I love my… I love my M-A

[JMF]

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[AndrewK]

When i started doing my research of which film cameras I should get about a year ago, i was contemplate between ones with light meter, or ones without light meter. This thread has provided me with experiences of many long-time Leica film users and i thank you all for that.

I finally decided and picked up my new M-A yesterday. Boy isn’t she a beauty~ Just loaded the first color film in it and I’ll try to shoot more over the course of the next few days and share the result and my experience. Cheers

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[ktmrider2]

It looks like an M2 clone in the silver finish and that is not meant as an insult but as praise!  I got a new MP about a month ago and it was a hard decision between it and an MA but I already had a mint M4.

[kivis]

[AndrewK]

On 4/5/2024 at 1:21 PM, AndrewK said:

When i started doing my research of which film cameras I should get about a year ago, i was contemplate between ones with light meter, or ones without light meter. This thread has provided me with experiences of many long-time Leica film users and i thank you all for that.

I finally decided and picked up my new M-A yesterday. Boy isn’t she a beauty~ Just loaded the first color film in it and I’ll try to shoot more over the course of the next few days and share the result and my experience. Cheers

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The weather wasn’t the nicest but still manage to finished two rolls of film. Color is Porta400, B/W is TriX400. Here are some of the results.

 

 

 

 

 

[AndrewK]

On 4/9/2024 at 10:52 PM, AndrewK said:

 

The weather wasn’t the nicest but still manage to finished two rolls of film. Color is Porta400, B/W is TriX400. Here are some of the results.

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Beginner's mistake.  Photo from my previous post were scanned by the shop that i got my film developed. The color looks strange to me. So i scan the negative with a Epson V600 plus SilverFast. And the result were night and day. 

Has anyone had experience with negative scanner from Plustek? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[frame-it]

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25 minutes ago, AndrewK said:

 

Has anyone had experience with negative scanner from Plustek?

 

 

 

 

[AndrewK]

On 4/12/2024 at 11:43 AM, frame-it said:

 

Thank you! I've read thru most of these threads. I know many people would suggest to go for a DSLR/mirrorless camera negative scanning but since i already own a Epson V600, i might as well try to make the most use out of it.    After trying/experiencing different scanning software (Epson/SilverFast/VueScan), i found one thing in common across all these scanning software and that is, it's difficult to have all the scan image to be in focus!!   Do the people scan with scanner has a similar issue?

Scanned image from the developing shop are all in focus, but color is not accurate. When i scan my own negative, color is good, but these images are not focus/sharp. If i apply more sharpness via the software, it looks very artificial.

 

Love to hear your thoughts... thanks

 

[frame-it]

1 hour ago, AndrewK said:

Thank you! I've read thru most of these threads. I know many people would suggest to go for a DSLR/mirrorless camera negative scanning but since i already own a Epson V600, i might as well try to make the most use out of it.    After trying/experiencing different scanning software (Epson/SilverFast/VueScan), i found one thing in common across all these scanning software and that is, it's difficult to have all the scan image to be in focus!!   Do the people scan with scanner has a similar issue?

Scanned image from the developing shop are all in focus, but color is not accurate. When i scan my own negative, color is good, but these images are not focus/sharp. If i apply more sharpness via the software, it looks very artificial.

 

Love to hear your thoughts... thanks

 

perhaps its better to post to one of those threads instead of this one? probably get more replies

[hansvons]

On 4/17/2024 at 4:33 AM, AndrewK said:

 

Love to hear your thoughts... thanks

Went through that myself. I have a long experience with properly scanned cine footage and hence know what the baseline should be. Quite frustrating when the results are soft. 

On old-fashioned BW stocks like DoubleX or TriX, the grain should be tack-sharp without sharpening (only slight sharpening on the pixel level). That’s a bit different for T-grain stocks, especially Kodak cinema colour stocks. I guess Kodak Gold etc. falls in the same category. Here, some sharpening is needed. In C1 that would be Amount 800 and Radius 0.3. The grain should be sharp right to the corners. 

I solved the focus and sharpness issue with a Sigma 70mm Macro (must be set at f 11) and the incredible Valoi Easy35. Any 24 MP DSLR will do it. I use the SL2-S. 

I never found that flat-bed scanners and these Plustek things come close to what I get from a proper telecine. DSLR scanning sounds like a ridiculous makeshift, but it's not. It comes very close to a telecine scanner when the macro lens is tack-sharp because you’ll have a highly flexible raw file to work with, similar in a way to those Cineon scans. But it’s important to use a fully linear camera profile in your editor and add for contrast a gamma curve in a later stage, mimicking somewhat the workflow in a telecine colour timing process.

[hansvons]

On 4/17/2024 at 4:33 AM, AndrewK said:

I've read thru most of these threads. I know many people would suggest to go for a DSLR/mirrorless camera negative scanning but since i already own a Epson V600,

For reference, this link contains two samples of images I scanned with the above-mentioned workflow. The colour picture was shot on 5207 250D, and the B&W on 5222 DoubleX. The link will expire in a few days.

Please note that I developed the 5207 film with the C41 process, not ENC2. The latter process is even finer-grained but shows less speed.

Edited April 18, 2024 by hansvons

[AndrewK]

On 4/18/2024 at 4:37 PM, hansvons said:

For reference, this link contains two samples of images I scanned with the above-mentioned workflow. The colour picture was shot on 5207 250D, and the B&W on 5222 DoubleX. The link will expire in a few days.

Please note that I developed the 5207 film with the C41 process, not ENC2. The latter process is even finer-grained but shows less speed.

Thank you @hansvons. Your results look pretty good.  Since i don't have any DSLR that i could use for scanning negative purpose, i figured it may be easier for me to just get a scanner. That is exactly what i did, and i went for Pacific Image PrimeFilm XA Plus scanner with auto focus capability.

I rescanned two rolls of negatives that i previously scanned with Epson V600 and the difference is night and day. I can report that i'm very happy with the result.

You can see the comparison below. First one is scanned with V600 and 2nd one is scanned with XA Plus, both with SilverFast.  

 

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[Analog_gamer]

I would love to have one, gently used of course. Just the idea of buying a new film camera in 2024 and not having to deal with issues that arise with 70-year old equipment. 

[FilmSpiel]

Island Kos, Greece May 2024

 

i love the sound from the shutter. 

it sound to me different than others, very satisfying

 

 

 

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[mangas_binges]

Has anyone gotten their M-A converted to 0.58 finder?

[69xchange]

On 5/27/2024 at 1:17 AM, mangas_binges said:

Has anyone gotten their M-A converted to 0.58 finder?

Its possible, but you would lose the bottom straight line _______________ at 35mm and wider. It'll be a conversion from a 0.58 MP viewfinder with a break in the bottom frame line for the exposure meter ______  < O >  _______.

[bd10m]

Hi all,

Picked up my MA in the local Leica boutique yesterday. Spur of the moment decision. Had her on the radar for a while. But with my M3 is on the way to Wetzlar for a full service/CLA, the works, I'd be without camera for about 10 months. Picked up the 1.25x magnifier for the viewfinder as well as 50mm is my primary focal length. Not sure yet how the magnifier will perform. Screwed it on, it's now tighter for my glasses, may not neccessarily need unless exact framing is required. Haven't run a roll of film through my MA just yet, leaving that for the weekend. Overall, the MA feels solidly built in the spirit of the M3. The film advance lever feels crisper than my M3's. Similarly the release butter is noticably stiffer. Let's see how this will wear in. Not sure I'll be able to get away with 1/15s or 1/8s handheld just yet when light is really challenging.

The coldshoe is really tight for my 21mm external viewfinder, was a struggle to get it on. But prefer that over the loose fit I had on the M3 which always had me check that it doesn't fall off.

As a note on the side, what I found rather strange is Leica's handling of the servicing. All that email exchange will not run through the online customer account. Would make more sense to keep all communication in one place.

Have to admit thought that as chuffed as I am with my new MA, am missing my M3 already. Not that I'd regard the former a lesser camera, certainly not. The MA doesn't feel second nature/familiar just yet. Will hopefully change in the coming months.

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[a.noctilux]

14 hours ago, bd10m said:

As a note on the side, what I found rather strange is Leica's handling of the servicing. All that email exchange will not run through the online customer account. Would make more sense to keep all communication in one place.

Sorry reading this.

 

14 hours ago, bd10m said:

The coldshoe is really tight for my 21mm external viewfinder, was a struggle to get it on. But prefer that over the loose fit I had on the M3 which always had me check that it doesn't fall off.

I see in your M-A that the spring is "new" and not flat (from use) yet.

In your M3 coldshoe, the older springs (different techno than M-A's) may become weak with time, even on my older Ms(old style long lasting springs), the springs are ok holding accessories.

my M3

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[a.noctilux]

On 5/27/2024 at 10:17 AM, mangas_binges said:

Has anyone gotten their M-A converted to 0.58 finder?

Using WA lens ?

I'd use auxiliary good VF like 28mm or 24/21mm in accessory shoe.

Quite simple and quick, no hassle...

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[a.noctilux]

Talking about aux VF, I use and appreciate a lot some multi-field VF,

like this unloved 21/24/28

or this 15-35 (not Leitz/Leica though) this ugly VF