Advice for those thinking of a M240 in 2021

[palmerfralick]

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On 2/13/2021 at 1:19 PM, UltraDan said:

Just to be clear Martin, "stirring things up" in your view is giving an honest opinion on a camera someone has owned and used? Without wanting to blow my own trumpet I have owned and shot all of the top digital cameras that have been available in the last 5 years so I feel that I have a right to pass an opinion on the M240. If I wanted to "stir things up" I'd have said something like : if you take the Leica badge off this camera you would be left with a camera that is extremely dated with image and iso performance that is massively behind where we are currently and since I posted the original piece as advice for anyone considering buying the camera TODAY, not 9 years ago, again I think my opinion is valid : by today's standards it's not a great way to spend £2.5k unless you are only interested in joining the majority of Leica owners who seem to want to walk around with a trophy round their neck that screams "look how f@cking rich I am" you know one thing that I noticed - searching 500px and Instagram there is a huge lack of decent pictures taken on this camera, that in itself speaks volumes. 
 

😀

Instagram? really? that's your benchmark for decent pics? I thought instagram was the look at me how cool I am social media platform hive.

[Chris W]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoQK8dRnrH4&t=1925s

 

Best value in digital M? The M240.

I'm very happy with mine and don't feel compromised one bit

[Alberti]

On 2/14/2021 at 5:54 PM, andybarton said:

It doesn’t have 459,900 zones or whenever Sony are offering this week.

My M240 does have an 500x2500 pixels area that is covered by the meter, in a place that luckily never changes position like in some of those nerve-breaking modern camera's. And I rather detect the backlight compensation myself.

[opt817]

11 minutes ago, Alberti said:

My M240 does have an 500x2500 pixels area that is covered by the meter, in a place that luckily never changes position like in some of those nerve-breaking modern camera's. And I rather detect the backlight compensation myself.

I need advice from experienced users of Leica M240 - I can buy it in decent condition, but current owner does not know how to check number of exposures shutter has done.

Can you advice me with a suggestion? Thanks.

[a.noctilux]

15 minutes ago, opt817 said:

I need advice from experienced users of Leica M240 - I can buy it in decent condition, but current owner does not know how to check number of exposures shutter has done.

Can you advice me with a suggestion? Thanks.

Untill now, we don't know how to know.

With liveview, this would be nonsense anyway.

Just buy then use it happily.

Shutter failure on M240 is quite rare, I never hear of it as problem.

[opt817]

2 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

Untill now, we don't know how to know.

With liveview, this would be nonsense anyway.

Just buy then use it happily.

Shutter failure on M240 is quite rare, I never hear of it as problem.

Thanks for information. What would be recommended first and most universal lens for M240 - I like perspective and angle of 35mm lens. My budget is limited under 1k€, maybe something from Zeiss or Contax, Yashica?

[a.noctilux]

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13 minutes ago, opt817 said:

Thanks for information. What would be recommended first and most universal lens for M240 - I like perspective and angle of 35mm lens. My budget is limited under 1k€, maybe something from Zeiss or Contax, Yashica?

I'm happy with dozen (or more I don't know) of 35mm lenses, they are all different and each one can give nice/not great/soso results, even the most expensive.

So applying price to results can lead to unsatisfaction.

 

In your place,

I'd begin with 'cheap' Leica lens as Summarit-M2.5/35 only available from sh market.

I bought mine much less than 1k €, many years back

 

then opinions is just that only opinions

a bit more opinions here

Edited February 14, 2022 by a.noctilux

[andybarton]

Try to get a 2.8 version of the Summaron

[lct]

3 hours ago, opt817 said:

What would be recommended first and most universal lens for M240 - I like perspective and angle of 35mm lens. My budget is limited under 1k€, maybe something from Zeiss or Contax, Yashica?

• f/1.4: Voigtländer Nokton 35/1.4 v2
• f/2.0: Voigtländer Ultron 35/2 asph
• f/2.5: Leica Summarit 35/2.5 (second hand)
• f/2.8: Zeiss C-Biogon 35/2.8

Edited February 14, 2022 by lct

[kivis]

I chose the  f/2.0: Voigtländer Ultron 35/2 asph V2 black paint on brass. My all rounder.

[Rangeman133]

I currently use the voigtlander 35mm skopar f/2.5 with my M240. Reason I bought this lens, is because of it's small size. i enjoy using it mainly on the M6 though. for the M240 i felt that for low light I needed a faster lens, so i recently purchased a 35mm distagon 1.4, which you can get for less than 1500 USD used. have not received it yet, but the reviews look very good

 

[barcoimage]

I love shooting low light weddings on my 240. I consistently push the ISO to its max. These are the same photo, edited to B+W and sootc. 1/30 shutter, f4, iso6400, Canon 50 1.4 LTM

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Edited March 13, 2022 by barcoimage
Added lens information

[boojum]

I have a 35 and a 45mm Voigtländer.  It's good glass with a nice pop to it and sharp.  But I have a '57 50mm KMZ Jupiter 8 which has been revealing itself as a solid, honest, sharp lens.  US$65.  But they will be difficult or impossible to get until the war is over.  There are sellers in the US to check.  Brian, The Wizard, says the ones with the focus tabs from the 50's are usually good.  Mine is a honey.  I also bought a Canon 50mm LTM f/1.8 which is quite nice and gives a little boost to color and sharpness.  Very good lens.  There are a lot of good lenses which are not German.  Or expensive.

[RexGig0]

On 2/14/2022 at 5:24 AM, opt817 said:

What would be recommended first and most universal lens for M240 - I like perspective and angle of 35mm lens. My budget is limited under 1k€, maybe something from Zeiss or Contax, Yashica?

I would happily use any of the three Zeiss 35mm ZM lenses. I chose the Distagon f/1.4, which is amazingly good, but is a bit large for some shooters. The f/2 ZM has the least distortion, and is of reasonable size. The smallest is the f/2.8, a wonderful gem of a lens, which I might well acquire, sooner or later, for the times when compactness is more important.

[Overgaard]

I sometimes take out my M240 to just calm down and forget about the evolving world of cameras. Good old well-known and trusted camera. 

Thought about getting this red one from Ken Hansen in New York, but I decided not to. (Canada limited version w 35/2). But what a beauty, reminds me of the red M9 that @setuporg has (and which I secretly envy)

 

 

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Edited March 19, 2022 by Overgaard

[kivis]

I use my M-P 240 like an M-D. Screen almost always off (no chimping). Live View off, RAW (DNG) only. Will go up to 3200 if necessary, but almost never. My lenses start at f2, 'crons and the like. Battery life is almost forever. A Thumbs Up makes handling a comfort. I'm happy.

[Herr Barnack]

On 2/7/2022 at 8:16 PM, palmerfralick said:

Instagram? really? that's your benchmark for decent pics? I thought instagram was the look at me how cool I am social media platform hive.

Almost 11 months now and we haven't heard from UltraDick. 

A truly incalculable loss to our forum...  😢

As for the M240, you could do worse.  I still have my "ancient" 240 Safari and I think I'll just keep it rather than trade it in for pocket change toward an M11.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Herr Barnack

[palmerfralick]

These discussions remind me of my other favorite forum "MYLESPAUL.COM" Gibson has been making Les Paul guitars since 1952. The custom shop versions now cost $6000 to $8000 new and some special additions even more. (an original 1959 Les Paul will fetch $300,000.00 if it belonged to someone famous maybe close to a million dollars). The haters of Gibson consider them grossly over priced, and not as easy to play as an Ibanez, PRS etc.  They say the neck is too big or the frets are too big they don't have modern electronics, no whammy bar and the tuners are not in the right place and on and on. I have one built in 2015 and it's my precious. Side by side it looks identical to one made in 1959 and that's one of the reasons I like it. That and it's incredible blooming sound from the humbucker pickups also still made the same as they were in 1959. Some things we just gravitate too because the design and the execution of that design is enduring. My Leica M8 is in that class for me. Overpriced, not the latest and best technology but for me the way it looks and it's simplicity to shoot with are to me worth every penny I paid for it. It usually sits a top my Marshall amp looking down on my Les Paul. Buy what you like not what makes sense. Life is not a histogram. 

[Overgaard]

On 3/25/2022 at 7:18 PM, palmerfralick said:

My Leica M8 is in that class for me. Overpriced, not the latest and best technology but for me the way it looks and it's simplicity to shoot with are to me worth every penny I paid for it. It usually sits a top my Marshall amp looking down on my Les Paul. Buy what you like not what makes sense. Life is not a histogram. 

Love it. 

Not many things can get one excited about dreaming of getting them, feel accomplished acquiring them, and continue to be happy having them. 

 

 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[cnguyen]

I have Leica m240p bought new in 2013 and love it. I was thinking of moving up to M10 but may be not. Fine jpeg out of my M240 is good enough for me in either color or BW.

Beautiful Leica glow out of my M240p that's all I could ask for .