MP vs M-A

[Ouroboros]

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On 6/21/2022 at 3:58 AM, Huss said:

It's why the BP wears so quickly, and intentionally so.

 

Not always so, at least in my experience.  My 16 year old MP shows very little brassing despite being well- travelled and used.  My 6 month old M10-R BP is already showing  brass on the thumb rest.

The texture and lustre of the paint is perceptibly different between them (my MP finish is 'glossier' and has a smoother texture than my M10-R), which might indicate a difference in the paint formulas or application and possibly a reason, just guessing, why some cameras seem to brass more quickly than others.

 

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[Fotoklaus]

vor 18 Stunden schrieb Ouroboros:

Not always so, at least in my experience.  My 16 year old MP shows very little brassing despite being well- travelled and used.  My 6 month old M10-R BP is already showing  brass on the thumb rest.

The texture and lustre of the paint is perceptibly different between them (my MP finish is 'glossier' and has a smoother texture than my M10-R), which might indicate a difference in the paint formulas or application and possibly a reason, just guessing, why some cameras seem to brass more quickly than others.

 

16 Years ago a too fast occuring wear was called "bad painted". Today it´s called "wonderful patina" .

[egrossman]

On 6/17/2022 at 6:03 PM, knopfler1976 said:

Ultimately M-A represents total freedom for me. I don't need to think about batteries or charging. I judge shutter speed by experiences and the lab picks up whatever is deficient in my decision making. There's nothing more liberating than shooting an entirely mechanical rangefinder and I highly recommend it!

Why not just get an MP and take out the batteries? Voila, you have an M-A with the option at a later date to make it an MP!

😉 

Erik

Edited June 26, 2022 by egrossman

[a.noctilux]

On 6/26/2022 at 7:04 PM, egrossman said:

Why not just get an MP and take out the batteries? Voila, you have an M-A with the option at a later date to make it an MP!

😉 

Erik

😉as suggested about hundred times.

Not as wise choice as meaning not knowing (= appreciating) subtle advantages of M-A,

I don't want to repeat myself why I did see the M-A as "ultimate M" and I used MP with no battery for many years.

Hehe, many years ago 😇

[egrossman]

4 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

😉as suggested about hundred times.

Not as wise choice as meaning not knowing (= appreciating) subtle advantages of M-A,

I don't want to repeat myself why I did see the M-A as "ultimate M" and I used MP with no battery for many years.

Hehe, many years ago 😇

I know the differences. It was meant a little tongue in cheek (jest). But to a more important point, the MP is still just as usable should the batteries fail while out shooting, broken frame lines be damned!

Erik

[a.noctilux]

In France, new MP cost a tad more money than M-A.

My observation is to sell second hand MP is far easier than M-A.

When I sold (well traded in real) my last MP,  years ago, nobody would buy my "new" M-A (so many wisdom thinking the superiority of MP over M-A, I must agree 😄).

 

In the end, it IS only taste and individual thing, nothing to MP VS M-A.

Edited June 29, 2022 by a.noctilux

[Helge]

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Am 26.6.2022 um 19:04 schrieb egrossman:

Why not just get an MP and take out the batteries? Voila, you have an M-A with the option at a later date to make it an MP!

😉 

Erik

Exactly, the remaining differences are very small. And you still keep the option of using the meter later, if you suddenly feel that way 😉

[Huss]

The weight saving from not having batteries is critical for a long day out shooting.

[a.noctilux]

52 minutes ago, Huss said:

The weight saving from not having batteries is critical for a long day out shooting.

At that time, I learned to like the experience, when batteries died 😇.

For me, when I did (= before M-A came) that because I didn't want the bright red LED in the MP vf to better concentration on the framing.

I did that also with M6 for some years, my preference went when possible to other "non LEDed" vf of M2/3/4/5/etc.

 

 

[edstock]

To meter or not to meter, that is the question. Wether it is nobler in the mind to "sunny sixteen, or watch the diodes"? I for one have my M2-KS-4 with a Leica MR meter mounted. I also have my M4-P with a Leica MR meter in the shoe. The replies to the question make for interesting reading.

[lekitr]

On 8/20/2021 at 5:17 AM, poli said:

Also looking at the m-a. Bit ran intro a very mint m4-p with cla. Different looks, but in some respects very m-a like (frame lines). Will save quite some money… so I am on the fence…

I had a chrome M4-P for 35 years, now have a M-A.  It's the same camera.  Well 99% alike.  The covering on the chrome m-a feel exactly like the vulcanite on the m4-p.

[lekitr]

On 8/10/2021 at 5:26 AM, Vlad Soare said:

My M-A, bought new one month ago, had just two minor flaws. 
One is that the frame counter indicator isn't perfectly aligned with the scale (but it isn't badly misaligned either, it's just a tiny bit). This is no big deal. I can live with it. I understand it's a very easy and quick fix for a Leica technician, but there's no Leica repair shop in the country, and I'm not going to ship my camera abroad for a trifle that's merely cosmetic and 90% of the people wouldn't notice anyway.
The other is that the rangefinder was just a bit off at infinity. The lens would reach its infinity stop a tiny bit before the images aligned in the viewfinder. I fixed this in less than two minutes using a 2 mm allen key and instructions from this forum. 

So, I wouldn't worry too much about it. 

I had the same problem with the infinity and did as you did.  Now I got to check the one meter with my 90mm to see if it's in focus....

[a.noctilux]

20 hours ago, lekitr said:

I had a chrome M4-P for 35 years, now have a M-A.  It's the same camera.  Well 99% alike.  The covering on the chrome m-a feel exactly like the vulcanite on the m4-p.

Now that you wrote it ...

With more time that I use M4-P/M4-2 over MP/M-A, now I prefer superior M4-P/M4-2:

- wind on with articulated lever with comfortable synthetic lever end of M4-P/M4-2

is by far more user friendly than the solid (if prettier ?) metallic lever

- slanted crank rewind is another "user friendly" feature, I tried the add-on lever (14438 Rewink crank) on MP/M-A, it is just that "add-on"

which hurt my thumb + index in hard use, strange 😕  (it must not be true ! ) not with M4/M4-P

- real vulcanite instead of "leather(ette)" and slippy MP

- sensible less weight, 523g for M4-2 and 595g for MP

[lekitr]

3 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Now that you wrote it ...

With more time that I use M4-P/M4-2 over MP/M-A, now I prefer superior M4-P/M4-2:

- wind on with articulated lever with comfortable synthetic lever end of M4-P/M4-2

is by far more user friendly than the solid (if prettier ?) metallic lever

- slanted crank rewind is another "user friendly" feature, I tried the add-on lever (14438 Rewink crank) on MP/M-A, it is just that "add-on"

which hurt my thumb + index in hard use, strange 😕  (it must not be true ! ) not with M4/M4-P

- real vulcanite instead of "leather(ette)" and slippy MP

- sensible less weight, 523g for M4-2 and 595g for MP

I agree with you on the rewind but for advancing I was about to change it for a m3 style lever as I did for my m4bp.  As I understand they change the geometry of the shutter and had better curtains.  The m-a finder is a tad better too.  But like a mistress it is younger.  I was tired of servicing cla etc.  I know I'm just buying time.

[CosmoM3]

I've had two BP MPs in the past, but I always felt "free" and drawn to the clean rangefinder lines and the simplicity of my old M4.

I now own a brand new M-A in silver chrome and I don't miss the lightmeter at all. I'm the type that do well being in "a box" with limitations so maybe it's just my style.

[colint544]

I swear, if this forum is still going in 100 years' time, the old "take the batteries out of your MP, and you'll have an M-A - simples" trope will be alive and well. It's the evergreen trope on here. The trope that will never die.

*Retreats to bunker*

[nicci78]

Leica makes used Ms great again. Huge price bump : 

M-A is now 4,950€ VAT inc. 

MP 5,050€ VAT inc. in most European countries with 20% VAT 

For a mere 2% of difference or 100€  I am not sure why we should choose an M-A over the MP. Especially since the MP got a new gorgeous leather. 

[Jon Warwick]

On 7/3/2022 at 10:14 PM, lekitr said:

I had a chrome M4-P for 35 years, now have a M-A.  It's the same camera.  Well 99% alike.  The covering on the chrome m-a feel exactly like the vulcanite on the m4-p.

Does anyone know when the issue of rangefinder patch “flare” started? I have one of the earliest M7s and the flare does crop up. Did the M4-P (or M6s for that matter) have any “flare” too?

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[nicci78]

Late M4-2, M4-P, M6, M6 TTL and most M7 have flare issue. 
I said most M7. Because the huge majority of them were build without the MP new viewfinder. 
Be aware that M6 TTL 0.85x will suffer the most from flare. 

[ktmrider2]

Leica removed a small condensor lens from the viewfinder when the M4-2 started production.  It was meant as a cost saving measure and continued through the M4-P, M6 and M6TTL and M7.  Any competent Leica repair person can install the small condensor and "viola", you now have the new MP viewfinder.  Neither the M2, M3, M4 or M5  have the flair problem.  It bothers some people and others are like "what flair problem."

If you. are. buying a used M4-2, M4-P, M6, M6TTL or M7 you may or may not have a problem because their previous owners may have had the viewfinder upgraded.