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Experience with the MP

I tried Jim's trick with my MP, and the paper got just a little way in from the curved body side only,
(where the eyepiece separates away from the housing),
but could not do this with my M7.
 
Thanks for pointing this out to us Jim (paper trick).

Other than that, I have used my MP since January/February, and I love it!
 
I just purchased my first Leica, a new black MP, a month ago. I love this camera. I looked at both the M7 and the MP but decided that I would rather go with the MP. I believe that this was a good choice.

I have found the rewind knob a little annoying but purchased a crank from PhotoEquip (photoequip.net) and found this works quite well.

It took me a couple of tries to get the film loaded at first, but now I'm use to it. The only thing I'd like to change is the body covering. It's not bad, but it could be better. I'll hold off on getting new covering for now, however.

As far as using the camera, I find it a joy to use. I'm not fast with it, but if I need fast I can use my Nikon F100. But I really appreciate it's small size, and the small size of the lens (except my 90mm APO-ASPH). I have three lens that fit nicely into my Leica Billingham bag and it won't dislocate my sholder like my LowPro with multiple Nikon bodies and lens. I travel lighter, but shoot as much if not more.

I find that for me, I have the right mix of equipment. The MP with a 35mm/2 Summicron, 21mm Voightlander, and 90mm/2 APO-ASPH handle most of what I like to shoot. I use my F3 and macro lenses and bellows for close up work and my F100 and assorted lenses if I need an automated camera for situations where speed is important.

I thought about getting a Leica for many years. It was allways something I was going to do. I finally did it and I don't regret it for a second. I am using this camera more than I have ever used. I know when something is new it tends to get used quite a bit, but I never used any of my SLR's like I have this MP.

As far as the Jim's paper trick, I checked and my MP (S/N 2923***) will not let the paper in.

Bob
 
Bob: I am curious....can you give us your assessment of the Nikon lenses versus the Leica glass? Have you taken any similar pictures, and compared?

Best of luck with your camera...I think you would also be interested in seeing what the R9 can do on P mode, matrix metering, automatic fill...just like the Nikon, but no AF...but, of course, Leica lenses...

Thanks,
 
Elliot,

Good question. I haven't done a side-by-side comparison yet. But you bring up a good point. I've always had different film loaded in the cameras and only once taken a Leica and Nikon with me.

But what I should do is to take out the MP and maybe the F3, put them on a tripod and shoot exactly the same subject using the same film.

Just looking at photographs from each one, I can't tell much difference. Except when I have to shoot at full aperture than I can see a difference. And the Leica does look better.

Maybe one day I might consider trading the Nikon SLR equipment in for Leica SLR, but I think I'd take too much of a loss. And really, I am not all that enamored with P mode, etc. When I reach for a Nikon it's usually my F3HP and not my F100. Does the F100 have better metering, automatic fill (plus AF), etc than the F3. Yes, but the problem is undoing all these great auto-everything features so I can use the camera manually.

These auto-everything camera's have their place, but I've found that for what I like to do, that place is rather limited. It's only when I'm taking photo's at places or events that high speed shooting is the advantage that I like auto this, that and the other thing.

If I had known at the time when I purchased the F100 that it really wouldn't fit my shooting style I would not have gotten it. The F3 suits me fine. I'm not going to sell it, I have some use for it, but I found that I am not interested in buying a camera anymore hi-tech than the F3.

That's ultimately why I didn't buy the M7. The M7 is a fine camera, but it's automation is pretty much the same as the F3's. So having one hi-tech camera (the F100), one medium tech camera (the F3), it made sense to buy a low tech camera like the MP.

My wife has little interest in photography. But when she needs a camera she uses the F100. She tried the F3 once and found it too hard after taking one photo. When I showed her the MP she wanted to try it. She didn't even get the first photo when she gave up in frustration. Different cameras for different users.

I won't even broach the subject of digital...

Regards,

Bob
 
This is my first post and I'm new to this board!
I just discovered this forum last week and was quite impressed by it's scope and depth on all things Leica. I have a chrome M6 TTL which I enjoy. Upon reading all of the posts regarding the new MP I had to go to my dealer and check one out.

I knew from the moment that I got my hands on it and put the viewfinder to my eye that I had to have one.

The dealer had both chrome and black models in stock. I thought hard and long about which "color" to take. After what seemed like hours I decided on the "black" model. I thought that It would compliment my chrome M6 TTL.

Well I took it home this evening my new MP and am happy making that purchase. My concern is on how tough is the black finish. Does it really wear well or will the finish deteriorate rapidly? The viewfinder seems superior to that of the M6 TTL.

Lastly are the mechanical "enhancements" that much better than the previous M models? By this I mean are the MP's more reliable , robust and accurate then the previous generations.

I'll report back next week my experience after I put through a few rolls.

Anthony
 
Anthony,

I just saw your post, a week and a half late.

I too bought a black MP. I am real careful with my cameras, but I have found that the finish does wear on the MP. I put some little whirl's in the top plate this weekend by not lifting up my PhotoEquip crank far enough when I rewound the film.

But I guess I look at it this way, I didn't buy it to put in a glass case to admire. It doesn't thrill me to see the little dings in the finish, but it's a tool and I bought it to use. It's going to wear. Still I'd like to see a harder finish.

Just wondering, does anyone know if you can send a camera to Leica for refinishing? I don't need to do that now, but it would be nice to know for the future.

Bob
 
I am looking for viewfinders for a Leica FLex, any good sources? Mine fell at while shooting an event, also any pointers for installation if I find one. Terry
 
Not sure what you mean by "viewfinder" The Leicaflex has a fixed prism and does not allow for interchangeable viewfinders, Are you looking for "correction" lenses to slip behind the viewfinder window?
Colin
 
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