sblitz Posted December 17, 2014 Share #61 Posted December 17, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I use the 208 analog and it is a gem. Very stealth like as well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 17, 2014 Posted December 17, 2014 Hi sblitz, Take a look here MP or M-A?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest Posted December 17, 2014 Share #62 Posted December 17, 2014 Analog I photograph still on slide film, so a light meter for me is a must. But on the M3 I appreciate the timer that allows photos without camera shake, especially at longer shutter speeds. Why was the time trigger omitted from the MA, where there would have been enough space by the unnecessary battery compartment? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
63strat Posted December 17, 2014 Share #63 Posted December 17, 2014 I use the 208 analog and it is a gem. Very stealth like as well Thx...I just ordered one. The 398A analog is good, but has a lot going on. Cine scale, etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winedemonium Posted December 17, 2014 Share #64 Posted December 17, 2014 I just ordered a black M-A which will arrive in my hands later this afternoon. Why not the MP? Madness is the only good reason I can give. Madness that goes like this... 1.) I was looking at my iPhone 5 recently. I got it used as a hand-me-down from someone who just got an iPhone 6. It's a bit beat up, but the quality is great - that well designed, well made feel. In 2016 it won't be usable because the apps will require upgrading in order to work. Only the apps won't be upgradable because the new versions will require the new iOS. Only the new iOS will deliberately not work on the iPhone 5, because Apple will no longer be supporting it (read: actively making sure it cannot be used). I had been thinking a lot about my reaction that lately. I remembered that I'd bought a beautiful brand new version 1 iPad in 2010. By 2012 it was no longer supported, and it no longer works except for things that don't need the internet to work, i.e. very little. I thought "I resent that these beautifully made things - things whose design and build qualities attracted me in the first place - cannot be used long before they physically wear out." 2.) I started thinking about the M3 and so on. So many of those cameras are still working as well as when they were new - as many of us have experienced and know first hand. A product that would outlast me, and give pleasure all the while, is a product of great value. 3.) Somehow, losing the meter just seemed the ultimate step. I'd like to try to meter with my eyes. I practiced on my walk to work this morning in different light conditions - guessing the metering for a scene and looking at an iPhone metering app to compare. (Gotta make use of that iPhone while it still works, remember!) 4.) Something about the aesthetic tweaks of both M-As attracted me. The silver one really tempted me, sleek, understated, classic. But I chose the black one because, if I'm going to be mad enough to buy a new film camera at the end of 2014 (!), without a meter (!), why not go for the contemporary iteration? MM-style matt black stealth seemed most like "2014". 5.) To a small extend, this purchase is a little 'detente' in my relationship with Leica. I sold my digital bodies (M240 and MM) earlier this year because I was sick of the mechanical calibration issues. Despite this not being a difficult product for Leica to launch "new" (it is mostly "old"), I really admired Leica for launching a new film M iteration in 2014. It strikes me that they remain committed to us remaining 'analogists'. And sure, there may be some whacky special editions, some special editions I like, and they will milk it for all its worth (and so they should). But I looked at the M-A, and thought, "okay Leica, if you will do this, I will buy one". I'm in. And that is my little madness story on a decision to buy the M-A. I'm sure I will curse not buying the MP - they are beautiful, or consider myself just plain dumb for not instead buying two mint old bodies, or buying one and pocketing the change. But I will use, have in my hands, admire in every way, and enjoy one of the finest mechanical cameras ever made, and it will have been mine from new. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr237 Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share #65 Posted December 17, 2014 MM-style matt black stealth seemed most like "2014". I agree. The flat black finish looks modern and industrial. The silver finish (as others have noted) provides a retro look. Let us know how you like the M-A, and be sure to post a picture over in the "I love my M-A" thread. PS. Great post on your thought process--thanks for sharing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winedemonium Posted December 17, 2014 Share #66 Posted December 17, 2014 I agree. The flat black finish looks modern and industrial. The silver finish (as others have noted) provides a retro look. Let us know how you like the M-A, and be sure to post a picture over in the "I love my M-A" thread. PS. Great post on your thought process--thanks for sharing. Thanks for that. Actually your post no.101 in that thread was also influential in my decision. Have you made your decision on this camera yet? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiver Posted December 17, 2014 Share #67 Posted December 17, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) 1.) I thought "I resent that these beautifully made things - things whose design and build qualities attracted me in the first place - cannot be used long before they physically wear out." This disposable/irreparable trend bothers me as well, and its opposite attracts me to the M-A and MP. We see things from a time when they were built to last; 50 year old M3s come to mind. It's one reason why I shy away from using my Contax T3 too much, because of the electronics and mechanics wearing out in a camera produces some really wonderful images, but may be hard to repair in coming years. My Ricoh GXR body stopped powering up one day, and my Ricoh GRD III's shutter failed last week. I love those cameras and bought two new GXR bodies, and had the lens block replaced in the GRD III. But this won't last forever. Replacements and parts will run out eventually. Enter the immortal film rangefinder - or so we hope! I love the idea of a camera that I can use for another 30, 40 or 50 years, assuming film and scanners are still available and my eyes can focus a rangefinder. I'll be using my M7 in the meantime. Good luck with your M-A, and please post photos of it when it arrives. That stealthy matte black exterior is just hot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M9reno Posted December 17, 2014 Share #68 Posted December 17, 2014 Regarding the disposable issue (with which I have full sympathy), isn't it ironic that Leica designed the M-A to take ONLY disposable film rolls (and apparently some of these rolls are included in the box!). Here the M-A follows the MP - making obsolete those wonderful brass IXMOO cassettes, which are not only re-usable but open up fully inside the camera and avoid contact with the film (scratches). The last M to be able to use these cassettes was the M6TTL (if coupled with an M4 baseplate). In this (indirect) way the spirit of disposability lurks within the M-A. Sadly Leica have taken a choice away from users here. They were happy enough to go back to a speed knob notched to take the discontinued Leicameter. It would have been a nice touch to bring back the IXMOO (and - why not? - even include a couple in the box). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M9reno Posted December 17, 2014 Share #69 Posted December 17, 2014 A nice picture of IXMOO: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kennethluoto/4826339743/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
105012 Posted December 17, 2014 Share #70 Posted December 17, 2014 Thx...I just ordered one. The 398A analog is good, but has a lot going on. Cine scale, etc. One thing I really like about the 398A is that it does not need a battery. Just like the M3, M4 and M-A. Would be nice if it was a little smaller and lighter, but it certainly is pocketable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted December 17, 2014 Share #71 Posted December 17, 2014 Regarding the disposable issue (with which I have full sympathy), isn't it ironic that Leica designed the M-A to take ONLY disposable film rolls (and apparently some of these rolls are included in the box!). Here the M-A follows the MP - making obsolete those wonderful brass IXMOO cassettes, which are not only re-usable but open up fully inside the camera and avoid contact with the film (scratches). The last M to be able to use these cassettes was the M6TTL (if coupled with an M4 baseplate). In this (indirect) way the spirit of disposability lurks within the M-A. Sadly Leica have taken a choice away from users here. They were happy enough to go back to a speed knob notched to take the discontinued Leicameter. It would have been a nice touch to bring back the IXMOO (and - why not? - even include a couple in the box). Cheap soft steel cassettes are recyclable in the extreme, just like the metals in the M-A. Not so plastic. If you want to work for a return of the old cassettes, (and the no-scratch opening is a BIG plus, as I've learned from re-loading cassettes), then you should petition Leica, not this forum. For all you know they could still have the tooling and surprise you by what they say. Then you can back it up (a bit) with a poll here. Give it a shot. Good luck, s-a Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
63strat Posted December 17, 2014 Share #72 Posted December 17, 2014 One thing I really like about the 398A is that it does not need a battery. Just like the M3, M4 and M-A. Would be nice if it was a little smaller and lighter, but it certainly is pocketable. Exactly, no battery, which is why I bought it. For sure I'll a/b it to the 208 when it arrives. But I just may keep both. After spending $5K on a camera, what's a few hundred bucks? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr237 Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share #73 Posted December 17, 2014 Thanks for that. Actually your post no.101 in that thread was also influential in my decision. Have you made your decision on this camera yet? Still pondering. A new variable has entered the equation--maybe get another lens instead of swapping out my M6 for an M-A? I have the 35mm summicron and 50mm summilux (both are the latest versions). I am thinking about the 28mm summicron as a complement to the 50 on the times when I go out with two lenses. My though is that this would provide more value than upgrading to the M-A. I already shoot my M6 with the batteries removed. I don't have an endless budget for this stuff, so I try to balance wants vs. needs when I am looking at new gear. Granted that when you are in Leica-land, the notion of "need" is almost a contradiction in terms ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winedemonium Posted December 18, 2014 Share #74 Posted December 18, 2014 Still pondering. A new variable has entered the equation--maybe get another lens instead of swapping out my M6 for an M-A? I have the 35mm summicron and 50mm summilux (both are the latest versions). I am thinking about the 28mm summicron as a complement to the 50 on the times when I go out with two lenses. My though is that this would provide more value than upgrading to the M-A. I already shoot my M6 with the batteries removed. I don't have an endless budget for this stuff, so I try to balance wants vs. needs when I am looking at new gear. Granted that when you are in Leica-land, the notion of "need" is almost a contradiction in terms ... Acquiring another classic lens and focal length might offer you more 'utility' than upgrading from the M6 to the M-A. The 28 Cron is quite special. I like and use that lens. I was pleased to see clearly visible full frame lines for the 28 in the M-A. The nice thing about the 28 is that it is the widest lens that you can frame without a viewfinder. With the 28 Cron in hand, you might find you don't use the 35 Cron (or don't, after all, use the 28). That might then still put you in play for the M-A. It has for me been a case of lenses always first, bodies second. In the end though, with these classic Leica pieces, there is no wrong answer, only personal preference... and I have changed my mind a few times, and owned quite a few different combos at different times. I'm trying to settle that down now! All the best with your decision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 18, 2014 Share #75 Posted December 18, 2014 Already seen the new M3D on the backside of the latest LFI? http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/attachments/leica-sammler-historica/474210d1418854030-neu-leica-m3d-l1000697.jpg https://lfi-online.de/ceemes/webfile/img/1233060/YToxOntzOjE6IngiO3M6MzoiOTgwIjt9/03-B0000150-M3D-5-DDDhands.jpg#1200x802 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted December 18, 2014 Share #76 Posted December 18, 2014 Still pondering. A new variable has entered the equation--maybe get another lens instead of swapping out my M6 for an M-A? I have the 35mm summicron and 50mm summilux (both are the latest versions). I am thinking about the 28mm summicron as a complement to the 50 on the times when I go out with two lenses. My though is that this would provide more value than upgrading to the M-A. I already shoot my M6 with the batteries removed. I don't have an endless budget for this stuff, so I try to balance wants vs. needs when I am looking at new gear. Granted that when you are in Leica-land, the notion of "need" is almost a contradiction in terms ... The M-A will not give you better images than the M6. The 28 Summicron on the M6 will give you 28mm photos which the M-A with a 35 & 50 won't. The Summicron is a fantastic lens. 28 Summicron and 50 Summilux is my favourite combination. Easy decision! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted December 18, 2014 Share #77 Posted December 18, 2014 Already seen the new M3D on the backside of the latest LFI? Yes, it was discussed here a couple of weeks ago. It is a special "David Douglas Duncan" edition. Considering the camera is cobbled together from various other recent editions (top plate from the LHSA MP, 50 Summicron from the MP Classic set, pressure plate/rear door from the M-A) and other bits from the parts bin it looks rather nice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr237 Posted December 18, 2014 Author Share #78 Posted December 18, 2014 Acquiring another classic lens and focal length might offer you more 'utility' than upgrading from the M6 to the M-A. The 28 Cron is quite special. It has for me been a case of lenses always first, bodies second. In the end though, with these classic Leica pieces, there is no wrong answer, only personal preference... Well said. Thanks for your thoughts. That's why I went with the M6 in the first place. I had planned to get a new MP and one lens, but I decided that a used M6 would provide the same features at a much lower cost. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr237 Posted December 18, 2014 Author Share #79 Posted December 18, 2014 The M-A will not give you better images than the M6. The 28 Summicron on the M6 will give you 28mm photos which the M-A with a 35 & 50 won't. The Summicron is a fantastic lens. All true! Thanks for the input. I would love a new M-A, but the more I think about it, the more I am leaning toward the lens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted December 18, 2014 Share #80 Posted December 18, 2014 Black paint M-A for me, thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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