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Ernest - do you have the 90 collapsible? I also am in Long Beach and could bring my MA if you want to tag up this weekend to try it out.

 

Eric

I contacted Josh at super Leica Store Miami, and he set me straight that it was safe to mount the 90 mm collapsible Elmar on an M-A: “Yes, that is correct! I always collapse the lens slowly whenever I mount a vintage lens on a modern Leica. Just in case. But as the M-A is a film camera you should not have anything to worry about.” Yes, Eric, the 90 mm Macro Elmar–M is next on my must-have list. Thanks for your generous offer. Cheers, Rog

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Hi guys, i was deciding between an MP and an MA for my first Leica, and decided to ask Leica directly on some of the issues that were splitting my decision, like for example the problems with the light leak, rewind crank, etc and the origin of the chassis... is it an MP chassis or a dedicated one for the MA?... well, Leica responded:

 

Dear Hernán,

 

Thank you very much for your mail and the interest shown in our products.

 

The Leica M-A has the same chassis as the MP for example. The battery compartment is covered and the skin is continuous.

 

Thus there is no risk of protrusion in the location where the MP model has the battery compartment, in front.

 

 

I hope this information has been useful.

 

Best regards

 

 

So, as I surmised at the launch of the M-A, it is exactly like the Classic, with a cover screwed over the battery compartment.

Just my 2 cents, but for for less money and lacking a hole, I would prefer the M2. M3 or M4.

On the other hand I suppose M-A production helps keep film alive at Leica....

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So, as I surmised at the launch of the M-A, it is exactly like the Classic, with a cover screwed over the battery compartment.

Just my 2 cents, but for for less money and lacking a hole, I would prefer the M2. M3 or M4.

On the other hand I suppose M-A production helps keep film alive at Leica....

I like to think film keeps Leica alive because it's Leica's film cameras' legacy that allows Leica to sell very expensive digital cameras.

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So, as I surmised at the launch of the M-A, it is exactly like the Classic, with a cover screwed over the battery compartment.

Just my 2 cents, but for for less money and lacking a hole, I would prefer the M2. M3 or M4.

On the other hand I suppose M-A production helps keep film alive at Leica....

 

 

If your eyes have the acuity, the modern implementation of the viewfinder and rangefinder in the M-A is the best to date, clearest and highest contrast on the rangefinder patch.  Do a side-by-side comparison at your local stocking dealer and see if the difference is worthwhile for you.

 

Eric

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If your eyes have the acuity, the modern implementation of the viewfinder and rangefinder in the M-A is the best to date, clearest and highest contrast on the rangefinder patch.  Do a side-by-side comparison at your local stocking dealer and see if the difference is worthwhile for you.

 

Eric

 

It is what convinced me to get an MA in the first place. I brought in a M6 and M4 (hated the M6 flare) and compared viewfinder and they were gone in a trade for the MA -- I since bought back an M4, I just feel that beast can't be broken.

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I since bought back an M4, I just feel that beast can't be broken.

Exactly, that’s why I returned to an M4 after I bought a new M6 once, I didn’t feel comfortable with the top-plate. Built-in exposure metering is overrated anyway

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I must admit I really would love to get an M-A but my M4 is not going anywhere!

 

 

 

Exactly, that’s why I returned to an M4 after I bought a new M6 once, I didn’t feel comfortable with the top-plate. Built-in exposure metering is overrated anyway

Or do what I did. Add an M4 to go with your M-A. Perfect solution :)

Edited by Abram
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Or do what I did. Add an M4 to go with your M-A. Perfect solution :)

There is one major reason for me to not go into a new M-A or MP: the M3-type metal wind lever. Don’t see so much why Leica has the M4-type only on the M7, I like that one much better because it feels comfortable to carry the camera with it under your thumb.

On the other hand, I missed the 28mm framelines on my M4 yesterday. This new Summicron 28 asph is so good with Delta100 in RPX-D, whereas in digital he’s a bit harsh to my taste.

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There is one major reason for me to not go into a new M-A or MP: the M3-type metal wind lever. Don’t see so much why Leica has the M4-type only on the M7, I like that one much better because it feels comfortable to carry the camera with it under your thumb.

On the other hand, I missed the 28mm framelines on my M4 yesterday. This new Summicron 28 asph is so good with Delta100 in RPX-D, whereas in digital he’s a bit harsh to my taste.

 

The M-A / MP rewinder is much more durable.  Your grandkids will thank Leica later :)

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The M-A / MP rewinder is much more durable.  Your grandkids will thank Leica later :)

I meant the film transport lever to go to the next capture, sorry for my English. The M3-type rewind lever is actually better because rewinding slowly is better.

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I meant the film transport lever to go to the next capture, sorry for my English. The M3-type rewind lever is actually better because rewinding slowly is better.

When I had a normal M6 and M7, that lever would often sort of 'slip' out of my finger halfway through the stroke. I don't remember how exactly (it's been four or five years), but I'd fumble it on a regular basis.

Switching to the Millennium M6 and an M2 with the old lever is so much nicer, and reduced my fumbling to zero. They also look much nicer without the ugly plastic bump and weird bend.

 

I also vastly prefer the older rewind - much more robust and solid-feeling. (and also more beautiful as a whole on the camera).

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So was it just the new aspect that led you to the M-A over an M4-P for example?

(Genuinely interested)

 

 

Yes, in a roundabout way. I bought the M-A unintentionally after visiting the Mayfair shop to have a moan about my Monochrom languishing at Wetzlar. I had also recently sold my M9-P and was mentally "getting out" of digital M bodies. The M-A had only arrived in the shop a couple of days previously (this was October 2014 and it was also the first M-A they had received so it was all very new) and I asked to take a look. I had owned plenty of film bodies prior to this but never one without a meter and I was rather taken with the simplicity of it – nothing to turn on with just the essentials for taking a photograph. It was also in silver chrome, a colour I'd never particularly liked before but in this case seemed very precise (the matt chrome and the numbering on the shutter speed dial reminded me very much of the engineering tools that my father owned when he was alive). Although I know (and knew then) that I could get the same functionality from a much cheaper used M4 or M4-2 it didn't cross my mind that I wanted to pursue that option. Similarly, when I later sold my Monochrom and went all-in, so to speak, with film bodies, I bought another M-A rather than looked for an older body. I also considered a new-in-box (still sealed in plastic) M4-2 that the Vienna Leica shop were selling for less than £1000 so I guess the newness is an important factor to me.

 

With hindsight the M4-2 was a very good deal and I should have bought it but I was irrationally concerned at the time that, whilst I might be buying something that was brand new, it was still 40 years old and may end causing problems with finder separation or something like that. The irony here is that both M-A bodies I bought new had to be serviced.

Edited by wattsy
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Yes, in a roundabout way. I bought the M-A unintentionally after visiting the Mayfair shop to have a moan about my Monochrom languishing at Wetzlar. I had also recently sold my M9-P and was mentally "getting out" of digital M bodies. The M-A had only arrived in the shop a couple of days previously (this was October 2014 and it was also the first M-A they had received so it was all very new) and I asked to take a look. I had owned plenty of film bodies prior to this but never one without a meter and I was rather taken with the simplicity of it – nothing to turn on with just the essentials for taking a photograph. It was also in silver chrome, a colour I'd never particularly liked before but in this case seemed very precise (the matt chrome and the numbering on the shutter speed dial reminded me very much of the engineering tools that my father owned when he was alive). Although I know (and knew then) that I could get the same functionality from a much cheaper used M4 or M4-2 it didn't cross my mind that I wanted to pursue that option. Similarly, when I later sold my Monochrom and went all-in, so to speak, with film bodies, I bought another M-A rather than looked for an older body. I also considered a new-in-box (still sealed in plastic) M4-2 that the Vienna Leica shop were selling for less than £1000 so I guess the newness is an important factor to me.

 

With hindsight the M4-2 was a very good deal and I should have bought it but I was irrationally concerned at the time that, whilst I might be buying something that was brand new, it was still 40 years old and may end causing problems with finder separation or something like that. The irony here is that both M-A bodies I bought new had to be serviced.

 

Serviced? Wow .... haven't had that misfortune, what went wrong? I absolutely love my MA, every scratch is mine :-)  

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