svein_n1

That is a $3000 lens. Last time I checked, Sherry charged $65 for a half CLA of a lens. I can't for the life of me see the point of taking it any other place.

I bought a 500C/M set a year back which turned out to be crap. Pretty much the

only thing that worked was the lens cap. PayPal did help me get a refund though,

so it all turned out fine in the end.

 

Two months ago I had the chance to play around with a 500C/M again, and this

time it was all good. I loved it. I do own a Leica M6 and a Canon 40D with

assorted lenses, so there really isn't any "rational" reason to spend money on

yet another system, but I have the chance to get this out of my system, so I

will get a basic starter set. And this is of course where I need your help!

 

OK, camera first. The 500C/M seemed to work fine with me. Is there any reason

for going with a more modern camera? The one I used had the Acute-Matte "D"

screen installed, and I will make sure that I get that one, really bright!

 

Lens. I'm thinking 80mm f/2.8 here, since I'm really fond of the 50mm view on my

Leica. But CT*, CF, CB? I've read that the old stuff © is hard to get

repaired, so that would be an issue for me.

 

Film back, WLF: As long as it works... A12, ordinary WLF is what I'm thinking.

 

However, I've been checking out eBay, and it seems that I could get started for

as little as $8-900. But... I don't want another crap camera, costing me a

fortune in taxes, and having to get it fixed in a year or two. I want a fully

serviced, ready-to-go setup. I know this is gonna cost more, but I see that

David Odess would be able to set me up for about $1300-1400, would that be a

good place to start? KEH would be cheaper, but then I wouldn't know the service

history.

 

I guess I'm asking for opinions here: Am I throwing cash away going this route?

If you were to get a starter set, how would you go about it?

Wow, thank you all for your helpful replies. I went to the local photo store, but didn't find much there (I live in Norway). However, they did have a 1 series Gitzo, and it seemed pretty much perfect for my use.

 

I think I will go for a 1930 for now. But for ballhead, I'm kind of confused. The Gitzo in the store had a Bogen/Manfrotto 486RC2, which seemed nice enough. They also had a Acratech Ultimate, but I would need special plates for quick release on that one, right? I see from B&H that I also can get plates for Leica M and 40D, which is nice. A bit more expensive than the 486RC2 though.

I've never really thought about getting a tripod, didn't need it. Well, now I

do. Lately I've been experimenting a lot with an ISO 20 film, ADOX 20 CMS

(brilliant film, by the way!), and ISO 20 + Norway in winter doesn't work out at

all. So, where do I start?

 

Well, this will be used for about 5-10% of my shoots. It also has to work with

both a Leica M6 and a Canon 40D. I don't use long lenses, more of a wide angle

shooter. I guess max load will stay below 4lbs/2kgs. My longest lens is the 85mm

f/1.8 from Canon. I don't have any plans of going any longer for the time being.

 

It has to be compact and light enough for me to carry it with me, I'm thinking

2kgs with ballhead. I've got my eyes set on the Gitzo G-1298 Reporter Basalt,

which I can get for less than $300 at B&H. Also, the Gitzo GT-1930 Sport Basalt

is interesting - and it's a bit taller. A Gitzo ballhead will set me back about

$150 more. So about $400-450 all in all. I think that is about the max that I

would like to spend now. If I get addicted to tripods after a while, I'm sure

that will mean an upgrade to something "better", but my question is:

 

Is this a nice starter package? Or could I spend my $450 elsewhere and get a

"better" solution, while still maintaining the quality of Gitzo and - not least

- the compactness and light weight?

Another one

Well, I went on holiday with this one and a 50mm Summicron (current version). 14 days of strong sun in Greece. After I came back I sold the Summicron. Flare is not an issue. Just buy it, for the price you can't go wrong. I've seen them go for less than $500 on eBay, that is an insane price.

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I might sell my cameras (Leica, Hexar AF, Bessa R) - but this lens stays. Forever. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way about their Summicron, but to me it was love at first sight.<div></div>

Raid: I want to thank you as well. I found your 50mm test worth more than another one of those MTF graph orgies... ;-)

 

I don't have a 35mm at the moment, so I will monitor this closely. Would love to see a Biogon T* 2/35 ZM... :-)

I have owned (and used) two Summicron's (latest version and DR), the Zeiss Planar ZM and a Konica M-Hexanon. Unless you can afford the latest version of the Summicron, I would advice you to go for the Zeiss or the M-Hexanon. On value, the M-Hexanon can not be beaten. And it's built like a brick as well.

I had a Leica M6 TTL, and sold it. Then I missed it, so I got another M6 TTL. And sold it. Then I missed it, so I got a M6. And sold it. That last one was sold on Thursday - and I already miss it.

 

To me it's not rational at all: When I have one, I doesn't use it very often. And then I sell to get some dSLR lens or whatever. But I always keep coming back to Leica.

 

If someone put a gun to my head, and forced me to come up with 5 reasons to use a Leica, I think they would be;

 

1) It's a Leica. Simple as that. The craftmanship is extremely good.

2) For low-light/available light it is great! Easy to focus, even in extreme conditions.

3) Small size, low weight.

4) No fuss - aperture, focus, shutter speed. That's all. You can't really go wrong.

5) The viewfinder is crystal clear, and you have the ability to see outside the framelines.

 

Does it take better images than a Canon 30D and a good prime? Not really, but the experience is very different. Could I live with a rangefinder as my only camera? No. That's what I have been trying to do for the last couple of years. So, to help myself getting used to dSLR's, I will be using one exclusively for 6 months. After that I plan to get another Leica. If I can hold out that long...