Looking to join the club

[junah1]

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Hi Everyone,

After a lot of thought I feel I am going to commit to buying into a Leica M set up.

I currently shoot Pentax digital, 35mm and medium format and want to step up in quality.

Bearing in mind I will be starting from scratch, so will probably be spending £20-30,000 over the next 3 years, what stockist would you recommend? I live near Birmingham UK and no stockists locally so will have to travel, I am looking to build up a relationship with someone I can trust and have honest advise from, I prefer to do face to face transactions, not deal over the internet.

I have seen other posts suggesting what to start with and thought a M and 50mm F2 Apo-Summarit, as I have not used rangefinders before, is this like learning to drive in a Ferrari?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[junah1]

I know I will have to wait for both items.

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[doolittle]

Not that familiar with dealers in the UK, but maybe some of the other forum members will know better. Geographically Stephens Photo Centre in Manchester wouldn't be to far from you. The again London isn't so far either and you have plenty of choices there: Red Dot Cameras, RG Lewis etc.

 

Your budget sounds ambitious for somebody who hasn't tried rangefinder photography before, but it's relative I suppose. There are plenty of lenses at lower prices which are more than capable of taking superb images. Anyway, you only need one lens to start.You could consider renting camera and lens to see how it suits you.

Edited March 21, 2013 by doolittle

[farnz]

Junah1,

 

Welcome to the forum! I assume that you mean the 50 f/2 APO-Summicron asph in which case it certainly will be a step up in quality actually right to the top. Since you're planning to get the M you'll have the option of using the rangefinder or LiveView but I hope you persevere with using the rangefinder so you'll understand what's caused those of us here and elsewhere to hold it in such high esteem.

 

Pete.

[LucisPictor]

Why not start with a used M8 and a nice 35mm lens to see if rangefinder photography is what you want?

You will easily be able to sell your M8 without a big loss again when you think, the new M is right for you.

[Xavier Forcioli]

Why not start with a used M8 and a nice 35mm lens to see if rangefinder photography is what you want?

You will easily be able to sell your M8 without a big loss again when you think, the new M is right for you.

 

I would suggest the same: you could get a "cheap" second hand M8 or even M9 plus a Summicron 35 or 50.

At the time being, there are very few M240 available and long waiting list: you could spend that time learning how to use a rangefinder camera.

[Lee Martin]

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Have I missed something ? Is that "budget" £20 to £30 thousand pounds over 3 years ?

[junah1]

Thanks for your advise, may be I will get an

M8, most retailers are not keen to take a camera in part exchange when they can sell the M240 full price to any one walking in off the street.

As to the budget, if I eventually get a M240, a MM and three top of the range lens, I would think that is the sort of figure we are looking at, and whilst it is a lot of money, I can think of worse investments!

[earleygallery]

Hi Everyone,

After a lot of thought I feel I am going to commit to buying into a Leica M set up.

I currently shoot Pentax digital, 35mm and medium format and want to step up in quality.

Bearing in mind I will be starting from scratch, so will probably be spending £20-30,000 over the next 3 years, what stockist would you recommend? I live near Birmingham UK and no stockists locally so will have to travel, I am looking to build up a relationship with someone I can trust and have honest advise from, I prefer to do face to face transactions, not deal over the internet.

I have seen other posts suggesting what to start with and thought a M and 50mm F2 Apo-Summarit, as I have not used rangefinders before, is this like learning to drive in a Ferrari?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

What do you NEED? What do you want to achieve with the equipment you decide to buy?

 

If you need the added features of the new M (EVF etc) then put your name on a waiting list and, well, wait.

 

Otherwise you could buy the new M-E and or MM (if you want a monochrome only camera and intend making very large prints).

 

The APO Summicron is no doubt superb, but I would suggest its overkill unless you are going to want to squeeze every last drop of resolution out of it. The normal Summicron, or Summarit, are both very fine lenses, as well as being significantly less expensive.

 

Again it comes back to my first question.

[Lee Martin]

Thanks for your advise, may be I will get an

M8, most retailers are not keen to take a camera in part exchange when they can sell the M240 full price to any one walking in off the street.

As to the budget, if I eventually get a M240, a MM and three top of the range lens, I would think that is the sort of figure we are looking at, and whilst it is a lot of money, I can think of worse investments!

 

No I fully agree, it's beautiful equipment and I wish you well with it, I'm sure you'll get your monies worth time and again. Good luck .

[hepcat]

Hi junah1, and welcome!

 

I admit I'm a little confused. What 'club' is it that you want to join? Why do you want to buy into the Leica system, and why in the world are you looking to spend SO much money?

 

What is it, exactly, that you're trying to accomplish? If you're a collector and you're just looking to drop a ton of money into something you think will be collectible one day, thats fine... but that's not a photographer's pursuit.

 

If, on the other hand, you're considering buying into Leica as a photographer I think you're going about it backwards... buying equipment because it's "good" and then trying to sort out what you want to do with it is both costly and time consuming... and most especially may not get you equipement that will do the job you want it to do.

 

Perhaps if you could explain a little more about what you want to do and what you want to accomplish by switching to Leica, it might be easier to give you advice that would be meaningful.

 

Roger

[Peter H]

..................

The APO Summicron is no doubt superb, but I would suggest its overkill unless you are going to want to squeeze every last drop of resolution out of it. ...........

 

I agree entirely with James (and Roger).

 

And its not just overkill that's the issue: it may well be less capable than many other lenses for the type of photography that interests you, but since we don't know what that is, any opinions on the subject are hypothetical.

 

I'm sure you know this already, but photography is about ideas and imagination more than equipment and we don't know about your thinking here, so its very hard to give advice or even just sensible thoughts about equipment that will best suit you.

 

Anyway, welcome to the forum and enjoy the process and save a little money for when you've discovered exactly what you need.

[junah1]

Dear All,

Thanks for your guidance, I find the Pentax kit I have at the moment is too heavy (particularly the 67 system) and requires a lot of "extras" to be lugged around, so feel the Leica system would be easier to transport.

I like portrait and macro photography, and to take my time and enjoy the experience, I have no commercial pressure in the pictures I take, it's just for my own pleasure.

As to the cost, I always buy the best I can afford wether that be tools or watches, I never want to be blaming the equipment, if the picture is poor, it's my fault, not the kit.

Edited April 2, 2013 by junah1

[farnz]

Junah1,

 

I trod a similar road to yours, moving from the massive Pentax 67, through an early Pentax digital (the oddly named *ist DS) to Leica. I do sometimes hanker for those mouth-watering 2¼ x 3¼ trannies but I don't miss the weight and bulk of the equipment and I don't regret the move at all although there are some things I do still miss from the Pentax 67 system.

 

Pete.

[Peter H]

...........

As to the cost, I always buy the best I can afford wether that be tools or watches, I never want to be blaming the equipment, if the picture is poor, it's my fault, not the kit.

 

Well, as long as you don't mistake "the best I can afford' for the most expensive, you'll be fine.

 

Is your portraiture formal, tripod-based or more informal and spontaneous? In the first case I wouldn't recommend a Leica, but in the second, I most certainly would.