sam_portera

Well I can't justfy $1200 on an experminet. This is my first Leica but I have been a photographer for 15 years. I wanted the leica as a low light camera when the Nikon doesn't cut it. I had a complete Contax G1 system that I sold because I wanted manual focus. I am giving Leica a try and I am not yet a Leicaphile but that may all change. I was considering the CV stuff because the lenses are said to be quite good (albiet not leica) and they are cheap. But I have decided instead to wait until I can find used summicron

My M6 arrived today but I still haven't made up my mind on a lens. I

shoot mostly in low light and I will never be able justifgy the cost

of a new 35mm Summilux. I am thinking I'll probably end up with

something extremely wide, a 35mm, 50mm, and a 90mm.

 

I have been giving this a lot of thought and my thoughts are now to

purchase a CV Ultron now and try to catch a good deal on a 50

summicron or a 90 elmarit later (after xmas when I have more to

spend. Good idea????

 

I have scoured the net looking for a good deal on a BLACK 50 or 35

Summicron but I have had no luck. Besides I'm not quite sure what a

good deal is since I am new to Leica.

 

I would like to have some type of lens by next week. I have a

wedding to shoot next friday and it would be nice to carry the new M6

loaded with some B&W (I use MF for weddings).

 

Please advise.

please forgive my ignorance but I have serched B&H and can't find it lited anywhere. What do I search for? I tried Leica adaptor.

If I decide to go with the nokton where can I get the scew to M adaptor and how much?

...Now I guess I'll need a lens.

 

Obvious choice would be the 50 Summicron latest but I shoot mostly

available light at night so I was thinking of something faster.

 

I don't have much cash left $500 is my goal. I was looking at the

Nokton or the Elmar-m or a used Summicron .

 

The only reason I am considering the Nokton is the speed. I have read

that this lens has bad bokeh but I haven't found any photos

demonstrating this.

Can I use a 28mm on a M6 0.85 even though there are no frame lines?

Any tips on how to use this combo effectively?

Does anyone know anything about an M6 that just has "M6" inscribed on

the front not the usual "Leica M6". Saw it on the auction site.

 

Check it out

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1942511136

Thank you everyone for the great advice. I am learning what to expect and this is calming me somewhat. I plan to order a 28-105 ASAP.

Ron

 

I should have stated that I will be using my Nikon N80 mounted on a stroboframe with a SB28 flash. For the ceremony and formal posed portraits I will use my Mamiya 645 . I am just looking for a lens for the candids.

Let me first say that this is not my first wedding. I have done

several using MF equipment and 35mm. Since my last wedding I was

very disappointed with the results that the 24-85 2.8-4 was giving me

so I sold it and bought a 50 1.8 and and 85 1.8 witch are both

incredeble. I also decided not to do weddings anymore and

concentrate on portraits.

 

I was asked to shoot a friends wedding only a month away. It will be

400+ in attendence. Its an asian wedding and I'm told just the fact

that I was asked is a great honor. From what I understand at the

reception the bride and groom go to each table and are presented with

a gift and I am supposed to capture everyone at the table in each

photograph. There isn't much time to switch lenses and each table

may have either only a few people or 10 or more. So I think I need

to buy another zoom so I can work quickly .

 

I currently have the 18-35, 50 1.8, 85 1.8, and the 80-200 2.8

 

I was considering the Tokina 28-70 2.6-2.8 , Used Nikon 35-70mm 2.8

Nikon 28-105mm . My backup 35mm body is a FM so I really don't want

a G lens. I don't want to spend much money on this because I like

using my primes for my potraits and I see this lens getting little

use after this .

 

ANy advice would be gretly appreciated

Would any early 1984 M6 cost the same as a 1996 M6 in the same

condition. I simply like the larger shutter selecter dial on the

later M6's are there any other differences. Ive been watching the

auctions on the *bay and using steven gandy's site to determine the

age of each camera.

 

Also I'm thinking about the 50mm Summicron Dual range (without the

eyes) is this wise? Its cheaper than the New Summicrons and seems

to be highly regarded.

I agree with bill about the photos.. Mr Bender should perhaps keeps his infantile comments to himself.

 

Igor you may want to try to focus on a far away object such as cloud to see if the camera will focus at infinity. this solved my problem with my Fed 5B and Jupiter 8. FWIW the Jupiter 8 really is a great bargain. I have prints from it that are every bit as good as my Nikon 50 1.8.

 

 

If your infinity focus is off its very easy to re-align

Looking to sell or trade all of the following for an M6 and 35mm or

50mm lens<br>

Contax G1 <br>

Contax 45mm F2.0 Planar <br>

Contax 28mm F2.8 Biogon <br>

Contax 90mm F2.8 Sonnar <br>

Mamiya M645 1000s w/ 120 insert<br>

Mamiya PDS Metered prism<br>

Mamiya Sekor 80mm f2.8 for 645<br>

Mamiya Sekor 150mm F4.0 for 645<br>

<br>

The Contax 28 and 90 lenses were just purchased from delta

international and are still under warranty used only for 2 rolls of

film. I will be listing all of the above itmes on that big auction

place in about a week but decided to try here first. All of the above

are in Ex to very good condition and if anyone is interested I can e-

mail some pics.

As many have stated already you will notice a big difference. But beware, I bought a 50 1.8 for available light and now Im selling all my zooms for primes.

I was waiting for the "resale value" comment. If your main objective is to buy a camera and then sell it a year later I would have to agree that the Leica will give you a better return on your investment. If you main objective is too take good photos either will do. As for the electronics giving out in ten years all I can say to that is what a load of crap! I had a Tv that lasted longer than 10 years along with a Vcr's, Cars etc. Not to mention several cameras such as the Mamiya M645 that I have and use that is more than twenty years old.

 

Chris, in time you will have to make your own decision but make it with the facts. Resale and electronics are bulS**t arguments that leicaphiles use to justify the vast amounts they spend on their gear. I might also remind everyone that the M7 has a electronic shutter. Will an M6 outlast a G2? Probably, but Im pretty sure that either can be fixed in the future. Its not like the G1 or G2 is out of production already. My advice is simple, get the most camera you can for your money. If that means settling on something else for a while do it.

 

And I do agree that everything will go digital but not in my lifetime. I really hope not because I enjoy working in the darkroom.

I had been saving for a M6 but some unexpected costs and my daughter's tuition reduced my savings dramatically. So I decided to keep my Contax G1 and add a few lenses.

 

I have a Nikon N80 with 80-200 2.8, 50 1.8, 85 1.8 and 18-35 3.5-4.0 and a Mamiya 645 sytem and after reviewing my images My Contax with its 45 Planar provides me with the best results. The Nikon is superior for wedding candids and formal portraits but I seem to use the Contax more for personal use. I carry it with me at all times in a small Domke bag.

 

I had a chance to use the M6 with a 50 'cron. I found that for what I photograph (mostly children) I need the speed that the Contax affords me. I simply could not use the M6 in low light with children, refocussing every time the child moves is difficult and slow. Perhaps in time after getting used to the camera my speed would be faster. I also must that the Contax Lenses are every bit as good as their Leica equivalents with the exception of the 35mm lens (it can not touch the 35 Summicron) .

 

One quick note about the Contax autofocus. Despite what others say it is very very reliable ONCE YOU LEARN HOW TO USE IT. I never have an out of focus shot but my wife can shoot an entire roll out of focus. It very simple but you have to be mindfull of what you doing and where the camera is focusing.

 

My contax system includes the G1, with 28/45/90 and total cost to me was $1085 and I use my Nikon Sb 28 with it for when a flash is needed.

 

A similar Lecia system would cost in the neibhorhood of $3000

 

Having said all of this I admit that I still have the Leica bug and if I could afford one I would purchase it.

 

Bottom line is that if cost is a problem and need the speed of autofocus Get a Contax. If you have the money get a M6

 

Just my 2 cents.

Well now Doug, You must be a real photographer or maybe you just like to look like one. Perhaps Doug here should read Ansel Adam's The negative or maybe Henri Cartier Bresson's The Minds Eye. Youd be supreised what can be done with an on board reflective meter..... or none at all.

 

I use both and can honestly say that for 95% of my shots the on-board meter works just fine (If one knows how to use it). A good photographer can make his or her own decision on wether or not the meter is going to produce the exposure you want.

Mint $900 M6's do not exist, perhaps ugly M6's are sub $1000 but I have been shopping for a while and seldom see them go for less than $1200-$1300.

I see that Delta has a lot of great reviews. They list the M6 new

for the same price as a used M6 at B&H and the lenses are much

cheaper. I know that this is grey market and not cover by Leica's 3

year passport warranty but buying a new M6 is much more appealing.

 

Has anyone bought leica from Delta?

Where to buy is the major question now. I have made my decision to get a 35 'cron and 90 e but where to find one used and for a good price is another matter. B&H has a few M6's in 9 condition for around $1300 is this a good price?

 

Where can I find a good deal? What should I pay?

I have always liked the 35mm perspective over the 50mm. I actually never use my 50 1.8 for my nikon system so I am leaning towards the 35 'cron. What is a good price for a used 35mm Summicron M non-ASPH? As I said before I do a lot of portraits so the 90mm elmarit is very attractive to me.

I have raised almost enough money to purchase my first Leica which I

plan to be a used M6. I am having difficulty in deciding wich lenses

to get.

 

Ideally a 28/50/90 set would cover everything I would ever need but

buying new lenses are even used ones can get expensive. Perhaps a

35/90 would cover most needs.

 

If you had a limited budget say $2500 what would you buy? I plan not

spending more than $1300 for the body the rest of my budget is for

the glass.

 

I should give a little of my background to clarify my needs. I am a

semi professional, that is to say that photography is not my only

income. I enjoy B&W and I do have my own darkroom. I use Nikon

equipment and Mimaya 645's for my wedding a portrait work. I bought

a Contax G1 a year ago and it quickly became my carry everywhere

camera. I live in New Orleans and I enjoy walking around with the

Contax but its automation bothers me and I find myself wishing for

manual focus and a generally quieter camera (I used the G at a

wedding this weekend for avaiable light shots and the noise was

terrible in a quiet church the autofocus is especially annoying). I

love the Zeiss glass and the resolution I get from the contax is

incrediable. So what ever I replace the G with I would like to have

the same lens quality.

if your main goal is is higher resolution and sharper pics stay away from the russian LTM lenses. They are cheap but will not give you what your looking for. Try the new Voigtlander lenses. Ive also heard the the canon 50 2.8 LTM is pretty good but I have not used it. I have tried the russian lenses and they are soft.. I use them create a vintage look. When used with ilford 3200 the result look as if the were taken on the beaches at Normandy in '44.

Al, The method you describe may work well for you but I prefer to use the on board meter. I have gottten so used to it that its second nature. I can evaluate a scene and I know how my meter is seeing it. I make the decisions. Besides I don't know about your children but the ones I photograph (especially the boys) are completely unpredictable I couldn't possibly meter each area beacause they cover a lot of ground quickly. I don't pose them, I allow them to play and I capture them in their element. Most of the parents in my experience prefer the candids because children 4 years old and under can't really pose or smile. To each his own.

What a load of crap.