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User comments btil June 2003

> Tony, I am in the Bostob area if you want to get together, I have a Leica M4-P , Hexar Rf, and full compliment of lenses. Gerry
 
Tony,
What Derek just posted is exactly what I would have said. If you are sure about the Leica and money is a big factor I would suggest maybe getting an M6 (I saved about $1000.00 on a mint body as opposed to an M7) and a 35mm. One thing that is nice about the 35 is the frameline in the viewfinder for 35 allows you to see ehat is going on outside of the frame, a great advantage of a rangefinder. If you like shooting a little wider you could go with a 28mm and a body with a .58 viewfinder. Let your experience tell you which way to go. My very first lenses a loooooong time ago were a 35 F2 and a 105 on a meterless Nikon F2. If it's any consolation, I can afford the Leica stuff now and it still scared me taking the plunge, but I haven't regretted it.
 
Tony;

All the above comments are excellent & is great advice. Starting with a 50mm or 35mm is a good way to get into the M system.

Another thing to consider is which viewfinder magnification to choose, which Mark touched on his latest post. If you wear glasses, you may want to consider a slightly wider mag for whatever lens you choose as you're main focal length. For ex&le, if you decide on the 50mm & wear glasses, consider the 0.72x instead of the 0.85x. If the 35mm, consider the 0.58x instead of the 0.72x.

I go back & forth between glasses & contact lenses & I use a 50mm on an M3. While I love the near life size mag (0.90 or 0.91x) when using contacts, when wearing glasses, I can't see the entire 50mm frameline. I had the same experience with the 0.85x M6 TTL.

If you can keep an SLR for your telephoto (& of course for macro), I would do so. Telephoto lenses are really best served by the SLR.

Regards,
Marco
 
Thank you all for your comments. I think I am going to go for the M7 with the 0.72 viewfinder and the Summilux 50mm lens.

Regards

Tony
 
Hi Gerry,

I live about 40 miles West of Boston. Are there any Leica user groups or similar in the Greater Boston area?

Tony
 
>Hi Tony,

I don't know of any, had asked on the photo.net board dead silence, we could start our own one! Have you picked out a camera yet? Where abouts do you live? I'm up here in Andover, work in Billerica, and you?

Gerry
 
It's been quite dead here lately, spring break? Anyway, I have a question for anyone out there. I'm looking to get a 35 lens and am torn between the f1.4 and f2 {both the new lenses). I would use it mostly for my own shooting, street shooting mostly and some indoor. I do like shooting wide open often to soften the background. Is there really much difference in how soft the background goes from the 'lux or the 'cron? I do like the smaller size of the f2 lens but am afraid I'll kick myself at some point when I need the 1.4 aperture. I can afford either lens, but on the practical side I'm not sure I want to spend the extra $500 if it's really not necessary. Tnanks.

Mark
 
Dear Mark,

With modern films f/1,4 is hardly ever needed in my experience. I have had various Summicrons over the years and the old Summilux. The latter is a small lens and I have recently resurrected it for emergencies when the Tri-Elmar is definitely too slow. Having said that I am using mostly for available light the Minilux/Summarit with 400ISO film with great results.

If I were in your situation I would buy a mint second hand Summicron and if you then find it not fast enough, you should be able to get your money back. The Summilux is also a bigger and heavier lens.

Have fun.

Justin
 
Hi Justin - your advice is what I also needed as I was comtemplating on the Summilux also. By the way I did contact Chris Rymen and we are now exchanging information. Thanks for the introduction. Best regards Joseph Low
 
Hello Joseph,

Pleased you have made contact with Chris. He is very enthusiastic, uses his cameras and can speak from experience.

The current Summicron-M will I imagine be the state of the art for some years now that Lothar Kölsch has left Leica. It would be very nice to have the full range of lenses but in reality they can't all be in the camera bag all the time. Over many years I have tried most of the lenses and pretty well settled on what I need for the type of photography I do. There is undoubtedly a use for very fast lenses, however not as acute as twenty years ago when 160 ASA was considered fast and its quality not really acceptable.

When considering the need for fast lenses, reflect on the genius of the early Leica photographers taking shots we would be proud of today but with 12 ASA film.

Best wishes.

Justin
 
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