joel aron Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 What would you do. Thoughts please. :) <br><br> So, I'm infected with a sickness of owning cameras, and using them. I use my M6 more than anything, and shoulder it with me wherever I go. On it, is the 35mm f2, and in the bag, is always the 50 DR. My thought.. well, you never know when you could need to slap the 50 on! <br><br> So.. just recently, I won a Canon G7 in a photo contest, along w/ $150 cash. The last thing I need, is another point and shoot, when I have my little Lumix fz5. Plus, I have a full Canon DSLR rig. <br><br> At the shop where the G7 is coming from, is my watering hole for used camera gear. Right now, they have a ser# 8XXXXX M3 DS, with no dings, and slight rust around some of the screws. Shutter curtain responds well at all speeds. (wow, what a great viewfinder those M3's have!) There are asking $650. (suspect!) <br><br> They also have a 90 Summicron from Canada. Asking the same.. $650. <br><br> Figure, trade the G7, toss in some cash.. and walk away with some more metal. Would you: <br><br> <b> (A) get the 90 to add to your noses for an M6 in wonderful shape <br><br> (B) get another body to keep the 50 DR happy <br><br> © sell the G7, live large on some extra cash for a few hours </b> <br><br> thanks for your input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_r._fulton_jr. Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 <I>©</I> If I had your kit--M6 35 & 50 I'd be looking for a 21 or 24. The 90 is an okay lens but in my case I never use mine. I've had a tele-Elmarit for 30 years and used it about 15 times. Maybe. Nice lens but not the way I see with the Leica M. In addition the 90mm Summicron is a brick. But this is just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw12dz Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 © Sell the G7, spend the cash on a high-class hooker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel aron Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 Stuart... hours... not minutes. ;) John. Great advice! That 90 does rival a doorstop. I had not thought about a 21 or 24.. great idea! I love wide angle..and miss my 14 sigma asph on my Canon. Should of never given it back to work. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_elder1 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Buy the M3, put the 50mm lens on it and never take it off. If you are going to shoot a 50mm lens, there is nothing that can compare to the finder in the M3. Also its alway good to have a back up body. You won't regret getting tha M3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael s. Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Don't have any gear to recommend, but congratulations on winning the photo contest ! Can we see the winning entry ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35mmdelux Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 If you want a 90 consider a 90 Elmarit-M. Trick is to use the lens and not simply carry it on journey. You got to push yourself on this one but I thing the results are worth it. Here is what I'm working with (not all at the same time): 21mmVC, 35mm/2.0, 50 lux & 50 Elmar-M, 90 Elmarit-M. Generally, one cam carries the 90mm, while the other carries the 35mm or 50mm depending on distance of subject. Travelling really light means one cam along with 35/2.0 and the 50 Elmar-M (collapsible as you know). ..Tag along my 100/k64/HP-5 (HP-5 rampable up to 3200asa). I'm happy. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel aron Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 hmm.. sounding like a second body is the best possible scenario. So many times I wish I could swap backs like my Hasselblad, one w/ color slide, the other b/w. And to have a 50 on one, and a 35 on the other, seems like the best gear to take into battle.<br><br>Michael, thanks for your interest! It was the Pacific Sun's Photo Contest, and the image won 'Best of Show', Here is a link to the winning image:<br><br><ahref="http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=525918368&size=Large" title="Photo Sharing"> "Silver Peso 'solids win'"</a> <br><br> keep the suggestions coming before my wife finds out! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emraphoto Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 definately buy the dual stroke... run different speed film in the two bodies and blammo you're ready to go. say 400 in one and 3200 in the other and there's pretty much no lighting conditions you can't tackle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_gleason1 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I'm partial to the M3 DS, so I gotta agree with John Elder and jon butterwick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_werbeloff1 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I'll add my 2 kopeks-worth to the above. The 50mm Summicron DR BELONGS on an M3! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Be very sure that the rust around the screws has nothing to do with water damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic_. Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Joel, Beware of decementing rangefinders in M2 and M3 bodies. M4 onwards do not decement. Some quotes from experienced people: "Look at the viewfinder from the front of the camera while a bright light or sunshine shines through from the back. You will see a crazing or discolored pattern if the finder is decementing. This does not mean that the two elements will pop apart and black out any time soon, but then again, it may happen tomorrow. A sharp blow like dropping the camera may cause the final decementation. This happened to my M3 in 1995. Leica NJ offfered to replace the M3 finder for about $500. Instead, I sent it to Prof Cam Repair in NY (now closed), where Mr. Herb recemented it - good as new. Maybe someone else can do this kind of repair today, I do not know." Another one, this time from Jay: "Look into the finder from the front of the camera. You will see the top and bottom edges of the prism that appear to be receding away from you. If there are what look like little gold-colored droplets along these edges, that is an indication of start of decementation. Decementation is an event, not a process. The next step is complete decementation whereupon all you'll see through the eypiece is the rangefinder patch (minus the second image) surrounded by blackness. This might never happen, or it might happen with some kind of shock such as a knock or drop. I had two beautiful M2's which were showing the initial signs, and I sold them before "it" had a chance to happen. They wouldn't have been worth putting the $500 into that Leica or DAG or Sherry charged to replace the entire rangefinder, which was supposedly the only solution. Since that time I learned from John Maddox (the LTM repair genius)that he could repair them, but I'm not sure if he still offers the service." If I were you, I'd stay away from M2 and M3 bodies. I have bought three M3's, and all of them showed various degrees of decementing. These camera viewfinders were cemented together with Canadian balsam, which deteriorates. Newer models use synthetic glues, good for life. Lust for M2 and M3's is dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel aron Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 Vic.. brilliant information! Thank you so much for finding these quotes, I appreciate it very much! With this information, I'll scrutinize the body a few more times before committing. Yeah, the desire for an M3 is very strong. It's a little stronger than my desire for a IIIf. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic_. Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Hi Joel, One thing to note in the older 90mm Summicrons (and other older lenses) is that they have a very long focus throw, more than 270 degrees. While this might provide more accurate focusing, it slows down the snapper. The newer lenses have a throw of perhaps 180 degrees. Coupled with a Lutz Steer, focus is relatively rapid. The other thing to examine is focus stiffness in the lens. If you need a pipe wrench, leave it for the fetishists, for they enjoy such quirks. The more the pain, the more their pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic_. Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Also consider the 90mm f2.8 Tele-Elmarit. It has a 39mm filter size and is very compact, one of the smallest 90mms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike dixon Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 If the 90 Summicron is in rough condition ("beaten"), then $650 is too high a price. I've bought (and later sold) an early-70's 90 Summicron in excellent condition for less than $500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_r._fulton_jr. Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 <I>Right now, they have a ser# 8XXXXX M3 DS, with no dings, and slight rust around some of the screws. Shutter curtain responds well at all speeds. (wow, what a great viewfinder those M3's have!) There are asking $650. (suspect!) </I><P>How does the collective "we" feel about that <I>slight rust</I> around the screws? It could be operating okay, but a CLA might reveal much unseen corrosion on the insides?? BTW, Jon's advice on two bodies and two emulsions is a good one if you don't mind the weight. Let's just be sure your second body isn't a pig-in-a-poke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopher_a._junker1 Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 If you haven't had a strong need for a 90 why bother with a less than pristine lens unless you can buy it at a great price and resell if you don't like it. A 90 Summicron is about the same weight as my brass Nikon 90 f2.0 in LTM and the Nikon makes a real load on my M3. That said, the M3 with a 90 will be much easier to focus than trying that lens on your M6, especially wide open. If you could get both for a little over $650 it would be a nice rig. As to the M3 DS body by itself the advice to hang the 50 DR on it and load another film type is valid as the M3 is just a wonderful 50 setup. But Vic's decementing advice is not to be taken lightly and I am concerned about the screw rust. Maybe just neglect, but the body may also have been used where it became soaked or had condensation issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew1 Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 The only reason NOT to get the M3 is if you already have two. It goes without saying that the M3 is perfect for your 50 DR; and for those who never use their 90mm lenses, put one on an M3 and it gets a new lease on life. The other lens which is perfect on an M3? A good wide angle like 21mm, 24mm, or 28mm. I leave a wide finder on one body almost all the time. Oh- and besides these, the 135mm lens is pretty good and useful on the M3, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic_. Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Joel, FYI, for sizing purposes. Left to right: 50mm Summicron (39mm, current), 90TE (39mm filter size, out of production), 90Elmarit (46mm, current), 90APOAsph (55mm, current)<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_kirkwood Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 DAG will reglue the rangefinder in an M3 or M2, he did it for a friend of mine about a year ago. I think it was $250 by itself, but he gave my pal a break because he had a complete service done at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Herbert Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Well, you have all the serious gear,time for a fun machine. Go for the M3,enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Herbert Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Joel, Beware of decementing rangefinders in M2 and M3 bodies. M4 onwards do not decement. I have two M2's, one a serious old beater with numerous dings, the other a serious minty fondler variety. Neither have shown any signs of falling apart with decement. If they were,i would be the first person on this forum to highlight the problems. Unreliable cams, new or otherwise, is my pet hate. However, it is important to check out older cams. But most of the scare stories on the internet are well OTE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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