How many cameras are you planning to keep?

[EddieJ]

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Hi, guys. I'm thinking to simplify gears and I would like to know your thoughts and suggestions.

I have an M4-2 with 35/1.7 asph Voigtlander, and an M3 with 50/2.8 Elmar. Now I shoot travel and everyday photo with the M4-2 for colour and street photographs on M3 for b&w. I like them both but I don't know if I should stick with only one camera.

 

I prefer keeping the M3 because its viewfinder is amazing, and I really have a different vision that I don't have with any other cameras. However, it is kind of limited to 50mm, which may be too tight for documenting everyday life, travels and sometimes landscapes (I'm not a fan of extra accessories, just to keep everything simple). The M4-2 is also great and more of an all-rounder. It is also my first film camera so I do have some special attachments to it.

 

I've thought it about a week and still felt very hard to sell either of them.

 

How many leicas do you own and how many are you planning to keep? Or which one do you think I should keep? 

 

Best regards,

Long

Keep them both, as I read earlier you did

 

I have a Rolleiflex 2.8e Planar which I picked up, traded a Ziess Super Ikonta IV on it. Always wanted a Rollei 2.8f of course, however the 2.8e was there and I went for it - some 30 years ago. I still have the 2.8e and will most likely pass on to my one of my children, should they decide to want to shoot as well.

 

I just recently picked up an M4 BP + 50 Summilux, been looking for a while and decided that 15kg+ of Nikon D3x + 6 lenses was too heavy to lug about and it just wasn't getting used. Incidentally the Nikon gear was the insurance replacement for my Hasselblad gear, sadly stolen 500C/M x2 a 50, 80, 120 Makro, 180, A12 x3, Polaroid 100, PME, Compendium, Metz CT60 - it still hurts when when I type this.

 

At the dealer I did the exercise of looking at trading the Nikon on a Hassie outfit again - 50, 80, 150, 500C/M, 553ELX, A12 x2, Polaroid 100 put it in my Pelican 1520 and thought ..... holy shit it's the same weight as the Nikon gear. That's it, nope so I got the M4 BP + 50 Summilux.

 

So now I have 4 cameras; Rolleiflex 2.8e Planar, Polaroid 680SE, Fujifilm x100s and the M4 BP, 50 Summilux (5 actually + an iPhone 7)

 

My next purchase will be most likely an M6/M4-P + 35 or even a 28 Summilux.

Can you guess which one of the 4 above will get flipped?

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[arno_nyhm]

How many leicas do you own and how many are you planning to keep? Or which one do you think I should keep? 

 

 

i have my first Leica, a IIIc and i will keep it as the last one if necessary.

 

i now have my third M2. the othe two left me when it got time. and this one might leave me sometime when it got replaced by some other leica. but i don't see why i would replace it. i replaced it 2 times everytime for one with less signs of use and more beautiful. but now i would have to get a minty one to improve- and then again i would not dare to use a minty M2 outsinde and therefore i wouldn't buy a minty M2 anyway. and i would never keep a camera just for the showroom.

 

i do have a Rolleiflex T. it will leave as soon as i got my hands on a 2,8. not sooner. but even the 2,8 will only stay as long as there can be 120 film be bought and processed.

 

and i do have a couple of nikons. they leave as soon as i need some money - which actually is quite often. but then again when the money comes back in some mysterious ways the nikons keep coming back too. i always loved the FE and FM the most, keeping them for the longest times. even the FM2n went faster while the FM had to stay. maybe just because the FM2n would sell for more money while FM and FM2n have almost the same benefits in use.

 

and then i sure have a lot of "worthless" cameras like M42 or simple viewfinders. even voigtländers vito counting to these. they dont sell for too much. therefore i dont see the point in selling them. i would do so, as soon as i got a reasonable offer - but i am sure i never will.

[philipus]

This is a bit of a personal question, isn't it?
 

How many leicas do you own and how many are you planning to keep? Or which one do you think I should keep?

[TRIago]

M6 and M9. At some point the M9 won't work anymore since its a digital camera, so then I will keep only the M6. No more Leicas for me. Don't get me wrong, I love them. But that's just all I need.

 

 

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[Photos_By_Cowz]

Leica-Bug has really got me with a film M being the latest addition....
 
Leica M10
Leica M8.2
Leica M4P
Leica Q
Leica X
Leica 35mm f2
Leica 50mm f2
Leica 90 mm f2.8
Leica 135mm f4
 
plus
 
Voigtlnder 35mm f1.1 v2 
Voigtlander75mm f2.8
 
Bases Covered

[a.noctilux]

Leica-Bug has really got me with a film M being the latest addition....

 

...

plus

 

Voigtlnder 35mm f1.1 v2 

Voigtlander75mm f2.8

 

Bases Covered

 

What are those lenses ?

Are they in M mount ?

Maybe 1.2/35 and 2.5/75 or 1.8/75 ?

[Ko.Fe.]

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Almost one year later after posting here first time. M8 is gone and so is M3. Keeping one film M (M4-2) and one digital (M-E, but it is in NJ service for sensor now). 

Then they works, it is great. Most pleasing photo cameras, which I tend to use most. But then they are for service, I have another film and digital cameras.

[Narsuitus]

 

How many leicas do you own and how many are you planning to keep?

 

I once owned three Leicas. Now, I only own two. I regret selling the one and vowed to never sell another.

[sblitz]

two film (MA  and M4) in case I want to shoot different rolls of film at the same time and always one digital -- had the M9 for several years swapped it into the Q and just swapped the Q for the CL (needed interchangeable lens camera with video capability, grandchildren will do that, and the SL is just too heavy and big for me for what I use digital for, so the CL -- so far I like it a lot, but still prefer film images).

[mmx_2]

Two digital (M10 and M240), four analog (Leicaflex SL, R5, R7 and a IIIa). The M240 is for sale, the rest will most likely stay. A bit tempted to sell or even give away the R5 but the rest are keepers. At some point they will be complemented with a film M, but I haven't found the right one to the right price yet . Lenses I have more than I will ever need but execpt my duplicate 80-200 f4 (one ROM, one without) I'm not keen on selling anything . I have own an S 006 and a M246 that I sold recently but no regrets there.

Edited February 23, 2018 by mmx_2

[ShivaYash]

Interesting thread. Lots of similar themes; buying camera and never selling them.

 

I have four film bodies and two digital. They are all keepers.

 

In terms of lenses I have three 50s and two 35s, and a 28 and 21 (Voigtlander).

 

Nothing is for sale. And I just dipped my toe into the R series getting an R6.2 and 50.

 

I’ve other branded bodies and lenses too, Olympus OM1n, Nikon FM2... see a thread here? Mechanical bodies, classic cameras that don’t cost too much, or at the very least, they hold their value. Not that any are for sale but it’s nice to know they are not depreciating.

 

 

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[pico]

How many leicas do you own and how many are you planning to keep? Or which one do you think I should keep?

 

I have eleven Leica M cameras, but consider that I am in my Seventies and have accumulated cameras for fifty years. I am loathe to discard any, even those two that are totally wrecked.

 

Cutting to what I use: one at a time. How many should you keep? All of them. You aren't likely to die real soon, and if you do, WTF can you care?

.

Edited February 25, 2018 by pico

[gberger]

I'm not keeping any of my cameras or lenses.  Macular degeneration forced me to put my cameras on the closet shelf so I'm sending them to my Grandson, who also is a "Film Only" shooter.( He does his ow developing and printing.) 

[A miller]

Well, you really haven't told us WHY you are thinking of selling one of the bodies.  I'd hate to be responsible for inflating you with GAS if you are in acute need for money to fund an important family or medical need.  God forbid.  I will assume that this is not the case and that the reason is that you simply don't think you NEED two bodies.  

 

My opinion is that you will miss these old bodies more than you will enjoy the modest cash that you can get for them.

 

Your feeling that the M3 is only good with the 50mm FL is unfortunately mistaken.  Throw a 28mm external VF on the body and a 28mm lens and you can zone focus without needing the VF at all except for an occasional focus confirmation, which will be big and bright thanks to the magnified VF.  I also have not problem using the M3 frame lines with my 75 lux and 135 tele-elmar.

 

My Leica gear story is as follows:

 

1.  My 2 Leica digitals have all been sold.  And I am not missing them at all.

2.  My first film M was my M3.  Love it, especially for the 50mm, which is a PERFECT match.  It is not my primary body although always have it loaded with a secondary type of film (B&W, Adox, Superia 1600) in case I get in the mood or a lighting condition presents itself.  It was (before I dropped it) in near PERFECT condition.  Now it is a very good user body.  And I won't sell it b/c I love it so much and feel that it is a piece of history.

3.  My second body was the IIIg.  Still in near mint condition and only $700.  No way in hell I would sell this.  Quirky as hell but also amazingly compact and a mechanical masterpiece.  It is my body of choice in the fully bright daylight with my 28 summaron.  The most compact point and shoot out there.

4.  My third film body was the M7.  I bought it b/c prices had come down so much and I wanted to use it with the high speed flash setting.  I now only use it to photograph in the snow blizzards b/c the camera's electronics sync with my flash the best and I have much less missed flashes.

5.  Last but certainly not least is my M-A.  Hubba hubba.  The real deal.  

 

I am a big proponent of having at least 2 film bodies b/c film stocks these days are very much situational.  Of course, there the logic of having one body for B&W and another for color.  But then there is also logic in having an extra body in case you feel like shooting slide film one day and don't want to unload a half-shot roll of portra that is stuck in the camera.

[rramesh]

Always sell in this order - kidney, gall bladder, liver ... The camera comes after your eyes.

Edited February 27, 2018 by rramesh

[nitrox1]

I only have and only want the two bodies I currently own. A BP MP (film), and a black M10. Still need to buy a couple more lenses though. Next up is the 28mm f2.8.

 

 

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[250swb]

Always sell in this order - kidney, gall bladder, liver ... The camera comes after your eyes.

 

A  good idea. I have been going through my Leica and miscellaneous film cameras of varying formats and discover I have thirty five that could/should be sold. I hope the profit will be enough to buy back my kidney, gall bladder, liver, and eyes, or even upgrade them!

[fsprow]

Keepers: not all Leica

M3 Double Stroke

M4 Black Paint

Nikon F2AS

Hasselblad 503CW

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[TheBestSLIsALeicaflex]

I'm always looking for new experiences, so my cameras shrink and swell between three and a dozen.  On a recent trip though, two years or so ago, I troubled getting two working cameras together, because a bunched needed service, so I'm working my way back up to that twelve number.  Currently working are an three Leicaflex SL, an M3, a Contax II and a Nikon S2.  Another M3 is getting serviced, and a few other Nikons that may get serviced.  Currently burned out on the Leicaflex, so they don't get shot much.  So that's my advice -- enough cameras for variety, and couple working at any time for trips.

Edited March 11, 2018 by TheBestSLIsALeicaflex

[pico]

Since post #1, my camera count increased by two. One, a put-together one-of-a-kind LF and a factory made O-Series.