Torgian Posted December 9, 2013 Share #1 Posted December 9, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hey all. So after much consideration, I've bought an M from Pop Flash. I suppose I got a bit lucky... they had a black M-240 that was on its way from Leica, and i should be getting it by the end of this week. In case anyone else is interested, they do have a silver M still available. Head to popflash.com. Free shipping! Now, on to a new question.. what should I look for in a lens? I want to get at least one used lens, and I'm thinking of a 35mm. Also, there is a chance that I'll be trading my bike for some Leica lenses from a local guy here. What should I look for in a lens, as far as possible damage, etc? I'll have my 240 by the time he comes to take a look at my bike... he has a 35mm summilux asph, a similar 50mm, and a few others. I'm guessing that if there's a scratch on the lens front or back, it's a no go, but is there anything else I should look for? Edit: Everytime I say 240, I think of the Nissan. I should just call it an M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 9, 2013 Posted December 9, 2013 Hi Torgian, Take a look here So I bought an M.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
mirekti Posted December 9, 2013 Share #2 Posted December 9, 2013 I think you should slow down first. Get one lens and get familiar with it. In the meantime read about different lens opinions here before you decide what might your next lens be. You'll get familiar with what others use and what for. Once you get familiar with the different lens characteristics, you might be able to make a decision, and purchase something based on your needs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naper Posted December 10, 2013 Share #3 Posted December 10, 2013 Everytime I say 240, I think of the Nissan. I should just call it an M. The 240Z was one nice ride, although I think it was a Datsun. For me M is a BMW (M3,M5) Th 50mm is a great lens to start with. Ask your friend if you can take it to Pop Flash for them to check it out. Ultimately 28, 50, 90 is the way to go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannybuoy Posted December 10, 2013 Share #4 Posted December 10, 2013 Oh no. You should have got a Sony A7. Just kidding. You'll enjoy your stay at Hotel M. A 35mm is a great place to start. My 1st Leica lens was a Summicron 35 Asph. I got that before I'd even got my M9 a good few years ago. Excellent lens for general shooting. I then dabbled with a few 50mms that ultimately led me down the path to wanting a Summilux 50 Asph which I now own. A beauty of a lens. A 15, 21, 28, 75, 90 or 135mm will also be useful. There's no need to stick to just one lens for a while, jist go with what feels right to you. And what you feel comfortable spending. Having options is great and I personally like to have options. Never underestimate older Leica lenses or even Konica M-Hexanons. I have two, a 28 and 90 and they're cracking for the money. My favourite lens at the mo is the voigtlander 35 1.4 SC. Dinky little lens with a nice draw and cheap too. But I'm now pretty sure I might cash in for a Lux 35 Asph when the time comes. Enjoy your journey of discovery! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tthorne Posted December 10, 2013 Share #5 Posted December 10, 2013 Hey all. So after much consideration, I've bought an M from Pop Flash. I suppose I got a bit lucky... they had a black M-240 that was on its way from Leica, and i should be getting it by the end of this week. In case anyone else is interested, they do have a silver M still available. Head to popflash.com. Free shipping! Now, on to a new question.. what should I look for in a lens? I want to get at least one used lens, and I'm thinking of a 35mm. Also, there is a chance that I'll be trading my bike for some Leica lenses from a local guy here. What should I look for in a lens, as far as possible damage, etc? I'll have my 240 by the time he comes to take a look at my bike... he has a 35mm summilux asph, a similar 50mm, and a few others. I'm guessing that if there's a scratch on the lens front or back, it's a no go, but is there anything else I should look for? Edit: Everytime I say 240, I think of the Nissan. I should just call it an M. Your experience my be different from mine, but for what it is worth... When I came to Leica I really wanted: CV 12mm & 15mm, Leica 21mm Lux, Leica 35mm Lux, 50mm Lux, 90mm Cron APO, and 135mm APO. Then things changed. I am not sure what it was. I think I got it in my head that I wanted to take better advantage of the small sizes, smaller bags, simplicity, less is more, and that sort of thing. To this day I am shocked to have those words come out of my gear head. Anyway... I had the 12mm from use on my GXR. Way too out of control on full frame. I ended up skipping the 15mm and passing on the 21 LUX for the 21mm Super Elmar 3.4 ASPH because it is SO small and so amazing optically. Even now though, as much as I LOVE this lens, I may not really own it if I didn't need wide angle for some of the work i do. Moving on... 35mm was easy for me. I love 35mm. The LUX ASPH FLE made sense to me because it is still considerably small, fast, and it shares the same 46mm threads that my 21mm had. Done deal. The Pre FLE is a nice lens also, but I read a lot about focus shift, so I didn't bother. If I was going to go less expensive on the 35mm, and I did for a bit, it would be the CV 35mm 1.2. AMAZING lens. Fast with a lot of character. I will own one again perhaps for use on my A7R. This all made 50mm easier for me as well as the LUX ASPH is small, fast, and it shares the same 46mm threads of my 21mm and 35mm. I have tried other 50's out there, and there are plenty of less expensive winners also. CV 50mm 1.5, any number of Crons... For me though, I think that if I ever pick up a second 50mm, it will be a Noctilux .95. Other than that, my LUX does everything just fine, and if I am being honest, $11K is a lot for that one extra stop. For me, the fascination with it is more in the character of that lens. I love it. I may satisfy this with a Rokkor 58mm 1.2 on my A7R instead. 90mm I was Cron all the way, and I liked it, but then I decided that it was tricky to focus wide open and that I wanted the Elmarit with the 46mm threads to match my set, so I switched it out. Then I decided that, as much as I liked 90mm, I always wanted to shoot 35 and 50 with the rangefinder instead. 90mm hit the shelf. The Cron APO may make a comeback on the A7R though. I like the small size (relative) of the lens and I think focusing will be a lot less tricky on the A7R. 135mm, I stopped thinking about it all together, for any system really. I just realized I didn't need to cover that much ground. If you are still with me, you're a trooper!!! 35mm and 50mm are my go to lenses on Leica. Pure enjoyment for me. Next year when the Zeiss wide zoom comes out for the A7R, that should be it for my 21mm, nice as it is. In the end, while necessity keeps me having a wide angle option of some sort, Leica has made me a 2 lens kind of guy. Sorry this was so long winded. If it is helpful to anyone or at least draws a chuckle, I'll be happy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted December 10, 2013 Share #6 Posted December 10, 2013 Congrats...The folks at Popflash are great to deal with. I have bought and traded with Tony a lot over the years. Personally I would start with a 50 or 35. See if you can try before you buy. What kind of bike are you trading a motor? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torgian Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted December 10, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) A road bicycle actually. Suffice it to say, it's worth enough for two, MAYBE three used Leica lenses. Suffice it to say, I'm basically giving up one tool to pursue a newer hobby while I'm in Japan... and beyond. Edit: Oooh. That sounded almost poetic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tundraline Posted December 10, 2013 Share #8 Posted December 10, 2013 The latest version of the Leica 35mm Summilux FLE. I would definitely start there. Everything else can follow later. You will never regret buying this lens, and you will use it more than any other lens you might buy afterwards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyman Posted December 10, 2013 Share #9 Posted December 10, 2013 Congrats! Like Naper, I went the 28, 50, 90 route. The 50mm Lux ASPH is really the primary investment, with a very nice Zeiss 28 and a 90 Tele Elmarit that was a very slightly hazy bargain at $450, but will be replaced down the road with a more current version. I just got my M two months ago, and it's a complete joy. Best of luck with yours! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torgian Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share #10 Posted December 10, 2013 A lot of people recommended the Sony A7. I was tempted to go that route. But, I had also tried out other digital cameras... the Olympus OMD-1 or whatever.. a Fugi, a Panny GX7... I didn't like EVF. Those things just... suck. The Panny looked terrible, the olympus was better, but still... In the end, I didn't enjoy them, and not just for the EVF, but the whole experience. I felt detached. Then I tried out the M9 they had in the camera shop here in Boulder. They wouldl't let me click around with it considering its price, but they were considerate enough for me to play around with it and the lens. Ergonomically, the camera is bleh. I'm sure I'm gonna have to get a thumb rest or a grip for the M-240. But everything else was awesome. The rangefinder experience was pretty nice. It was easy for me to figure out how to focus with the OVF. Felt like I was part of the process and connected with it. I'm probably (I will) be slower than anyone else out there as I get used to manual focusing and well... manual everything, but it'll be fun and I'll enjoy it. Anyways, the whole point of this post is that, if I didn't like the Olympus, the Fuji, or the Panny, why would I like the Sony? Kinda sucks that one has to pay a premium for good simplicity... granted, I guess I could have gone for a cheaper rangefinder, or go manual only in another digital camera, but I got sucked into this one. Gonna be good times. Especially when I get to Japan in a few months! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marac Posted December 10, 2013 Share #11 Posted December 10, 2013 Enjoy your Leica & most of all Enjoy Japan, I went there in 1997 and stayed 10 years, it can have that effect on you. be warned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tundraline Posted December 10, 2013 Share #12 Posted December 10, 2013 A lot of people recommended the Sony A7. I was tempted to go that route. But, I had also tried out other digital cameras... the Olympus OMD-1 or whatever.. a Fugi, a Panny GX7... Then I tried out the M9 they had in the camera shop here in Boulder. They wouldl't let me click around with it considering its price, but they were considerate enough for me to play around with it and the lens. I'm probably (I will) be slower than anyone else out there as I get used to manual focusing and well... manual everything, but it'll be fun and I'll enjoy it. Kinda sucks that one has to pay a premium for good simplicity... granted, I guess I could have gone for a cheaper rangefinder, or go manual only in another digital camera, but I got sucked into this one. Gonna be good times. Especially when I get to Japan in a few months! Best of luck with your new M240 and whatever lens(es) you wind up starting out with. Never used one, but you might want to check out a Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 Nokton. They sell new for $1,200. That's the great thing about the M system - there are so many different rangefinder-coupled lenses you can use. The siren call of auto-everything cameras would periodically suck me in every few years, but I always wound up going back to Leica M cameras for their simplicity and the nice results they provide. I have had my new Sony A7R for about 18 hours and can report it is no Leica. It's a very nice camera, but it is quite clear that for me at least it will never be a substitute for a Leica M camera. Lots of electronic gadgetry and too many menus and hidden quirks. It has a very loud shutter. My dog never reacted to my M9's shutter, but she has a pronounced reaction to the A7R shutter. I'll speculate it's probably the same with people. I live in Lyons close to Boulder. Hope to see you out and about with your new M and whatever lens you decide to start with. Cheers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dugby Posted December 10, 2013 Share #13 Posted December 10, 2013 Enjoy your Leica & most of all Enjoy Japan, I went there in 1997 and stayed 10 years, it can have that effect on you. be warned. Agree agree... I've been there 5+ times. Go and check out the pre-used M lenses at Map Camera shop, about 5min walk from the west exit of the Shinjuku station, google will show you how to get there Mushi mush Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torgian Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share #14 Posted December 10, 2013 I live in Lyons close to Boulder. Hope to see you out and about with your new M and whatever lens you decide to start with. Cheers! How's Lyons like nowadays? I sold my car so I haven't been there since the flood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tundraline Posted December 10, 2013 Share #15 Posted December 10, 2013 How's Lyons like nowadays? I sold my car so I haven't been there since the flood. As you know, Lyons was beat up badly by the flood. About 200 homes were completely destroyed, most of which will not be rebuilt. It will be quite a few years before things get back to "normal." Below is a photo from Friday, September 13, 2013 that I took with my M9. The rangefinder was hard to use on that day because humidity and water vapor in the air were at such high levels. 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/218166-so-i-bought-an-m/?do=findComment&comment=2484620'>More sharing options...
boostisbest Posted December 10, 2013 Share #16 Posted December 10, 2013 Torgian, Being a long time lurker here...I can't think of a better reason for a first post here on the forum. I'm in the exact same boat as you, as I am also awaiting my black M240 to ship from Popflash! I purchased it last week as well... so we must be on the same batch that just arrived. I had a Leica M6, but never used a digital Leica before. I was also considering the Sony A7R when it was announced... but last month I went to the Leica store in LA and tried using a digital M for the first time. Needless to say I was immediately hooked. I went home, and after some negotiation with my wife... set out to sell pretty much all my other gear. I unloaded my Fuji X100s, Ricoh GR, and yes... even my M6. Eerily similar to your situation, I even sold one of my bikes! For the first time in years... as I await my M to arrive, I am completely without camera... and have been taking pics with my iPhone5. My new M can't arrive fast enough! I don't live too far from Popflash, so I expect to receive it sometime this week. Unfortunately... I sent my 35 Summicron V3 lens to New York for cleaning, and probably won't get it back for 2 weeks. This means that I will have a brand new M sitting on my desk, but won't be able to use it for at least a week! I'm sure it will be well worth the wait though. I did get a chance to test out the Sony A7 last week, and that experience pretty much re-affirmed my decision to go with the M. Great camera, but just not what I was looking for. Being as how we are both getting the camera seemingly together, I feel like we should keep joint photo log or something... lol. Can't wait to see some of your pics from Japan. Enjoy the camera...I'm sure I'll be enjoying mine. Hey all. So after much consideration, I've bought an M from Pop Flash. I suppose I got a bit lucky... they had a black M-240 that was on its way from Leica, and i should be getting it by the end of this week. In case anyone else is interested, they do have a silver M still available. Head to popflash.com. Free shipping! ..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCR33 Posted December 10, 2013 Share #17 Posted December 10, 2013 Hi guys, I got my M240 a few weeks ago and managed to get the EVF2 and MF Grip as well. My main excitement of getting the M240 is the chance to use all my R lenses I bought years ago and been idle in the drawers for all these years. Personally, I still think the R8/9 are the best made Leica ever and most of the R lenses too. It was so sad to see them collecting dust all this time and the M240 is like god-sent! As we all know the R to M adaptor has been out of stock for a year and only a few people are lucky enough to have it. Novoflex is one option and my so called 6 bit coded ring fails to trigger to R lens menu and am waiting for Novoflex to send me a revised version. Having said that the ring does allow me to use the R lenses without the right EXIF data. So far, my impression with R lenses has been more than happy. Both R35 and R80 1.4 are as good as the M35 and M75 1.4 but the focal lengths of R lenses are 0.5m, when M are 0.7m. Of course, R lenses are heavy and bulky, more than the Noctilux! This is a shot taken when I was in Hong Kong, with R80 1.4, through a thick shop window Another image with R35 1.4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fchan1211 Posted December 10, 2013 Share #18 Posted December 10, 2013 I believe that the waiting time for a M240 has been improved in the last few weeks. I placed an order on Nov 19 and was told at that time that the waiting time is around 2 to 3 months. However, I received a call and picked it up from the shop today. It only toke around 3 weeks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicavkk Posted December 11, 2013 Share #19 Posted December 11, 2013 People are either 35 or 50 people. I have both and love both but use my 50 far more. So with that bias I suggest the 50 lux asph as a first lens - it's magical on the 240! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted December 12, 2013 Share #20 Posted December 12, 2013 Once you get it the waiting starts, for firmware updates, etc etc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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