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Should I buy an M?


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If the M240 works for you now, it will work for you just as well when a new model comes out.

The M9 I had for 3 years was perfect to me..... if there were not these flaws with the sensor. This doesn't seem to be the case withe M240.

I got an M-P by the end of March (upgrade), and I am very happy with it : high ISO, silent shutter, better dynamic.... I don't use the LV very often, but it helped me some times in difficult conditions. I don't make movies. RF is good for me, and the M240 body is perfect..... and M Leica lenses more than perfect !!

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Awesome, @BjarniM, that's what really resonates with me. I started playing around with MF lenses, and got hooked! Focus peaking wasn't very precise, so I thought (mistakenly) that a better glass would solve it.

 

I bought a 1980's Summicron. Amazing little lens. Sharp. Beautiful. Loved it. But focusing with the Sony involves:

 

1) Use focus peaking.

2) Magnify

3) Realize that everything is out of focus

4) focus

5) recompose

6) Run around the subject, because she/he moved.

 

Even like this, it was still fun. 3 months ago I bought an amazing 2000's Summilux 50mm 1.4 Pre-asph. Even more awesome, loved the rendering! Very soft on the corners, but still awesome. Focusing was even more of a problem now...

 

2 weeks ago I took the leap and acquired a brand new, chrome Summilux 50mm 1.4 asph. Oh boy. What a lens. 

 

 

 

 

Next lens in the row to buy: Summicron 50 mm APO! :ph34r:

 

John

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Hey guys,

 

I know that this has been discussed previously, but the timing is interesting and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

I'm an A7 user that has just acquired an amazing brand new Summilux 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. I made the mistake of playing around with an M 240 at a camera store and getting, well, in love with it. Because of that, I'm thinking about going all in and getting an M 240.

 

The only thing holding me right now is the timing - it's weird. Should I get one now or just wait for the inevitable new M that might appear soon-ish?

 

If I get one now and a new one comes along soon(ish), should I expect major depreciation on its value? 6.5k is kinda a very firm commitment :p

 

Cheers,

 

Eduardo.

The most clever thing to do when buying a camera is to buy the camera RIGHT NOW when you need it.

Waiting for the next best thing is nonsense.

You will aggravate over pointless philosophical questions while waiting for the announcement of the next best thing, then waiting for the availability for the next best thing, then waiting for the customer service repairing the faulty next best thing until you finally might be able to take your first pictures with the next best thing.

 

All while you waste the most precious commodity you have in a life on this planet - your precious time - waiting for all these next best thing related issues, you could have been out and used the heck out of a perfectly good camera.

 

If you need it and want it, go and buy it!

The best is, that right now you have a fantastic choice of perfectly good digital Leica M cameras and a truckload full of choices for film based Leica M cameras and film to use that great lens on.

Make a decision, strike a deal, receive the new camera, test it, confirm it works as it should, sell your Sony once this is established and don't visit photo gear rumor sites and camera related websites from that point on ;-)

 

Leica M3, M2, M4, M5, CL, CLE, M6, M7, MP, M8, M8.2, M9, MM, ME, M and all their many derivatives are wonderful upgrades from a Sony A7 - just saying.

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Get one now. The prices are lower as it's been around. The new M will go back to £5,100 for at least a year when it comes out

 

Also the new MM will be released first, based on the M240.

Leica will give it a clear run before the new M is introduced.

 

Also lastly note that supplies of a new M only kick in 3-6 months after announcement

 

Finally note that the reliability and quality of the M240 is such that IMHO it makes model jumping even more likely then previous products

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I'm still on the fence due primarily to the 240's poor iso and banding issues. It'll be interesting to see the new MM and see if these issues are solved.

I wasn't aware of those. I'll look around for more info. Thanks!

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I'm still on the fence due primarily to the 240's poor iso and banding issues.  It'll be interesting to see the new MM and see if these issues are solved.  

 

These only impact High ISO though (over ISO 4000). For low ISO it has no banding and very little noise. In terms of dynamic range and shadow recovery it's quite excellent, which makes it a good landscape camera.

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These only impact High ISO though (over ISO 4000). For low ISO it has no banding and very little noise. In terms of dynamic range and shadow recovery it's quite excellent, which makes it a good landscape camera.

 

That's not true. I can easily re-create banding at 2500 ISO in shadow areas (a dark sky lit by moonlight during night time for example).

I'm not alone in this either. And at 3200 ISO it is quite noticeable. Luckily Nik Dfine has a banding removal function that works well.

 

Shadow recovery can also quite often lead to green tinted shadows. Another phenomenon of the M240 and M-P 240.

 

Otherwise it's a fine camera with excellent battery life, a quiet shutter, great viewfinder, good out of the box colors (DNG), and such.

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I wasn't aware of those. I'll look around for more info. Thanks!

Nor am I. But then, I own an M240. So what do I know?.

 

Banding in my experience only occurs at ISO 4000 and upwards with certain SD cards.

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I had a not dissimilar journey to you from lenses to body. I opted to pick up a lightly used M9 as they seem something of a bargain right now, relatively speaking.

At something like half the price of the M240, it's worth considering.

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The most clever thing to do when buying a camera is to buy the camera RIGHT NOW when you need it.

Waiting for the next best thing is nonsense.

You will aggravate over pointless philosophical questions while waiting for the announcement of the next best thing, then waiting for the availability for the next best thing, then waiting for the customer service repairing the faulty next best thing until you finally might be able to take your first pictures with the next best thing.

 

All while you waste the most precious commodity you have in a life on this planet - your precious time - waiting for all these next best thing related issues, you could have been out and used the heck out of a perfectly good camera.

 

If you need it and want it, go and buy it!

The best is, that right now you have a fantastic choice of perfectly good digital Leica M cameras and a truckload full of choices for film based Leica M cameras and film to use that great lens on.

Make a decision, strike a deal, receive the new camera, test it, confirm it works as it should, sell your Sony once this is established and don't visit photo gear rumor sites and camera related websites from that point on ;-)

 

Leica M3, M2, M4, M5, CL, CLE, M6, M7, MP, M8, M8.2, M9, MM, ME, M and all their many derivatives are wonderful upgrades from a Sony A7 - just saying.

 

 

 

 

Hear, Hear!!  Menos is 100% on target with his comments.

 

There is a new Monochrom about to be announced, but you want an M240, not an M/M.  Based on the best information that we have at present, a replacement for the M240/M-P will not come till the next Photokina which opens 20 September 2016.  When the M240 replacement is announced, count on a 4-8 month wait till you can actually purchase one and have it in your hands.  That pushes your actual camera in hand date into early 2017.

 

In my view, if the M240 replacement could be in my hands in 90-100 (or so) days, I would be willing to wait that long.  January 2017 is 21 months away.  Waiting that long to get the latest greatest is crazy talk, IMHO.  There are tens of thousands of images waiting to be made by you and the M240 that you can purchase now.  Buy it and enjoy it - don't grow old waiting for the next best thing.

 

Waiting for the next best camera is akin to chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  It is a waste of life, IMHO.

 

No banding up to 3200 iso for me.

I have had no image quality problems at ISO 3200 or lower, either.  A clean 3200 is a whole lot of ISO, compared to what was once available to us.  ISO is the camera manufacturer's arms race; does anyone ever really use ISO 27 billion??

 

For your situation, if money is an issue - I would say find a nice used M240.  An M-E is an option, but I would choose a used M240 over a new (or used) M-E.  No disrespect to M-E users is intended, but the M-E is Leica's second tier (AKA "settle for") 24x36mm full frame camera.  If the shackles of finances are somewhat loose, get an M-P.  If money is not a problem or you have a lot of unused 35mm SLR kit to trade in (as I did), get a Safari set if you can find one. 

 

I can't see any possible way you would come to regret getting an M240 or M-P.  These cameras and the images they produce are simply magnificent. 

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Here are a couple of my thoughts for whatever they are worth.

The way that the Japanese manufacturers justified new cameras was by overcoming deficiencies in their previous line of products and adding new features.

What deficiencies does the M240 have? Without a clear personal understanding of this as it applies to your photography and your art, then it is impossible to know if the next model and of camera will be any better for you.

 

at 24MP the M is about on par with 35mm film. There is some question if a 36MP sensor in a 35x24mm size really exceeds the capabilities of current lenses for resolving detail. At that point, maybe you really do need medium format. Or maybe every lens needs to be built to the same standards as the APO-Summicron 50mm? 

 

In comparison to the current generation of sensors it lags a little behind in sensor read out speed (needed for video) and low light performance. Is this holding back your art? What are the cases where this matters: night, low light indoors, and high shutter speeds.

 

The biggest weakness that I see is digital has yet to fully match the dynamic range of film.  Once again is this a factor limiting your art?

 

Maybe the processor speed and or the power consumption in the M can be improved some so that it boots up faster or unsleeps faster or you can get more shots out of the battery. If you don't use the EVF or live view you already can get about 800 shots per charge.

 

The thing with the Leica M is the form factor and much of the UI is fixed and when one of the most sacred design elements is the minimalistism of operation then you really can't really just chuck in features. So what will they improve with the next M which will matter to you and your art?

 

Here is my personal Leica M wish list:

Thinner and lighter. More like the M3

Lower ISO and maybe higher ISO (not so much really but I kind of expect it)

Deeper dynamic range at low ISO or broader coverage of the gamut of colors. 

A touch screen UI like the T. Built on a higher resolution LCD.

An even quieter shutter. 

Slightly faster bootup and unsleep.

 

 

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