earleygallery Posted April 9, 2007 Share #1 Posted April 9, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) As a lllf user I've finally taken the plunge and bought one of those new 'M' style cameras - actually I did have an M3 for a while but didn't get on with it, I preferred the lllf and traded it in for the R3. However, with my interest these days more in street photography, and liking the 35mm focal length I thought it was time to give it another go. I saw this M2 on e bay when I was browsing the net whilst on holiday a few weeks ago, put in a 'sensible' bid and expected to get outbid but was surprised to win it. When it arrived I found that the shutter wasn't firing correctly (described in EXC working condition) but the seller offered to have it fully CLA'd if I paid a nominal amount towards it. So, the camera has been fixed now and all looks fine. I just need a 35mm lens for it and think I'll order the Voigtlander 35 2.5. The Summicron will have to wait for now but if I like using the M this time around that will be my goal. I'll post again once I've got my first results and opinions of working with an M again. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/21076-new-camera/?do=findComment&comment=224227'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 9, 2007 Posted April 9, 2007 Hi earleygallery, Take a look here New camera. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Photoskeptic Posted April 9, 2007 Share #2 Posted April 9, 2007 Ah, James. Stepped into the modern world I see. Well, congrats and have fun. I've never shot any of the III series so I don't know what I'm missing, but I really do love my M3. I still love my M4 too, but it may have to go soon to help finance another lens for my M8. Cheers, John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatboy Posted April 10, 2007 Share #3 Posted April 10, 2007 I just need a 35mm lens for it and think I'll order the Voigtlander 35 2.5. The Summicron will have to wait for now but if I like using the M this time around that will be my goal. I'll post again once I've got my first results and opinions of working with an M again. James, she looks an absolute pearler. Congratulations on the aquisition and well done on buying at a sensible price! I also am needing a 35mm and am thinking the same as you, to get a VC 35mm 2.5 until I can aquire a cron. Tim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 10, 2007 Share #4 Posted April 10, 2007 James, a good buy, and just to try to get you addicted to the M world, keep in mind that Your M2 is not of a quite common version: it has not self timer and has the "button rewind" (not the more common "small lever rewind") : I did not succeded in reading the s/n, but the above specs say that it is of the first generation of M2s... use it, but keep also it with care... and remember it's a pity to use it with some "alien" lens: I agree that VC can be a good buy, but apart from Cron & Lux, do not forget that 35 Summarons (2,8 or 3,5) can be found for cheap in very good conditions... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizard Posted April 10, 2007 Share #5 Posted April 10, 2007 James, I have to second Luigi here, a 2.8/35mm Summaron lens can be found reasonably cheap and looks sooo good on an M2, not to mention that it produces very fine results, too. Enjoy your latest addition, I'm sure you will like it a lot (and your IIIf will probably not be used that much anymore:)). Cheers, Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share #6 Posted April 10, 2007 Thanks for the replies. Yes John, its a brave new world! Luigi & Andy, yes I will consider a Summaron. I hear that the 3.5 is not so good however, but the 2.8 is on a par with the earlier Summicrons. Aperture in London have a nice one but its the 3.5. Tim, Sean Reid rates the Skopar highly and I've been very pleased with my 25mm Skopar on the lllf. If I get a screw fit lens I can also use it on the lllf if needed (which I'm determined to carry on using!). The M2 is a '58 model. Its in very good condition but with some marks of use on the chrome, but vulcanite is intact and the rangefinder is bright. I feel that it's not been used much in recent years, which is probably why the shutter was off. One small scratch which I'm sure wasn't there before it went to repair....I didn't want to buy one in mint condition because I want to use the camera and not worry too much about keeping it in mint condition. Does anyone know why Leica made a button rewind initially? I quite like the less cluttered look of it than the later M2's although a self timer is very useful at times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 10, 2007 Share #7 Posted April 10, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I think the switch from "button" to "lever" had mainly esthetic reasons : it is after all a very simply mechanism, I see no reason for the lever "works better" than the button; on the other side... imagine the last M2s... three kind levers of the same look for ST, FS, RW... nicer, more stylish than 2 levers + 1 button... Leitz had lot of money to invest in small details, at these times.... and do not forget that M2, INITIALLY, was conceived as a cheaper (no so much...) alternative to M3: 2 mechanism less (self timer and auto reset film counter) and maybe button was slightly less costly than lever; BTW, someone says that at that times 35 was considered a less "professional" length than 135, more apt for amateurs as std. lens; but, by contrast, self timer and auto reset frame counter are surely more important for amateurs than for pros... the issue IF M2 was really conceived as a "more for amateurs than pros" camera is questionable... anyway it did cost less than M3; personally, I think that the "yes 35 - no 135" question has another explanation: the VF/RF assembly of M2 is DIFFERENT from M3's and is a lot similar to M4's (M2s with 135 frame do exist, rare): as I said, money to invest in Wetzlar at that times : they decided to develop a new VF/RF with 35 framing and simply decided not to insist with a small 135 frame with a model that had to show something slightly LESS than M3. Oh, forgot: I have both Summarons 35 : 3,5 SM and 2,8 BM : sincerely, a matter of taste apart the obvious max open: I have never noticed significant differences at "usual" apertures and anyway I think that the "better considered" 2,8 is also more common IN THE M2 VERSION : keep in mind that the Summaron 3,5 (apart the SM versions) had 3 versions (and 3 codings...) in BM : - Not goggled, for M3 (it does not take up the 35 frame on M2) - Goggled, for M3 (50 frame on M3 becomes 35 with goggle) - Not goggled for M2 (take up the 35 frame on M2) And seems to me the last is the less common. Sorry for the length : I like too much to speak about classic Leicas... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bankcheck Posted April 10, 2007 Share #8 Posted April 10, 2007 Nice find, James. Just a thought on buying a 35mm Leica lense; the prices have gone up considerably (particularly the 'cron), may be you want to buy one sooner. Good luck and congrat. Cheers. Dennis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share #9 Posted April 10, 2007 Luigi, thanks for the info. You can never write too much! Dennis - yes, I think the M8 is to blame, Grrrr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatboy Posted April 11, 2007 Share #10 Posted April 11, 2007 anyway I think that the "better considered" 2,8 is also more common IN THE M2 VERSION : keep in mind that the Summaron 3,5 (apart the SM versions) had 3 versions (and 3 codings...) Hi Luigi, Thank you for imparting your knowledge on the Summarons, were all the 2.8 Summarons only available in chrome? I have not seen any black ones. Tim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 11, 2007 Share #11 Posted April 11, 2007 For what I know, Summaron 2,8 is chrome only: there is also a fine detail about this lens...many were manufactured in the screw-to-bayonet transition timeframe...and so many are SM with a BM adapter permanently fitted (a tiny screw is visible, it is NOT the well known screw-to-bayonet adapter that went on the market) : but a significant difference exists: the "original" BMs have focus scale to 0,7m OR EVEN 0,65m, the "factory converted" BMs have scale to 1m (mine is so). Not the only lens with this detail: Super Angulon 21 f4 BM are ALL SM converted, and so numbers of Summicron 90 (adapter fixed with GLUE!) and some other (not any 50, seem to remember) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Mitchell Posted April 11, 2007 Share #12 Posted April 11, 2007 I have the same model of M2, only mine doesn't look quite as clean. I undertsand that some of the rewind buttons had to be pressed in continuously while rewinding. Once pushed, mine stays in by itself--a nice luxury. This is one of my favorite cameras. For a 35, when not using a 'cron on the M2 I like the Canon 35/1.8 LTM with adapter. That lens has a nice signature, different than the 'cron and well worth it's price (probably down to $150-$175 for a decent example these days). It is an older lens, so getting accurate information on the glass is vital. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bastian A. Posted April 11, 2007 Share #13 Posted April 11, 2007 Now we are already three owners of this early version with the rewind button here I would even say that it looks much better than the later and more common version. ... and it is a very reliable and unpretentious workhorse. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicamateur Posted June 1, 2007 Share #14 Posted June 1, 2007 ...I just need a 35mm lens for it and think I'll order the Voigtlander 35 2.5. ... James, I want to get rid of my VL 35mm Ultron 1.7 as I just upgraded to the VL 35mm Nokton 1.2 I just had the Ultron for a few weeks if you still need one PM me, I can even bring it to London due to my trip this June. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
echorec Posted June 1, 2007 Share #15 Posted June 1, 2007 James, I might be wrong (hopefully) and it is very hard to tell from the picture but you might have a little prism separation going on. Look closely into the big viewfinder window from the front. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_parker Posted June 1, 2007 Share #16 Posted June 1, 2007 James I've an M2 myself and whilst they're a little heavier that the lllf, they handle beautifully - still got to get the rangefinder fixed on mine, though..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted June 2, 2007 Author Share #17 Posted June 2, 2007 Marc - thanks, but I bought the 2.5. I did look at an Ultron but preferred the more compact lens. Gunnar - I can't see any problems, what are you looking at? If it is the reflection it appears to be just that, thankfully! Robert - what is up with your rangefinder? As you say it is heavier than the lllf but has that similar tactile quality and it is fast (well, faster) to use with the 35mm lens. So far so good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted June 2, 2007 Share #18 Posted June 2, 2007 James, welcome to the 1950s ;-) My first M was an M2 and it's a cracking camera. I hope you realise that you are now on a very slippery slope indeed <grin> Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 2, 2007 Share #19 Posted June 2, 2007 Milton Keynes will do a full CLA and replace various bits on an M2 for around a hundred quid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johannes Knightworth Posted June 2, 2007 Share #20 Posted June 2, 2007 Sorry for the off-topic (totally off topic actually) But my friend switched to digital and sold me his EOS 3 and 50mm 1.4 auto focus lens. It's plastic, it's big, it's noisy and very obtrusive ... but it produces great images. I would like to use it more often but I seem such an idiot walking around touting a huge black thing around my neck ..... but the images remain great. from 2.0 onwards I bet it can compete with any Cron.... but this is not the thing, I bought it for 225€.... sort of makes one wonder doesn't it ... Sorry for stealing your thread :-))) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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