Thoughts on LEICA M ?

[sillbeers15]

Yeah the M9 dropped by hell a lot already now. See how in a few months time lah.

You got your M yet???

Used M9 should be in the $5k -$5.5k range while used M8 should be $2.5 -$3k range. It is worthwhile to invest in good Leica lenses (as they tend not to depreciate much over time) and one can have a good start with a used digital M body if there is budget constrain.

 

[NazgulKing]

Used M9 should be in the $5k -$5.5k range while used M8 should be $2.5 -$3k range. It is worthwhile to invest in good Leica lenses (as they tend not to depreciate much over time) and one can have a good start with a used digital M body if there is budget constrain.

Got mine at $5.6K and considering how expensive it was when it first arrived, I would say the price tag is a lot more palatable.

Of course investing in Leica lenses is a bigger problem. A 35mm Summicron ASPH goes for 3K used! I will stick with Zeiss ZM and Voigtlander for the most part. The only Leica lens I have is the 90mm/f2.8.

 

[genstars]

Got mine at $5.6K and considering how expensive it was when it first arrived, I would say the price tag is a lot more palatable.

Of course investing in Leica lenses is a bigger problem. A 35mm Summicron ASPH goes for 3K used! I will stick with Zeiss ZM and Voigtlander for the most part. The only Leica lens I have is the 90mm/f2.8.

M9-p price range ?

 

[clubgrit]

Got mine at $5.6K and considering how expensive it was when it first arrived, I would say the price tag is a lot more palatable.

Of course investing in Leica lenses is a bigger problem. A 35mm Summicron ASPH goes for 3K used! I will stick with Zeiss ZM and Voigtlander for the most part. The only Leica lens I have is the 90mm/f2.8.

If you like ASPH, then it is harder . But if you like the rendering of older lenses, it is easier ... Anyway, I love Zeiss, not so much on Voigtlander after trying several (but probably because I am spoiled by the Leitz lenses. Zeiss on the other hand stands on its own).

 

[NazgulKing]

M9-p price range ?

Probably about 1-2K more.

 

[NazgulKing]

If you like ASPH, then it is harder . But if you like the rendering of older lenses, it is easier ... Anyway, I love Zeiss, not so much on Voigtlander after trying several (but probably because I am spoiled by the Leitz lenses. Zeiss on the other hand stands on its own).

The older Leitz lenses aren't much better than the Zeiss lenses (in fact they are near identical in performance or superceded by their Zeiss equivalents), and their condition would vary. The newer Voigtlander lenses (the 35/1.2 version II and the 21/1.8) are quite impressive for what they are.

 

[clubgrit]

The older Leitz lenses aren't much better than the Zeiss lenses (in fact they are near identical in performance or superceded by their Zeiss equivalents), and their condition would vary. The newer Voigtlander lenses (the 35/1.2 version II and the 21/1.8) are quite impressive for what they are.

Oh, they render differently, that's why a Zeiss is a Zeiss ... I have Leitz lenses that easily flare, have glow sometimes, very low contrast .... definitely not a Zeiss, nor Voigtlander. But I love them -, exchanged my ASPHs for them. Anyway, it's just a personal thing, IMHO ... like some will rather have their Holga ...

 

[Thoth]

Yeah the M9 dropped by hell a lot already now. See how in a few months time lah.

You got your M yet???

Black not available. Anyway, SG overpriced leh. Probably getting in Munich.

 

[NazgulKing]

Oh, they render differently, that's why a Zeiss is a Zeiss ... I have Leitz lenses that easily flare, have glow sometimes, very low contrast .... definitely not a Zeiss, nor Voigtlander. But I love them -, exchanged my ASPHs for them. Anyway, it's just a personal thing, IMHO ... like some will rather have their Holga ...

For sure. I am just going for best bang for buck :bsmilie:

 

[Thoth]

Oh, they render differently, that's why a Zeiss is a Zeiss ... I have Leitz lenses that easily flare, have glow sometimes, very low contrast .... definitely not a Zeiss, nor Voigtlander. But I love them -, exchanged my ASPHs for them. Anyway, it's just a personal thing, IMHO ... like some will rather have their Holga ...

True, optically the older Leica lenses might not measure up to the newer ones in terms of sharpness and contrast, it does have a very classical, dreamy look which is its signature not to mention the controlled glow. I swapped my cron asph 35 for my existing lux pre asph 35 without hesitation. Just a personal preference.

 

[Thoth]

You said it ... I never bought any new Leica product here, except one on impulse, difference in price was too far from HK for example.

So true... I just saw a post in HKLFC forum. 95% condition Lux FLE 35 for only SGD 5.5k... Wow...

 

[tonyep]

Black not available. Anyway, SG overpriced leh. Probably getting in Munich.

Gotta pay to play.

 

[ziggy]

L1006140-1 by sillbeers15, on Flickr

Good shot and nice colours. The condo block pix at 1/12s too.

 

[sillbeers15]

Ziggy,
I posed these first test shots of my new M just a day after delivery to share with all the higher ISO dynamic range of the camera (I set it to ISO3200 max),...but got flamed for "bad pics". Anyway I disregarded the comment.

By doing a calculation, it would be 4sec shutter speed at an equivalent ISO200. So no way of handheld, got to use tripod.

 

[sillbeers15]

I'm waiting for my mail ordered 3rd party Contax/Yashica to Leica M mount to arrive. With it I plan to provide test shots with my faithfully kept 30 years old Carl Zeiss T* 18mm Distagon on my M240.

 

[NazgulKing]

I'm waiting for my mail ordered 3rd party Contax/Yashica to Leica M mount to arrive. With it I plan to provide test shots with my faithfully kept 30 years old Carl Zeiss T* 18mm Distagon on my M240.

Do be sure to provide 100% crops of the corners ;p I have been thinking that getting a retrofocus lens instead of an m mount ultra wide might be a better deal, especially when there's the CZ 15mm/2.8 lens out there.

 

[ziggy]

Ziggy,
I posed these first test shots of my new M just a day after delivery to share with all the higher ISO dynamic range of the camera (I set it to ISO3200 max),...but got flamed for "bad pics". Anyway I disregarded the comment.

By doing a calculation, it would be 4sec shutter speed at an equivalent ISO200. So no way of handheld, got to use tripod.

Different people have different expectations of test shots unfortunately.

Very clean colours at 3200. Looks like the M is a winner. My $$ are all in lenses so the M has got to wait.

 

[sillbeers15]

ziggy,
You have gotten your priorities right by investing in lenses ahead of camera.
I personally feel that it is 70:30 in contributing that unique leica quality shots from the performance of lens to camera.
Besides, lenses hold value better and last longer.

I see that as soon as a FF EVIL (electronic viewfinder interchangable lenses) from another maker evolves, it can give the Leica M a good run for $ (I see it happening anytime from 6 to 18 mths time). The 'Leica look' pics. can be fabricated through editing software as long as Leica lenses are applied.

 

[Jollin]

Ziggy,
I posed these first test shots of my new M just a day after delivery to share with all the higher ISO dynamic range of the camera (I set it to ISO3200 max),...but got flamed for "bad pics". Anyway I disregarded the comment.

can't wait to see your actual great shot with this M,awaiting for you to make justice to this new M,
instead of the test shot.

 

[ziggy]

ziggy,
You have gotten your priorities right by investing in lenses ahead of camera.
I personally feel that it is 70:30 in contributing that unique leica quality shots from the performance of lens to camera.
Besides, lenses hold value better and last longer.

I see that as soon as a FF EVIL (electronic viewfinder interchangable lenses) from another maker evolves, it can give the Leica M a good run for $ (I see it happening anytime from 6 to 18 mths time). The 'Leica look' pics. can be fabricated through editing software as long as Leica lenses are applied.

That's the idea. Camera bodies are not what they used to be. My hand-me-down M3 still works great and can still be serviced but not the digital bodies.

I'm waiting for a FF body I can afford in the next few months too. Now I'm using the Ricoh GXR most of the time. It seems to give best results compared to my m43 and Fuji XE1 bodies for Leica lenses. Unfortunately they may not do enough justice to the newer Leica lenses like the 35 FLE and the 50AA.

That's why this won't-go-away itch for the M. Your photos are not helping