What should my next M be??

[Don Flynn]

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8 minutes ago, RF’sDelight said:

Congrats to this wonderful pair of Ms! 👍 — PS: Just saw that you mentiond your M3 here, so it’s already wonderful set of Ms, not just a pair.

Yeah, I've gone down the rabbit hole (I even nicknamed the M6 "Bug's). I've a fair selection of film Nikons for decades and wanted the M5 when I was younger. I lucked out on the M3 last year, someone local was selling 1 for $1200 USD with a 50m Summirit on it. I had DAG service it when I got it.

Beginning of the year I decided I wanted a 2022 M6 new and was planning on using my yearly profit sharing check from work for 1. My furnace decided it wanted to die so I found a nice used M5 first and sent it to DAG for the conversion.

After I got the furnace last week I was checking KEH's website and they listed a used M6 for 1/2 the price of a new 1. I figured grab it, have DAG service it and still have 2 M bodies with meters (I hope) for the price of 1.

Now I'm thinking after I get the M5 and M6 CLA'd and at least a decent 35mm wide angle I might look for a M4 and round out the herd. I don't see me using anything wider than a 35mm on a Leica since I wear glasses and can't see the 28mm framelines in the M6 anyway. Besides, I prefer using a Nikon f2/3 with a 28mm when I use 1 right now.

I'll see what happens. I'm planning on retiring next year so after I buy myself a new car maybe I'll pass on the M4 and get the 2022 M6 or a MP instead 

   

 

 

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[RF’sDelight]

vor 28 Minuten schrieb Don Flynn:

Yeah, I've gone down the rabbit hole (I even nicknamed the M6 "Bug's) 

What a lovely and lucky Leica journey you’ve started but be careful in that rabbit hole! It’s full of fun but very hard to get out again. 😁

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Edited March 20 by RF’sDelight

[Roy Bigsby]

2 hours ago, Don Flynn said:

I have their Kek02 for my M3  and wish they would combine the feature of the shutter dial linking to the meter with the rear view screen on the Kek02.

I have the Kek02 as well, and I agree: The new Leica M meter would be great with a rear screen instead of a top one. 

[Don Flynn]

1 hour ago, RF’sDelight said:

What a lovely and lucky Leica journey you’ve started but be careful in that rabbit hole! It’s full of fun but very hard to get out again. 😁

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!

(Picture originally posted here…)

Oh, I almost ordered a M4 KEH has listed today, I talked myself down since I want to get a couple lenses 1st

33 minutes ago, Roy Bigsby said:

I have the Kek02 as well, and I agree: The new Leica M meter would be great with a rear screen instead of a top one. 

I can understand trying to have a "purist" approach having the screen on top on the Kek M Meter but combining the features of the 2 would give actual non metered M shooters a quicker use system than having to look at the M meter by tilting it back and maybe getting a different exposure reading 

Edited March 20 by Don Flynn

[LraStn]

Thanks everyone! I bought an M3 SS and I'm excited to run my first trial roll through it this week. 

I plan to sell my M6 once it is back in GWO to finance an M7, so I can get the HSS and the Motor Winder M will also work with it. 

[Don Flynn]

On 3/22/2025 at 1:18 AM, chuckroast said:

 

An M5 because they are amazing.  Just get a later serial number to avoid the dreaded roller problems.

 

Then an M2 because everyone needs an M2 to shoot 35mm lenses through that gorgeous finder.

 

Then an M4 because it was the height of Leica M elegance.

 

Then you're done, because everything after that pales by comparison.

While I agree that the M5 is overlooked and a good choice you have to find a tech who can service them. In the US that's DAG and Golden Touch. The former doesn't like the design, and the latter is hard to contact IMO. I asked Sherry a question about servicing my M6 and maybe a 2nd M5 (Dag has 1 I bought recently doing a CLA and battery conversion) and have yet to her back from her  

[Don Flynn]

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1 hour ago, chuckroast said:

DAG CLAed and adjusted the meter on my M5 without any issues,  Turnaround time was about 5 weeks.  He may be the only person left that has parts available for these cameras.

I bought my M4 from someone who'd just had Sherry do a CLA.  It runs flawlessly.  He did say her turnaround time is really long.

I am about to go into the darkroom to print some negatives I shot with the M5 over the weekend.  It's astonishing how on-the-money that meter is and how smooth that camera shoots.

How long ago did DAG take to do your M5? I just sent mine in a couple weeks ago so if he's still doing 5-6 weeks turnaround that would be great. I ran a quick test roll of color film through my "new" M6 and it'll take 2 weeks for the lab to process that. I can see if I have any issues up front with it. i figure get a CLA now since it is a 1995 production to play it safe for a few years. I'm talking myself in and out of a new 2022 model for Xmas if I can save up enough overtime by then 😁. I don't need 2 of them.....but when has need been a factor 😆   

I'm planning on setting up a good film developing setup and getting a film scanner when I retire next year. I figure now I don't really have the spare time so having someone else develop and scan saves me time. 

[TomB_tx]

I've had Leica's serviced by both DAG and Sherry. Both can do fine work. I found communication better with DAG, but when he did my M5 several years ago it took over a year before I contacted him and asked - then he finished it quickly. Sherry also took over a year for one repair (R-lens 3rd cam update), and one M went back for mis-adjustment. But these kind of things can happen with anyone. I've had another (now retired) tech take over 2 years on a Canon RF service, and a Leicaflex took... oh, it never came back.

Now I use DAG for about everything.

Edited March 23 by TomB_tx

[Don Flynn]

1 hour ago, chuckroast said:

He did my  M5 in mid-2024ish.  

 

For the record, I'd prefer a good M4 or M5 over an M6 for several reasons: 

 

The old M6 meters often cannot be repaired due to lack of parts. 

Anything built after  the M5 uses a lot of aluminum (except maybe for the new MP or M-A, I don't know).   

Anything built after the M5 makes use of mass manufactured parts and is not hand fit the way the older cameras were.  This doesn't make a new M6 "bad", just not as good as the older bodies. 

Also the new film bodies are stupidly expensive.  I got a just-CLAed (by Sherry) M4 in the original box for under $2000.  That's less than half a new M6.  You can buy a pretty great meter with the difference and have a lot of money left over.

This outfit now offers circuit boards for "classic" M6's

Home | Amsterdam Camera Repairs

If Sherry offers CLA's Leica's for sale I'm tempted to contact her down the road and see if she has an updated M5 for sale instead of buying a 2nd M6. DAG has a M4P listed now for $1650 that almost tempts me but I really need to behave and get a couple more lens for the M3,5 and 6 I now have. That and the M4P looks a tad rough in the photo's, I'm sure it's 100% reliable but I also like chrome over black if I have a choice, at least on Leica's