Love & logic ?? Spanish guy new in Leica universe needing some help.

Here I am for the first time at the Leica?s universe as a potential photographer. As an audience I?ve

been enjoying Leica nearly all my life.

First of all excuse my english so, as you can read, it?s not my language. I am from Barcelona. My name

is Albert and I?m a filmaker that started long time ago as a photographer and director of photography

in Europe.

Since I am directing, photography has been one very nice way to enjoy image "on my own" with total

freedom and not necessity of huge crews for creating an image.

Now is my time to enjoy with a Leica. I have been seeing models in spain and diferent prices and now I

am in New York and I have the oporunity to reduce costs.

Here the prices are better and the euro diference is a good thing.

The problem is that I am leaving in 2 days.

I am totally new in Leica?s and I have to decide how to start.

I have been enjoying the reviews of K. Tuck for M6, T. Rowlett for the M7 and H. Blumenthal for the MPs

as well that I have been reading your forum chats.

It is kind of funny to see how every body loves Leica no matter if it?s M6, M7, MP... It looks that, at the

end... there is no objective logic wich is ok to me and kind of nicely amasing. Love that from all you,

and this Leica Universe.

It looks that everything is kinda matter of price and personal details of taste...

So first impresion is; "go for it with whatever and enjoy". Sounds very spanish!!

My bank account was happy when I read Bill Mitchell (hello Bill!) Saying "Leicas are not for people who

wear glasses" but I got happier when I later did read Josef Brugger not having any complexes since he

was a child.

So, I am not going to go for the M7 ?cause I have been all my live using manuals and I love it even in

street shoots, but is kind of dificult to understand the diference betwwen M6 TTL,85 and MP.

Lots of you say (if I understud correctly) that MP are like M6 improved.

It is probably too brave from me to resume it like this...sorry.

 

I was thinking in spain to get a M6 TTL iso 6/6400 but I see here some good oportunities.

There is a MP,72 used for 3.095 ( I allways have had used ones ) and a M6 TTL,85 for 1700. The price

diferents is obvious.

I love the wide angular lenses so I am thinking about a Leica 28 Summicron (1595), Leica 24 ASPH

(2695) or 21 f2,8 ASPH (1495)

I do not know if there is any problems with the 21 with Leica.

 

Is there a real diference between MP and M6 TTL ?

Is there any wide angular lense better than another of the ones I?ve looked?

Is "The photo Village Inc." a good shop here in NY ?

Thanks for your time and congratulations for some of the pictures I have seen of you in that web!

 

Love or logic?

 

Albert

if i were you, i'd go to Ken Hansen, Tamarkin or Photo Village in NYC to touch and feel your options and speak to the folks there... they are all knowledgeable and they have decent inventory...

 

good luck!

 

Cheers,

Ken

They all work just fine. M7 if you need auto exposure. MP is a bit smoother to operate.

TTL is perfectly functional. People will pick over details.

 

21 2.8 are fine lenses.

 

24 2.8 is fine also

 

28 2.0 is fine too. The .72 finder has frames for 28, but it is not the best as it is hard to

see. I use an Aux finder rather than the .58 finder because the camera remains more

functional for 35/50/90 lenses. Choose your poison sort of thing,

 

Plan the whole lens aquisition and buy. Once you have a 28, a 35 is too close. I suggest

a 21/28/35/50 or 24/35/50 or 28/50 .

 

Photo Village is a fine shop. They have an impressive Leica section. Also visit Tamarkin.

See Craig or Stan if he is in.

I'll bet if you got a 24 + finder & a 50, you'd be covered (and blest!). -- And here's a little advice: get the old 50 Leica briteline ($150 in mint condition) for street work.<div></div>

Photo Village or Tamarkin are both good shops with knowledgeable staff. I personally prefer my M4 over my M6ttl, but certainly the M6, being a newer camera is less likely to have problems. I prefer a 35mm lens on my Leica, although I also own a 24. I think everybody uses whatever they are most comfortable with. I also have worn eyeglasses for over 50 years and let my Leicas lie for about three years while my vision stabilized. I can say with no hesitation, that although I wear graduated bifocal lenses, I have no problem with either a 0.72x or 0.85x viewfinder. Good luck in your choice and enjoy Leica photography.

"although I wear graduated bifocal lenses, I have no problem with either a 0.72x or 0.85x viewfinder."

 

Thank you! Glad to hear that someone else in my boat (graduated bifocals, 50+ years of wearing glasses) doesn't have trouble with a 0.85x viewfinder. Some folks would have you believe that's impossible.

You can always take off your glasses when you use your new Leica. :<)

Wow, must be a huge number of folks buying Leicas. This kind of thread is getting to be

typical.

But a 0.85x finder will not be ideal for use with the widest of Leica's lenses; the 21 and 24 in particular will have to be used with an external finder.

 

I like the MP better than the M6 for several reasons: the most important is that the viewfinder focus patch is much less prone to flare; the second is that the M6 wind lever is less comfortable to my hands than the MP's "M3-style" lever, and the third is that the rewind knob on the M6 is positively demonic; I've never been able to rewind a whole roll without losing grip on it at least once. What a pain!

 

I will say in the M6's defense that my MP eats batteries much faster than my M6, and the cover material of the M6 is "grippier" and has a higher quality feel than that of the MP.

 

I would never dream of an M7, as I don't use "A" automation anyway and don't like to be dependent on batteries for operation of the camera.

"But a 0.85x finder will not be ideal for use with the widest of Leica's lenses; the 21 and 24 in particular will have to be used with an external finder."

 

I'd agree with the first part of the sentence. But, the 21 and 24 will require an external finder with either a 0.72x or 0.58x viewfinder as well, no? Isn't that the main reason for the Bessa R4A/R4M?

For wide angle (WA) try .58 magnification. And buy the best M camera your budget can afford. WA wider than 28mm needs external viewfinder. If you shoot 28mm try Zeiss ZM - fantastic lens, low cost. Many lens options but for camera two options: 1) M6 Classic, 2) MP.

[not battery dependent.]

 

Many choices, for me MP & 35mm Summilux Asph.

 

Bien Venido - Paul

Albert, if i were you i would get a black MP and a matching black paint lens, a 50mm

summilux maybe.

por favor no dejes de contarnos por cual te decidiste al final....saludos!

Ha, Old Billy Mitchell wears binoculars, so what would he know about glasses ;)

 

Buy yourself an M2, the pinnacle of Leica cams and forget about those other pretenders. Why bother with the also rans?

 

Hold, feel, look, fondle and your brain will tell you the rest. I might add classic Leica lenses give you the look, the classic Leica look.

Alberto, if I were to do it all again, I'd go for a Leica M6TTL and a 35mm lens. Yes, I know

you love "angulares", but with a Leica, the very best way to see always what's getting into

the framelines comes with a 35mm lens. The wider type may require a separate

viewfinder, which, in turn, complicates matters.

 

Go for a metered camera first. Later, if you like it, you can always shop at Casanova (near

Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya) to drool over the unmetered bodies they have in the

used camera store. And when it comes to types, a Summicron or Summilux 35 should do

it for you. Look for the aspherical kind of either type and you'll be a happy man shooting

in Barcelona.

 

Y no dejes de reportar por cual te decidiste! Suerte!<div></div>

Francisco, excellent image, enjoyed. Thanks for posting it.

Francisco -- Allen is right.

 

Good eye.

Best bang for the buck is a classic M6 (.72finder)Go to Photovillage and talk with Rich Pinto. Leave with an M6 or MP and a 35mm summicron. You won't regret it.

MP is a bit overpriced, INHO. But nice. Real nice. If you have the money....

 

M7 if you want automation. I like aperture priority automation. But not in Leicas. Maybe in a Voigtlander...maybe not.

 

M6 TTL if you use flash. I can't imagine using flash with a Leica but, hey, to each his own.

 

M6 classic is a better bang for the buck and it's a more "traditional" Leica than the M6 TTL or the M7.

 

You really ought to have 35mm and 50mm Summicrons. It's almost required of M-series owners. You can't learn the secret handshake without those two lenses.

 

You might consider Cosina/Voigtlander lenses for wideangles. Very good lenses, generally well made and the prices are ridiculously low for their performance. Most of them come with viewfinders.

 

Don't worry about wearing eyeglasses with Leica M cameras. You may not be able to see all the framelines for the wider lenses but after you use the camera for a while, you'll know where they are. You just know stuff after a while.

 

If you decide to buy the Leitz viewfinder Paul recommended, put a bead of liquid electrical tape around the rear rim. Otherwise, it will chew on your eyeglasses.

Francisco, that's the Fuente de Canaletas in the background.

On a side street just to the right in your photo is the well-known bar, Boadas.

Its an old time kind of place, small, dark, with waiters in white coats. The kind of place

where you order a classic cocktail and they make a bid deal of the preparation. I bet our

friend Albert is familar with Boadas.

 

Sorry, back to Leicas;

Albert, yes an M6 and a 35mm summicron is a great starting point.

I have two M6's and they are like workhorses. Perfect for Boadas or Camp Nou or just

kicking around Barceloneta.

Another store option is Adorama. I bought one of my M6's there and negotiated a great

price. The guy I like to deal with at Adorama is Sephardic and speaks Spanish.

Send me a private email if you like, I'm in NYC, although my Catalan is marginal!

My first Leica was an M6 (silver) with Summilux 35mm pre-ASPH. Still have the lens but sold the M6, and regret it. I had an MP, M4, 2 M3s and all sold ... Now only an M4-P and M3 (again). The M4-P is similar to the M6 but older and without meter. It is a true workhorse. My recommendation, start with a black M6 classic with 0.72x VF and either 35 or 50 Summicron.

Hi Albert,

 

I love your web site.

 

There is a store in New York called FotoCare that is an oasis of sanity. Jeff Hirsch, the owner, is a gentleman as well as highly knowledgeable, and they are Leica dealers:

 

136 West 21st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues

www.fotocare.com

Thanks for your comments on my BCN pic. I loved the place; some time ago I spent 10 months of my life there, and about three years ago I went there with my Leicas and managed to snap that shot. BTW, I used Scala film for it.

 

So, what did you pick, Albert? The suspense is killing me...

M6 classic 0.72, 28mm and 50mm. Half-blind guess after having visited your cool website. Cheers!

PS: Check out my portfolio folders - I usually give the lens specs in the "Details". PPS: I started out with a used M6 classic and never looked back - or ahead. ;-)

Just as an aside, unless I misread your note....if you've found a 28mm Summicron for

US$1595 buy it quick. That is a very good price. Otherwise let me know who's selling it.