Leica body + voight lens or other way around ?

[nikchem]

Never played with rangefinder before. thinking about it.

Voightlander seems a cheaper way to start ... though the leica looks good !

assuming no cash to do full leica body+lens, perhaps start off with either
a. bessa body + leica lens or
b. leica body + voightlander lens

for those with experience - which makes more sense if at all ?

tks.

 

[hamustar]

if u've never tried RF before, then why not
c. Bessa body + Voigt lens?

cheapest entry, and a pretty decent setup.

 

[gazkw]

doesnt matter... u could even get an old yashica or canonet and it would be fine.

 

[fridgemaster]

voigt lenses are qutie good
u could get like a bessa body and a voigt lens

 

[Neo]

Personally, I'd get a Leica body and Voightlander lens... it's not so easy to spot a Voightlander lens from a Leica from the photos taken, but it's very obvious when you shoot with a Leica or a Bessa. The Leica's cloth shutter is much quieter than the Bessa, plus the feel of a Leica M-body in your hands is simply heavenly. You can try for a M2, M3, M4-P... those are pretty affordable (in the Leica sense) and you can probably get back your money should you decide you want to upgrade later on.

 

[third3rdwheel]

it's not so easy to spot a Voightlander lens from a Leica from the photos taken.

I am new to Leica and have yet to try V lenses, but am a little surprised by this.....

 

[starvingjack]

I had the same dilemma as you.
I went for a bessa body + lens first.
very affordable, especially 2nd hand.

If you had to chose either 1 of your options, got for the leica lens and bessa body.
Let's face it, no matter what ppl say, it's the lens that gives you results.
having a leica body gives you the feel good factor, but as my fren put it, no pt using another lens on a leica body.
but bessas aint too shabby.

Eventually i got a M4-P, reason being i dun like internal meters.
Add a vc meter + 50mm summicron. thats all you need.

 

[starvingjack]

I am new to Leica and have yet to try V lenses, but am a little surprised by this.....

I'm new to leica lens too and had tried cv.
I'll say give me leica anyday, the resolution is off the charts.
but then again cost wise, cv lenses ftw.

 

[hookonclassic]

I would suggest you get a used Leica M body and any LTM or M lens be it Leica, CV, Zeiss, Canon, Nikkor, etc. You can still sell the body quite easily without loosing much value (or make a gain when gracefully aged :bsmilie.

Recommended used bodies (no longer in production):

Classic mechanical beauty without built-in meter (Recommend an external VC meter II)
1) M3 - 0.91 VF (50, 90, 135 frameline), mechanical marvel even by today standard
2) M2 - 0.72 VF (35, 50, 90), like M3 with 35mm frameline
3) M4 or M4-2 - 0.72 VF (35, 50, 90, 135), some said M4 is the last best German built
4) M4-P - 0.72 VF (28, 35, 50, 90, 135)

Mechanical shutter with built-in meter (battery only for exposure meter)
4) M5 - 0.71 VF (35, 50, 90, 135) (shutter speed info in VF)
6) M6 or M6TTL - 0.72 VF (28, 35, 50, 90, 135), also available with 0.58 VF (28, 35, 50, 90) or 0.85 VF (35, 50, 75, 90 135)

Current in production film M bodies
7) M7 - electronic shutter with Auto priority mode (2 mechanical controlled shutter 1/60 & 1/125), available 0.58, 0.72 or 0.85 VF
8) new MP - Mechanical Perfection. A mechanical classic, remake of old MP (M3 for Professional) with built in meter, available 0.58, 0.72 or 0.85 VF

Hope the above summary helps

 

[nikchem]

tks for the input !

did manage to borrow a frenz bessa R2M with 50mm heliar or something like that

i think age is catching up - didnt find focusing that easy. not so clear - particularly at night. was much easier in the split image of film SLR.

also handling focusing & metering at same time.....found myself being soooooo slow in taking a shot. makes me inclined towards the aperture priority option i.e. M7 or bessa A series. which tends to be my way of shooting even on digital

but m7 used quite a rarity n not cheap ebay prices

my heart says go with Neo - leica body + bessa lens
my head with starvingjack - bessa body + leica lens
my eyes - say stick with my nikons autofocus !

haha

will reserve my judgement until i see the film output. have been shooting side by side with a digital to compare.

 

[third3rdwheel]

I am not sure it is true that you can sell a film Leica camera "quite easily without losing much value". It's probably easier to sell sought after lenses than cameras, from my observation of the used market. Unless of course, you are dumping your film camera body at attractive prices for prospective buyers.

I make this observation about film Leica cameras because I have seen some M6s and MPs sitting in shop windows, and also posters on CSNAP posting and reposting their sale......even though they were often asking for reasonable prices for their stuff.....

It's probably more accurate to say that you stand to lose less $ if you are selling a film camera than you are a digital camera...

 

[knodd]

I personally feel you should get a leica body, with a voigtlander lens. For myself i feel that my skills aren't that good, and my scanner isn't that good, so i can't really discern the difference between leica (supposedly better) glass and voigt glass. That being said i do think that voigt makes some great lenses with great quality too! With the body however, regardless of your skill / experience level, you would definitely be able to appreciate the quality and beauty of a leica body.

But that being said if you're just interested in making good photographs and don't really care about other nonsense, i say voigtlander body + voigtlander lens all the way!!!

 

[xylestesins]

Leica body + Voigt lens is more for the enjoyment of shooting process.

Voigt body + Leica lens is more for the enjoyment of image characteristics. (Also dependent what lens)


Me myself own a Bessa and 35mm f1.2 nokton, with plans to purchase an M8 come this nov.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

tks for the input !

did manage to borrow a frenz bessa R2M with 50mm heliar or something like that

i think age is catching up - didnt find focusing that easy. not so clear - particularly at night. was much easier in the split image of film SLR.

also handling focusing & metering at same time.....found myself being soooooo slow in taking a shot. makes me inclined towards the aperture priority option i.e. M7 or bessa A series. which tends to be my way of shooting even on digital

but m7 used quite a rarity n not cheap ebay prices

my heart says go with Neo - leica body + bessa lens
my head with starvingjack - bessa body + leica lens
my eyes - say stick with my nikons autofocus !

haha

will reserve my judgement until i see the film output. have been shooting side by side with a digital to compare.

I think practicing more on shooting on RF should be your primary concern than choosing Leica, CV or other RF brands on the market.

 

[cocoa]

1. In the beginning c/v body + c/v lens; keep repeating: "This is definitely good enuf", but almost always just after a short while ...
2. c/v body + used leica lens; then
3. used leica M2/M4-2/M4-P + used leica lens; then
4. used leica M6/M6TTL + used leica lens; then
5. .........
6. finally used M8 + newer leica lenses + UV/IR cut filters.
7. now gian M9, trying to sell M8 :bsmilie:

In the process pocket full of holes but no detectable change in IQ though.

 

[boochap]

why do u think leica must be expensive?? :dunno:

i have a few leica screw mount bodies and lenses, below 500$ each, they worked just as great..

IIIF, Summitar

M6, Elmar

M6 with LTM VC 15mm Heliar.

if u are expecting the AE AF convenience or other fanciful functions typical of dslr, then u are better off going for a dslr with M-mount adaptor.. i think your bigger questions should be, can u live with manual.. manual focus, manual exposure, manual film advance, etc..

..
..

 

[mamypoko]

Whatever the combination, you must enjoy the manual process of shooting with rangefinders, unless you are using a digital RF or a body with AE.

One thing about older Leica bodies and lenses is that you might have to send them for CLAs and that will increase your cost of buying it in the first place

 

[hookonclassic]

I am not sure it is true that you can sell a film Leica camera "quite easily without losing much value". It's probably easier to sell sought after lenses than cameras, from my observation of the used market. Unless of course, you are dumping your film camera body at attractive prices for prospective buyers.

I make this observation about film Leica cameras because I have seen some M6s and MPs sitting in shop windows, and also posters on CSNAP posting and reposting their sale......even though they were often asking for reasonable prices for their stuff.....

It's probably more accurate to say that you stand to lose less $ if you are selling a film camera than you are a digital camera...

That is why I said buy USED and not brand new. In actual fact, recently someone in the CS just brought a M2 (repainted and CLA) sold, brought a MP and sold again before getting a used M8. He claimed that he did not loose any value, he got a free play.

 

[hookonclassic]

tks for the input !

did manage to borrow a frenz bessa R2M with 50mm heliar or something like that

i think age is catching up - didnt find focusing that easy. not so clear - particularly at night. was much easier in the split image of film SLR.

also handling focusing & metering at same time.....found myself being soooooo slow in taking a shot. makes me inclined towards the aperture priority option i.e. M7 or bessa A series. which tends to be my way of shooting even on digital

but m7 used quite a rarity n not cheap ebay prices

my heart says go with Neo - leica body + bessa lens
my head with starvingjack - bessa body + leica lens
my eyes - say stick with my nikons autofocus !

haha

will reserve my judgement until i see the film output. have been shooting side by side with a digital to compare.

This sound to me that you are still at the stage of asking yourself whether RF suit you.

RF is more work by photographer, if result is good the photographer get more technical credit. Auto focus, auto exposure, auto program SLR, camera take majority of the technical credit. Again once also argue that "So I can just concentrate on the subject matter, and don't bother with shutter speed and focusing".

The process of getting the end result is different, of course, I find photography more rewarding & enjoying when I use the RF. Whether you find this process enjoying is very individual?

Have fun exploring. Enjoy.

 

[third3rdwheel]

That is why I said buy USED and not brand new. In actual fact, recently someone in the CS just brought a M2 (repainted and CLA) sold, brought a MP and sold again before getting a used M8. He claimed that he did not loose any value, he got a free play.

Yes, and I noticed that gentleman is having a lot of fun....:cheers: