Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/09

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Subject: [Leica] Old vs. new: Please help me decide.
From: "Stefan Kahlert" <S.Kahlert@uni-bonn.de>
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 23:19:49 +0100

Dear fellow Lugnuts,

two years ago I owned a M4-P with a recent 50mm Summicron but 
decided to sell the camera because I took a deeper look into formal 
potraiture and needed the money for a medium format camera. I 
still think it was the right decision to put the money into a H'blad  
as the results are more than I expected. Now, as my finances are 
in balance again, I miss a light, small and unobstrusive rangefinder 
and can't take my eyes off the gorgeous slides and prints that 
originated from the Summicron. The Nikkor 1.8/50mm on my FE2 
simply doesn't deliver quite the same level of quality.

Now I'm contemplating what camera and lens to buy as starting 
point. I have three approaches in mind: 
1. A User M2
2. A User M6
3. A new M6 TTL 0.85

A User M2 would be cheap and I could put safe some money for 
lenses or whatever seems more important. I wouldn't have to worry 
to much about it and could carry it everywhere without hesitation 
because of its lower value and cosmetics.

The user M6 would bring me what I always missed on the M4-P:
A build in meter! I could live without it but to me it's a real 
advantage. Loading is easier than in the M2 but the increase in 
price compared to the M2 nearly buys a second used Summicron 
as far as my research of the german market told me.

A new M6 TTL 0.85 has a finder magnification I find very usefull for 
the focal length I prefer (35, 50, and a short tele in the  85-90-100 
range). I checked one at a local dealer and liked it. 
I disliked the increase in size and the new inability of Leica to fit a 
black camera with a black hot-shoe. I sound like a collector, 
someone must have put something into my coffee! 
Oh, yes: the price! Compared to a user M6 you have to add the 
value of one more used Summicron to get an M6 TTL (I know the 
list-price is even higher, but who pays the list-price?). The setup 
would reach a price where everyone around me would think I was 
nuts, or to put it better: My case of photoholism would be taken 
more serious than ever, even more serious than after buying the 
Hassy!

About lenses: Also a hard one! A recent (optically) 50mm 
Summicron ist a must have for me and an affordable one at that. I 
would like to add a 35mm to that setup in the not so far future and 
whenever I think about that focal length there are two lenses that 
come to mind: The venerable Summilux 35mm and the current 
Summicron Asph. Both lenses seam to be available in about the 
same price range with the Lux beeing a bit lower than the Cron 
Asph. I know from Erwin's and Hans' site about the ups and downs 
of both lenses and my conclusion is that the difference between 
these two when stopped down isn't that big but the Summilux may 
be able to give pictures wide open where I'm out of the game with 
the Summicron Asph although the results from the Summilux will 
have lots of err... character to them which may be pleasing but not 
neccessarily. The Summicron Asph is tempting but as someone 
wrote about the comparism of the Summilux against the Summilux 
Asph: "I ended keeping both oft them"
Decisions, decisions... 

Any helpfull thoughts are very much appreciated!


Stefan
- --
S.Kahlert@gmx.de