tgray Posted January 31, 2009 Share #21 Posted January 31, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Sweet spot in my mind is the M6 classic. Reasonably new, good price, should be in good shape. I personally like the M7 better though. Does all the M6 does and more. As far as lenses, pick your focal length and budget and the decision should be obvious. Leica, Zeiss, CV are all good. The Zeiss 35mm is very good and very usable. I personally moved to 28mm and picked up the Summicron and been pretty happy with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 Hi tgray, Take a look here If you were to give advice to a newcomer.... I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
kenneth Posted January 31, 2009 Share #22 Posted January 31, 2009 You don't want to be too normal if you use a Leica. And Kenneth: A 50-75mm? What, a zoom!? No David a 50mm and a 75mm but I must admit the 75mm in a Voigtlander 2.5 Colour Heliar as funds were tight and that focal length is not one I use very much albeit, it functions very well and is useful for portraiture and detail in landscapes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest darkstar2004 Posted January 31, 2009 Share #23 Posted January 31, 2009 Since you are free from budget worries, I would say go with an MP 0.72 and either a 28/2 or a 35/2, soon to be followed by a 50/1.4 or a 50/2. I like the 28/2 for an allaround short lens. It is the widest lens that you can use without a shoe mounted viewfinder (with the 0.72 - not sure about the 0.58). I stewed over the M7 vs. MP choice a bit when I was ready to buy and I went with the MP 0.72 in black paint. I have never regretted my choice. With the MP, you have full camera function in regard to shutter speeds even when your battery craps out. With the M7, you get one shutter speed, thanks to the electrically controlled shutter. That was the deciding factor for me. Mechanical reliability rules IMHO - it's much more important (to me anyway) than an aperture priority mode. A second consideration is that I like the MP rewind knob much better than the M7's angled crank. The MP rewind knob is pretty much indestructible and blends in beautifully with the camera's lines. It may not be quite as fast as the angled crank at rewinding film, but so what? No M camera is built for speed in regard to rewinding and loading film. The angled rewind crank on the M6 & M7 - it's just plain fugly. It's like having a big, hairy purple wart perched on the nose of a supermodel. It is also more susecptible to damage and getting caught on things because of the way it protrudes from the camera's top plate. For street shooting, the MP's lack of the aperture priority mode is really not that much of an issue. I find that when doing steet work, I pretty much work one area at a time and one basic exposure pretty much covers it anyway. If I go from shadow to bright light, I take a meter reading, reset my shutter speed & aperture and work from that one basic exposure. Kodak Tri-X with its outstanding exposure latitude is a great film for this method of working. Don't let anyone tell you that the MP is no good for street work because it does not have aperture priority exposure. If you recall, Messr. Cartier-Bresson did his street work with a Leica that was very similar to the MP and did not have AE. Also, don't overlook the 50/2 for street work - it is a great choice too. HCB used a 50/2 more than a 35/2, based on what I have read. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenneth Posted February 1, 2009 Share #24 Posted February 1, 2009 Darkstar 2004 wrote- HCB used a 50/2 more than a 35/2, based on what I have read. Are you sure? I was always under the assumption that he only ever used a 50mm or maybe a 40mm, but certainly not a 35mm 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/75507-if-you-were-to-give-advice-to-a-newcomer/?do=findComment&comment=796589'>More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted February 1, 2009 Share #25 Posted February 1, 2009 Hi Kenneth, an article on HCB by Bob Schwalberg in 1967, printed in The Best of Popular Photography, states: "He roams his world with a Leica. About 90 percent of his pictures are made with 50-mm normal focus lenses." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest darkstar2004 Posted February 2, 2009 Share #26 Posted February 2, 2009 Hi Kenneth, an article on HCB by Bob Schwalberg in 1967, printed in The Best of Popular Photography, states: "He roams his world with a Leica. About 90 percent of his pictures are made with 50-mm normal focus lenses." That's what I had read somewhere - that the majority of his images were made with a 50mm lens. How the 35mm lens got to be "The Lens" for street work I'm not sure. I wonder who started that trend in the first place? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmickan Posted February 2, 2009 Share #27 Posted February 2, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hand held meter is more accurate so I suggest an M4 with a Summicron 2/35 with a Minolta IVf. Supplement with a 1.1m M3 and a 90mm Elmarit v1. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
louloumum Posted February 2, 2009 Share #28 Posted February 2, 2009 I chose M6 Classic 0.72 with a Summicron 35mm asph. I have added a 50mm-75mm and another body. The M6 is terrific value second hand and is an absolute icon of it's genre- Wonderful My choice as well - although I started out with a Summilux 50 in stead. It was a bargain combo of used equipment that I couldn't resist. Never regretted for one second, but I contemplate adding a 28 mm to go with this at some point. Good luck with the search. I'm sure it will be worth the effort no matter what you end up choosing.... All the best ___________________ Marie-Louise Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marke Posted February 3, 2009 Share #29 Posted February 3, 2009 That's what I had read somewhere - that the majority of his images were made with a 50mm lens. How the 35mm lens got to be "The Lens" for street work I'm not sure. I wonder who started that trend in the first place? I thought I heard somewhere (I know, another rumor) that HC-B started using a 35mm when he came to the US, because of the tighter crowds. But what do I know, I just heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share #30 Posted February 3, 2009 Thanks everyone for your comprehensive input. I do believe that I will be trying to find a used M7, along with a 35mm Summicron asph glass. Reason for M7 being, I prefer to have the aperture priority mode available, instead of going all manual at all times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted February 3, 2009 Share #31 Posted February 3, 2009 M6 with 35 Summicron Asph. loaded with Tri-X. Ditto that, across the board. The M6 does have aperture priority. Just set the aperture where you want it, then adjust the shutter speed for correct exposure. Pretty fast and easy. The reason I prefer to do this manually is that it forces you to think about everything you're doing with the camera: What DOF you want, whether the subject is moving and how fast, etc.. With the "Auto" function, it's too easy to just let the camera make the decisions for you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgray Posted February 3, 2009 Share #32 Posted February 3, 2009 With the MP, you have full camera function in regard to shutter speeds even when your battery craps out. With the M7, you get one shutter speed, thanks to the electrically controlled shutter. That was the deciding factor for me. Mechanical reliability rules IMHO - it's much more important (to me anyway) than an aperture priority mode. To be fair to the M7: Battery powered, or lack thereof, implies nothing about mechanical reliability. In fact the M7 should have more reliable shutter speeds... It has two shutter speeds which work with no batteries (1/60 and 1/125). My M7 has gotten through over 50 rolls of film over the last 6-8 months with the same set of batteries that were in the camera when I got it used. The whole battery issue is over blown. I can carry four or five sets of batteries in the space one roll of film takes up. You don't leave the house with out a couple extra rolls of film, do you? What happens to your MP when you run out of film? While the M7 does use batteries, it's not like a digital camera where you are left high and dry without a power source, since you *will* run it down. The batteries are tiny, cheap, have a great shelf life, and have a long working life too. Stash 6 of them in a film canister in the bottom of your bag, gaff tape two to your camera strap, leave a set in your glove compartment and another in your coat pocket. You'll never have to worry about running out of juice. To run through all those batteries would take... 400+ rolls of film? If you're walking around with that many bricks of film, carry a couple extra batteries too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimF Posted February 3, 2009 Share #33 Posted February 3, 2009 I thought I heard somewhere (I know, another rumor) that HC-B started using a 35mm when he came to the US, because of the tighter crowds. But what do I know, I just heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend... What I read was that he began using a 35mm in America because of the wider streets. The other lens I've seen in an HCB picture was the 85mm Summarex. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Lord Posted February 4, 2009 Share #34 Posted February 4, 2009 Amen! ... ... indeed Ding! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystic Posted February 7, 2009 Share #35 Posted February 7, 2009 Thanks everyone for your comprehensive input. I do believe that I will be trying to find a used M7, along with a 35mm Summicron asph glass. Reason for M7 being, I prefer to have the aperture priority mode available, instead of going all manual at all times. thats definitely a good choice. if you need more wide angle you should take a look at the Elmarit 24mm 2,8 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrewer Posted February 7, 2009 Share #36 Posted February 7, 2009 There is no finer product for immersion in Leica-dom than an MP shorn with 35mm f2 ASPH Hands-down the best one-for-all kit 'God' ever created Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimF Posted February 7, 2009 Share #37 Posted February 7, 2009 Agree on the camera, but with the pre-aspheric 35mm Summilux. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindlessdocumentation Posted February 8, 2009 Share #38 Posted February 8, 2009 If budget is no issue I suggest an MP - might as well go completely opposite your digital methods - get fully in the spirit. Even though I don't own one (yet), I'm of the totally biased opinion it's the ultimate refinement of the M series. Either that or an M6 classic. And, as everyone has said, start with a 35mm (what I did) or a 50mm (what I did next). You'll eventually want both. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atournas Posted February 8, 2009 Share #39 Posted February 8, 2009 I use both an M6 Classic and an MP; I also use the 21/2.8 Asph and 35/2 Asph lenses alnog with some standard and tele ones. I have noticed that the 35, although excellent for street photography, is a bit narrow for real landscape and urban open-space pictures. Money being not a factor, I would suggest the MP with 21/2.8 Asph combo, unless you also consider shooting spontaneous streets scenes in which case the 35 is more convenient. I hope that helps. Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystic Posted February 8, 2009 Share #40 Posted February 8, 2009 Agree on the camera, but with the pre-aspheric 35mm Summilux. Agree, but you got to have the Summilux 75mm, i love this lens . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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