richard_bud

<p>The current Leicavit is an evolution from early models for earlier Leica cameras when no technology existed for small motors such as the Leica Motor M.<br>

As such, it is a throwback in technology but doesn't require batteries to operate. The problem with the current Leicavit is that for rapid shooting the left to right motion to advance film results in an upset to the camera whereas the Motor M just sits there and advances film as long as you have film and/or battery power available.<br>

If you just want a different method than the traditional wind lever and do not shoot action, the Leicavit is a good alternative. In practice its probably not faster than the wind lever.<br>

I have one but rarely employ it, preferring Motor M's on my two M7's exclusively. The Leicavit is used sometimes on an M6.<br>

I have not heard of any problems with the current Leicavit that would lead one to believe they are inherently faulty. It is a fine marvel of a devise and something that only Leica would continue to supply in this day and age.-Dick</p>

 

<p>"Richard, is the distortion due to film planarity an issue you have encountered?"</p>

<p>If the film plane is not parallel to the image plane, distortion is introduced. That's Optics 101 of which taking a picture of a tall bulding is an extreme example. WA and Super WA's only accentuate the results. Today's photogrpahers seem to not understand or care about the problem . I have actually viewed Wedding Albums that made me queasy with all the angles and resulting distortion.<br>

Using a 21mm on and M is difficult because you don't have SLR viewing to help you.<br>

I purchased a Zeiss 21mm finder but because it is not offset to match the offset of the M external mount to the M lens centerline it introduced a rotational off set. I have the pictures to prove it after finding my first shots with this distortion using the Zeiss finder in place of the Leitz 21mm plastic finder I have. I now inly use the Leitz finder.<br>

Any other analysis offered here is purely subjective. Personally I would purchase what I could afford and concentrate on how to use it properly rather than wondering about problems you can't really control or measure.-Dick</p>

<p>I use a 21mm f2.8 ASPH on an M7 mostly. I have used this combination quite a bit in the last 2-3 years.<br>

It is not something for taking pictures of individuals unless large groups or part of the background.<br>

The 21mm finders all suffer from one thing or another and cannot approach the capture of an SLR finder but neither can the normal rangefinder window, so who cares?<br>

I wouldn't be worried about proper image quality unless you are a photographic lens reviewer. I would be concerned about distortion introduced by not have the film plane parallel to the plane of the scene you are photographing.<br>

The various finders have one or another problem. Best is to get a Leitz/Lieca finder that has the proper off set to avoid a rotation in your photograph.<br>

Be prepared for a long learning curve before you achieve results you like or accept.-Dick</p>

<p>Very Nice!<br>

I suspect the optical performance is on a par with earlier Noctilux's.<br>

-Dick</p>

<p>Zeiss diopters are true to the markings and neither the cameras nor external finders have any bias built in. I went over this with Zeiss USA a few years ago to determine what diopter to mount on their 21mm finder.-Dick</p>

<p>I have 35, 50, 75 and 90mm, All ASPH except for the 50mm f2.8 M. I really use the 35 Lux ASPH a lot.<br>

For a truly wide angle I went with a 21mm f2.8 ASPH because 28mm is not that much different than 35mm and if purchasing wide, than 21 over 24, but there is not much difference. Anything wider in a Leica lens has some optical distortion and almost a stop slower, so for me the 21mm f2.8 ASPH was the choice.<br>

Now be aware that anything wider than a 28mm on an M6 requires an external finder and it must be a Leica/Leitz finder because these are offset to account for the fact that the M camera flash mount is NOT over the center line of the lens. If you use a finder such as the Zeiss 21mm, which I have and its very nice, you introduce a rotation about the vertical axis. Its there and noticeable on many types of shots.<br>

Second, you must focus, meter and then switch finders for composition, unless you are one of those that says 'Sunny 16' is good enough and you can guesstimate without using an external finder.<br>

Since I have M7's, they were a natural fit for the use of the 21mm, AUTO exposure with Zone focusing usually handles most outdoor situations. For indoor work, I have even built a rig with handle flash that has 21mm coverage.<br>

So if you purchase other than Leica lens, you need a Leica/Leitz finder of some vintage. The new ones (expensive) have M8 markings on them and until they eliminate these markings I will use my older plastic Lietz marked 21mm finder which works well.<br>

In short using Super wide angles on an M camera is more difficult than a SLR. I have had a 24mm f2.8 Nikkor for many many years, in fact I'm on my second now and its a great lens, easier to use with a SLR. For anything wider than 21mm, I would not chose an M camera and in fact 21mm may be pushing the bounds for me.-Dick</p>

 

<p>Most Professional digital cameras are upgradeable.<br>

Until Leica follows this plan, an M8 or an M9 will drop siginifactnly in value when the next model is introduced that is not purely cosmetic such as the M9P.<br>

The CAD/CAM process significantly shortens product life cycles, and to expect an M9 to be anything different is wishful thinking.<br>

Leica needs to acknowledge that fact, other wise sales will at some point go flat as the amateur well heeled market is saturated. -Dick</p>

<p>For those "sissies" that use their Leica a M lenses to make a living and have a small fortune invested in lenses, Leica makes a specific UV filter for each lens and each UV filter has a Number. The filters fit with the associated Leica lens hood, something that an other brand may or may not do.<br>

All my M lenses have the correct Leica UV filter installed.-Dick</p>

<p>I will be blunt.<br>

If you have to ask these questions of a Forum, then you have no business buying and reselling.<br>

You will lose money. Dealers/collectors have acquired a lot of information over time and the resources to inspect the equipment and make judgements based on actual condition. Purchasing from a dealer already puts an add on to the price and is usually never profitable for re-sale.<br>

If you also don't have the means to take a loss, then best save your money.-Dick</p>

<p>The SF20 will work quite well with your M6. The SF20 is small, light and completely matches the M6 for most use. Put the SF20 in the AUTO Mode and input ASA, set aperture and match camera aperture, set corect shutter and matching aperture on the M6 and your good to go.<br>

I have a big Metz unit with all the bells and whistles but I only use it off camera on a handle to do flash with an M6 and 21mm f2.8 ASPH. It's a big rig.<br>

The SF24D is a later model with a couple of more aperature settings and updated for later M cameras. I use the SF24D on M6 M7's in TTL Mode a lot and on the M6 in AUTO Mode.-Dick</p>

<p>Modern computer aided design and manufacturing has drastically allowed a manufacturer to reduce a product life cycle but the manufacturer must also factor into that life cycle the need for revenue/cash flow and does the current product provide that revenue/cash flow. When the revenue drops, a new product will certainly emerge but since the ability to tell the future is not assured, who knows.<br>

Me, I estimate/guess about 1-2 years when the market will be saturated for M9's, then a new M10, the M10 will be sold to those that must ride the leading edge of technology and be sacrificed upon it.-Dick</p>

<p>How can you make such a broad statement about build quality? I have never read a Post where an individual had problems with a Motor M 14408.<br>

You Post about a winder, which are you Posting about the original Leica Winder or the present motor M 14408?-Dick</p>

<p>'Urban Legend' propagated by the unknowing.<br>

<br />There is a previous 'Winder' that is bulky. The present model is known as the the 'Motor M' 14408 by Leica and is neither bukly nor noisy. You need to specify which you are Posting about when providing critique.<br>

I have two Motor M's with M6 and two M7's, not a single problem. They are constantly attached to my M7's and the noise level has never been more noticeable to observers in my observations.-Dick</p>

<p>The modern SLR such as the Nikon 100 and the Modern Rangefinder such as the M7 are different photographic systems and although they do overlap in the 21 to 135mm range, if using long telephotos or very WA lenses and don't care about sound or bulk, then the SLR is the system. If using moderate lenses and care about noise level and bulk, then the rangefinder system wins out. I have both, Nikon Fm and Fm3a and Leica M7's and use them for vastly different applications. I would assess your applications and decide whether you require a rangefinder based on your assessment rather than perception of the cameras.-Dick</p>

<p>The Optical ASA Upgrade is still free no matter what the M7 Warranty status. I had my second M7 done at the same time as the M7 I had purchased under Warranty. I did pay for the Finder Upgrade but the camera was also ClA'd for the same price.<br>

You did not specify in your initial Post that the camera was used and that negates all my comments. EOT-Dick</p>

<p>"If the camera you are looking at does not have these upgrades, you may want to factor this in."<br>

If you purchase from an Authorized Dealer and with Valid Warranty, the cost of both upgrades is zero. My second M7 was purchased this way and upgraded for zero cost and also recovered because the tech didn't like the covering. It was also CLA'd at the time. i also paid an additional $150 for upgraded Passport Protection from ANYTHING for 5 years. Can't go wrong with that deal.</p>

<p>If from any Authorized Leica Dealer with Warranty, it's a very good purchase. If it hasn't had the Optical ASA reader or upgraded viewfinder, both will be done by Leica under warrenty at no charge. Coming from a Nikon background, the metering system will be familiar and will work well. I have two M7's and came from a Nikon FnT to Fm3A background and find the camera systems are a very nice complement to each other.<br>

The 50mm Summicron is a very good lens and after you spend some time, you can decide on whether to purchase the best Leica lens of all, the 35mm Lux ASPH.-Dick</p>

<p>I own M3 SS, M6 and two M7's. As a former Newspaper and Wedding photographer, I can unequivocally tell you that if your aim is to take the best picture with as much certainty that you have the correct exposure, then the M7 with Motor M followed by the M6 with Motor M make shooting vastly easier and better than any M3 or M2. Agonizing over interior parts or fondling your camera and comparing turning of parts has nothing to do with photography and is the realm of collectors.<br>

The real choice is, do you collect or do you take photographs, if you collect, the choice is simple, M3/M2, if you shoot, M7. Frankly my M6 will probably outlast me and I don't think i will worry about any of its internal parts.-Dick</p>

<p>Can't get there from here.<br>

I use a 21mm f2.8 Leica ASPH on my M6 with Metz handle flash connected to the synch port. The Metz is set to A(AUTO), 21mm coverage and this setup works quite well. I don't use an M7 with TTL because you can't get TTL through the synch port. There is one guy that does make shoes with double synch but I just didn't think he could do TTL.<br>

Anyway this is how I do it.-Dick</p>

<p>For your future work you may want to consider using Leica NJ.<br>

I use them exclusively.<br>

There is always someone to help me with status and/or technical assistance.-Dick</p>

<p>If done by Leica USA they should have a record, if done by anyone else, its anyone's guess unless the seller has a bill of repair.-Dick</p>

<p>Check carefully whether soft release is attached with an adhesive of some sort. If it is, then if you like the softy, no problem.-Dick</p>

<p>Sorry for the late response but I much prefer to purchase a kit and as Posted many times will not bid on a kit that has obviously been broken up.-Dick</p>

<p>First, usually when one purchases a Leica with boxes etc and from the photos, in very good condition, it signifies that the camera has been used a little and taken care of. Camera does look dusty though.<br>

First thing to do is open the battery compartment and inspect for corrosion and then install a NEW battery to assure any problems found are not due to voltage problems in the battery or compartment. Run through the checks you listed and shoot a roll of color reversal film at various shutter speeds and have developed ASAP. View slide for exposure and any lens problems. If all is well, use camera and forget about any CLA until something doesn't work on your camera.<br>

Second, any questions you have, should be asked before you purchase an item as the answers can then be used for documentation if any problems, but in this instance the seller appears to have answered the major questions.<br>

I think you purchased a very nice example and don't worry about paying a little extra to avoid problems in the long run. Good luck!-Dick</p>

<p>So, tell me what this lens will do that my Leica 35mm Lux ASPH will not do besides costing less(sold out though) and weighing less or collapse?-Dick</p>