Leica M5 v.s. M6 v.s. M10

[TomB_tx]

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4 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

I used to have for a time silver chrome M5 which (for me) appear much bigger than black chrome M5

I agree - the top works of the M5 is quite a bit taller than the other Ms, and the silver makes it look top heavy. The black chrome rather blends in and looks better proportioned. (In general I prefer silver chrome bodies - but not on the M5.)

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[a.noctilux]

Mechanical wonder anyway

X-ray view

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In my use of M5 never experienced patch whiting out like M6 that I use for decades

Edited August 7, 2022 by a.noctilux

[KenLW]

37 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

More on M5 ...

I used to have for a time silver chrome M5 which (for me) appear much bigger than black chrome M5

Still have two (one is my wife's M5) and the good thing is now it can use modern battery (like SR44 in an adapted ring), to be checked if the modification to use 1.5V was done.

My M5 portrait, when I bought my first M6 in 1985.

as side note, our M5s never need repair, only CLA and 1.5V modifications many years ago.

Nice portrait! The M5 fits the background very well! I prefer a black M5 and sliver M6 just based on the pictures of cameras. The sliver M5 does appear larger to me. And I heard many good things about the reliability of M5. I’m also planning to do a CLA with 1.5v mode if I get the M5.

[Pyrogallol]

I was thinking about an M5 but was put off by this thread about irreplaceable broken shutter rollers.

 

[nicci78]

M5 viewfinder eye relief is the worst for spectacles wearer 

It is very hard to see the metering 

[a.noctilux]

We can talk about what wrong with M5, not for everybody as usual.

Why it's so "cheap" by now, not when launched (at the end of production Leitz lost money selling those wonderfully made machines).

Only non user (= non lover) can say how bad is M5 in general 😉.

...

I would not fear of repairs.

As said, my multiple M5 never need repairing.

Another purchased from a good photographer who used it in battle fields...

As smooth as usual, I only had it "1.5V transformed" by a repair man before he took his retirement.

proportion with Noctilux 1.0

[KenLW]

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14 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Here is the nice viewfinder of M5

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Thank you for sharing these images! I feel like the light meter is pretty good. I would chose this display over the arrows because I could decide to push\pull a few stops based on this meter instead of just seeing the arrows.

[KenLW]

14 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Mechanical wonder anyway

X-ray view

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

In my use of M5 never experienced patch whiting out like M6 that I use for decades

This is a great picture. I can definitely appreciate its inner beautify.

[KenLW]

13 hours ago, nicci78 said:

M5 viewfinder eye relief is the worst for spectacles wearer 

It is very hard to see the metering 

I see your point. I have glasses and I can almost see the 35mm frame lines for the M11 I tested which is good enough for me. I heard the experience varies from person to person. Is the M5 viewfinder different from other M viewfinders? I guess you are only referring to the metering here which is definitely unique to the M5.

[KenLW]

13 hours ago, Pyrogallol said:

I was thinking about an M5 but was put off by this thread about irreplaceable broken shutter rollers.

 

I read through the post. It sounds like I will have less of this problem if I choose a later version of the M5 with 134xxx or 135xxx serial number. Thank you for the reference!

[KenLW]

13 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

We can talk about what wrong with M5, not for everybody as usual.

Why it's so "cheap" by now, not when launched (at the end of production Leitz lost money selling those wonderfully made machines).

Only non user (= non lover) can say how bad is M5 in general 😉.

...

I would not fear of repairs.

As said, my multiple M5 never need repairing.

Another purchased from a good photographer who used it in battle fields...

As smooth as usual, I only had it "1.5V transformed" by a repair man before he took his retirement.

proportion with Noctilux 1.0

That sounds reassuring! Also, I have to say that you were not kidding but the look of the M5 with the Noctilux. It definitely looks great in this combo! 

[nicci78]

@KenLW Yes almost everything is different on the M5 : body, metering, viewfinder, rewind dial, rangefinder window rounded sides, etc… 

M5 metering took way more room inside the viewfinder than M6, M7, MP variant. Hence making it difficult to see at a glance for glasses wearers. 
 

By the way many people wear sunglasses in summer. 😎 

Edited August 8, 2022 by nicci78

[a.noctilux]

Ken,

if you are really interested in M5, you must have one in your hand with your prefered lens.

For 50mm, I think it's the nicest metering RF/VF in use with the roundish RF patch AND roundish "guide corners" for precise metering.

When I used slides, the spot metering did wonder (comparing to my later M6/MP) I appreciated when the lighting is tricky.

For 35mm, it lacks the base line (taken place by the meter index) as seen in my former post.

This indicate that user has to take the metering first with "patch guides" requiring "spot mode" then frame at will before taking the pictures.

With the speed indicating in VF and continous speed settings, when in good use, M5 is precise ( precious ! ) tools to make images.

Some "flaws" to take into account :

a- metal eyepiece to be covered with soft ring not to scratch glasses, I use diopter with rubber ring from M6 to be able to see clearly the meter needle and set speed.

b- the strap is special, 2 or 3 attaches, not the same as other M

c- bottom rewind with a feature that can be ennoying, if unfolded the crank is one way only, non precautious user can tear the film while using

d - the shutter long travel can be not M-like, the shutter button need to retract first the meter cell then trigger this can surprise, but in real use

the lag is short ( see link below )

e - z -...and many more ...

 

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by a.noctilux

[nicci78]

M5 is not for everybody. 
Let’s say that it is fine a second or third M camera. 
I understand why some people love it. 
I also understand why most people can’t stand it and hence why it almost killed the M line up. Hopefully Canadians saved the day with M4-2

[a.noctilux]

49 minutes ago, nicci78 said:

M5 is not for everybody. 
Let’s say that it is fine a second or third M camera. 
I understand why some people love it. 
I also understand why most people can’t stand it and hence why it almost killed the M line up. Hopefully Canadians saved the day with M4-2

Yes,

I agree 100%.

Past is past, that's all.

We are lucky to have choices (unheard of, many years back).

M-A is much better choices, my last film M and words.

Anyway with M10 as "backup", those are just "dessert" ( MDa/M2/3/4/5/6/LTM/etc.) when I fancy using film again.

Edited August 8, 2022 by a.noctilux

[Printmaker]

I was working in a Leica store part-time when the M5 came out. I probably sold 2 dozen in the first 6 months and showed the camera hundreds of times. It is a capable camera and, at the time, I considered trading in my M4. But I hesitated because it is slightly longer. We Leica users are a finicky lot.

The M6 is also a capable camera. Mechanical shutter and works at all shutter speeds without the battery. With meters on the M5 being 50 years old, a late model M6 would be the better choice for a film user.

The M10 is my choice. USB-C does not compute because Apple is always changing their standards and USB-C will be phased out some day and this plug will be useless. (I'm looking at a gallon size ziplock filled with SCSI, Firewire, USB, and other misc. wires that are no longer compatible.)

As far as I'm concerned, the M10 is the quintessential M digital camera. Same basic M design and an absolute joy to use. 24 MP is fine for prints up to 20x30 inches with great looking 40x60 inch prints possible.

What size do you print? If 95% of your work is under 20x30, you will never outgrow the original M10. Get a 35/2 or 50/2 VC and add a 90/2.8 someday and just smile.

[KenLW]

18 hours ago, nicci78 said:

@KenLW Yes almost everything is different on the M5 : body, metering, viewfinder, rewind dial, rangefinder window rounded sides, etc… 

M5 metering took way more room inside the viewfinder than M6, M7, MP variant. Hence making it difficult to see at a glance for glasses wearers. 
 

By the way many people wear sunglasses in summer. 😎 

I see! This is very good to know. 

[KenLW]

16 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Ken,

if you are really interested in M5, you must have one in your hand with your prefered lens.

For 50mm, I think it's the nicest metering RF/VF in use with the roundish RF patch AND roundish "guide corners" for precise metering.

When I used slides, the spot metering did wonder (comparing to my later M6/MP) I appreciated when the lighting is tricky.

For 35mm, it lacks the base line (taken place by the meter index) as seen in my former post.

This indicate that user has to take the metering first with "patch guides" requiring "spot mode" then frame at will before taking the pictures.

With the speed indicating in VF and continous speed settings, when in good use, M5 is precise ( precious ! ) tools to make images.

Some "flaws" to take into account :

a- metal eyepiece to be covered with soft ring not to scratch glasses, I use diopter with rubber ring from M6 to be able to see clearly the meter needle and set speed.

b- the strap is special, 2 or 3 attaches, not the same as other M

c- bottom rewind with a feature that can be ennoying, if unfolded the crank is one way only, non precautious user can tear the film while using

d - the shutter long travel can be not M-like, the shutter button need to retract first the meter cell then trigger this can surprise, but in real use

the lag is short ( see link below )

e - z -...and many more ...

 

 

 

 

I am more of a 35mm person so I am having second thoughts about getting a M5 now. I also heard about the metal eye piece and strap issues which are easy to fix or get used to. Yeah, the bottom rewind is an interesting design but I did not know it would cause film tearing issues. This is good to know! The shutter button probably require practice from my part.

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[KenLW]

15 hours ago, nicci78 said:

M5 is not for everybody. 
Let’s say that it is fine a second or third M camera. 
I understand why some people love it. 
I also understand why most people can’t stand it and hence why it almost killed the M line up. Hopefully Canadians saved the day with M4-2

Yeah, I feel like it is a very good second M camera because its uniqueness. 

[KenLW]

3 hours ago, Printmaker said:

I was working in a Leica store part-time when the M5 came out. I probably sold 2 dozen in the first 6 months and showed the camera hundreds of times. It is a capable camera and, at the time, I considered trading in my M4. But I hesitated because it is slightly longer. We Leica users are a finicky lot.

The M6 is also a capable camera. Mechanical shutter and works at all shutter speeds without the battery. With meters on the M5 being 50 years old, a late model M6 would be the better choice for a film user.

The M10 is my choice. USB-C does not compute because Apple is always changing their standards and USB-C will be phased out some day and this plug will be useless. (I'm looking at a gallon size ziplock filled with SCSI, Firewire, USB, and other misc. wires that are no longer compatible.)

As far as I'm concerned, the M10 is the quintessential M digital camera. Same basic M design and an absolute joy to use. 24 MP is fine for prints up to 20x30 inches with great looking 40x60 inch prints possible.

What size do you print? If 95% of your work is under 20x30, you will never outgrow the original M10. Get a 35/2 or 50/2 VC and add a 90/2.8 someday and just smile.

You got a good point about the the longevity of USB-C. I remember Firewire lol. I was not clear about my intention with the USB-C in my original post. Yes, the USB-C cable that comes with the M11 in the box supports connection to iPhone directly with the lightning port. However, this is not really to Apple. The value of USB-C for me is that is that I can connect the USB-C to USB-C cable to my camera to charge my battery directly instead of packing the charger with me. Anyway, that's not a deciding factor to not getting a M10.

Yes, 24MP is more than enough for me. I am not a professional photography. I don't usually do prints and just share my photos on Instagram.