Which M Leica for a student with a budget? Please Advise!

[dave_flanagan]

Another student on a budget here. I'm very happy with my Bessa R2. I bought a Leica CL before because I wanted the Leica mystique for what I could afford. However, after a couple of repair jobs I realized that I couldn't get what I wanted for what I was able to pay. People say that buying a Leica is smart because it will last forever-- well, my Bessa will last forever as a backup body after I get a job and some income. Right now, it leaves cash for film.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[chip l.]

Doug,

 

IMO the key to Leica is in the glass, the bodies are second. That being if you are on a strict budget then the Bessa R2 is a good start.

 

That being said if there is a way for you to do the Leica bodies too, all the better. I look back at all the systems I have been through in the past 25 years (Minolta, Canon, Nikon, and Olympus). I had always wanted Leica, but never could "budget" myself. I realize now that if I had stayed with the Minolta and saved along the way I would have been a Leica user many years now.

 

With both new and used Leica prices being at their lowest (speaking of the M6 and M6TTL), and the pending demise of the M6TTL (the .72 black and chrome are discontinued as of the Oct price list) now is a good time to do Leica bodies if the budget will allow. This way you'll end up with gear that will be with you for the rest of your life.

 

Just a few thoughts...

 

Happy shooting....

 

Chip

[andrew_c2]

Doug,

 

I just graduated from university. I own an M6 classic. My Bessa R and 35/2.5 are up for sale.

 

That being said, if I hadn't shelled out a bit too much for my M6 and 50/2 in a moment of shallowness, I would be shooting with the Bessa R fulltime. It's a wicked camera and is great for the money. MOST of the CV lenses aren't as good as the Leica ones wide-open, but hey, a good shot is a good shot; it should far out-reach a question such as 'could it have been better if I had a Leica lens?' Perhaps it could have, but making a beautiful photo should be #1 on your mind.

 

If you're on a budget, the CV lenses are the ones to get. After f/4 or so (maybe even at a larger aperture), they are pretty well indistinguishable from the Leicas. Remember, Leicas are so expensive because they are the BEST. Even if you're only marginally better than your competition, you can charge any kind of price because you know that certain people out there have enough money to spend on the best.

 

If you really want a Leica on a budget, and most of your work is b&w, get the CL. If the meter dies, don't worry; your technique will mature to the point that you have pre-metered (with a hand-held)and pre-focused seconds/minutes before the right shot ever came. If you shoot slides, you might want a narrower meter; a Bessa R2, Hexar RF, or M6 classic are just fine.

[jati]

i keep it pretty straightforward, patrick. tri-x, xtol 1:1 mostly. i do

play around a bit too......

[christopher.]

Doug, whatever you do don't be silly and sell all of your existing equipment to finance a leica. I did this a while back and regret selling my canon, I miss the telephoto and macro, but I must admit the Leica is awesome.

[john_r._fulton_jr.]

Hi Doug---When I was a student I had a Nikon F with a 50 & 105. I needed

something wider so I bought a Leica M2 with a 35 Summaron and a 21 f4

Angulon. I was 18-years-old and on a student budget, but I spent a ton of

money (in 1960's$$) for the used equipment. My theory was to buy the

best--that way I wouldn't have second thoughts. More than 35 years later I still

have the M2 & lenses. If I were in your position I would buy an M6 or M6ttl

used with a non-ASPH 35f2. You will want the meter. Since you want to have

a long photographic life buy a newer camera that you'll keep for a long time.

Otherwise you'll probably just trade around equipment and buy and sell. Get

the best used M6 you can find or afford. It will last you a lifetime.

[chip l.]

Chris,

 

Since I have gotten my Leica gear, my Nikon N70 kit is sitting idle. In fact I am considering selling to finance a scanner. I figure that if I really need an SLR and my E-10 won't do the job, I can aways rent.

 

Sometimes it is too easy to get into gear. In fact I have an Xpan kit (3 lenses) that doesn't see much use since the M6's. That maybe next to go. This ridding of gear is due to a thread here about what gear one should take on a shoot. One poster stated that if you can't decide what gear to take, then you have too much. Since then I have given that much thought.

 

I go from 15 to 135 with two M6TTL bodies. And all that will fit into a Tamrac Velocity 3 bag; along with the SF20 and Nikion TTL cord, filters, and such. It even allows for a third body. It may sound strange but it is liberating to use just one outfit (even given the size of my kit).

 

In the end one does have to determine what will work best for their shooting style. I have found that RF is the way for me to go.

 

Happy shooting

 

Chip

[andrew_hall1]

Another vote for the Bessa R2 and Leitz (not Leica) glass. You'd be thankful for the R2's 1/125 flash sync speed in daylight, a brighter/cleaner/sharper combined RF/VF than any beat-up M2, and unlike the M6 and later M models, a flare-free RF patch.

 

About the only functional disadvantage of the R2 is a shorter rangefinder base. But being on a budget, I suspect you won't be shooting with fast glass.

[rene_c.]

Hi Doug,

 

I am a photojournalist student on a similar budget. Luckily I earned some money

before I went to school to buy a used m6ttl and a used 28 F2.8 off eb#y. For me

Leicas are best suited as wide angle cameras where the quiet shutter and small

camera make you less intimidating. I use an old minolta x-570 for longer focal

lengths.

 

My advice is to sell the f-100 and any auto lenses you have and put that money

toward your Leica. Unless you shoot sports the FM should be able to handle the

rest. A used m6 with a 35 or 28 of any brand (cv, konica, leica) should do.

 

Good luck!

 

-Rene<div></div>