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

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: RE: [Leica] Old vs. new: Please help me decide.
From: Paul Chefurka <Paul_Chefurka@pmc-sierra.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 18:11:27 -0800

Two years or so ago I bought an M3.  Then I bought an M4 so I could use a
35.  I have now sold them both, and replaced them with a pair of mint used
M6's (a .72 and a .85).  I know people say "Never sell an M, you'll regret
it forever".  Well, all I can say is "Je ne regrette rien!".  The M6's are
just as nice as the earlier chrome cameras, except I don't get as nostalgic
looking at them.  But then, nostalgia doesn't improve my photography, and
built-in meters do!  Not to mention that when I decide to do it, I can put
Tom A's Rapidwinders on both of them, with no mods necessary.

TTL? Shrug.  I've got a Vivitar 283 - it's fine, but I've only used a flash
in the last 2 years, and that was on my Nikon.  Save your money.  User M6's
rule!

About lenses - I use a 35 Summicron ASPH.  What an astonishing lens.  I've
had 35's that were soft wide open (made by a certain Japanese purveyor of
black lenses that shall remain nameless) and I couldn't stand them.  Wide
open or stopped down the Summicron is just remarkable.  In fact it's so good
it has redefined my definition of "good".  (This redefinition has since been
reinforced by the 90 APO.)  I'd rather have a lens I can get sharp pictures
with wide open, than all the "Leica glow" (read flare) in the world.  But
that's just my technophilic opinion - others will disagree mightily :-)  The
one lens I might buy in its place is the 35 Summilux ASPH - same lens, one
more stop - what's a few dollars between a man and his mistress?

Paul Chefurka