Have you ever bought a 'brand new' Leica camera? If so, which one(s)?

[jsc1]

<p>(Full disclosure...)</p>

<p>The only Leica camera that I have ever purchased 'new' is the M9.</p>

<p>How about you?</p>

[HarryBaker]

<p>I bought a new M8 when it first came out. After a couple of months there was a factory recall to fix some problems. (Moral: don't buy a new concept until it's been around for a while!.) Eventually I traded it for a Fuji XPro1. Other Leicas (M6, M7 and M2) were bought used. The M2 and the M7 had problems. I only have the M6 now and although it behaves perfectly haven't used it for a while. I guess I might have been unlucky with Leicas. I have several Canon dSLRs dating back to the first up to the new 70D and I have the Fuji X100 and the XPro1. I have never had anything go wrong with any of these cameras and they all work perfectly! I'm sure someone else will have had trouble-free Leicas and problematic dSLRs, etc., but not me.</p>

[Andy Murphy]

<p>Purchased a new Leica MP with the 0.85 viewfinder which is great with the 90 mm f2.8 Elmarit. Never had problems and still have it, but not using it much in digital era. Occasionally, I'll defrost a 35 mm film I stowed in fridge's freezer and use it. </p>

<p>By the way, with poor quality results from remaining labs for color, I find it preferable to move to B & W for film and do you own developing. I still have Rodinal and use it for one-shot development on slower and medium speed films. </p>

[SCL]

<p>Bought a new Leica M4 in 1968 - kept it until last year; I had it CLA'd twice - once around 1995 to adjust the shutter speeds and again around 2008 when I dropped it and needed a new rangefinder. Bought an M6 & M2, as well as an R3 and R8, used. Can't complain about the brand....it has served me very well. I've owned lots of other brands as well...but I love the mechanics of the early M line for reliability and simplicity of operation.</p>

[feodordefemina]

<p>MP, M6 and years ago a few reflexes, R4 and R4S. Also two used M3 double strokes.</p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>R6 was my only brand new Leica, all the others (including lenses) were secondhand. I guess Leica won't like me.</p>

[woolly1]

<p>I treated myself to a new Chrome M9-P last year after a year-long work assignment far far away. Although I have a full set of Leica/Zeiss lenses and love using it I feel I got better results from my D300/700 setup.<br>

Can't argue with the build quality though.</p>

[Troll]

<p>IIIf (RDST); M2; M5; M6; CL (50 yr); AF-C1.</p>

[aplumpton]

<p>M8 and M9, M4-2 and M6. Still have and use frequently the digital Leicas and less my current film Leica, an M4-P purchased used. The new camera I loved the most was the M4-2 (produced in the middle years of its issue), perhaps because it was my first new camera, introduced me to the specific Leica way of photography, and came with a new 35mm version 4 Summicron (only 400$ as discounted in the early 80s).</p>

<p>The M8 and M9 were expensive purchases for the potential image quality they yield, but if one has Leica M optics what else is there in an RF-VF digital camera of that quality level? The best Q/P new Leica was my M4-2, and I wouldn't spend more than that (in today's dollars) on a new film Leica. It had all I needed, and more, and any minor shortcomings mattered little.</p>

[floyd_waller]

<p>M-6, R4sModP and RE and 35mm f2 Summicron-M. Still have the M-6, RE and 35 Summicron. All other lenses acquired pre-owned along with an M-2 and an SL-2. Have loved 'em all! M-6 and 35 Summicron acquired at the factory in 1986 in conjunction with Leicaschule.</p>

[joe_allebaugh]

<p>The M-240 was my first new model following a great introduction and continuing experiences with a used M9.</p>

[john_boyle3]

<p>I bought my M4 new in the fall of 1967. It has had 2 or 3 cla's as well as a new rangefinder prism but is definitely a keeper. Several years later a used M2 was purchased and has become my main camera for slide work. In the 1970s I bought a new SL2 but sold it some 10 years later. Six of my 7 Leitz lenses were purchased new. The Visoflex III and Bellows II were used. The digital side has a used Lumix GF1 with a new 25mm Leica Summilux.</p>

[charles_stobbs3]

In 1971 I bought a new M2-R as a backup camera for my Retina IIa which I thought was failing. I was able to get a replacement part from Kodak and it is still working. The Leica sat lensless in a safe deposit box for several years but I finally got a collapsible Summicron and started using it. It's always felt heavy and bulky, never my favorite camera. Now the demise of Kodachrome and the digital era has forced me to move on.

[gary_leonard3]

<p>Purchasing a new Leica. What an exciting concept. At first I was too poor and then SLRs did the job for me because of the nature of the photography I did. I owned two used Leicas, a 3f and an M2r.</p>

[Richard Williams]

<p>I once bought a brand new rear lens cap. It came in a nice little silver box.</p>

<p>My Ultravid 8x20s were ex-demo, which almost counts. Got a free espresso at the store, too.</p>

<p> </p>

[peter_carlsen]

<p>Leica MP 0.85 black paint - NOT a-la-carte with a 35mm/2.0 asph black paint, Great.</p>

[douglas_herr2]

<p>Leicaflex SL, new old stock in 1979, along with a 400mm f/6.8 Telyt<br>

R4s, about 1984<br>

Everything else was purchased used.</p>

[stan_blevins]

<p>In 1975 bought a new Leicaflex SL-2 and a CL. Since then, all bought used, R4, R6.2, R7, R8, R9, M4, M6TTL, M7, M9. Still have the M4 and M9. Loved the SL-2, nothing like it before or since. The M9 puts the Leica-feel into digital. Have had little or no problems with any of them, but, more importantly, Leica USA has promptly and courteously addressed any problem I ever had.</p>

[rogerwb]

<p>While stationed in Germany with the US Army in '62-'64 as a photo lab operator, I was able to buy an M2 w/ 50mm 2.8 Elmar, 35mm Summaron, 90 Elmar and Visoflex III for about 2/3 of the US price. Sold it all to a collector (for more than the original price) due to a personal financial crisis and eventually was able to replace with a used M3 outfit that the owner had inherited and just wanted something easy to use. Have since acquired another M3.</p>

[ray .]

Bought a new M4-P with the $600 received from selling a magazine article I wrote on the photographer

Eadweard Muybridge.

[Ian Taylor]

<p>I just bought a basically new M9 from a guy in Hong Kong. He had barely used it, still had the plastic on screen and baseplate, packed in the box with receipt etc. Got it for a bit more than 50% of new price. </p>

[rgerraty]

M9-P and Monochrom. Everything else second hand. Latest is Leica II and 11 o'clock Nickel Elmar.

[james_elwing]

<p>M9, new, after using a series of old M3's. Big purchase for me; mostly happy, but it made me very picky about lens quality and resulted in a new line up of lenses for common use.<br>

Recently bought an adjustable focus 1.35 factor viewfinder enlarger to regain the M3 viewpoint for 50/90/135 lenses; lovely, except I have had to wrap in aluminium tape to stop it falling apart in use.</p>

[anthony_brookes5]

Yes a Leica C 112

[james_elwing]

<p>lovely; grey paint rendered durable. For some reason few camera buffs lust after this camera.</p><div></div>