davidjmitchell Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Following a number of posts on this site, I have just taken delivery of a Luigi M half case in antique leather. I can only say the workmanship is outstanding and fits the M like a second skin, virtually marries it! The cases are not cheap but then neither is the M series. Like Leica, you get what you pay for. For the non "bag" lovers amongst us, this has got to be the ONLY M must have. Wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kastner Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Okay, David, you started this here so I'll join in too. I am "also" one of those who can't agree more. My custom Luigi half-case is as great as my M itself. If you (i.e. ANYBODY) can and will afford an M -- and they'd like a case or half too -- then why not get the best there, too?????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben z Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I decided against paying $200 for half of a never ready case and then watch it get scraped up. I got used Leica ones (the late, black ones that let you use the camera's own neckstrap) for all my Leicas at an average cost of $50, use the bottom halves while shooting and have the added bonus of attaching the top halves for protection while I'm not shooting. The leather and workmanship are quite nice too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsoonphoto.net Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I've been considering one of these as well. How easy/difficult is it to remove the case when loading film? Loading the M is already a hassle as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kastner Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Loading film into an M is one reason I bought a Luigi in the first place. (I used to have the Leica never-ready case and used the lower half but then chucked it all.)<br>(a) In contrast, you can get a different Luigi half-case with its own strap attached to the case. All leather too. That is the big deal. The Leica case (and others of Luigi's) let you use your own strap (or Leica's strap) attached to the camera itself. But that's the big mistake.<br> (b) If the strap is attached to the case (and not to the camera) then all you have to do is whip out the camera alone. Takes 3-4 seconds. So, that now leaves the empty case still dangling around your neck, and offers a nice "shelf" for new and old film. Simple. I like Luigi's model better than kameraleather's because the latter forces you to screw a screw from the bottom of the case into the M's baseplate. Luigi's system only requires your popping off the two mini straps over the M's lugs.<br>© But if you don't have that system, where do you hold the new film? (pocket, teeth, bag?), where do you put the old film? (ditto?), where you you store the case itself? <br>Ach!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakley Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I find that the M's own vulcanite fits much more snugly than any case, and protects the fragile brass very effectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
._._z Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Jewelry for jewelry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I'm with Bob on this. What isn't covered with the textured black stuff is covered with protective chrome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_w. Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I find the half case vestigial. It doesn't protect the most venerable part of the camera (top parts). Have anyone seen a dinged-up lower part, except vulcanite, which can be replaced? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben z Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 My M4 and new/old M6 have some scratch marks in fact the M4 has some number scratched into the baseplate as well, so I'm not one of those got to keep it mint guys (even my new MP, if I were the type who was anal about marks I'd not have gotten a black paint one!). Why I use the bottoms of ERC cases is when I'm carrying two cameras. My first concern is letting go of one camera and having it drop down and hit the top plate of the other one. It's happened more than once when I was being a klutz and if not for the ERC case bottom I'd have had a nasty dent in the other top plate, or a totalled MR4 meter, or perhaps some damage to the rangefinder. I've also had the second body swing out and smack something else while I was shooting with the other one. Forget damage to the Leica, let's talk about damage to whatever or whoever it hits. When I'm just using one camera I dispense with the case because frankly it makes the Leica a bit too thick for my hands. As to the vulcanite being any kind of protection, maybe the stuff on the M6 is (probably not the MP which is much thinner)but real vulcanite by now is so brittle probably it'd just crack and fall off in pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart_richardson Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I like the Luigi cases for the half grip. It feels better to me than the Leica grip, and the MP's covering material is slippy to my hands...the old vulcanite had a more secure grip... In any case, I like that they protect the cameras a bit, but it is more about them giving me a more solid hold on the camera. I find they allow me to hold the camera a bit steadier with the longer and heavier lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan flanders Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I won't argue about design. I have done enough case repair to have a lot of prejudices and I can ciriticise workmanship to the nth degree. I can't afford a Luigi case, but I wish I could impart that quality to the cases I make. His craftsmanship is without peer. I have not disassembled one to know if any of that exquisite stitching is machine or hand. Of course hand stitching is superior from the endurance standpoint but economically it is just too costly to do except for the carriage trade who are willing to go that extra mile. On the average I can hand stitch 6 to 8 stitches per inch at about 18 inches per hour in a straight line and at even minimum wage, it adds up. Obviously there are applications where only machine stitching is practical, but in any instance where the item flexes machine stitching will saw itself apart while hand (saddle)stitching will last for years because the two strands of thread do not loop around one another but pass by in each stitch. If Luigi is hand stitching his cases, then he is giving them away -- if he uses a machine he is giving a good product for the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les_lammers Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Harry, His site shows them being hand stitched on form/last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_neuthaler Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 I recently bought his built-in grip case plus strap and sold it soon after. I found it a pain to remove & put somewhere when loading. It also partially covered my M3's preview lever & lens release button. They are great eye candy but, in my opinion, it is silly to pay him app. $175 for a case, $50 for a strap, $25 for shipping plus Paypal fees. For almost $300, I can get a round trip ticket to visit Al Kaplan in Florida! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgh Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 If you are thinking that the bottom half of a Leica 'never-ready' case is the same as a Luigi case [ or even close to one, in the same ballpark, or however you want to put it ] you've missed the point of these. Unlike the Leica cases they fit very snug adding no real size to the camera itself, AND actually improving the grip on the camera. Ben Z also makes a good point that maybe the cases most important protection is for those other cameras or objects. That said, I find I use mine very seldom anymore, would rather have my hands on a 'nude body'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albert knapp md Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Luigi is the master. WE are lucky to have him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
._._z Posted December 22, 2004 Share Posted December 22, 2004 And Leica is lucky to have MDs with disposable income. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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