MP vs M-A

[Csacwp]

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I've almost made up my mind about which new Leica film camera to buy.  I'm interested in either a new (or newer) chrome or black paint MP, or a black chrome M-A.  I mainly shoot 75mm and 90mm lenses but also sometimes shoot 28mm and 50mm.  Therefore, I was initially very interested in the MP .85 finder, although it's proven impossible to find a newer one for sale.  My options therefore are to either:

 

A.  Buy an MP .72 and have the finder swapped to .85.

 

B.  Buy an MP .72 and keep the original finder, using a magnifier if necessary and living with the loss of contrast imposed by it.

 

C.  Buy an M-A in black chrome and keep the .72 finder, using a magnifier if necessary.

 

I plan on shooting a fair amount of slide film, and it is my understanding that a handheld incident meter would be preferable to the MP's TTL reflective meter, so I figure that I don't necessarily need an MP.  The M-A in black chrome is gorgeous.

 

Am I making too big a deal about the ease of focusing 75mm and 90mm lenses with the .85 finder?  Is it really that much more difficult using a .72?  Would a .72 and a magnifier be a reasonable option if I use those two focal lengths most often?

 

The wait for an a la carte MP is too long, and as of now there is no a la carte M-A.  I'm not even sure you can have the M-A finder swapped to the .85 finder if you want, although I know you can have this done to an MP.

 

Thanks for reading, and any advice would be appreciated.  I'm looking for one camera to keep for the rest of my life here and don't want to make a bad decision.

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[michaelwj]

C. The black chrome M- A is gorgeous.

 

Yes, you are making a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be. A 0.85 finder will be useless with a 28mm, you'll be forced to use an external finder. You can add a magnifier to the 0.72 finder of need be, but you cannot add a demagnifier to the 0.85 finder.

 

What do you use at the moment?

[Csacwp]

I have a 1.25x magnifier with a diopter that I keep zeroed (I wear glasses).  I find it hard to see the framelines using it and the contrast is diminished, but I've only tried it on an M240 and M4, not on an MP or M-A.  I can't use the diopter alone without glasses because my eyesight is pretty bad and I can't see where I am going all that well!  (my prescription is -3.0 in both eyes).

[michaelwj]

The MP and M-A finders are not that much different to the M4 (except the added framelines).

 

If the M4 is okay, I'd go for a 0.72x. If you want it bigger go for the 0.85x, and then get an external finder for the 28mm (or keep the M4 to use with it). It might be worth contacting Leica about changing the magnification in the M-A.

[Guest Nowhereman]

Back in the late 1970s I had an M2 and an M3 but, after I got an M6 in 1988, I always thought that I needed an in-camera light meter. However, when I got an M3 a year ago I found that I liked using an external light meter more: for street photography, particularly in bright and harsh tropical light, I now take an incident reading in bright light and then one or two more in shade of medium and heavier intensity, and then adjust my exposure according to the type of light that falls on the subject. With the M6 meter, I found that I kept on chasing the exposure as I moved from bright light to the shade, without ever being conscious of the actual exposure I was using. The upshot is that with incident readings on the external meter I generally get better exposure. (Of course, one can take "substitute incident" readings on the palm of one's hand with the MP or M6).

 

As for the 0.72x vs 0.85x viewfinder, I changed the viewfinder on my M6 from the former to the latter (non-flare variety), which I prefer — and I use an external viewfinder whenever I use a 21 or a 28 mm lens. Best of all, I ike the 0.91x viewfinder of the M3.

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[DickieT]

I do not know where you have looked for your 0.85 MP but the Leica Shop in Vienna has 2 chrome MP's for sale at a reasonable price (also a .72). I have a .72 MP and .85 M6. The MP finder is much better and less prone to that famous flare (in case it happens). I use separate finders for 16, 21 and 28 (on M6) and they are a joy to use. There is plenty of contrast but there is a little more work

 

I do not shoot much film with 75 or 90. But between 28, 35 and 50 I think the difference between the viewfinders is relatively small. No, there is no 28mm frame line on the .85 and no you cannot see something walk into your frame at 35mm. But you have a larger view area..

 

I would try the difference and make the right choice and decision. Then just spend time finding the correct camera without making changes to it. I can also recommend keeping an eye on the 2nd hand stock of any (US) Leica store. I ended up buying my new black plaint .72 in DC.

[wattsy]

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If you mainly use a 75mm or 90mm lens, a 0.85x finder is a no-brainer. You should also know that the 75mm framelines in the M-A are a slightly reluctant afterthought (consisting only of small corner ticks). That’s one of the reasons I like the M-A but I might feel differently if I used a 75mm lens.

[Csacwp]

The MP 0.85’s at the Leica Vintage Shop are really early ones with the leaky finders and older meter electronics. I’d want to find a newer one for the prices they are asking... with the exchange rate I could but a new MP .72 for those prices instead of a used 2003 camera.

[DickieT]

As said - keep an eye out for the 2nd hand stuff at the Leica Stores in the US and/or have them put down your name for a new one. I found one in no time..

[enboe]

Currently owning all of the model and finder permutations you mention, I would select a 0.72 MP in silver chrome.

 

0.72 because I like the ability to use 28mm without an add-on finder.  Focusing is no problem, but I do have good eyes.

MP because having a built-in meter is highly useful.  You can always fine-meter tricky subjects with a handheld incident meter, but that's one in a hundred shots for me.

Silver chrome because it is the most durable finish, and gains the positive type of attention vs. stealthy cameras.

 

Note that the M-A is a couple of percent brighter vs. the MP, probably because they can eliminate the part that is reflecting the meter diodes into the frame.  It's a really tiny difference, however.  Also, if your heart is set on 0.85, they are not hard to find via online stores and auctions.  Lastly, while it is true that my 2003 model MP's did need to go in for finder sealing after a couple of years, they have required no service since then.  No issues with the electronics either.

 

Enjoy.

 

Eric

[lb1800]

If I shot mainly 75mm & 90mm, I wouldn't get an M as a first choice camera. 

 

"I need to transport 4 people and 3 suitcases. Should I get a Ferrari or a Lamborghini?" 

Edited December 3, 2017 by lb1800

[Arai]

If I shot mainly 75mm & 90mm, I wouldn't get an M as a first choice camera. 

 

"I need to transport 4 people and 3 suitcases. Should I get a Ferrari or a Lamborghini?"

 

Yes it does if you can afford it. Ferrari FF can transport 4 people and 3 suitcase just fine, or Lamborghini Urus.

 

See, nowadays, all brand must evolve or decayed.

[michaelwj]

Yes it does if you can afford it. Ferrari FF can transport 4 people and 3 suitcase just fine, or Lamborghini Urus.

 

See, nowadays, all brand must evolve or decayed.

And Leica makes an SL.

But an SL is not an M, and an Urus is not a Countach.

[a.noctilux]

Using MPs (in 0.85 and 0.72 ) for a while, when the M-A came, I sold (trade-in) MP and never regretted.

Never need another finder with M-A, it's so nice/clear/clean and 0.72 is just fine for 28 to 90mm lenses.

[a.noctilux]

Side note for Big lenses user...

 

I prefer using 0.72 finder for 50mm Noctilux 1.0 and Summilux-M 1.4/75.

Those big fronts hide less the viewfinder.

 

And with M-A, the clear/contrasty RF helps a lot to pinpoint focus.

[Mark T]

Changing the viewfinder magnification is EXPENSIVE. Much easier to change frameline masks or the like. I would not consider this an option. However, adding a magnifier is not too expensive and not really too much of a problem for contrast etc. There is much hype.

 

I have an 0.85 viewfinder M7 and it is really wonderful for the 75mm in particular. Although possible, I never shoot 35 mm on it, as I find it awkward. I also don't enjoy shooting 28mm on a 0.72 finder for the same reason. If i go wide on the 0.85 M7, then I use a 24mm with external finder which works well given the generous depth of field.

 

If you really must use every focal length from 28-90mm then you have no choice but to go with a 0.72 viewfinder. As mentioned previously, the MP has better 75mm frame lines than the M-A. So I would pick the MP for that reason.

 

One last thing... Don't forget the M6 TTL was produced in 0.85 variations. Ideally, you could pick up an 0.85 and an 0.58 M6 and have the best of both worlds without having to change lenses as a bonus!

[semi-ambivalent]

Changing the viewfinder magnification is EXPENSIVE.

True, this. I've discussed it with DAG.

 

s-a