

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With a handheld meter? Right hand the camera, left hand the handheld meter?

 

I like separating out the metering from the focussing part of taking a photograph. I meter in advance of even touching my camera so the issue of which hand to hold which item doesn't come into play. I already know the light levels (and have adjusted shutter speed and/or aperture) before I lift the camera to my eye. It is nice to simply focus and use a nice clean frameline (without any red LEDs in view) to fine-tune and confirm the composition that I will already have had in mind.

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I like separating out the metering from the focussing part of taking a photograph.

 

The way of taking a photo is up to the preference of the user. I like the integrated solution of the MP. It is fully mechanical, so you don't have to pay attention to battery-life. But it gives you the 'elegant' possibility of using a very effective integrated lightmeter.

 

By the way, i handled the M-A in Wetzlar and it is a nice companion for the M7 and MP. I would like to hear some first impressions.

 

Robert

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?......

I use the MP since it´s introduction more than 10 years ago and i have to say, for me it is THE PERFECT CAMERA......

 

I don't see the relevance of the statement other than as a personal justification for ownership. Leica should be applauded for introducing the option of the M-A. It sits perfectly alongside the MP.

 

The M-A is a very tempting option.

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The way of taking a photo is up to the preference of the user. I like the integrated solution of the MP. It is fully mechanical, so you don't have to pay attention to battery-life. But it gives you the 'elegant' possibility of using a very effective integrated lightmeter.

 

By the way, i handled the M-A in Wetzlar and it is a nice companion for the M7 and MP. I would like to hear some first impressions.

 

Robert

Robert, ....MP is a R Leicaflex (SL) : wonderful camera !

Best

Henry

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I don't see the relevance of the statement other than as a personal justification for ownership. Leica should be applauded for introducing the option of the M-A. It sits perfectly alongside the MP.

 

The M-A is a very tempting option.

 

My statement is nothing more or less my personal preference ;-)

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If you wanted the black chrome finish and no engraving finish on the MP the cost rises to $5345 , and likely a little more if you also want black hot-shoe rails.

Some like the shiny black paint over brass and how it scratches and wears off just by looking at it, but not me - so I never was going to buy a stock MP.

 

I've been running around with a Hasselblad and other meter-less cameras for years, so the lack of a meter in the M-A was no big deal ( I shoot B&W and C-41 only ).

 

Pre-setting the aperture and speed eliminates the temptation to fiddle with the exposure once the camera has been brought up to yor eye.

Indoors the metering LEDs can be quite distracting. I have on occasion removed the battery from my M6s.

The M6/MP meter circuit can rundown unexpectedly depending on how the camera lies in your bag; it does not take much pressure to activate the meter. Remembering to turn the shutter dial to B/OFF is a pain.

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I would like to hear some first impressions.

 

Robert, this thread has a few first impressions. The M-A is IMO the perfect distillation of a camera as a tool for taking photographs that can currently be bought new. Precise where it's required, independent of non-human power and featuring nothing that isn't necessary. In this vein, the camera reminds me of something like a fine quality micrometer.:)

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I think part of the M-A's appeal is a romantic notion...

 

In the modern world a phrase like this is almost always used as a perjorative. A silly person's looking back (read: backwards) to a time before we had all the new shiny that modern technology has given us. A time that is absolutely not as nice as we like to remember it being. But this short-circuits valid dialog about the nature and necessity of complexity in everything, regardless of any eventual determinations about (in this case) simplicity. It's what businesses do when faced with the need to provide constant renewal of their product lines. Now! New lemony-fresh scent!

 

But there is a real engineering case to be made for simplicity in design and Leica's product envelop has changed so little they can make a Big Deal of taking things away as much as if they added something to the product. Smart? Lucky? Both. It bears remembering that in that terrible past people who shot to put food on the table did just fine without meters, and Sunny-Something is still mentioned, not because it's quaint but because it works, even with an emulsion as stubborn as Kodachrome-II.

 

There's a case to be made for just taking the batteries out of an MP; the meter will still be there when you decide to use it. This moves "blame" off the product (is a meter really necessary?) and on to the user (what the hell do I want?) which is probably where it belongs. The answer might only come from those who commit to an M-A as their only camera, rather than as just one in a perhaps large stable. In any event, with the sanctity of the Leica body being what it is, I don't expect much industry-typical change going forward. Perhaps more wandering by the frame lever.

 

 

But buying a film Leica in 2014 is as much about the heart as the mind, so this decision is not about a purely rational comparison of features.

 

Absolutely this, and for the digital side of the aisle too. But why does the human animal give such precedence to the Rational (even when it's (often) shown to have been incorrect)? We've had emotion for only a few million years longer. :)

 

Just me, two doppios into a beautiful morning,

s-a

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I like separating out the metering from the focusing part of taking a photograph. ... It is nice to simply focus and use a nice clean frameline (without any red LEDs in view) to fine-tune and confirm the composition that I will already have had in mind.

 

This is a helpful perspective, thanks for sharing.

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A camera with a meter will not guarantee better-exposed photos in all cases. In-camera meters lie. And reliance on a meter in a camera rather than the meter in your head will surely lead to inaccurate exposure from time to time.

Of course, theoretically there is no harm in having a meter in the camera, which is why I think the choice for the M-A over the MP is really a personal one based on one's desired emotional bond with the tool.

Edited by A miller
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I held it my hands yesterday, the M-A. If I would go for film and a new one, I would choose for the MP, is my conclusion. There is no difference in how it feels in your hands, so you're right, if you want so bad without electricity, you can lift the battery from your MP.

Btw, for the MP there is the 'a la carte' procedure now, which is at this moment not yet possible for the M-A.

And to post #15: the MP is not less romantic/nostalgic than the M-A.

The real nostalgia comes with an M4, which will mostly have a more silent shutter than the M-A, in my experience.

Edited by otto.f
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The real nostalgia comes with an M4, which will mostly have a more silent shutter than the M-A, in my experience.

 

But it's quite possible to make your choice without considering nostalgia at all, no matter what you think of it (nostalgia). In fact if you never owned an M4 in the past you would have only the nostalgia of others directing you and none of your own. The big benefit of an M-A is that you're unlikely to go to your Leica dealer today and buy an M4 brand new in the box with full Leica warranty. If those are your requirements the M4 is a non-starter however good it might be. As for the shutter, give the M-A thirty years of use and then compare. It will be a more valid test.

 

I'm actually neutral on this and probably wasn't clear enough in #15. I bought an MP because I wanted a brand new mechanical film Leica with a warranty. If the M-A had been around it would have been a much harder decision. The M7 was never in the picture, in spite of it being a great camera.

 

Thanks,

s-a

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