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59 minutes ago, spydrxx said:

Just  another thought on worn strap lugs. One of my (non-Leica) Japanese Barnacks has a piece of small plastic round tubing inserted inside the lug, cushioning it against wear. It is clear and virtually unnoticeable excepting on close examination. I've since adapted this procedure to several of my other cameras and it seems to be working quite well.

Interesting.  I have a pretty nice black-paint M4 with the same unnerving wear.  What is the source or type of tubing you use?  

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The M2 is one of my two favorite film bodies having IMHO the best viewfinder Leica ever produced.  The other is the original M4 with its introduction of the modern film loading system.  I have learned to ignore the small 135 frame lines that come up with the 35 frame lines.  I prefer the classic Leicas released prior to the M4-2.

So, I have been searching for an M2R but they seem to fetch a price of $3000 or better.  Someone mentioned that DAG can install the rapid loading spool in an M2 (or M3) for a couple hundred dollars.  I think I will resist buying an MA but search for a mint M2 and get the rapid loading system installed.  I am wondering if anyone has done this and can give me a better idea of the price and if it works as well as the system in the M4.

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2 minutes ago, ktmrider2 said:

The M2 is one of my two favorite film bodies having IMHO the best viewfinder Leica ever produced.  The other is the original M4 with its introduction of the modern film loading system.  I have learned to ignore the small 135 frame lines that come up with the 35 frame lines.  I prefer the classic Leicas released prior to the M4-2.

So, I have been searching for an M2R but they seem to fetch a price of $3000 or better.  Someone mentioned that DAG can install the rapid loading spool in an M2 (or M3) for a couple hundred dollars.  I think I will resist buying an MA but search for a mint M2 and get the rapid loading system installed.  I am wondering if anyone has done this and can give me a better idea of the price and if it works as well as the system in the M4.

You need to have the correct baseplate with the little wheel that pushes the leader into place. I don't think that is included with the DAG conversion.

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1 hour ago, ktmrider2 said:

The M2 is one of my two favorite film bodies having IMHO the best viewfinder Leica ever produced.  The other is the original M4 with its introduction of the modern film loading system.  I have learned to ignore the small 135 frame lines that come up with the 35 frame lines.  I prefer the classic Leicas released prior to the M4-2.

So, I have been searching for an M2R but they seem to fetch a price of $3000 or better.  Someone mentioned that DAG can install the rapid loading spool in an M2 (or M3) for a couple hundred dollars.  I think I will resist buying an MA but search for a mint M2 and get the rapid loading system installed.  I am wondering if anyone has done this and can give me a better idea of the price and if it works as well as the system in the M4.

I used an M3 for a while and my M2 very briefly (c'mon Wetzlar service!) and I didn't find the loading system all that slow compared to my M4 or M-A: 

Pull out the take-up spool, slip the film leader into the slot, drop the spool/film canister into the camera - done.  

Rapid loading, rapid rewind.  What's everyone's hurry?  If you miss the shot, you'll have a chance at winning the Pulitzer again next year ;)  

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The Quick Load kit is a love it or hate it accessory. I had one for my M2 and all I ever managed to do was crumple the film or mis-load it. I finally gave it away and bought a second spool. Looking back, I was probably trying too hard.

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I know all about the standard film loading of the M2.  I have owned a half dozen M2 bodies over the last 50 years of using Leicas and I prefer the M4's system.  The M2 is slower but I have never had a miss feed using the M2 system when loading film.  It is not a make or break issue for me.  I thought I would just get the system I prefer.  

I thought about the MA as a second body which is much newer and has the modern film loading.  To me, the single frame lines of the M2 viewfinder is its best feature and it actually has the best viewfinder of any Leica, especially if 35 is your favorite focal length.  I would lose that on the MA.  Plus I can get an M2 for less than half of the cost of even a used MA.

So, I will keep searching for another mint M2 or maybe a chrome M4 to go with my 50th anniversary black chrome M4.

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5 hours ago, hydet said:

Interesting.  I have a pretty nice black-paint M4 with the same unnerving wear.  What is the source or type of tubing you use?  

Small tubing from dispensers like those used to fill butane lighters or dimestore aerosol bottles like in the picture below.

 

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  • 2 months later...

Bonjour de France!

Désolé pour mon anglais!😊

 

 

Voici mon Leica M2 repeint en Cerakote série H Cobalt Satin Finish par "paintmycamera" sur instagram.

Ce M2 date de 1966, il est accompagné d'un résumé 35 3.5.

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;)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/macroxg/

 

Edited by Tydav44
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Quote

Hello from France! Sorry for my English! 😊 Here is my Leica M2 repainted in Cerakote H series Cobalt Satin Finish by "paintmycamera" on instagram. This M2 dates from 1966, it is accompanied by a summary 35 3.5

Google translate  It only struggled with résumé. Maybe "matching" would be OK?  We are an English language forum.

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Just curious why the ''I love my M2' thread is in the 'Leica Collectors and Historica' section while all of the other 'I love my...' film camera threads (M3, M-A, MP, etc.) are in the 'Film M' section of the forum.

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/forum/148-leica-m-a-m7-mp-and-film-m/

I didn't even realize there was an 'I love my M2' thread since I never visit this section of the forum.

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A 23 year love affair. The M2 is one of my all time favorites.

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Edited by thrid
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I mean this in the best possible way. Like logan2z above I too am surprised that the I love my M2 has been shifted to this section. I had just finished working my way through it and then poof it was shifted. If this means the other Leica Ms are coming here as well, everything pre-M6, then that's understandable, but at the moment it looks like somebody doesn't like M2s. In fact, since the M7 is now out of production you could argue that it should come here as well. Just a thought. Cheers.

Edited by williamj
adding in the M7
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25 minutes ago, williamj said:

I mean this in the best possible way. Like logan2z above I too am surprised that the I love my M2 has been shifted to this section. I had just finished working my way through it and then poof it was shifted. If this means the other Leica Ms are coming here as well, everything pre-M6, then that's understandable, but at the moment it looks like somebody doesn't like M2s. In fact, since the M7 is now out of production you could argue that it should come here as well. Just a thought. Cheers.

I agree, though not as a M2 owner, but as a user of older cameras. I am not a collector, nor am I into the minutiae of Leica history and products. The obvious arrangement would be to have a separate M1-M7 section within the main M subforum.

For similar reasons, there should be a section for the Barnacks and their users i.e. not collectors. Perhaps rename the Leica Collectors & Historica subforum as 'Older Leicas' or similar, then divide it into 'Collectors' and 'Users' sections. When I started looking at buying a Barnack for use I couldn't immediately tell where to look for practical advice.

Edit: I have posted in the 'About the Leica Forum' section about the anomaly of 'Leica Collectors and Historica' being used as a bucket for posts about using all older Leicas

Edited by LocalHero1953
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24 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

The obvious arrangement would be to have a separate M1-M7 section within the main M subforum.

For similar reasons, there should be a section for the Barnacks and their users i.e. not collectors.

Edit: I have posted in the 'About the Leica Forum' section about the anomaly of 'Leica Collectors and Historica' being used as a bucket for posts about using all older Leicas

These are excellent suggestions.

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I am an M2 owner and I agree that the "I love my M2" thread fits more logically in the M-system/Film M subforum rather than the Collectors and Historica subforum.

Also it would be good to create a section/subforum somewhere for M39 camera users. All other Leica systems (M/L/S/Q/X/....) have their place but M39 (and maybe fixed lens Barnacks) don't have a similar spot other than some individual threads in the Collectors and Historica section.

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  • 3 weeks later...

with a ttartisan black paint lightmeter whose center led is dead, mainly used for aesthetic reason :P 

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