Messsucherkamera Posted November 28, 2012 Share #21 Posted November 28, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) you might call me young and foolish too Young and foolish beats old and foolish... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 28, 2012 Posted November 28, 2012 Hi Messsucherkamera, Take a look here I am young and foolish and no nothing about cameras.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Ruhayat Posted December 1, 2012 Share #22 Posted December 1, 2012 ...am I mad to contemplate a film Leica with my inexperience? About 4 years ago, I bought an M6TTL, my first ever Leica M and film camera. Best teacher for photography I ever had. For a first M, an M7 would be the most practical. But if you want to learn the most, I'd say go for either the M4-P (meterless, mechanical and manual) or M6 (if you want a metered option every once in a while). Both are rather close in price now, so the M6 might be the better buy since it is newer and there are more around. Buy a cheap, black version and you won't find it feeling so precious. Right now I'm having fun with the M4-P, which gives me the most basic camera I can get - with a 28mm lens, I don't even need to focus with the rangefinder. The rangefinderless MD2 would be even better for me, but it's harder to find and costs more, too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruhayat Posted December 1, 2012 Share #23 Posted December 1, 2012 A black M6 classic with 35mm Color Skopar or 40mm M-Rokkor would be a tremendous start, I would say. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
payasam Posted December 1, 2012 Share #24 Posted December 1, 2012 Any M Leica will get you started and enable you to learn. A $500 M2 will do the job as well as a $1,200 M6. However, "I want a camera I can learn with, and grow with" suggests that you are serious about the pursuit. This means -- assuming that you can handle sometimes delicate equipment without damaging it -- that a relatively expensive kit will not be illogical. After more than two decades with M3s and M2s (and screw mount Leicas), I now use an M6. The built-in meter makes for much faster working. A factor to consider is processing. I depend on labs, and there are few labs left here which still handle film. Film is definitely more demanding than digital in terms of time. Unlike 20 and 30 years ago, the prospect of a badly processed roll is a recurrent worry. I pay the price because for some kinds of picture I prefer the results of film to those of digital. However, the costs of being "traditional" will certainly rise as film becomes even more scarce and lab work becomes more difficult to get and also less reliable. I know that the future is digital and, at the age of 62, I foresee that some part of my active life remaining will be digital only. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mctuomey Posted December 1, 2012 Share #25 Posted December 1, 2012 Film Leica M purchase algorithm: 1. Need auto-exposure/meter in camera and ttl flash? M7 2. Need meter in camera and ttl flash? M6ttl 3. Need meter in camera? M6 4. No meter in camera needed but need/want 28/35/50/75/90/135mm framelines? M4-P 5. No meter in camera needed but need/want only 35/50/90/135mm framelines? M4, M4-2 6. No meter in camera needed but need/want only 35/50/90mm framelines? M2 7. No meter in camera needed but need/want only 50/90/135mm framelines? M3 I've excluded the M5 because it departs from the classic M shape, although it is a great metered shooter especially for heavier, larger lenses. Problem is you can't make the best decision without M experience and you can't get M experience without making a purchase decision So make a good guess, start shooting, and you'll figure it out for yourself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iedei Posted December 1, 2012 Share #26 Posted December 1, 2012 I've excluded the M5 because it departs from the classic M shape, although it is a great metered shooter especially for heavier, larger lenses. the M5 is not that much larger than any other M....and should definitely be included in your algorithm. Prices have gone up a lot for the M5 though...and are still going up... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mctuomey Posted December 1, 2012 Share #27 Posted December 1, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) the M5 is not that much larger than any other M....and should definitely be included in your algorithm. Prices have gone up a lot for the M5 though...and are still going up... You are right, Syed. The M5's place in my simple algorithm would be as "need meter in body" but with simplified framelines 35/50/90/135 of the M4/M4-2 cameras. The M5 has other features that recommend it: non-LED, analog meter read-out, the most user-friendly shutter speed dial of all the M bodies, and a slightly larger body for larger hands that doesn't need any kind of add-on grip, imo. One more edit to the algorithm: an MP holds the same place in the algorithm as the M6. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messsucherkamera Posted December 2, 2012 Share #28 Posted December 2, 2012 About 4 years ago, I bought an M6TTL, my first ever Leica M and film camera. Best teacher for photography I ever had. For a first M, an M7 would be the most practical. But if you want to learn the most, I'd say go for either the M4-P (meterless, mechanical and manual) or M6 (if you want a metered option every once in a while). Both are rather close in price now, so the M6 might be the better buy since it is newer and there are more around. Buy a cheap, black version and you won't find it feeling so precious. Right now I'm having fun with the M4-P, which gives me the most basic camera I can get - with a 28mm lens, I don't even need to focus with the rangefinder. The rangefinderless MD2 would be even better for me, but it's harder to find and costs more, too. The M4-P is indeed a great camera - I would recommend it with just one caveat - when shooting against the light, the rangefinder patch is prone to flare issues. This is more of a minor annoyance than a dealbreaker IMHO. Sherry Krauter can install an MP viewfinder upgrade which solves the flare issue. +1 on the M4-P with a 28mm combination. If you use zone focusing, this is an extremely fast setup for catching that elusive decisive moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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