Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/01/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In message <199601121812.NAA20891@gandalf.rutgers.edu>, David Batista <batista@gandalf.rutgers.edu> writes > Hello all. I am a Leica novice and I have decided to begin hunting >for an M6 and one of the 35mm or 28 mm wide angle lenses to go with it. I >have poured over the ads in Shutterbug for 7 months, followed this list's >postings, and studied several of the Leica books (M Compendium, etc.) and I >have developed (no pun intended ;-) ) several questions. > Thanks in advance for your time and attention ! Hi there David, I was a Leica novice about a year ago amnd now I'm an know-all (not really) so these are only partial answers, but may be helpful. >1. Are there any parts / aspects of the M6 that are prone to wear >or failure that I should be especially careful to look for when buying a >used example? Were there any years or serial number runs that were more >prone to break down than others? One consideration is that some early M6's had no lugs to protect the body from being rubbed by the strap. Actually I would now see that, amongst other wear and tear, as an advantage as my M6 looks too new; I could have saved a couple of thousand (at least) and got a less conspicuous camera if I'd done it that way! (Ignore this if you're not paranoid; I live in a big city full of bad people who want to steal my stuff and buy crack with the money...) >2. Since I want to "use" the camera rather than just "collect" it, >should I go for what I sometimes see listed as a "user". Or is "user" >usually a euphemism for "broken down piece of junk" ? Or, should I spend >the extra money for one of the much more common grades of "exec" or >"exec+" ? As I understand it, Leica M bodies are built to go on working perfectly even when they look tatty. As I said, now, I'd maybe go for a scruffier one. Maybe. I'd have to see it first. > 3. Do camera dealers (especially Leica dealers) usually have more >Leicas than they advertise in Shutterbug ? That is, do they just put their >best stuff in the ads? Is it worth calling around to dealers if I don't >see what I want in the ads? The M6 particularly (in the UK at least) seems to move off dealers shelves quite quickly and what is in stock and what appears in an ad on the same day may be two different things because of that. My M6 never did get advertised; I was too quick! > 4. I see a wide range of prices (e.g. $900 to $2,100) for M6's that >are all listed / graded as "exec". Is this because of cosmetic flaws or >does term "exec" have widely different interpretations among dealers? > Don't know. I'd suggest you Find a good authorised Leica dealer to buy your M6 from, someone you can go back to for advice, information and so on. Avoid anyone less than totally credible. There are a lot of people out there who'd love to sell you a used Leica, but who don't know much about it and wouldn't know where to send it for service if it came back under guarantee. "Fred's Auto camera and automobile workshop" isn't where you want your Leica sent for adjustment. > 5. Do you believe the jump in price for a f2.8 over a f3.5, or an >f2 over an f2.8 is worth it. That is, have you found the faster lenses to >be more useful and so justified in price? Should I try for the fastest >lens I can afford ( like with computers where you should always try to buy >the biggest hard drive or most RAM you can afford)? > The 35 f2.0 Summicron-M is a really good lens, optically and ergonomically. Its amazing, I can get the camera, with that lens on it, into the pocket of my flying jacket, and put a couple of other lenses in the other pocket and no-one knows I'm carrying a 3-lens camera system. It's a useful lens and covers a variety of photographic possibilities. I have had great mental turbulence over this because I also wanted a 28 and they are very close in covering power. But the 28/2.8 is a fair bit bigger, even the (extremely expensive) new one, so they have different strengths. And the 35 summicron is f2.0, and is very sharp as well. It's so useful it would be a great choice if you like the focal length. The previous version 28/2.8 is lovely, but is relatively big in comparison with the 35/2 and a whole stop slower. I went nuts and got both and use both, but in low light the f2.0 aperture is very useful for hand-held work, and is also more versatile for "general photography". Its small size makes it look like nothing, thus making it great for candids and street photography. Hope that helps. joe b.