Leica vs DSLR

[opa_diallo1]

Hi all ,

I have a Leica M7 with a 50 mmm . Now , I would like to go digital . I would

like to sell it add more money and get a Nikon D3 . Am I making a wrong

decision ?

[david j.lee]

yes.

[inspiration point studio]

It's hard to say without knowing what your objective is, but since you post this under the Leica forum, you are subconsciously looking for a Yes answer. So yes, you are making a wrong decision.

[SolaresLarrave]

All those who have sold a Leica in their lifetime have lived to regret it. Only when you sell

one to purchase another do you save yourself from eternal repentance.

 

There, you were warned... But in case you didn't get it, here it goes again: Don't do it.

[vic_.]

Some questions to help you to camera nirvana:

<p>1. What do you use the camer for? Is the D3 going to do the same things as the Leica M7?

<br>2. If you buy a D3, will you also have to buy lenses.

<br>3. Compare the weight of each set up.

<br>4. Do you want to give up film?

<br>5. I'm sure others will add questions that keep puzzling them as the grapple with these nightmarish decisions that cause them to lose sleep, and buy gear they don't need, but feel they need, because of unresolved issues regarding photographic perfection, perceived peer pressure, and gear fetishism.

<br>6. One thing working in your favour is that the D3 comes only in black, and is not offered in silver. This alone would double your blodd pressure.

<p>Best of luck! You are not alone on this issue.

[leslie_cheung]

Wait for the canon 5d replacement then decide. I say this as a leica/nikon user.

[JDMvW]

I quote the forum definition:

>>Leica and Rangefinders - Feisty bunch of guys wondering why a $5000 camera won't automatically take a great photo<<

 

 

I sold my Mercedes 280SL to get a 450SLC, some time ago. I never see one of the old MBs without regretting that decision. You can go digital for a modest investment, but keep and use your Leica.

 

This from a Nikon/Canon user who either has every camera he ever bought or has replaced it by now with another of the same model.....including some I had never owned before but wanted to.

[vivek iyer]

What Leslie said.

 

You could also consider a (or two) cheap Olympus E-510 plus lenses for compact functionality and versatility.

 

The choices are immense if you forgo the FF small format digitals.

Personally, I am going to wait till C & N bludgeon each other with the FF price war and choose the better one. They are pretty much identical but for the logos and the uniforms of the cheerleaders.

[jtk]

Sony alpha700 with Zeiss. More shadow detail.

[ronald_moravec1]

Buy the D300 and keep what you have. Maybe a D80 replacement. Then see if you like the

digital world. I myself am rethinking 100% digi and an trying to find some Leica brass film

cassettes. I was gifted two for screw mount, now I need some for M. I have never made

such clean negs in my life.

[Ed_Ingold]

I switched to Nikon nine years ago for the variety of available lenses, but especially the precision of framing and freedom from parallax. Since getting a D1x in 2003, I have not used 35mm film. I did not sell my Leica and lenses, hence no remorse as described above. However, I haven't used them either, again without remorse.

 

A camera is simply a tool, and my needs have evolved in another direction. However when I try to walk on water, my socks get wet :-)

[g-man1]

I agree with Francisco Solares-Larrave.

[Troll]

Never sell a Leica! (It's okay to give them away, but if you should do either you'll come to regret it, and probably eventually replace it, usually at a much higher cost.)

[mark_amos]

Mamadou, you have forgotten yourself. Put your cameras in a drawer and insure them and go on the vacation your wife has been wanting.

[sw12dz]

This is a question that only you can honestly answer. I consider myself fortunate in that I can afford and use both. From the answers of the previous posters, I can only gather that all of your teeth will fall out and you will suffer from incontinence should you decide to sell your Leica in favour of a DSLR.

 

On the other hand, selling your Leica in exchange for an evening with Scarlett Johansson (and her Leica), is perfectly acceptable!

[e_b7]

You'll probably still want to shoot film, so I'd consider a less costly DSLR (e.g. D80) and keep the M7. A D80 would be just as good.

[dave_reichert1]

Now you need to post your question on the Nikon forum, where you'll get more objective

responses.

[opa_diallo1]

Ok , thanks you very much for all your your ideas . I will post to the Nikon forum to have soe ideas too . But so far , from what I read here , it's better to keep it and get a D80 or D40 to start DSL .

Thanks a lot

[User_503771]

Yeah, just keep the Leica, buy a digital of your choice, and shoot with both.

 

They're different media -- both photography, but they're different. Why give up one for the other when you can do both?

[frank]

Selling your M7 for a dslr? Sure! Why not?

If you don't miss your Leica, get rid of it.

The Nikon D3 is an amazing camera, especially in combination with the new 12-24/2.8. Vignetting with this lens is very very low, even at 14 mm. With this cam you get excellent results even at ISO 1600, 3200 and 6400. ISO 12.500 is still very usable. At this time the D3 is the best low light camera in terms of picture quality. And this baby is fast: Make a series of up to 9 pics per second of a fast moving object - every single pic sharp as a tack. Well, it's pure fun using this camera. But don't complain about size, weight and price...

IMO the D300 is the better deal for an amateur: excellent built, high picture quality, handy and affordable. It's the poor man's D3. If you like digital photography and if you are tired scanning your M7 pics, you won't be disappointed by using a D300 or a D3.

[donald_weston1]

As others have said, really apples and oranges. Your whole Leica kit, assuming you have more then a 50mm, weighs less then just the D3 body, and if just M7 and lens, weighs a lot less. Maybe this is an issue or not, only you can tell. I guess I would ask what the M7 is not doing for you? What you want to accomplish? Do you own any Nikkor lenses, old or new? All reasonable questions.

 

I once sold my M6 kit to go up format to a Hassy kit. For me it was the right change at the time. 15-20 years later[and older] have both an M8 and dslrs. Some folk just go with their gut, others need to find some specific need to add equipment...YMMV...

[ewanc]

Just for the heck of it, let's look at it from a purely financial standpoint, using historical Leica M6 prices as a guide. I have found some sources from the web re: M6 prices but have no idea if they are accurate or not. Anyway, here goes: (all figures $USD)

<p>

In 1984, a brand new Leica M6 (Wetzlar) cost about $600, according to this site <a href="http://pic1.piczo.com/urbanphotos/?g=1518734">

http://pic1.piczo.com/urbanphotos/?g=1518734

</a>

<p>

 

Converted into today's dollars (2008) using this site <a href="

http://www.1soft.com/todaysdollars.htm">

http://www.1soft.com/todaysdollars.htm

</a>

that's about $1044.23.

<p>

Today M6 Wetzlars in good condition routinely go for more than $1300.

<p>

So what that means is that if you had bought an M6 in 1984 and kept it in good condition, you would probably make more than $250 (in today's dollars), but in absolute terms, about $700. Not bad for a camera.

<p>

In conclusion, I think yes, you are making a wrong decision from a financial standpoint. If you are really fixated on the Nikon D3, I would suggest holding on to your M7 and 50mm for a few more years and then sell it to buy a mint D3 when the D4 comes out. M7 should hold its value while D3 drops, and you make money from the switch a few years down the road, not losing money as you do now. Meanwhile you will enjoy shooting with the M7 - that is, after all the point with these things - before you relinquish that joy to that do-it-all Nikon behemonth.

<p>

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

I sold a Contax IIIa and lenses to buy a Nikon D200 about 1.5 years ago. Not to worry - I still

have a Contax IIa. But I recently sold my Nikon D200 to buy a Mamiya 7 II. I also bought a

Nikon F100 that nicely fills my needs for 35mm SLR shooting. What's best for you? I don't

know. But, for me, I really like the dynamic range of film. It looks nice, too.

[maddoc]

I sold my Nikon D1x (and lenses 17 - 55 DX, 70 - 200 VR, and some primes) to get an M6 and 35mm Summilux pre-ASPH. Going complete back to film was the correct decision for me. No more problems with half- / discharged batteries and corrupt memory cards, broken back-up drives. Also, I don't like the plastic look of digital images anymore.

[dave_bernard]

I started using Leicas in 75. In 95 I sold my two M6's, purchased new, with lenses. My new M6s had cost me $1800 (after $500 rebate). At the time of selling them, new M6s were selling for $2800 discounted; I sold mine for $1900 each.

 

If you had bought the M6 at $2800 and today it is worth $1000, you probably would not think much of the myth of Leicas holding their value.

 

Some of my favorite pix ever were taken with the M6. But I have never regretted selling them, and would not consider purchasing Leica again at this time.

 

There are plenty of other fine machines out there at very fine prices. It's just a camera, they come and go.

 

Never love anything that can't love you back.