MP black paint, silver, or M6 2022

[Warton]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Pardon me if this question has been beat to dead many times.

I have owned M11 for 6 months and M10-R black paint for about a year, and really enjoy them, now decided to take a reminiscent feeling going back to film. I haven't shot film for more than 15 years with my 20 year old Nikon F60. Recently I found the mirror there has developed mold and I couldn't get rid of it.

Anyway, long story short. I spotted the three cameras in subject, all brand new. I will largely just shoot B&W, and develop the films myself (I still have some tools in the basement), and maybe scan or print them for fun.

Any suggestion I should go one over another? Or I should just chill out, keep using my molded Nikon F60?

PS. the price in USD:

MP black paint, 5200

MP silver, 4500

M6 2022, 4900

Edited July 6 by Warton

[Warton]

On a second thought I can even go more stinger with a MA which costs only US$4000.

light meter is nice to have but not an absolutely needed tool.

what’s your thoughts?

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[madNbad]

Find a nice M4-2 for about $1600 and have it serviced. They’re great cameras and the basis of every film M camera made until today. If you decide to stay with film, you’ll have a camera that will serve you well and the money you saved will buy a lot of film.

[hasenvater]

However, it should be noted that the M-A and M4-2 do not have a built-in light meter.

[Huss]

4 hours ago, Warton said:

..

Any suggestion I should go one over another? Or I should just chill out, keep using my molded Nikon F60?

..

Buy a Nikon F80.  Absolutely awesome cameras as way better than the F60.  I like them so much I have two (bought last year for about $20 each!!).  I like them so much I use them more than my F6.

As for the Leica cameras?  I have the 2022 M6 and the BP MP.  And the black chrome M-A..

If you love shooting rangefinders and want to get a film RF, by all means get ANY Leica film M.  They all are excellent. From M2 to to M7.

If you just want to scratch that film itch, ditch the mouldy F60 before it spreads the pestilence elsewhere, and get an F80/N80.

[hansvons]

I immersed myself deeply in analogue photography over the last 18 months, even so deep that I now use B&W analogue film on assignments for clients and they love it. 
 

I started with my old Leica R4 I purchased in the early nineties. For video work, I already owned a set of R primes, so taking the R route was a no-brainer. I quickly found out that I needed two bodies for proper work, and got an R6, which is without question one of the finest SLRs ever built.  

Long story short, I now use for that work a pair of Ms (M4P and M6). There are many reasons why they are preferable, the biggest plus is focusing, the second the shutter which is much less distracting (can’t stress enough how important that is for photographing people) and it allows for longer hand-held exposure times. And lastly, the footprint is smaller, especially the lenses. 

If I were in the market for a new film M, I’d buy the new M6. The wind-up knob is more practical/quicker to handle compared to the MP’s, the rest seems identical. I find the light meter not a must-have, but it makes the operation quicker when in a pinch. 

Lastly, older vintage or new interpretations of vintage wider glass in the 35mm range work much better on film than digital sensors. E.g., the 35mm Nokton SC Classic II on film is a revelation in terms of character and mood (it flares nicely and it's low price allows for less favourable environments), in digital, however, its quirkiness is heavily exacerbated to the extent of uselessness. 

But if you were me, you would go with a freshly CLAed M6 from the eighties. The price difference is a fine 35mm Summicron.

[250swb]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I agree with @Huss, get a Nikon F80 and make it easy for yourself getting back into film. I think if you find yourself enjoying film again your question regarding a new Leica will answer itself, and besides which an AF and AE camera is always going to be a good backup for any film shooter. Regarding your list of Leica's they are all great choices and not much to choose between them, I'd favour a BP MP.

[kivis]

11 hours ago, Warton said:

On a second thought I can even go more stinger with a MA which costs only US$4000.

light meter is nice to have but not an absolutely needed tool.

what’s your thoughts?

$4000!! Get it fast. Best decsion I ever made!!

[kivis]

On second thought my Nikon FE with a Nikkor AIS 50mm f1.4 lens works beautifully. Got the whole thing for under $200.

[Warton]

49 minutes ago, kivis said:

$4000!! Get it fast. Best decsion I ever made!!

I am mostly struggling between the MP black and silver, with US$700 difference it's only cosmetic. I struggle to see the value of the black paint.

However a further saving of $US500 from M-A is nice as well, I have used and mastered sekonic exposure meter for years and I don't mind missing the meter from the camera itself. But if it's there like MP or M6, I can occasionally check it too.

Really hard to decide though

[kivis]

2 hours ago, Warton said:

I am mostly struggling between the MP black and silver, with US$700 difference it's only cosmetic. I struggle to see the value of the black paint.

However a further saving of $US500 from M-A is nice as well, I have used and mastered sekonic exposure meter for years and I don't mind missing the meter from the camera itself. But if it's there like MP or M6, I can occasionally check it too.

Really hard to decide though

I occasionally use a light meter on my iPhone but mostly just go by Sunny 16. Easy to get used to it.

[kivis]

M-A, CV Nokton 35mm f1.4, Ilford X-P2

[Warton]

Just want to mention what I have now, (not that matters)

M11 black

M10-R black paint

Summicron 28 (black)

Summilux 35 FLE (silver)

APO-Summicron 50 (black)

so the newly to-be-acquired analog M will be paired with one of the lenses, I am thinking the summilux. I quite like the contrast of black paint and silver lens.

Edited July 6 by Warton

[Mute-on]

FWIW I would definitely go for the BP MP. 

Having said that I already have silver MP, M2 and BP M4. The sheer convenience of the internal meter in the MP means I tend to grab it more often. BP is warmer and more organic in the hand.  If you really want a meterless M, get an M2. The simplest and purest M ever made, IMO. 

[Huss]

8 hours ago, Warton said:

I am mostly struggling between the MP black and silver, with US$700 difference it's only cosmetic. I struggle to see the value of the black paint.

 

I have the MP BP, the M-A Black Chrome, and the new M6 new type Black Paint.

The MP BP has a much stickier/grippier/warmer feel than the other two - with the M-A being the coldest/slipperiest to touch.

It's funny because I didn't much pay attention to this until someone else pointed it out to me, and now it is really noticeable!  The silver MP will be colder/slipperier than the BP.

[Warton]

45 minutes ago, Huss said:

I have the MP BP, the M-A Black Chrome, and the new M6 new type Black Paint.

The MP BP has a much stickier/grippier/warmer feel than the other two - with the M-A being the coldest/slipperiest to touch.

It's funny because I didn't much pay attention to this until someone else pointed it out to me, and now it is really noticeable!  The silver MP will be colder/slipperier than the BP.

I have a M10-R BP. So I assume the MP BP paint is same as M10-R BP paint? At least they are both on brass.

I don't have any silver Leica M's, so I may just save $700 and get a variety.

I am heading to a friend's house this week to feel his MP silver before making the final decision.

[hdmesa]

3 hours ago, Huss said:

I have the MP BP, the M-A Black Chrome, and the new M6 new type Black Paint.

The MP BP has a much stickier/grippier/warmer feel than the other two - with the M-A being the coldest/slipperiest to touch.

It's funny because I didn't much pay attention to this until someone else pointed it out to me, and now it is really noticeable!  The silver MP will be colder/slipperier than the BP.

Has your M-A's black chrome has been worn smooth? My new M6 is far slicker than the new M-A I had for a while. New M6 paint feels like anodized black with regard to grip.

[Huss]

31 minutes ago, hdmesa said:

Has your M-A's black chrome has been worn smooth? My new M6 is far slicker than the new M-A I had for a while. New M6 paint feels like anodized black with regard to grip.

Not on my M-A, but one of my M7s' black chrome has worn much smoother.

[rich_]

I had the same conundrum and chose the black paint MP. In retrospect i could have probably gone with the M-A as the metering isn't rocket science to learn and i always have a phone on me with a meter app. 
I find the summilux asph's a bit heavy for my film cameras, so i use the pre-asph instead. 

Edited July 7 by rich_

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Warton]

30 minutes ago, rich_ said:

I had the same conundrum and chose the black paint MP. In retrospect i could have probably gone with the M-A as the metering isn't rocket science to learn and i always have a phone on me with a meter app. 
I find the summilux asph's a bit heavy for my film cameras, so i use the pre-asph instead. 

Yeah, I was struggling for M-A too, USD 4000 seems to be a good price. My exposure skill Is good enough for most of the time especially outdoor.

However, the manufacture date of M-A I can get is around 2022-05, the M-P is about 2023-03. I intend to get the "newer" one.