Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/04/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]First, Leica and a variety of aftermarket companies made LTM to BM adaptors: these are widely available, though not inexpensive -- the Leica ones run about $US 75 used. There are many, many fine LTM lenses which can thus be used on an M Leica: I use a lot of Zeiss and Russian lenses on my M6 this way. Second, the M4 has become a collector's item only and is going up, up, up in price: this may change in the future, but I believe you can do better with other models than with the straight M4. The M4-2 and M4-P are the best buys at the moment, though a solid user M6 can be had for not much more. A solid user M4-2 or M4-P will cost around $1,000, and a similar M6 will cost $1400 or less. M4's, when they can be found at all, are starting to push $2,000. Incidentally, if you have a IIIf rdst, this, too, is becoming a hot collectible, and you ought to be able to realize $600 as a wholesale price for one in E++ or better condition. Third, the light meter in the M6 is almost frighteningly accurate. I cheerfully sold my M4 once I owned an M6 and realized that I simply never used the M4 any more. In addition, the M6 is not as "adjustable" as the M4: many of the internal components are now fixed in place. This has the down side that a minor adjustment on an M4 would be a repair on an M6, but there is far less to get out of adjustment if you, like I do, use your cameras heavily. Finally, the "quick load" arrangement used on the M4, M4-2, M4-P, and M6 Leicas still requires trimming of the film leader. The earlier M's and the M5 do not. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!