How many analog Leicas does one need to have at least one functioning camera?

[F456]

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On 12/26/2024 at 6:56 AM, Fotoklaus said:

How many new MPs did you have?

And yes, all my Ms are produced in or before 1991. Never had a problem. Once serviced (after decades) they still go strong.

 

On 12/26/2024 at 7:40 AM, Mute-on said:

A pre-digital M film camera serviced by a reputable independent technician can be a very special experience. Arguably enough to make up for the disappointment of a faulty new example. Enjoy!

BTW I think you confused your German sports car manufacturer location with the camera manufacturer location 🤓

Thank you; the restoration of the older bodies did exactly that, so I am very happy with what I still have and in some ways find the lack of a meter a definite bonus.  I think it was a different poster's comment that veered off the road in a fast car, so to speak!

[F456]

On 12/26/2024 at 6:56 AM, Fotoklaus said:

How many new MPs did you have?

And yes, all my Ms are produced in or before 1991. Never had a problem. Once serviced (after decades) they still go strong.

I had three: the silver chrome one worked fine whereas the black ones were the black sheep. For various reasons including the economic and the unlucky experiences I preferred to part with all of them, but as mentioned I still have faith in the older models and enjoy the way of working with them very much.

[F456]

On 9/29/2024 at 1:15 AM, Tom R said:

For fifteen years I used one M2 with a (nearly permanently affixed) 35mm Summicron lens. I had about ten years where I wanted to use a 28mm lens, so I purchased an M4-P, which also provided better connections for modern external lighting systems. I donated the M2 to one of my nieces who is very interested in photography and currently lives in Germany, and I replaced the M2 with an M4. I am now retired and really could go back to one camera body, likely the M4,  and a suite of 35, 50 and 90mm lenses.

I think I follow your experience quite closely in several ways! I quite like 28mm but often found myself wasting time trying then to decide whether to use that or the 35. I sold the 28 and haven't looked back using 35, 50, 90 (and occasionally a 135/4 Tele-Elmar) with the M3 for all but the wide-angle or the M4 for everything, accepting the slightly lower magnification of the view in the finder.

[Tom R]

12 hours ago, F456 said:

I think I follow your experience quite closely in several ways! I quite like 28mm but often found myself wasting time trying then to decide whether to use that or the 35. I sold the 28 and haven't looked back using 35, 50, 90 (and occasionally a 135/4 Tele-Elmar) with the M3 for all but the wide-angle or the M4 for everything, accepting the slightly lower magnification of the view in the finder.

Your post reminded me: I did own an M3 for about four years and I do recall its wonderful viewfinder. But, so much of my work evolved around 35mm, and the goggles did add significant weight, thus I picked up the M2 and (regrettably) sold the M3 for money towards acquiring a cold-light head (and the appropriate timer) on an enlarger. Funny how selling M bodies rarely results in happiness?

[_leicaguru]

On 7/23/2024 at 1:04 AM, Kl@usW. said:

In 2022, I finally lost interest in the digital rat race for ever faster sensors and sold all my digital Leica Ms. I wasn't naive enough to believe that the analog Ms were without fault and that I could delete the customer service address from my book. However, I was naive enough to believe that with a new chrome MP and a nearly new black lacquer MP, I would always have at least one camera available. Unfortunately, I was mistaken: After just under a year, the newly purchased chrome MP had to go in for service for the first time due to a major viewfinder misalignment. Two years later, there was a total failure due to light leaks—all the photos from a summer vacation were ruined. Since December 2023—so in a few days, it will be eight months—my newly purchased MP, which became defective shortly after the warranty expired, has been in Wetzlar. So far, not so good. Unfortunately, now my hardly older black lacquer MP has also become problematic: Upon first review of my results from a four-week vacation in Japan, several films also show light leaks—and, to keep things interesting, the viewfinder frame has decided to get stuck at the 35mm frame. Nothing works except 35mm, no matter which lens... To come back to my question, how many Leicas does one need to be "ready to shoot" or stay that way? The next vacation is around the corner. Apparently, two new Ms aren't enough.

I bought one new M10R in 2021 and has served me without problems. I take it everywhere. It's the only camera I own other than the one in my phone. 

[_leicaguru]

On 7/23/2024 at 4:13 PM, Smudgerer said:

Six..........yes, I know, quite mad, but it creeps up on one doesn't it?.................M7-MP-M6TTL-M6 reissue- and one black and one silver M2. Recently sold a M10-D to get one of the M2's and pay for a full service on the 20 year old M7 whether it needed it or not, ( Leica-7 months ), costly but it was a worthwhile expense I think.

I still have three M10's, a M10-P, a M10R and a M10-M and I am seriously considering paring that brood down to two, maybe even one and put the proceeds into a film processor / darkroom "stuff". For film I process to a negative, ( always B&W ), then scan and print with Epson inkjet printers.

I have zero interest in buying another digital M or "trading up", there's no point for me in doing so.

You have 9 Leica M cameras?

[_leicaguru]

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On 7/23/2024 at 1:58 AM, johnwolf said:

I’m certainly with you on the digital rat race. So liberating to be free of that, isn’t it?

I must be lucky because I’ve always owned one film M at a time and have never had downtime.

I’d be reluctant to buy new from Leica. A warranty is pretty useless if service on it takes eight months or more. For out of warranty service Leica would be a last resort.

 

I don't feel any M after the M10 is any rat race tbh. Maybe people still on the M240 may benefit from the better high iso performance, better sensor overall, faster camera, better buffer. But frankly anyone with a nice M10 or higher is set as Leica M rangefinders go. There's only so much you can do with a rangefinder and so many upgrades you can put into it until you're now basically working on a nice Fuji with a manual lens. 

All I need an M to be is reliable and simple. I just got the one they had when I was looking for a new one. I could care less about what the M11 has or M12 or M15 or whatever. It really doesn't matter. I set my exposure. I point it. I make the picture. 

Edited February 2 by _leicaguru

[Smudgerer]

8 hours ago, _leicaguru said:

You have 9 Leica M cameras?

Well yes, guilty as charged...........and in my defense M'Lud three of the analogue M's have been in my ownership for more than 25 years, but anyway that was back in July of last year and this month there's been a bit of a clearing out, so this is now.......... I traded two analogue M's a Silver M2 and the MP, ( I've never been hot on BP finish and anyway and my M7 and M6 TTL both have the hen's-teeth .58 VF's so as my main user FL is 35mm they can't leave, the black M2 is currently undergoing a deep restoration / CLA and a VF conversion), and I impatiently await it's return to the fold next month.

With the analogue M's I also traded the M10-R and the M10-M all towards a M11-M so it would pair well with the well liked M11-D I  purchased late last year. I kept the M10-P simply because I really do appreciate the 24mp sensor on that camera, ( 24mp's is still in my view the optimum sensor size for a digital M ). So I've ended up with one less digital M and two less analogue M's and a few superfluous Leica M accessory bits went out the door too. Still counting?

I probably dropped some unnecessary €€€ retained value in trading the M10's, but there was some cash back on the deal with the switch out and as we well know there's no sensible logic in Leica ownership and I for one have long ago given up trying to justify it, so there is that.

I am happy with one less digital camera, two M11's both now sharing battery / logistics and both with the Leica 3 year warranty, which has proven to be an important consideration for me with my Leica digitals.

Edited February 2 by Smudgerer

[davidmknoble]

Didn’t read the whole thread, but read the beginning. So, just to chime in, I have had 8 new Leica film cameras, new from dealers and only one M/A had to go back for bad VF alignment.  The black paint MP’s are brassing from use and have not been serviced.  

The big thing with M’s is the viewfinder and the dealers have all told me that one hard knock can throw it out of alignment.

It is difficult when people suggest that quality control is bad when you do not know how they use their camera.  To be clear, I shoot between 70-100 rolls of film a year, so I don’t let them sit on a shelf.

 

 

[BradS]

I have two Leica M2 bodies. So far that seems to be sufficient. 

I admit however, to occasionally being tempted to trade 'em both for a Leica M-A (typ 127). I figure there is plenty of Nikon kit around here to cover any Leica downtime.

[Fotoklaus]

vor 19 Stunden schrieb BradS:

I have two Leica M2 bodies. So far that seems to be sufficient. 

I admit however, to occasionally being tempted to trade 'em both for a Leica M-A (typ 127). I figure there is plenty of Nikon kit around here to cover any Leica downtime.

Keep at least one M2. You will regret selling both of them. The M2 is the most beautiful M ever built. Perfect for 35mm lenses. A timeless classic.

M-A is just another M6/MP-Model.

Edited February 5 by Fotoklaus

[BradS]

5 minutes ago, Fotoklaus said:

Keep at least one M2. You will regret selling both of them. The M2 is the most beautiful M ever built. Perfect for 35mm lenses. A timeless classic.

M-A is just another M6/MP-Model.

 

I had two Leica M6 bodies. Both excellent cameras and I enjoyed them both very much. I only sold them when downsizing because each was worth far more than both of the M2 together.  To me, there's not really any significant difference between the M2 and the M6. Lots of little differences that don't really matter much to me.