Nate68 Posted April 20, 2008 Share #1 Posted April 20, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) The following may seem like a question with an obvious answer for some of the posters here. I apologize and thank you in advance as I am new to the world of Leica. I currently own a dlux 3 and am looking to purchase my first 35mm leica camera and am on a very tight budget. The two cameras within my range are an M3 ds rangefinder or an R4, both are in perfect working condition. This may seem like apples and oranges so let me tell you what I am looking for. I do not care about resale value, I want something I can use easily on a daily basis. I shoot mostly street photography and portraits. If something breaks or needs repair, how easy is it to remedy? Which one supports a wider array of lenses? Is one particularly more durable than the other? This seemed like the place to come to ask these questions. Thanks again! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 20, 2008 Posted April 20, 2008 Hi Nate68, Take a look here New to Leica need advice. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
andybarton Posted April 20, 2008 Share #2 Posted April 20, 2008 Welcome to the forum, nate Have you used a rangefinder before? Have you used an SLR? From what you have said, I would think that the M3 would be better for you, but, you must be happy with the way that a rangefinder works, as opposed to an SLR, or a Point and shoot digital. The M3 is the classic "street" camera, and when combined with a 35 or 50 lens will give you years of pleasure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate68 Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share #3 Posted April 20, 2008 Thank you for the quick response, I am well versed in the SLR world. Not so in the rangefinder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted April 20, 2008 Share #4 Posted April 20, 2008 Welcome Nate. The only drawback with the M3 is that because it has a higher magnification viewfinder than any other M it needs special 35mm lenses with "spectacles". This is because it doesn't have 35mm framelines, starting at 50mm and including 90 and (IIRC) 135mm (prepared to be corrected) The spectacles bring up and magnify the 50mm framelines. It is the only camera in the M range that has this restriction. A better bet would be an M2, which has 35/50/90mm framelines and is noted for being uncluttered. 35mm lenses with spectacles are available secondhand, but have not been made new since (again IRRC) the 1960s. With any old M be prepared to have to pay for a CLA (Clean Lubricate Adjust) or service, that, depending on where you are in the world, can set you back £100-£200. Hope this helps. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest suilvenman Posted April 20, 2008 Share #5 Posted April 20, 2008 Hi, Investment in Leica usually demands a bit of faith and commitment. Faith because not a few will suggest that film-based photography is moribund (check out some recent posts on this and other forums). Commitment because Leica is more expensive than other brands and whether M or R, you have to budget for glass. (often, prices quoted are for body only). I would consult FFordes for equipment price guide and CRR, Luton for CLA/future repair estimate (both UK) for an idea of overall likely costs. Personally. I made a conscious decision to invest in R and film and am really happy with the results, but, I suppose, this is a choice you need to consider yourself. Cheers, Ken. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted April 20, 2008 Share #6 Posted April 20, 2008 If you are well in touch with SLRs... well R4 is a SLR, indeed (based, if I remember well, on a Minolta design), but has a certain fame to be someway vague on metering/auto exp... and difficult to fix in case of. Of course, can mount many excellent Leica lenses, mine is simply a warning for, even you say the item you can buy is"perfect working", could happen you get some problem, now or after, on the issue I mention. Btw, you don't speak about the lens you firstly would acquire: with the R4, you can find a very cheap 28-70 zoom... a Sigma-made lens of no great fame (I'm not a R user, I'm only referring impressions of others). Getting a M3 (or M2, or M4) means to enter the RF world ... Do you like to try ? With a pair like 35(or 50) + 90 (not too costly, if used originals of apertures like 2,8 or so, or good Cosina Voigtlander lenses ) you get a fine equipment for street & portrait, a fabolus handling, a kind of gear you can fall in love with... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted April 20, 2008 Share #7 Posted April 20, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Quite. R for the mind, M for the heart. LTM for the soul. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roguewave Posted April 20, 2008 Share #8 Posted April 20, 2008 Nate, I have a series of R cameras and love them all. On the M side, I have a M3, M2 & CL. I still think the M3 is the best camera Leica ever made. If you haven't used a rangefinder before, the M3 is the place to start. It has the largest, brightest and highest magnification of all Leica rangefinders. This is no small matter, as this greatly improves the ability to focus and therefore to obtain images you will like. You can always sell a M3 for what you paid for it. If you need to migrate to a different body in the future, no problem. For me, my first Leica was an M3 and for many others, they never regreted owning and using Leica's most famous and best designed & functional camera. Using the varoius 35mm lenses without the googles is very easy. You can can still get razer sharp focusing and compose around the the frame lines.I do it all the time. You also can use a small fixed finder that attaches to shoe, if necessary. However, the 50mm is still the best way to learn the M3's sensability and to get a great lesson in composition, framing, selective focusing and mastering DOF with a rangefinder. Once these are mastered, you are free to plunder the assortment of M bodies and lenses, because you have a deep, intuitive understanding of the system. The M3 is not only a tool, but an awesome teacher. Plus, nothing, I mean nothing feels the same as that Brass & Glass, perfectly sculptured to your hands and mind;s eye. You'll never regret owning this most prized camera. Good Luck. Ben Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasw_ Posted April 20, 2008 Share #9 Posted April 20, 2008 Hello there, and welcome. I am a big 50mm fan, so the M3 is perfection for me. Not even my MP is as perfect with this focal length. If you are contemplating just one M system body, then I would second Bill's M2 suggestion. The M2 is a better 35/50 shooter, which is the mainstay for your type of shooting. If you wanted to use 28mm lenses, you can just use the entire M2 VF to frame; so the M2 has more frameline options for you. Again, as Bill stated, the M2 VF has no clutter; and some think it is the most aesthetically pleasing M, especially the versions without the selftimer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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