I love my… I love my M-A

[a.noctilux]

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Poli, nice couple.

Only one lens for them ?

 

Don't regret your choice of newer M-A over M4.

One day you would find an M4 which is plenty available, many many more units built than M-A.

 

[poli]

4 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

Poli, nice couple.

Only one lens for them ?

 

Don't regret your choice of newer M-A over M4.

One day you would find an M4 which is plenty available, many many more units built than M-A.

 

I won’t regret! It’s is a lovely camera. Love the feeling. And I enjoy learning to shoot without a meter. This morning on a picnic finished my first roll.
I have enough lenses to chose from. Maybe too many. . Haha.  24 (elmar) ,28(summaron), 35 (in the picture) 50 (summicron) and two 90 (macro elmar and pre asph summicron). 

Edited September 5, 2021 by poli

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[a.noctilux]

Poli,

I know that you use other lenses.

Just kidding.

Have fun with your M-A (and other too ! ).

[poli]

1 minute ago, a.noctilux said:

Poli,

I know that you use other lenses.

Just kidding.

Have fun with your M-A (and other too ! ).

Ah ok! 😉

thank you! 

[kivis]

On 1/3/2015 at 6:17 AM, bruniroquai said:

I've been told by some dealer that MP is better made than M-A... I can't find the reason, any opinion?

 

Best,

 

Bruno

My dealer told me it's personal taste.

[Likaleica]

On 8/21/2021 at 12:57 AM, logan2z said:

No magic words should be necessary, Leica does offer this as part of the Redesign program:

https://us.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-M/M-System-Service/Redesign

Wait a second...  Leica discontinued their a la carte program a few years ago, but this looks like they have just rebranded it.  The link definitely works.  Has anyone had any experience with this?

[logan2z]

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2 hours ago, Likaleica said:

Wait a second...  Leica discontinued their a la carte program a few years ago, but this looks like they have just rebranded it.  The link definitely works.  Has anyone had any experience with this?

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the two programs are the same but with a different name.  The a la carte program allowed you to order a camera with customizations from the factory.  The Redesign Program requires you to buy a stock camera first and then send it back to Leica for customization.  Frankly, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me to require you to first take delivery of a camera and then send it back to be 'redesigned'.  Why not let customers order the camera they want in the first place?  I'm sure Leica has their reasons for this, but it seems kind of silly IMO.

[IkarusJohn]

The “redesign” is only the leather and the topdeck and bottom plate.  The A la carte programme allowed you to choose viewfinder magnification, winder, frame lines and a few other things in addition to just the aesthetics …

[kivis]

On 11/14/2018 at 5:53 PM, semi-ambivalent said:

Shoot, I forgot all about that.

2018-10-30.

How does one find the manufacturing date for their M-A?

[kivis]

Oh I found it 2020/09/15. Makes sense since I bought it in the first week of March 2021.

[a.noctilux]

15 minutes ago, kivis said:

How does one find the manufacturing date for their M-A?

Not exactly manufacturing date, but 'release date', if you have all accessories as new, in four places of same sticker & same serial number:

Test Certificate, Warranty Card, 2 on the carton boxes.

 

Edited September 7, 2021 by a.noctilux

[Kriehuber]

vor 13 Stunden schrieb IkarusJohn:

The “redesign” is only the leather and the topdeck and bottom plate.  The A la carte programme allowed you to choose viewfinder magnification, winder, frame lines and a few other things in addition to just the aesthetics

One of my cameras is in Wetzlar right now to get a 0.58 Viewfinder installed ( The old finder gets completely removed and a new on installed ). They offered me two different sets for the frame lines I could choose from: 35/50/28,90 or 35/50,75/28,90.  They also offered a version with and without the frame line selector. Obviously they don't just do that but change out a lot of other different parts and do a lot of different repairs / services from what they told me and what I can see on the PDF they sent

I wrote them a email first and later had a call, and it sounded like they could do everything someone could want to my camera. 

[a.noctilux]

Thanks Kriehuber.

Very interesting news.

Which is your M sent ?

So we can send the M and ask for modifications that we want, as VF mag/framelines.

👍

If Leica can put x0.85 VF on one of mine it would be great.

[Kriehuber]

Gerade eben schrieb a.noctilux:

Which is your M sent ?

 

If Leica can put x0.85 VF on one of mine it would be great.

A Leica MA black paint ( not black chrome ) that already had a decent amount of other modifications done by Leica.

They Told me they can put a full 0.58 / 0.72 / 0.85 rangefinder in every M camera  from the M3 - MA, including the M1 (!), but excluding the cameras without a viewfinder like the MD and also the M5.  But I don't know wich frame line sets/ masks they offer for the 0.72 and 0.85 finder, for the 0.52 the offer the two versions mentioned above. 

 

[a.noctilux]

Very nice 👌.

I'll ask for that, thanks.

I hope that the framelines are M-A's complete, with bottom line.

 

How long would it take Kriehuber, in your case ?

[Yellow_78]

1 hour ago, Kriehuber said:

A Leica MA black paint ( not black chrome ) that already had a decent amount of other modifications done by Leica.

They Told me they can put a full 0.58 / 0.72 / 0.85 rangefinder in every M camera  from the M3 - MA, including the M1 (!), but excluding the cameras without a viewfinder like the MD and also the M5.  But I don't know wich frame line sets/ masks they offer for the 0.72 and 0.85 finder, for the 0.52 the offer the two versions mentioned above. 

 

May I ask how you got hold of a black paint M-A?? I Really want one!

[Kriehuber]

vor einer Stunde schrieb a.noctilux:

I'll ask for that, thanks.

I hope that the framelines are M-A's complete, with bottom line.

 

How long would it take Kriehuber, in your case ?

Great! I also would be interested in a 0,85 finder in the future.

No, that's what they told me first after telling me the 0.58 finder was available. Since 0.58 and 0.85 Finder used today where released with the Leica MP but where never standard in the MA (or any other Meter-less camera ) they never updated it as they did with 0.72 finder, wich is standard for the MP and MA. Thats why the 0.72 finder was updated with the MA but not the 0.58 and 0.85.  That does not bother me ( I actually couldn't care less personally ), but I totally understand why it would others.

My Camera got delivered to them on a Friday ( They ask you to send it in with a printed out form from their website, where you write down what you want them to repair/ upgrade etc. ), I got the Confirmation of receipt from them Tuesday morning via Email. The email included a tracking Link where I can check the status of my Camera. Seven days later they send me a Offer via Email. It included a List of all Services and Parts they would do / replace including the price ( with and without taxes ). It also included a second offer wich was a List of Services / Parts that are optional. Both offers also included a description stating what they need to do/change and what are options where I could choose.

They offer normal Bank-Transfer, Local pickup and Credit Card. ( You pay when they finished your repair )

The day after I confirmed their offer, I got the confirmation that they started processing my order via the link I motioned above. I don't know when my camera will be ready ( I didn't ask for a approximate time ), but I will update you as soon they get back to me with any news about my camera.

[Kriehuber]

vor 22 Minuten schrieb Yellow_78:

May I ask how you got hold of a black paint M-A?? I Really want one!

I asked them before buying. The MA Base- and Top-Plate are completely interchangeable ( as is the whole body ). So they just changed out the Top and Bottom-Plate with a black Paint one. It obviously took more time since they had to custom engrave it, since the black paint parts normally only come with MP engravings. They also offered custom engravings ( My personal engraving and/ or the classic Leica specific ones. 

I did order directly form Leica ( not via a Leica store or other dealer ). So they send me a invoice including the M-A and the Plate change.  In my experience that's the only difference to the A la Carte program, you can't order a custom camera directly, but you pay for the whole camera + the service. So this change is also possible when just buying a normal M-A from a Leica Store or dealer and then you can just send it in to Wetzlar. 

As always they don't repaint but always change out the whole part for a new one and destroy the old one so there is no Serialnumber existing twice.

You could also just get the camera repainted by someone who offers that, all the popular options often share black paint cameras they repainted and they look pretty close to the Leica ones, if not the same. But I never tried that myself, but there are probably a lot of reviews out there. 

[logan2z]

1 hour ago, Kriehuber said:

So this change is also possible when just buying a normal M-A from a Leica Store or dealer and then you can just send it in to Wetzlar. 

Right, that's the 'Redesign' program - buy the camera and then send it back to Wetzlar for the customizations. 

Enjoy your 'new' camera!

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[Kriehuber]

vor 3 Minuten schrieb logan2z:

Right, that's the 'Redesign' program - buy the camera and then send it back to Wetzlar for the customizations. 

Enjoy your 'new' camera!

Yes! You can still skip the "buying first and shipping" step when buying directly from them but that does not change that you pay for everything as different type of service. ( per example paying for the 0.72 finder AND the 0.58 finder or paying for the black chrome plates AND the black paint ones ) 

It would be nice for analogue and digital cameras if they just would offer to order a customized camera directly when buying directly from them. Its still AMAZING that you can get your 60+ Year old M3 customized the same way you can get your newly bought MA.