plasticman Posted January 14, 2015 Share #221 Posted January 14, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Awesome review of the M-A from someone who gets it. Applied Relativity: The Leica M-A :: ULTRAsomething photography Brilliant article! Thanks for posting! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Hi plasticman, Take a look here I love my M-A. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
semi-ambivalent Posted January 14, 2015 Share #222 Posted January 14, 2015 Applied Relativity: The Leica M-A :: ULTRAsomething photography Public perception of film and its milieu will never change as long as film is presented as a rescued past, or film cameras as some hoary clockwork amulet found under Stonehenge or something. They are current. They are now. Full stop, end-of-story. The fact that Leica has just released a film camera spec'd as the M-A is is not a rescue; not at that price at least. Shrewd certainly, and welcome too, but to the masses completely unnecessary. The world is awash in perfectly functional film cameras and the quantity stored in places like, e.g., KEH is dwarfed by the number in closets and basements everywhere, waiting to be used. I have long since stopped engagement with the knuckleheads who ask about the availability of film. It's just one of the many things about which they will remain ignorant as long as their window on the world is none better than Facebook or Twitter or TMZ. Film is a perfect example of Market Economics: It exists solely because of demand, irrespective of the flawed world views of the pundits. Not because it's new, and not because it's convenient and not because it's saturation advertised. Simply because there's a demand for it, like that old school bottle of Folex buried at your supermarket. What could be more true, more perfect? My last 'interview' went like this: He: Is that an old film camera? Me: No actually, it's a brand new one. H: Do they still make film? M: Well I wouldn't have bought this if they didn't, hmmm? H: ...I haven't used film in a long time. M: That's too bad, you've probably completely forgotten what you're missing. I could barely even skim the above article. As good as it might be it's all been said before, right down to the evidently obligatory roster of expensive lenses owned by the author. Lenses utterly out of reach of most possible film Leica 'converts'. I happen to think the M-A is gorgeous, and I hope it's offered in a la carte with an optional >0.85 viewfinder for those who see the world in 50mm normal/tele rather than 35mm normal/wide. Leica should offer a steep (for Leica) discount package with a 50 Summarit. Of course, this won't do miracles; there is still the golden ticket out there with which to contend. I trust somebody is working on that even now. s-a 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted January 15, 2015 Share #223 Posted January 15, 2015 Hands up who else googled "Folex" 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted January 22, 2015 Share #224 Posted January 22, 2015 I created a thread since I couldn't find this one! But the M-A arrived from Transcontinenta! 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! 15 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/236926-i-love-my-m-a/?do=findComment&comment=2751029'>More sharing options...
Stealth3kpl Posted January 22, 2015 Share #225 Posted January 22, 2015 Good heavens Jip, you're easily persuaded. Dinner sometime? Pete 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted January 22, 2015 Share #226 Posted January 22, 2015 I created a thread since I couldn't find this one! But the M-A arrived from Transcontinenta! [ATTACH]480925[/ATTACH] Digital has so much going for it, but which of these cameras will likely still be functional in twenty years? Fifty? And, in a world with such a wealth of production, does it matter anymore? Now log off and go burn up some film... BTW, Nice! Visually, I like the covering on the M-A better. My MP ALC came with the M(240)'s version of Vulkanit. It works well too. s-a Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jip Posted January 22, 2015 Share #227 Posted January 22, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Good heavens Jip, you're easily persuaded. Dinner sometime? Pete Sure if you're buying? I'm broke right now! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post atufte Posted February 3, 2015 Popular Post Share #228 Posted February 3, 2015 My new best friend and travel companion arrived today... hopefully my grandchildrens children will fiddle about with this camera, in 2075...and of course, there will still be film available, since most of the world by then will be back using film due to magnetic storms wiping out every digital picture know to man in 2034, and the history of the last decade in pictures can only be found in low res on internet (the ones whom was uploaded somewhere).... 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! 25 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/236926-i-love-my-m-a/?do=findComment&comment=2758669'>More sharing options...
wattsy Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share #229 Posted February 3, 2015 My new best friend and travel companion arrived today... Only 16 digits away from my M-A serial number which started this thread. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted February 3, 2015 Share #230 Posted February 3, 2015 (edited) Only 16 digits away from my M-A serial number which started this thread. Yeah ... and a few more away from mine which arrived yesterday. Yay! I ordered mine in mid-December, it has a sticker on the cardboard box which says, 2015-01-16, and it was delivered to my dealer's shop last week where I picked it up yesterday. Today I took the first pictures but the film still is in the camera. Strangely, my camera's serial number is slightly lower than yours even though it's younger. This seems to acknowledge what a Leica representant said in an interview the other day—the Leica camera bodies' serial numbers don't accurately reflect their production dates. There are large pools of serial numbers assigned to planned batches but from that pool, the individual body gets some random number assigned. So when two bodies have serial numbers that are not too far away from each other, you CANNOT deduce the body with the higher number was younger. And boy, I love my new Leica M-A (which is silver chrome). This is such an unusual camera these days ... the immediate successor to a model that was current 40 years ago (Leica M4, M4-2, M4-P)—and even back then, these weren't really the most modern kind of 35-mm-format cameras around. The M-A's most prominent feature is the lack of features. No on-off switch (gasp!). No battery compartment (how can that even work?)! Retro style is hip these days but show me another camera manufacturer who dares to go that much retro ... Nikon Df? Bah, ridiculous! As a matter of fact, the M4-2 was the current Leica M model at the time when it dawned to me that a Leica M rangefinder camera might be a desirable thing. My first Leica was the M9 five years ago. Acquiring an M-A today feels like coming home after 40 years. Edited February 3, 2015 by 01af 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym911 Posted February 3, 2015 Share #231 Posted February 3, 2015 Whilst I congratulate all on your MA cameras..they look gorgeous.. Is the BP M4 simply not the most wonderful M ever made? For me yes but enjoy your new cameras, am sure they are a close 2nd:D:D Very best Andy 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted February 4, 2015 Share #232 Posted February 4, 2015 Is the black-paint Leica M4 simply not the most wonderful M ever made? For me, yes—but enjoy your new cameras, I am sure they are a close 2nd :D Sure ... but find another camera manufacturer who dares to produce a close 2nd, and successfully so! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 4, 2015 Share #233 Posted February 4, 2015 The M-A does take advantage of some advances since the M4 (which I owned), in that the viewfinder is a lot brighter (eye tested this myself in the store), more flare resistant (hasn't happened yet with my M-A, did a lot with my M6, less so with the M4), and perhaps a better, tighter tolerance focusing mechanism (not sure if this is only in the M240 or in the M-A as well). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattMaber Posted February 5, 2015 Share #234 Posted February 5, 2015 .. hopefully my grandchildrens children will fiddle about with this camera, in 2075...and of course, there will still be film available, since most of the world by then will be back using film due to magnetic storms wiping out every digital picture know to man in 2034, and the history of the last decade in pictures can only be found in low res on internet (the ones whom was uploaded somewhere).... Thats the dream! lol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted February 5, 2015 Share #235 Posted February 5, 2015 My SF-24D flash fired in manual mode at ALL shutter speeds today. I didn't think the M-A could do this and that the max shutter is 1/50. Any others' able to do this? Is the max shutter of 1/50 simply to say that anything faster will result in the shutter getting caught in the frame and mucking up the photo? I should have the film developed by tomorrow and should know the results over the weekend. I'll share anything interesting. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2015 Share #236 Posted February 5, 2015 My SF-24D flash fired in manual mode at ALL shutter speeds today. I didn't think the M-A could do this and that the max shutter is 1/50. Any others' able to do this? Is the max shutter of 1/50 simply to say that anything faster will result in the shutter getting caught in the frame and mucking up the photo? I should have the film developed by tomorrow and should know the results over the weekend. I'll share anything interesting. All film Leica M's (with a hot shoe) will fire the flash at any shutter speed. Only the M7 and M6 TTL will not fire the flash above 1/50. Also the M7 and M6 TTL will not fire the flash if the camera doesn't have batteries. You can fire the flash on the Leica M-A above 1/50 shutter speed, but you guessed correct: Any speed faster than 1/50 will result in a black band on your photos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted February 5, 2015 Share #237 Posted February 5, 2015 Thanks a lot. Leica USA wasn't able to give me this answer on the spot. I will see just how bad this banding is and whether it can serve as a prop for my photos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted February 5, 2015 Share #238 Posted February 5, 2015 Any speed faster than 1/50 will result in a black band on your photos. And just a couple weeks ago, at an estate sale, I walked away from a case of focal plane flashbulbs for $3.00. Maybe if they had been blue... s-a Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted February 6, 2015 Share #239 Posted February 6, 2015 Andy -- the flash will fire but the flash and the shutter won't be in sync, so part of the shot will be black for the faster speeds and overexposed in part for the slower ones (this part I am not 100% sure on). Point is, with flash, the easy way to think of it is that the exposure time is really the time your flash is one not the time the shutter is open. they just need to be in sync and once in sync then you know the f/stop for the distance. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01af Posted February 6, 2015 Share #240 Posted February 6, 2015 ... I walked away from a case of focal plane flashbulbs for $3.00. With the M-A and similar cameras which have a hotshoe and possibly also an X-sync cord socket (typically labelled 'X' or marked with a small zigzag flash symbol), flashbulbs can be used at shutter speeds of 1/15 s or longer. Flashbulbs need to be fired a moment before the shutter is fully open because they have a certain ignition latency. That's what the flashbulb-sync cord contact does (often labelled 'FP' or marked with a small lightbulb symbol) ... in those cameras that still have it. When using flashbulbs via X synchronisation then the shutter simply needs to wait a litlle longer for the flashbulb to actually light up—which will happen at 1/15 s or longer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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