I love my… I love my M-A

[a.noctilux]

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On 4/30/2023 at 7:44 AM, 69xchange said:

 

I heard LLL (light lens lab) is in the works of a barnack copy. I would love to pick one up if that is true.

 

I use happily many screwmount Leica (the real thing CLAed) and I advice ( if not done) experiment one of those old "horses",

Even Leica own Replica which I use is not the same as true old Leica

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[Huss]

On 4/29/2023 at 10:44 PM, 69xchange said:

 

 

I heard LLL (light lens lab) is in the works of a barnack copy. I would love to pick one up if that is true. 

I like LLL, and I have their 35 8 elements.  But for me the reason to buy one is it allows you to vicariously experience the 'real thing' for a fraction of the price.

Barnack cameras, frankly, are cheap.  A LLL replica would cost more than the real thing so I don't understand the attraction for that offering.

[Ouroboros]

8 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

 

 

Even Leica own Replica which I use is not the same as true old Leica

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What do you mean? How are the 'O' Serie replicas different?

[a.noctilux]

9 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

What do you mean? How are the 'O' Serie replicas different?

O Replica was nice journey but not success use for me, other Leica's are.

 

I was very happy when I found second hand 0 Replica, after using screwmount Leicas for many years.

Using it a bit was kind of time machine with so many "forgotten gestuals" of 1913, capping while winding (no self capping), possible changing speed only when half-wind,

the non interchangeable lens (very good though, modern coatings ! good job), the thing that bothers me the most is the odd shutter "feeling" and sounding/vibrations that

my real Leica ( of 1930's) lack.

 

Happy having done it, quite understanding the first years of small format utmost and why Leitz didn't sell untill 1925 with most flaws removed from them.

[Ouroboros]

26 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

O Replica was nice journey but not success use for me, other Leica's are.

 

I was very happy when I found second hand 0 Replica, after using screwmount Leicas for many years.

Using it a bit was kind of time machine with so many "forgotten gestuals" of 1913, capping while winding (no self capping), possible changing speed only when half-wind,

the non interchangeable lens (very good though, modern coatings ! good job), the thing that bothers me the most is the odd shutter "feeling" and sounding/vibrations that

my real Leica ( of 1930's) lack.

 

Happy having done it, quite understanding the first years of small format utmost and why Leitz didn't sell untill 1925 with most flaws removed from them.

Interesting.  I have the 2nd version 'O' Serie and I enjoy using it, the lens is excellent.  I'm not a collector so I have no idea what a 1930's shutter feels like to compare with mine,  it's not important to me.   From my point of view the camera is beautifully made, I like the convoluted process of using it and more importantly for me, images have a signature with Delta and Tmax 100 that is distinctly different to any other 35mm camera I've ever used.  

Despite it being a replica, I would say it is very much a real Leica 

[a.noctilux]

2 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

Despite it being a replica, I would say it is very much a real Leica 

Of course this IS real Leica.

 

Once in a while when I happend to use this Replica, as it is, the best thing is the results second to none,

and the "indescriptible pleasure" to use it with those "flaws" (from the past, now no more flaws for me mastered for a while).

A couple of words regarding screwmount Leicas, shutter was refined over time, needing to use them for a while to differenciate between periods.

Spreeding of three decades, my Leica II of early 30's are quite "crude" comparing to IIIf or IIIg only in shutter aspect (bounce, sound, vibrations, overall "feelings").

 

Leica M benefits from start of those "old style" shutter and differences are small from 1954 untill today.

I know that Leitz/Leica made some refinements over time, as with other inside components.

Even if M-A "feelings" in general are quite different from older M3/M4/etc.

[M9reno]

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I have one copy of the first replica (with the cross-hair finder) and a copy of the second (with the Galileo finder).  The lens on the first had a serious problem (discussed long ago in a thread in this forum) with veiling glare, which turned out to be caused by internal reflections (the brass tube had been left unpainted). The shop that sold the camera in Vienna initially replied that the "glare" was the result of "old lens technology" (!), but the problem was easily and quickly resolved by Malcolm Taylor with a bit of blacking and some internal baffling.

My second replica shows signs of the same type of glare, so clearly needs the same fix.

My suspicion is that only a minority of us actually use these cameras to take photographs, so the problem has not been widely noticed.

(Wow - I just noticed this thread is called "I love my M-A":  sorry for the off-topic!)

[kivis]

Anyone have a recently purchased M-A? Serial number?

[RobW0]

3 hours ago, kivis said:

Anyone have a recently purchased M-A? Serial number?

5622*** It was purchased in February 2023 from Leica USA with a build date of 2022/09/29. 

[kivis]

4 hours ago, RobW0 said:

5622*** It was purchased in February 2023 from Leica USA with a build date of 2022/09/29. 

Ok mine is 4490 bought in Feb 2021. So 1200 or so produced in 2 years and 4 months. sound right? BTW How to find out the build date?

Edited May 21, 2023 by kivis

[RobW0]

1 hour ago, kivis said:

Ok mine is 4490 bought in Feb 2021. So 1200 or so produced in 2 years and 4 months. sound right? BTW How to find out the build date?

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This is the build or packing date on the card in the box.

[aesop]

On 5/21/2023 at 11:52 PM, kivis said:

Ok mine is 4490 bought in Feb 2021. So 1200 or so produced in 2 years and 4 months. sound right? BTW How to find out the build date?

 

       ...not sure I share your confidence in the Leica's methodology when it comes to serial numbers.

 

[justaguywithaleica]

My silver M-A, purchased in April with a late March 2023 build date, has a serial number beginning 515....

[Vlad Soare]

13 hours ago, justaguywithaleica said:

My silver M-A, purchased in April with a late March 2023 build date, has a serial number beginning 515....

Also 515 here, also silver M-A, but built two years earlier.
So there may be little method, if any, in these serial numbers.

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Edited May 24, 2023 by Vlad Soare

[RAW]

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by RAW
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[Huss]

17 hours ago, RAW said:

 

The MP has the serial # engraved on the cover plate.  But my M6, M7, M-A have it on the hot shoe, which is a separate piece.

[RAW]

vor 7 Stunden schrieb Huss:

The MP has the serial # engraved on the cover plate.  But my M6, M7, M-A have it on the hot shoe, which is a separate piece.

Probably my English is not good enough, I'll rephrase my post at that time.

Nowadays, serial numbers no longer correlate with the date of completion of each camera. The number is engraved at the time the part being engraved is clamped into the engraving machine. This part is not applied until all the other parts of a camera are in place and assembled. And that can sometimes be earlier, sometimes later, depending on the pre-suppliers.

A strictly chronological sequence is not important for Leica. What matters to Leica is to be able to assign a camera without any doubt at the end.

[Huss]

24 minutes ago, RAW said:

Probably my English is not good enough, I'll rephrase my post at that time.

Nowadays, serial numbers no longer correlate with the date of completion of each camera. The number is engraved at the time the part being engraved is clamped into the engraving machine. This part is not applied until all the other parts of a camera are in place and assembled. And that can sometimes be earlier, sometimes later, depending on the pre-suppliers.

A strictly chronological sequence is not important for Leica. What matters to Leica is to be able to assign a camera without any doubt at the end.

Your English is excellent, I mis-understood.  

[RAW]

Glad I could clear up the misunderstanding. To be honest, I owe most of my English skills to online translators. 🤫

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[IkarusJohn]

3 hours ago, RAW said:

Probably my English is not good enough, I'll rephrase my post at that time.

Nowadays, serial numbers no longer correlate with the date of completion of each camera. The number is engraved at the time the part being engraved is clamped into the engraving machine. This part is not applied until all the other parts of a camera are in place and assembled. And that can sometimes be earlier, sometimes later, depending on the pre-suppliers.

A strictly chronological sequence is not important for Leica. What matters to Leica is to be able to assign a camera without any doubt at the end.

I’m not sure the numbers ever did correlate in any strict way.  My understanding is that the numbers were allocated in batches - ie, a bunch of tops made for MPs, or hotshoes for M-As, all with numbers engraved for that batch, but they have never been used in numerical order. Yeas, a batch signifies a period in which particular cameras were assembled, but that was done is no particular order.

Once a camera has been assembled, however, the number goes into the Leica database.  But they could be in any order within a batch …