MP vs M6

[hektor]

Dear Alun,

I did not have the good fortune of my G2 and lenses being stolen. They were sold at a considerable loss and the money put into new Leica lenses.

If I were starting afresh my choice would be M7 0.85 and if you ever use a 28mm lens the limits of the viewfinder suffice. I have been spoilt with thirty years using the M2 and M3 viewfinders.

I agree on your first choice of lens which I would follow with the 1:2.8/90 Elmarit-M. Your preference is the 21mm lens, however I would recommend serious consideration of the 24mm.

Have fun.

Justin

 

[alun]

Thanks Justin,

Seems like good advice from someone with exactly the kind of experience that will help me make a sensible choice.

Regards

Alun.

 

[agp]

>[ I have just bought a Leica M7 and 35mm Summicron. Always wanted one, but never had enough; then thought I'll never have enough, so it was bought on the credit card - i had visions of getting to 80 and still not having one. I don't regret it - a superb piece of workmanship, and it's a real pleasure just to press the button. The viewfinder choice was a tricky one. I have a 0.58 - in black, unfortunately, as they don't do one in chrome. The trouble is, the 0.72 gives a bigger and better image, but I wear glasses and I could not see all the image at a glance - I had to alter the angle of my eye to see into the corners, which to say the least would be very slow. If you don't wear glasses I would go for the 0.72. I probably wouldn't go for the 0.85. Leica make a magnifier for the viewfinder, which effectively converts the lower magnification into the higher, so there is some flexibility. don;t know hwat it is like, though ... . >]

 

[Colin645]

Alun, As a "M" user since 1967, I would highly recommend the .72mag. It certainly is the most versatile in my opinion and whilst I dont wear glasses when using my cameras,have never experienced any difficulty with my 28mm lens. I dont find it disconcerting to use auxilliary viewfinders for 21/24mm
According to dealers, it is also a lot more "saleable" in the future.
Colin

 

[marco]

Quick update on using the black paint MP -

From using an M3, there's been no problem getting used to the MP this past summer/autumn. All of my earlier comments still hold. Here's some additional info from those months of use.

- meter display (arrows & dot) is very bright & easy to use - a touch better than M6TTL. I must admit, I still use a separate, handheld incident meter for most of my shots. Probably a byproduct of having used the meterless M3 for years.

- the paint is holding up remarkably well. Even above the eyelets, it's showing almost no wear. Didn't use the hard plastic capped Leica strap tho'. Instead, an old Billingham strap and now a Voigtlander strap, both with leather pads around the strap rings.

- brass top plate seems to be softer than the zinc plates from the M6/M7. I have a minor dent or two already. No big deal, but I seem to remember my former M6 being dent-free even after a couple of years of use.

- Like my M3, rewinding is a long, annoying process thanks to the 1955-era rewind knob. The MP does have more friction than an M3, so it doesn't suddenly release and you have to start over, but it's still very slow. Stephen Gandy at Camera Quest just released a very nice rewind crank for the MP that's modelled on the old Magnum model. It's half the price of the Leica rewind crank for the MP, so I've ordered it.

- rangefinder patch is definitely an improvement over all other M's, except the M3. Rarely flares, bright, lots of contrast.

- main lenses continue to be the 50mm and 24mm & now using the 35mm Nokton for low light too. The 50mm Summicron is just about perfect with the 0.72x mag when I'm wearing glasses. I can easily see the entire frame. 24mm continues to be a joy to use w/ its accessory finder. The 35mm Nokton balances well despite its weight, altho' it's difficult to see the entire 35mm frame on the .72x with glasses on (no problem when I'm using contact lenses). I'd definitely recommend the Voigtlander 35mm finder if you have a 0.72x or 0.85x Leica.

 

[peter_n]

Another great report from Marco - a real service to the user community - thanks!

A couple of quick rejoinders to earlier posts in this thread:

1) Marco - June 19 post: You can get an M6/M7 film advance lever fitted to the MP if you prefer that design.

2) All - the "flare-free" serial number issue - Leica uses serial numbers in batches as distinct from consecutively and so there will be cameras with a s/n after the magic 2885000 that suffer from the problem. You cannot rely on the s/n as a criterion.

3) All - several posts about flare - Leica has a fix for the problem in the M6/M7 variants. Your country's Leica repair facility will retrofit an MP style finder for a very reasonable cost, here in the US it is approx US$265.00. According to reports, this fix works well, so well that the Leica facility in New Jersey has already run out of parts because of the demand for the service!

 

[jorks]

Personally I prefer the MP rewind system, having recently started using it with some concern about its apparent 'backwardness'. I have found that it operates beautifully and seems more robust and direct than the angled crank of the M4-7 mechanism, specially towards the end of the rewind. If it is slower, this is marginal. In addition, the system is better when you advance the film. It seems more even. You have a sense that the tension on the film is uniform throughout, from shot 1 to 36. This tension is provided by the built-in friction that prevents 'backlash' during rewinding. Finally, the knurled rewind knob does not turn during film advance, only the inside bit with the 2 red dots. This is a far neater arrangement.

Louis G

 

[marco]

Peter - thanks for the kind words!

Louis - I think the best setup of all is the M3/MP rewind with one of the aftermarket rewind cranks attached. You retain the robust qualities of the MP, and gain the speed of an M4 rewind.

On my old M3, I have a Wasserman crank (no longer made) that's butt-ugly but is as quick as the M4-7 rewind system. Stephen Gandy's new crank will probably be as functional as that one (and better looking too).

Personally, the M4 or the M3 with a crank cuts my rewind time in half, compared to an M3/MP without a crank. Normally, that's not a big deal, unless I'm shooting a quickly changing scene - then, it feels like an eternity

One thing to supposedly look out for on the M3/MP system, is that it's possible to snap the rewind spindle when the rewind knob is raised. Experienced shooters will place a finger along the spindle to help support it during the rewinding. Personally, that has never happened to me in the years I've been using the M3, but I guess some photographers can be more aggressive about rewinding than others

 

[ellie]

Hi Louis: Sorry if I misunderstand you. Are you using the MP with or without the add on Leica rewind crank? If not, are you saying that you are satisfied rewinding without the crank? I just bought an MP, but not the add on crank. I am interested in wether or no the crank is "needed".

 

[jorks]

Hi Ellie: no crank. Just the rewind knob. I had an M4 (stolen in June). Was a little put off by the idea of the M3-type rewinder on the MP but wanted a non battery-dependent camera. In practice the concentric pressure you use on the MP works more smoothly than the eccentric pressure you get with the little crankhandle on the M4. Also, on the product illustrations the little handle of the accessory crank stands out above the top of the camera, robbing it of a beautiful profile. Personally I see absolutely no need for the accessory.

Louis