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I love my MP


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Hello Colin,

 

The 2nd stud on Leica's M3, M2, M1, MD & MDa are there as alignment & attachment posts for the camera bodies when they are used with certain copying equipment.

 

I think they were left off beginning with the M4 because by that time a lot of copying was being done with the Leicaflex.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Edited by Michael Geschlecht
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Interesting, I had no idea what it was for.

 

I'd use a CPL if I photographed the black MP again, so shiny!

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Thought I'd upload an image of my two MP's.

I searched for that wooden grip for one and a half years, finally found one for a good price in Italy. Got it today in the mail and it's a remarkable piece of art. I tried a lot of grips now, but that thing is something different, a league of it's own. Holding my M is way more comfortable and secure now, Leica's own grip is totally inferior to this one.

 

So thank you for making me envious every time you shared your beautiful MP with us. That was a nice motivation for me to find it.

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I searched for that wooden grip for one and a half years, finally found one for a good price in Italy. Got it today in the mail and it's a remarkable piece of art. I tried a lot of grips now, but that thing is something different, a league of it's own. Holding my M is way more comfortable and secure now, Leica's own grip is totally inferior to this one.

 

So thank you for making me envious every time you shared your beautiful MP with us. That was a nice motivation for me to find it.

 

I've been asked a number of times over the years about my wooden grip, not just on here but when I've been traveling with my Leica.  I bought the grip new at the same time I bought my MP over 10 years ago to improve handling with my f1 noctilux, also bought new at the same time.  I've always hated that cheap and nasty Leica grip!  The noctilux is long gone, I just couldn't be bothered with it, but my MP would not look or feel right to me without my wooden grip!

 

You will probably find, like I did, that the ironwood improves visually with age and use.  When new, it was lacquered and had a glossy sheen.  The lacquer has worn away and the wood has darkened and I much prefer it like this.  Part of the original usp of the MP was that it would wear with use and take on a patina that would be a reminder of travels and adventures with it's owner.  My wooden grip has also done that, it's an integral part of what my MP means to me.

 

Enjoy yours.

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Leica MP, wooden grip and 50mm elmar-m f2.8 on a Wacom tablet!

 

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I've been asked a number of times over the years about my wooden grip, not just on here but when I've been traveling with my Leica.  I bought the grip new at the same time I bought my MP over 10 years ago to improve handling with my f1 noctilux, also bought new at the same time.  I've always hated that cheap and nasty Leica grip!  The noctilux is long gone, I just couldn't be bothered with it, but my MP would not look or feel right to me without my wooden grip!

 

You will probably find, like I did, that the ironwood improves visually with age and use.  When new, it was lacquered and had a glossy sheen.  The lacquer has worn away and the wood has darkened and I much prefer it like this.  Part of the original usp of the MP was that it would wear with use and take on a patina that would be a reminder of travels and adventures with it's owner.  My wooden grip has also done that, it's an integral part of what my MP means to me.

 

Enjoy yours.

I bought the grip as used, but I believe it hasn't been used at all. You are right, it's very glossy at the moment and has a clear paint feeling to it, but that will work down, yes. I'm actually thinking of grinding the surface with very fine sandpaper a tiny bit and giving it an oil finish with lemon oil, as I apply this to all my wooden belonginds from time to time. That would speed up the building of a nice patina a lot and would give the grip an even darker color.

 

But besides of that, the grip will definitly become an integral parts of my M, too.

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Steve as the MP is built in metal i prefer a handgrip in metal of Leica :)

Happy New Year Stev

Best

Henry

 

Tom Abrahamsson once made a nicely machined alloy grip, he's gone but you'd probably like it if you can find one.  The Leica grip M, though......ugh!

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Hello Colin,

 

The 2nd stud on Leica's M3, M2, M1, MD & MDa are there as alignment & attachment posts for the camera bodies when they are used with certain copying equipment.

 

I think they were left off beginning with the M4 because by that time a lot of copying was being done with the Leicaflex.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

 

Thank you, Michael. 

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Tom Abrahamsson once made a nicely machined alloy grip, he's gone but you'd probably like it if you can find one.  The Leica grip M, though......ugh!

 

Steve :D

 

I find nice the black paint :)

The chinese and very cheap handgrip is behind for comparison

I think it's made in the same factory

 

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M8 - MacroElmar 90

Best

Henry

Edited by Doc Henry
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...    and the handgrip on the camera gives this aspect. Anyway, the straps are to avoid because when I put the camera in my Billingham bag, the metal parts of the strap can cause scratches on the camera ! Experience with my Leica SLR......but everyone does what he wants obviously I mean for the strap

 

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M9-90 Macro Elmar

 

Rg

Henry

PS: I bought the Noctilux instead of a digital camera

Edited by Doc Henry
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Hello Colin,

 

The 2nd stud on Leica's M3, M2, M1, MD & MDa are there as alignment & attachment posts for the camera bodies when they are used with certain copying equipment.

 

I think they were left off beginning with the M4 because by that time a lot of copying was being done with the Leicaflex.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

I beg - very cautiously - to differ here. The 2nd stud is indeed an alignment and attachment post, but not for copying equipment (at least none that I know). A far more common use anyway would be by the flash bracket CTOOM, which uses this stud, on both early M models and screw cameras.

 

Now, the M4 of course has a socket for bulb flash, which on earlier M models would normally be a CEYOO unit attached to CTOOM. But of course there was the little matter of the M4's new canted rewind lever.

 

Consider the way that the Leicameter MR had to be redesigned as the MR-4 in order to clear the rewind lever.

 

By the same principle, CEYOO + CTOOM would interfere quite awkwardly when it came time to rewind the M4. Thus CEYOO + CTOOM were abandoned for the M4, the 2nd stud omitted, and M4 users were gently encouraged to attach their flash units directly to the camera's accessory shoe.

 

This, however, assumed that said accessory shoe was not already occupied by, say, a Leicameter MR-4, or an external viewfinder. But who needs a Leicameter anyway when using flash?

 

By the time the M5 and later M models came along, Leica had entered the hot-shoe era. Thus - as an indirect consequence of dropping that 2nd stud, and the useful CTOOM - bulb flash was further marginalised by Leica, even though bulb flash of course allows faster sync speeds than 1/50 sec. and is thus extremely useful, even today.

Edited by M9reno
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  • 2 weeks later...

For the dark winter months...

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Edited by smkoush
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My MP in the shadow of an winter's afternoon.

 

 

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I hope the stack of 'post-it' notes are Leica post-it notes, Henry!   :D

 

Steve ,  this post is useful  for my memory (sometimes failing) :) , inside I have a roll of Kodak TX400 

In your case , how do you remember what film you have inside  ?

Best

Henry

Edited by Doc Henry
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Another of my camera,

 

 

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