Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]For the M cameras, the best buys right now are the M4-P, M4-2, and M3. The M2 and M4 bodies escalated in price several years back and haven't gone down any that I've noticed. The M5's are, at long last, becoming collectibles, so their prices are beginning to edge up. Finally, M6's are the most expensive, in general, of the M's though the current low price for a new one caps the price creep. Some folks prefer the M2 to the M3 due to its smaller VF. I do not, but, then, I rarely shoot wider than a 50mm and, generally, 90mm. A good user M3 double-stroke (DS) body can be had for $600. I recently sold one with missing vulcanite for $450, as I had bought a nice, clean M3 DS with PV and DOF cut-outs for $750. That's probably a fair price spread. Cold weather with mechanical cameras can be a problem. (Well, it's actually worse with electrical cameras, as the batteries die and the camera is thus spurlos versunkt.) Cool the camera beforehand -- I keep mine in the car if I'm planning on having it out-and-about. And warm it up gradually afterwards -- I leave my camera gear on a quasi-heated back porch. Best, Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!