63strat Posted December 18, 2014 Share #81 Posted December 18, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) 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! The voice of reason. And I agree 100%. But that said, we all know Leicaland is a fantasy world, no? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 18, 2014 Posted December 18, 2014 Hi 63strat, Take a look here MP or M-A?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Jeff Daniels Posted December 24, 2014 Share #82 Posted December 24, 2014 Earlier this year I bought a used Leica MP Classic body. Although I already had an M5 and an M9, I wanted a completely battery-less Leica solution to be my constant day-to-day companion. My lens of choice for this 'every day carry' is a recent 35mm Summicron f/2 Asph. For me this combination is ideal in terms of reliability, the functionality I need and the sublime user experience. After 40 years of professional photography I don't really need an exposure meter. And the fact that the MP Classic is just about bullet-proof means that reliability is not something I have to think about. It is just there with me. All the time. My reason for posting is that, at the time, I remember looking for comments, positive or negative, in forums (or is the plural of forum fora?) such as this. My recollection is that the opinions were mainly 'neutral' to 'negative'. The main argument being that even if you wanted a meter-less MP you could simply take the battery out of a standard MP. The general consensus seemed to be that there was 'no point' to this camera. Well, for me there was and so I took the plunge and bought the MP Classic body. I'm so glad I did. And now that Leica have launched the Leica M-A which, for all intents and purposes, is much the same camera, it makes clear that Leica feels that there is a viable market for a meter-less modern Leica M option? There is something wonderfully satisfying knowing that your camera contains no electronics whatsoever. No circuits to go wrong. No 'chip' to fail. No battery to go flat. Just you in full control. I still use my M5 and M9, of course. But my MP Classic is the one I carry everywhere, all the time. I hope the M-A is a great success for Leica. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
63strat Posted December 28, 2014 Share #83 Posted December 28, 2014 After 9 days of waiting, I finally unboxed my black M-A on Christmas Eve. I did a lot of reading about working without a meter and tried to make the right decision as to whether I might be able handle a meterless M. Only had a few days left to return the camera, so had to come to a verdict. All the great info from all of you in this thread and on this forum was a big help too, so thanks. Re the meter, I decided to keep the L-208 and returned the L-398. I shot one roll of Portra 800 and had it developed at Bel Air Camera here in LA. The whole time I was nervous as to whether incident metering (which I'd never done before) would work out or whether my first roll would turn into a disaster. The roll was a combination of indoor with natural light, and outdoor. I used my Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH. Well, let me tell you, so far, getting the M-A was the best thing I've ever done because it forced me into using a meter. All 36 exposures were dead-on! Yes, all 36. That's never happened to me with my M8, M9, or MP. And at least 12 of those shots were without the L-208 at all. And lots of tricky shots in front of a window, all metered correctly with incident metering. And beautiful, colorful shots. What a revelation... I'm very relieved, to say the least, and looking forward to more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
105012 Posted December 28, 2014 Share #84 Posted December 28, 2014 Congrats 63strat! You will use the meter less and less as you learn how to read the light. Eventually you will only need it for the odd recalibration or tricky situation. I found that not needing a meter means I am able to get the shot faster and also that I get the exposure I want, not what a computer thinks is the 'correct' exposure! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madNbad Posted December 28, 2014 Share #85 Posted December 28, 2014 Glad to hear everything is working out. Next advice is to stay with one type of film for a bit until you feel confident and the exposures are fairly consistant. Try exposing the Portra at 640 and see if you like the results. We'll be looking for the other bodies to show up in the buy and sell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr237 Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share #86 Posted December 28, 2014 Glad you were happy with the results! One of these days we'll have to do a Leica meetup in LA. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
63strat Posted December 28, 2014 Share #87 Posted December 28, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Glad to hear everything is working out. Next advice is to stay with one type of film for a bit until you feel confident and the exposures are fairly consistant. Try exposing the Portra at 640 and see if you like the results. We'll be looking for the other bodies to show up in the buy and sell. Very true, thx. Portra 400 has been my main film for a while now. And Tri-X for B&W. Re my 3 M progression, I sold my M8 for the M9, then sold that for a 240 -- but didn't like it and never bought it -- so got an MP. Sold that and got a Nikon FM3a to get an A-priority. But I kept my Summilux 50/1.4 throughout this time and missed it immensely, so then did an about-face and considered using a light meter and an M-A. So far so good. Of course I realize now that I should have kept the MP, but going from point A to point B isn't always a straight line... Next is either a 35 or 28. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
63strat Posted December 28, 2014 Share #88 Posted December 28, 2014 Glad you were happy with the results! One of these days we'll have to do a Leica meetup in LA. Thx. Sure, maybe the Leica LA store will host a film M users group meeting, that would be interesting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
63strat Posted December 28, 2014 Share #89 Posted December 28, 2014 Try exposing the Portra at 640 and see if you like the results. Will do, thx. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A miller Posted December 28, 2014 Share #90 Posted December 28, 2014 Will do, thx. you shouldn't hesitate to push to even 800 and expect clean results.....e.g., Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/237817-mp-or-m-a/?do=findComment&comment=2736699'>More sharing options...
jmr237 Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share #91 Posted December 28, 2014 ... I sold my M8 for the M9, then sold that for a 240 -- but didn't like it and never bought it -- so got an MP. Sold that and got a Nikon FM3a to get an A-priority. But I kept my Summilux 50/1.4 throughout this time and missed it immensely, so then did an about-face and considered using a light meter and an M-A. So far so good. I went in the opposite direction ... sold my FM3a and got an M6. What was your reservation about the 240? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
63strat Posted December 28, 2014 Share #92 Posted December 28, 2014 Whether real or imagined, I preferred the CCD M9 images over the CMOS 240. At the time of the 240's release, the differences were more pronounced. I started out on film, so going back to it just felt right. And as good as the M9 is, I'd still give the edge to film. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Daniels Posted June 3, 2015 Share #93 Posted June 3, 2015 I, too, have a Leica MP Classic. The complete absence of any kind of electronics in such a beautifully crafted body is what I love most. After 40 years as a professional photographer I don't need a light meter in any case, but that's just my good fortune. Sure, I have my other digital bodies that I use for work (mainly because clients 'demand' digital) but my MP is what I carry with me day in, day out. I'm keen to know how it differs from the Leica M-A? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted June 3, 2015 Share #94 Posted June 3, 2015 nothing in the viewfinder except the frame lines. and, there has been some discussion here about whether the frame lines are bigger or more complete or somehow different than an MP without the batteries. Can't say. What I can say is that after owning a M4 and M6 classic, the MA viewfinder is brighter and flare resistant (haven't had it yet, had it sometimes in the M4 and a lot with the M6), MP: has same viewfinder and refined focusing method as the MP, as far as I have read. The shutter release is also a little short as there isn't need for the stop to turn on the meter and freeze it. Nope, just a pure mechanical body, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePioneer Posted June 4, 2015 Share #95 Posted June 4, 2015 63strat, I am glad your experience with the M-A started so well. It is a wonderful camera and I have been enjoying mine since it arrived. I am quickly approaching 100 rolls of film through mine since I received it in December 2014. Over that period I have also noted that my exposure success has been very good, which I attribute to two things. 1. I am using a very high quality hand held meter and thinking more about the actual exposure. Often with in-camera meters I find myself just accepting the camera meter recommendation without truly thinking about what I am trying to accomplish. 2. Since I am more likely to accept the in-camera meter recommendation I will often change my settings when the camera recommends that I do it. Now, while using my hand held meter I am thinking more critically and often do not change the settings. The results, as indicated, are better than I actually expected. The other interesting result is that I am using my hand held meter more than I expected, not less. I am very familiar with Sunny 16 guidelines but, as my experience with this camera increases, I find myself more thoughtful and more likely to check my assumptions. Frequently I find that my own instincts were right, but I have also caught myself about to make some very embarrassing exposure errors. Obviously, if things are happening quickly I can't always stop to check, but when things change I am not at all bothered by stopping and double-checking my assumptions. This Leica M-A has been my best camera purchase in a very long time, not because it is so wonderfully appointed with features, not even because it is a Leica, but more because it has made me step back to my roots and refamiliarize myself with some of the basics of photograpy. Obviously this can also be done using any of Leica's meterless M film cameras, I certainly do not want anyone to feel that it is necessary to spend $4,000 + on a new Leica film camera. But if you think about it, this has always been Leica's niche as a professional photographer's tool. If you were not intimately familiar with the basics of photography then Leica was probably not the camera you wanted to buy. It is nice to once again be able to buy a new Leica built with that same "back-to-basics" philosophy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted June 4, 2015 Share #96 Posted June 4, 2015 Which hand-held meter? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock Posted June 4, 2015 Share #97 Posted June 4, 2015 1. I am using a very high quality hand held meter and thinking more about the actual exposure. Often with in-camera meters I find myself just accepting the camera meter recommendation without truly thinking about what I am trying to accomplish. 2. Since I am more likely to accept the in-camera meter recommendation I will often change my settings when the camera recommends that I do it. Now, while using my hand held meter I am thinking more critically and often do not change the settings. Fully agree with your two points. I started out, many years ago, using only a hand held meter (Weston Master V) and my photography did not improve with in-camera metering. Having said that, in-camera metering has it's for place snap shots etc., but then I use my D-lux anyway. I use a Sekonic L-398A at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePioneer Posted June 5, 2015 Share #98 Posted June 5, 2015 I use a Weston Euro Master that was recently recalibrated and my Pentax Spotmeter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnymoondog Posted June 8, 2015 Share #99 Posted June 8, 2015 Anybody use a 28mm lens on the M-A? Part of me wants to wait to see if they ever make an a la carte option for the M-A with a .58 viewfinder. I'm assuming there isn't much space around the framelines of the 28mm on an M-A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePioneer Posted June 8, 2015 Share #100 Posted June 8, 2015 Anybody use a 28mm lens on the M-A? Part of me wants to wait to see if they ever make an a la carte option for the M-A with a .58 viewfinder. I'm assuming there isn't much space around the framelines of the 28mm on an M-A. No different than all the other 0.72 viewfinders. Take your glasses off if you wear them but the frame is there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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