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New to Leica (film) M-P / M-A, M6 or M7?


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Hit me up with pros and cons? What shall I get? I have 3 Summilux lenses 21/35/50. I predominantly just want to shoot film for fun, but also to teach my son who is about to tur 14. I had a Konica as a kid so really keen on this project. 

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My anciant love was MP (0.85 finder Black paint) to use with my Summilux/Noctilux :rolleyes:.

 

But now MP and others replaced by 2 M-A to use with my newer Elmarit-M, Summarit-M and Summaron-M :ph34r: .

 

Life change so often :p .

 

Your title ...

  :angry: M-P not film camera, only MP is for film use.

Edited by a.noctilux
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Any of the three you list would do, as would any of the "others": the non-metered versions.

Depends how deep you want to learn, I mean an M2/3/4 without metering will likely teach you more than an M7 set on "A".

Given your list of lenses, I don't feel cost is the issue, so just pick what you want, especially if you are near a dealer that has them.

As an aside, I have had all three, and others. I currently only have an MP.

MP has the advantage of being the newest, and most likely possibly to be repaired etc, although any of the manual film versions can be serviced.

Gary

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oh

 

My anciant love was MP (0.85 finder Black paint) to use with my Summilux/Noctilux :rolleyes:.

 

But now MP and others replaced by 2 M-A to use with my newer Elmarit-M, Summarit-M and Summaron-M :ph34r: .

 

Life change so often :p .

 

Your title ...

  :angry: M-P not film camera, only MP is for film use.

ps, sorry, MP

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From a purely practical point of view, and if budget is not a limiting factor, there is really only one sensible option ...

 

MP!

 

Why?

 

New with warranty

Light meter (practical)

Modern rangefinder and prism construction (no Canadian balsam to separate, and condenser lens intact to avoid flare)

Beautifully made

Comes in black paint (warm to hold and develops character with use)

I want (another) one :)

 

I have MP (0.58 silver chrome), M2 and M4 BP. The M2 and M4 are nostalgically beautiful, but the MP is engineered just a little tighter, and has all the practical features a hobbyist photographer (and his son) would find useful (lightmeter, finder, that's it!)

 

Most of all, enjoy your project with your son!

 

Cheers

 

J :)

Edited by Mute-on
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If you have money to spend, buy what you want for Luxes to be on pair and something easy for kid. Like serviced M2, Color Skopar, TwinMate lightmeter and bulk of bw film with developer and else to let kid to learn at his own and ask questions. And not always from you. They ask, learn on-line.

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If money is no object then why not go for a black paint M4, I've had in the past both an MP and M6 but never felt they offered anymore than my M2 so let them go.

The thing about Leica film bodies is you cant really go wrong as they are all good! and if you buy secondhand and you change your mind you wont loose any money or very little on resale.

good luck.

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I assume you've read the thread "Best film M" just below this one?

There are also plenty of other threads recently discussing these options.

Good luck with your choice (I'd get an M-A)

 

But to answer your pro/con question is impossible. One mans fish is another mans poison so to say - we all have our lives than another hates.

Basically an MP is a fancy M6, the M7 is bigger with AE and a backwards big shutter dial (or normal way normal size if you've only used digital Ms), and the M-A is an M-P without a light meter. You make your choice based on meter or not, AE or not, fancy or not?

Then we get into body finish...

:)

Edited by michaelwj
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I would choose between the M7 (with meter and Aperture priority + at 1/60 & 1/125 shutter is also manual so can work without battery) and the MP (with meter but shutter speeds work manual without batteries at all speeds).

 

Check what kind of film rewind knob you prefer and if you like/dislike the shutterspeed dials on both camera's. The M7 has the bigger dial, the MP the smaller.

 

I have a M2/M4/M7 (3 times). I love the MP, so maybe  i will trade a M7 for a black paint MP.

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M6. It's gonna work the same way as the MP and prett damn close to the M-A if you want it to (just remove the batteries). You are gonna save a lot of money as well. That's what I would do.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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From a purely practical point of view, and if budget is not a limiting factor, there is really only one sensible option ...

 

MP!

 

Why?

 

New with warranty

Light meter (practical)

Modern rangefinder and prism construction (no Canadian balsam to separate, and condenser lens intact to avoid flare)

Beautifully made

Comes in black paint (warm to hold and develops character with use)

I want (another) one :)

 

I have MP (0.58 silver chrome), M2 and M4 BP. The M2 and M4 are nostalgically beautiful, but the MP is engineered just a little tighter, and has all the practical features a hobbyist photographer (and his son) would find useful (lightmeter, finder, that's it!)

 

Most of all, enjoy your project with your son!

 

Cheers

 

J :)

 

 

Ideally I find one second hand. I don't have a unlimited budget sadly, the I would have a Noctilux and a 50mm APO....

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I really loved my MP and as I simultaneously had an M-A when it came time to sell one or the other I chose to keep the M-A. I've been asked why I would choose a meterless camera numerous times, but the real answer is that I preferred the framelines of the M-A. 

The argument is made over and over that one can just "take the batteries out" of an M6 or MP and "have an M-A" but that's simply not the case. The M6 and MP have the bottom frameline for the 35 and 28 broken to make room for the meter LEDs. So if there's no meter on you just have a big gaping hole down there. Especially if your camera is modified like mine was to mask the 75 and 135mm framelines. 

 

I like that the M-A has solid framelines for the 35 and 28. It's a small difference, I fully appreciate that, but it was enough of one for me that it helped make my decision on which to keep.

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  • 5 years later...

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