ktmrider2

For Leica I did the same keeping my anniversary M4 with 35/50/90/135 focal length lenses. For digital I kept a FujiX100f so have not gone totally back to basics. I find it much simpler to accept the limitations of film and not worry about owning the latest and greatest (and most expensive) digital body. Now if only I could do what I have done with photography equipment with multiple motorcycles, life would be much simpler. Life is so much simpler when everything I need can be put in a backpack for travel while keeping excess resources in a bank account.

Smallest and lightest 35 camera that I know is the Olympus OM series. Metal is heavy. Don't know if there is significant weight savings using an M4P/2 over M3 but zinc is lighter than brass. An M3 body and single 50 is about as light as a Leica M gets, unless the lens is a Noctilux. Met a 20 something last week while motorcycling south of Anchorage and he pulls the original Canon F1 out of the bag-talk about a tank compared to my M4.

My last 30 day motorcycle tour was film only-black M4 with 35/90 combo. My next trip to Nova Scotia and New England will be the same combo. Take the film out of the box and put in a clear plastic bag which can be handed to TSA agents or their equivalent and simply ask for a hand inspection. The question is can you wait until you get the results back from processing or do you need to see your results immediately? I am old enough I remember when film was the only option. I love the digital technology but shot for over 30 years using film. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks (and I just prefer film). You will have a phone for digital and sharing your photos on the internet.

Maybe it is time I take the plunge and get the black paint M4 but I need another Leica film body like I need a hole in my head.

It looks better than the titan version in my opinion. The total lack of script is killer.

It does not do anything for me. I think I would go with black chrome on the MA or black paint on the MP. But before I would buy either, I would get a black paint M4.

I purchased a black chrome 50th anniversary M4 two years ago for $3000. The dealer just offered me what I paid for the camera and I see one on his website for $3999. So, ya Leica M film camera prices are insane. I doubt a digital Leica would do that and am glad I got rid of my digital Leica's. When I want to shoot digital and digital does have many advantages, I go Fuji.

Ya, I sold my MP240 last fall along with two Leica film bodies and a few lenses. I have a FujiX100f for when the digital addiction hits. Digital does have some advantages but I prefer the whole old and slow film process.

Great thread. I am going thru it page by page. It has got me packing my film Leica with 35/90 lenses for my upcoming four- week motorcycle trip. I am leaving the digital bodies at home except for my phone. Thanks everyone for posting.

Actually, I would suggest any of the Nikonos bodies and the 35f2.8 Nikkor or a GoPro if you want digital. Both would keep working after getting wet.

The Zeiss 35f2.8 C Biogon lives on my black M4. When I travel I add the 90f2.8 Elmarit M so in a very compact kit I get maximum versatility.

I do both film and digital but for shear enjoyment I have to go with film. I am sure it is my age as I learned to shoot and print using a 4x5 Graflex back in 1966 as a freshman in high school. Then I paid my way through Indiana University with a couple Nikon F's and a lot of TriX. I got my first Leica, a CL in 1974 and have not been without a film M since then. I moved to Alaska last October with a mint black M4 but have to admit it sat in the closet through the winter while I played with a Fuji X100F and XT-4 which are certainly nice cameras and their images are certainly convient to process. And the mirrorless viewfinder is making photography fun again. Sping is here and I pulled the M4 out of the closet and shoved in a roll of film. And I found the only lab in Alaska for film so things are looking up. I have a month long motorcycle trip in May and I swear the M4 will be the only camera. In fact, I am pretty sure I will be riding a motorcycle from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego next autumn and I may only carry my M4 (with 35 and 90) and a cellular phone for photos. Technically, the Fuji's bring home the bacon more often than a manual exposure/focus Leica but the process is not the same. I have come to realize I will never be great at this but I do make images that I enjoy using the film process that I also enjoy more.

Nice M4's. The last photo looks like a clone of mine except I have "50 jahre" on the front next to the rangefinder window. Honestly, I could be happy with just about any film M but the M4 and the M2 are my favorites. I would love a black paint body but my bank account would not. Long live Leica film cameras!

Agree, Leica film camera prices have gone nuts in the last couple years but I doubt if we have seen the peak. Supply and demand as except for a few MP and MA bodies, film cameras are not really being made anymore. And Leica has been marketing itself as a high end luxury product.

Don't know why everyone seems to be pushing the M2 as a "budget" film camera. A quick check of prices at Tamarkin shows M2's between $1650-$2500. I have been using Leica film cameras since 1974 starting with the CL and have owned all of them up to the M7. My favorites are the M2 (viewfinder) and M4 (viewfinder almost as good but better film loading/rewind). And if you need a meter, the M5 is disparaged by people who have never used them. And what is an MA but an M2 with modern film loading and six frame lines in the viewfinder costing $$$$$ more but it is newer. Leica got something right with the M2 better than any other film M. The .72 finder allows for the use of 35mm lenses and the internals are identical to the legendary M3 (almost). I am using a mint black M4 and one film M now fits my needs. Honestly I don't shoot enough to justify all the Leica cameras I had last fall so I sold three of them and several lenses. If I did not have the M4 I would have an M2 and would not look back. I guess my ideal Leica would be a black paint M2 with modern film loading but I am willing to save thousands of dollars and take a pass on the black paint and am too lazy to look for a M2 with the modern film loading mechanism. Yes, they were made but are pretty rare. If you want to really learn about the M2, go over to rangefinder forum and check out Tom Abrahamsson's discussions under "Coffee with Mentors". I have a good friend who shoots for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and his photography kit for after the nuclear war is two M2's with 35 and 90 lenses and 500 rolls of TriX. On prices, yes film Leica prices have gone nuts. I purchased a mint black chrome 50th anniversary M4 from ClassicConnection almost three years ago for $3000. Sam Shoshan, the owner, offered to buy it back last week for $3000. And yes buy whichever model you decide on from a dealer like Tamarkin or Classic Connection who will allow you to return the camera for a money back guarantee. Honestly it is hard to go wrong with any Leica camera. If you shop around, you should be able to sell it for what you paid for it or perhaps a bit more. Have fun and good hunting.