How many Leica M cameras do you own and do you carry more than one at a time

How many Leica M cameras do you own and do you carry more than one at a time? I started out owning just one body & three lenses, but now I've added another body, polarizer, filters for B&W, cable release, film (B&W print & color slide)& handheld light meter (for meterless M4's). My lightweight system has suddenly gotten fairly heavy. I do mostly landscape photos so I do always shoot from a tripod(req'd. with slow speed film & a lot of depth of field). I guess thats just the price I have to pay. ;-0

Three, one around the neck and one off each shoulder. I usually

only carry one but if I am doing a photo project then all three

cameras get used.

It so happens that I was in the market for a second M6 body and

ended up finding a good deal on TWO more bodies. So now I

have one M4 and Three M6 bodies with a variety of lenses. This

seems like a surplus even to me, but all bodies are pre-TTL and

I'll probably just keep them now.

 

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For any assignment however, two bodies is plenty to carry

around with about three or four lenses: a 21mm, 28mm, 35mm

or 50mm (Not both) and a 90mm. I also carry a small "pocket

flash." All of this still fits in a fairly small and easy to carry bag. If I

really need to be light, one body with two lenses, either a 28mm

or 35mm and a 90mm, with that small flash usually suffices.

by the way, besides the bodies, the 21mm and 28mm are my

most recent additions.

One camera, one lens, and a pair of feet for zooming.

I came from Nikon F5's, so the weight issue on Leica is a non-issue

for me! I regularly carry two motorized M6TTL bodies and three to

five lenses depending on the task at hand. This set-up weighs between

10 and 13 lbs with film, flash, filters and bag. To put it in

perspective, my two-body three-lens Nikon outfit weighed closer to 20

pounds, not to mention it required a much larger bag, so the Leica

outfit is a dream to carry by comparison! I sometimes will add a

third Leica body if I need a special film, or just don't want to be

bothered with changing lenses around. And yes, I'll reluctantly add

my one remaining F5 if need for a long lens is anticipated.

 

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:) Cheers,

Douglas,

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self restriction is really an art I have to admire. I also tried to

stick to a one body - two lens combination, but when I ran across

that cheap user body and the nice (and cheap) 50 russian lens I

coudn't withstand.

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Now having two bodies for BW & slides I find that only one gets used

at a time. I carry both sometimes, but use only one. I just haven't

learned to think in BW and color - but am still trying. Maybe I will

have the justification for owning 2 sometimes ...

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At this time the only reason for owning 2 bodies is that I can make

pictures with a Leica of the other one ;-) And I wouldn't dare and

sell one body ... it could be I'll never see that one again.

I have 2 set-ups that I regularily carry:

 

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1. 35, 75, 90 focal lengths + 0.72X + 0.85X (6 rolls of

film/SF20/cable) total weight with bag under 9 pounds.

 

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2. 50 + 0.85X + strap

 

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:-)

M6 TTL and LTM IIIF; the former with 35 or 50 'cron, the latter with

Voigt Ultron or Nokton. Love them both.

 

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J-D

I carry 6 M6ttl's,all around my neck like shiney black

jewellry,however,if I REALLY want to show off to the girlies I add

another 2 or 3.I must be honest though,I haven't the faintest idea

how to take a photograph.I'm glad I'm not alone,most of the people

who come on this site seem to be in that 'all the gear,no idea'

bracket.

 

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Anyhows,enough of that,lets talk about our gear shall we?

 

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Is it wrong to line up all of your camera gear and just look at it?

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! how can it be?I'm here because I sold my soul to

Leica.If all the big boy's at Magnum use them,then they must be good.

 

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How many Ron?.AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!!!!!

Two M3 bodies.

Most usually: one body plus 50 Cron. No bag.

Sometimes: one body plus 50 Cron plus either 35mm, f3,5 with gogles

or 90mm, f4 or 135 Hector. Still no bag.

Seldom: bag with two bodies, plus all lenses plus Visoflex. Mainly

while travelling and/or on vacations and/or for transportation

purposes only.

In any case: Gossen Scout II most of the time.

 

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Regards

 

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-Iván

I own 4 M bodies (as of this writing): 2 M6 classics, 1 M4, 1 Hexar

RF. Normally I carry the Hexar with Tri-Elmar and one M6 with 1.25x

magnifier and either 90/2.8 Elmarit-M or 135/3.4 APO. The 21 or 15

is in the bag. The other M6 is in the hotel safe along with the

35/1.4ASPH. That combination comes out at night, the others go in

the safe. The M4, along with 21 S/A, 35/2,50/2,90/2.8TE and 135/4

are my backpacking outfit, with a Rollei 35S for backup.

None, but I frequently carry 2 screw-mount bodies with 6 lenses

in a (relatively) small bag. Ocasionally I'll have two bodies

around my neck.

Two M6,s, 0.72 & 0.85 both non ttl with 28f2.8,35f2,50f2,90f2.8 in a

small Domke bag, sometimes I will carry a Mamiya 7 body with a 65 &

43 as well depending on the assignment.

Most of the time I just carry my M6 TTL (.72) with a 35 Summilux ASPH,

two or three rolls of film in my pocket and the strap wrapped around my

wrist as I'm walking the streets. I'm all about being discreet and

carrying a minimal amount of gear. When I travel, I add a 90 Tele

Elmarit and my black Minilux (for color negatives or slides) to my

Domke F6 bag.

 

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I'm new to the M line, so all I currently have is the one M6 TTL, the

35 and 90. However, I foresee a .58 body in the future, as well as a

24 Elmarit ASPH and a 50 Summicron. I'll probably get the 50 first,

hopefully this summer or fall. (I don't want to buy any more gear

until I've really "learned" the 35 focal length, so I'm not in a big

hurry.) I bet that a year and a half from now, I'll have an extra body

and all the lenses I think I want (for now). However, once I start

collecting something, I can never have enough and still have more than

I ever wanted. I'm sure you know how it is...

On a recent trip to Antarctica I took 3 M's and 2 R's, but I rarely

had more than two bodies with me on any given excursion. The M's I

used with 15mm, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm lenses (the 35 and 50 Summicrons

being the most used). The R's were for telephoto shots (250mm Telyt

with 2X doubler and 500mm Telyt MR--latter very hard to focus from the

wobbly ship's deck) and also close-ups with the 60mm macro-Elmarit.

For black-and-white scenics I used mainly the 35mm Summaron so I could

leave the 'cron asph on the camera with the Kodachrome. Worked just

fine.

 

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I found that I could have done 90% of my M shots with the Tri-Elmar.

(Some day I hope I can afford one.) But having several bodies handy

with different film types was worth carrying some extra weight.

Hey Leica Virgin,

 

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You carry a total of 9 M6's around your neck? We should sell your

image to either Phat Farm or P Diddy athletic wear. It will help them

break into the photo-apparel market and simultaneously revive the Mr.

T look.

 

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<img

src="http://www.tj-hooker.com/tj/graphics/multimedia/clickme.jpg">

 

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<i>Hey, sucka... you ain't a REAL man unless you's wear 9 M6 TTLs

around that treetrunk you call a neck!</i>

Own 3 bodies.M3 was my main camera.the M6,traded with $ and Pentax 6x7

is now my main camera.The M2 remains the unused back -up.I prefer 1

body and 2 lenses,for my street photography.Carried my old K1000 last

week and everybody at work noticed it! 'Tourist' they all said. I have

been bringing my M6 or M3 to work everyday since I started there about

5 months ago! So Leicas not really noticed.Anyway off the point.

Carry as little as possible.Use 'Shanks Ponies' for the zoom effect.

Pro jobs different.Need the Slr and lenses and flashes and cases and

tripod,umbrellas and filters etc.But when I can and know it will be OK

the original lil bag.Extra film though.When shooting gets hot with a

Leica,have spare rolls....The photographer Rodney Smith uses a Leica

and 50mm or Hasselblad and 80mm.One or the other....For big ad

assignments.Read interview maybe on PDN..?

For an answer to the question "How many Leicas can you carry?", check

out Jim Marshall's website:

 

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http://www.marshallphoto.com/mp.v1/content/Technical.html

 

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for the photo of him at Woodstock with 5 M4s.

 

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Carey Russ

Hi,

 

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One M6ttl .72, one M4, 15mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm & 90mm + Sekonic 308

meter. The M6 has aux lens carrier and both cameras have softies and

slings. Usually carried in a Lowe Pro photo runner if one body is

required and in a Billingham if I need the two.

 

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Mark

I use M2, M3, and M6, but typically only one is around my neck at a

time. The M3 has a 50 Lux, 90 Elmarit, or 135 TE on it at a given

time, and is often loaded with ISO 400 B&W. The M2 might be set up

with the 21mm and finder; the M6 used with 28 through 90 or so.

Geneally I am shooting with one camera at a time, the other one is

ready in the bag p.r.n.

One body one lens unless I'm traveling far. Jeez...all those cameras

weight a lot...my 5x7 outfit weighs well under 20 lbs with tripod!

Leitz M6; Elmar-M 50mm 1:2,8, and that would be 24/7.

The trouble with my is that once I get a something I am loath to part

with it. There may be something Freudian or Jungian in this; or it

may be that simply past experience has shown me that I will find

myself desperately needing equipment that I haven't used in years.

 

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This is a preface to an embarrassing admission.

 

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Two M3s, two M2 (one out of commission which I bought for $300 at

K&S in 1988), one M4 (not used much these days), threee M6s (one

one of commission and searching for a repair person in Japan who is

not going to going to stick my with an insane repair bill; Naniwa

Camera offered to repair it for around the equ. of $US1200, or the

nearly the price of a new Leica, the creeps--it'll be a cold day in

Hilo before they get my business again), one IIIf (my first Leica) and

IIf. On top of that I have one CL, two CLEs, one Hexar RF, one Bessa L

(good for cycling), one Bessa T one Canon P (old warhorse bought

before the rangefinder boom in 1984), one Canon 7 (dead), one Canon

7s (my only true vanity Leica mount camera; I always wanted one, it

stays at home and is for not serious shooting), one Canon VT Delux.

I also have a TX-1.

 

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What do I carry? Generally it is the M6 TTL with motor and M6

classic, 35/1.4 (old non-asph), 50/2, 28/3.5 (Minolta), 15/4.5 (VC);

20/4 (VC) and, sometimes, depending on what the situation is, 90/4

(Minolta) and 75/2.5 (VC). My desire is to keep my bag light as

possible. (I don't use a standard camera bag any more by a mail bag

styled Calvin Klein with an oversized waist bag stuffed inside. The

best bag I have ever used!)

 

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When I went to France recently I carried my M6 classic, a CLE and

the Bessa T all the above except the 75/2.5.

 

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When I am doing very intense street photography I often carry 3

bodies (making sure one is fairly light) and have been known to stuff

a fourth body in the bag. Usually I carrya minimal number of lenses.

 

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For dark times I never carry more than two bodies and limit myself

to 50/1.4, 35/1.4 and 28/1.9 (VC)--sometimes substituting an

Olympus 16/3.5 fisheye on special adaptor for the 15/4.5.

In the car I carry a LowePro "Nova 3" camera bag, containing:

 

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* M6 TTL .58 (chrome) with Tri-Elmar lens and Motor-M, loaded with

Fuji Superia 200 or 400 ASA.

 

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* M6 TTL .72 (black) with either 50mm Summilux or 90mm Elmarit lens,

depending on the need, also loaded with Fuji Superia 200 or 400 ASA

(planning to add a motor to this body too).

 

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* Leica table-top tripod with large ball & socket head.

 

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* Metz 40 MZ-3i flash, plus Nikon SC 17 cable.

 

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* Film, spare batteries, cable release and a crappy clockwork self-

timer (yuck!)