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Film body ... M mount ???

Desmolicious
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Film body ... M mount ???

Just follow Leica's instructions on how to load. With the quickload system i.e. what is in the M4 and on cameras, it is crazy simple. They even have a diagram on the baseplate. Just do that.

The only reason that loading a Leica has become an issue/complicated is because there are so many 'experts' out there giving bogus information on how they think it should be loaded.

Leica designed and built these cameras. Follow their instructions.

Mar 17, 2023 at 11:34 AM

airfrogusmc
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Film body ... M mount ???

bluehawaii wrote:
I think you are right, they’re even more fashionable at the moment which is good I think, hopefully the scratching film thing isn't part of the 'look' now

---------------------------------------------

Good info.
It still feels like luxury for me to have A mode on an M camera. So I like the M7's auto shutter, exposure comp dial on the back and the on/off switch, almost like a Leica Xpan if you will. My view is long term the M6 is probably better. Who knows how reliable the M7 will be, it was around for quite a while but spares will be running...Show more →

And if I were to get a film M I would prefer it to be without a meter. I'm certainly no hipster. I shot with 500 C/Ms and view cameras for deacdes and have meters. Don't shoot any auto modes. Don't need the camera making any decisions for me. Nice to have that choice still being made new.

Mar 17, 2023 at 01:29 PM

retrofocus
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Film body ... M mount ???

bluehawaii wrote:
If they bring back the CL I will buy one.

I hoped this would be the case when the rumor started that Leica plans to release a "lower" cost film camera. But Leica obviously learned from its original error to make a lower cost CL camera which caused in-house competition with higher priced M models. Likely same reason here why Leica didn't remake this otherwise successful CL model.

Mar 17, 2023 at 03:44 PM

Desmolicious
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Film body ... M mount ???

The DX iissue and rf patch flaring were addressed in the M7 with the serial #s in the 3xxxx range and higher.

W/ re to film scratching, it is not just limited to the new M6. It can also effect (note I said can, not will) newer MPs and the M-A depending on the luck of the draw. It has only become prominent now because frankly I raised holy h3ll and would not let up until I got answers.
People are now sending in out of warranty MPs and Leica is fixing them at no cost if they scratch film.

As long as the M you get is in good shape, you’ll be happy. They all are great cameras.

Mar 17, 2023 at 04:33 PM

Desmolicious
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Film body ... M mount ???

retrofocus wrote:
I hoped this would be the case when the rumor started that Leica plans to release a "lower" cost film camera. But Leica obviously learned from its original error to make a lower cost CL camera which caused in-house competition with higher priced M models. Likely same reason here why Leica didn't remake this otherwise successful CL model.

I think it was more along the lines of reintroducing the M6 was super easy because it basically is the current production MP w very very few differences. .

Mar 17, 2023 at 04:38 PM

RustyBug
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Film body ... M mount ???

Lots of info to digest ... looks like I'll be chewing on this one for a bit.

But, I'm pretty sure $5K isn't in the cards anytime soon.

Mar 17, 2023 at 11:29 PM

sirimiri
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Film body ... M mount ???

Holy crap M7 prices are through the roof!

Mar 18, 2023 at 01:49 AM

wolfloid
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Film body ... M mount ???

Holy crap M7 prices are through the roof!

How quickly things change! Only a few months ago I was surprised that they were consistently lower than M6 Classics.

Mar 18, 2023 at 05:08 AM

bluehawaii
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Film body ... M mount ???

I think I paid close to 1800 for the M7, they went right up to 4000 or so when they stopped the run. There was an earlier ELCAN one and some Hermes editions and quite a few others. I think it was the longest running M other than the combined run of M6 and M6TTL.

In an ideal world would have 3 or 4 cameras.

M2 0.72 with a 35mm on it.

M3 with a 50mm on. Unmatched 0.91 perfection.

One of the later Ms 0.58 with a 28mm lens on it. And 0.85 with 35mm and longer lenses.

Bessa R3 for 40mm lens 1.0x. Or CL 40mm+50mm 0.6x & CLE 40mm+28mm 0.58x.

1/1000th shutter on all the Ms and CL. Bessa 1/2000th. So then just need a Hexar RF 0.6x for fast lenses 1/4000th motor drive.

With the lenses I would choose the small kit is over $40K+. Amazing what we go through to get a camera that is eclipsed in some features by an FM2

Mar 18, 2023 at 07:11 AM

retrofocus
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Film body ... M mount ???

bluehawaii wrote:
I think I paid close to 1800 for the M7, they went right up to 4000 or so when they stopped the run. There was an earlier ELCAN one and some Hermes editions and quite a few others. I think it was the longest running M other than the combined run of M6 and M6TTL.

In an ideal world would have 3 or 4 cameras.

M2 0.72 with a 35mm on it.

M3 with a 50mm on. Unmatched 0.91 perfection.

One of the later Ms 0.58 with a 28mm lens on it. And 0.85 with 35mm and longer lenses.

Bessa R3...Show more →

+1. Bought my M7 in EX+ used condition manufactured in 2003 from Chanson Camera for $1700 in 2016. It was my second M camera after getting the M6 earlier for about $1300. One year later, I was offered by a friend to purchase a double-stroke M3 in decent condition (needed CLA and shutter replacement later) for $800. Last year, I bought from another friend a M4-2 in EX condition to me for $1300 including well working motor winder.
As you stated above, I use my M3 mostly with 50 mm lenses including the 50/2 DR lens with goggles.
M6 and M7 with a wide range of lenses but most often on the wider side.
M4-2 is at this point more of a less often used camera for me - but good to have to load other films in it than in the remaining Ms. I don't plan to sell any of these cameras even none of them is a collector item.

Mar 18, 2023 at 10:12 AM

bluehawaii
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Film body ... M mount ???

retrofocus wrote:
+1. Bought my M7 in EX+ used condition manufactured in 2003 from Chanson Camera for $1700 in 2016. It was my second M camera after getting the M6 earlier for about $1300. One year later, I was offered by a friend to purchase a double-stroke M3 in decent condition (needed CLA and shutter replacement later) for $800. Last year, I bought from another friend a M4-2 in EX condition to me for $1300 including well working motor winder.
As you stated above, I use my M3 mostly with 50 mm lenses including the 50/2 DR lens with goggles.
M6 and...Show more →

That is a nice set indeed. I especially like the earlier 50mm as well. Something about it just looks perfect on the M3.

Mar 18, 2023 at 01:36 PM

andrewd01
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Film body ... M mount ???

If I was buying my first M camera now and wanted to keep the price reasonable I would probably buy a chrome M4 from a reputable used Leica dealer.

Something like this:
https://www.reddotcameras.co.uk/m-bodies/18747-leica-m4-chrome-body.html

Forget about Voigtlander or Zeiss ZM. When these were released they cost a fraction of what the Leica bodies sold for and are not in the same league as far as quality goes. Now they seem to sell for 70-80% of what you can get a Leica for.

Mar 18, 2023 at 05:27 PM

wolfloid
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Film body ... M mount ???

Weren’t the CV Bessas built on that clunky Nikon EM chassis? They certainly felt cheap.

Mar 19, 2023 at 05:16 AM

bluehawaii
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Film body ... M mount ???

The M4 looks almost unused. Nice early 70s one.

wolfloid wrote:
Weren’t the CV Bessas built on that clunky Nikon EM chassis? They certainly felt cheap.

They felt cheap and were cheap. I seem to remember the Bessa R3 was 699 brand new with a 40mm f1.4 Nokton or 500 body only. The one without the rangefinder was 150 for so long before prices shot up.

Mar 19, 2023 at 06:27 AM

sirimiri
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Film body ... M mount ???

I should have kept my R3A and R4M! The R4M in particular, I almost had to give away...
How times have changed. The Bessas were tinny but they worked well enough!

Mar 20, 2023 at 10:12 PM

RustyBug
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Film body ... M mount ???

sirimiri wrote:
I should have kept my R3A and R4M! The R4M in particular, I almost had to give away...
How times have changed. The Bessas were tinny but they worked well enough!

Interesting study into the R4M and others. The R3M catches my attention a bit with its 1:1 RF and frame lines for 40 and 75.

Although, I've been shooting my 40 with non-40 frame lines and it hasn't been an issue, so far. Still, intriguing for the 1:1 possibility, including using a 135mm lens (no proper frame lines), wondering if the focus patch is more easily used with the long lens (i.e. longest M lens).

I don't have anything wide yet, but the R4M does sound interesting, too ... for the obvious reasons of having the very wide frame lines, that it does.

Mar 21, 2023 at 11:52 AM

panos.v
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · Film body ... M mount ???

RustyBug wrote:
Interesting study into the R4M and others. The R3M catches my attention a bit with its 1:1 RF and frame lines for 40 and 75.

Although, I've been shooting my 40 with non-40 frame lines and it hasn't been an issue, so far. Still, intriguing for the 1:1 possibility, including using a 135mm lens (no proper frame lines), wondering if the focus patch is more easily used with the long lens (i.e. longest M lens).

I don't have anything wide yet, but the R4M does sound interesting, too ... for the obvious reasons of having the very wide frame lines, that it...Show more →

I had the R3a. While the 1:1 finder is indeed very cool, I had the following problems:

1. The 40 framelines are like trying to see 28 framelines on a modern M, ie they might as well not be there (I wear glasses). So basically this is a 50mm finder. But, as you say, I never found the lack of 40 framelines an issue when using the 40/1.4 VM.
2. The body is quite small so somehow my fingers always ended up over the finder illumination window, ie making the framelines disappear.
3. It flares easily.

Still, a very cool camera, shooting with both eyes open is very comfortable. While it does feel a bit dinkier than an M, I think this is more on the lack of refinement (eg manual frameline selector, not the smoothest body shape, etc) vs actual build. Think of it like going from an M to a Nikon FM2. All angles and buttons and levers vs a nice smooth block of metal.

Mar 21, 2023 at 12:22 PM

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