Very interesting Leica package on eBay

Brian Moore said:
That's a lot of moola for a camera.
Click to expand...

Its about 4 times cheaper than a modern Leica, has a better resolution sensor and more lenses and accessories as well as the fact that its only ever going to go up in value, seems like a pretty good deal to me :)
 
*has 2 Zorki 4Ks on the shelf*.....close enough :D
 
I have to say and i'm prepared to be shot down... it's a pretty ornament to me
 
I suspect Davie's comment is probably relevant. However, this would be perfectly useable but I think, if you want a film Leica then an M6 would probably be a better / more sensible buy. The 35mm lens is the more useable of the optics with this. The 90mm is OK but 135mm is getting a bit long for rangefinders (they do work but this is the maximum focal length). I shoot mostly between 18 - 50mm even though I have others. As an investment / ornament that you can use if you wish then this would be a reasonable buy I think.

Is a film RF something you might be interested in? If you want to try one, I have a Voightänder Bessa you can borrow to see if you get on with one if you like. It even has a meter built in!
 
IIIc & lense looks in excellent condition. I really like there's no logo on the front.


Lense included :

Summaron 3,5/53. Nº 889638 : there is a Russian Industar 3.5/50 collapsable equivalent.
Elmar 4/90. Nº 412285 : had it was ok, i exchanged it for the similarly priced Russian Jupiter 85/2 which some say is as the old Lietz Summicron 90/2.
Elmar 4,5/135 : after reading forumees views i went for Russian Jupiter 135/f4.


Red dot cameras have the IIIC & Leitz lenses in total quite a few £££ less.

I was in Red dot cameras couple months ago and i still preferred my Zorki4 to Leica II, III.
If there was a film Leica i would buy it would be the M3 double stroke.
M3 viewfinder magnification x.92 (highest of any Leica M) really helps with longer lenses.
I tested M3 in Red Dot alongside M9 which has max x.68 and for me the difference is quite noticeable in lense 90mm & 135mm.
 
I have to admit that I used to find it strange that people collect functional devices like cameras and companies like Leica make special collector's editions just for them. And then I went and invested in the Nikon F Apollo and two Nikon rangefinders (special editions by the way!) - OK hypocritical I know, but I like photography and, like most photographers, I also like cameras. At least this way I have an investment that is nice to look at! OK, I'm not in the same league as some collectors but I can understand their motivation - whether purely financial or maybe influenced by their fascination i cameras and photographic history.

Leica invokes such amazing responses from people. The most criticism comes from those who have never owned / used one! I bought my first one after having a cheaper RF let me down a couple of times and was tempted / intrigued when the MP came out. It wasn't cheap! But when it arrived and I started to hold and use it, the question was, "how does something this well made cost so little!" Probably not quite true but as an engineer I think you would really appreciate the quality of the device and also understand that these are low volume, hand-made cameras assembled by experienced engineers. They have been developed over a large number of years and Leica still commits significant efforts in R&D - disproportionately so given the size of the company. And, if producing and selling collectable versions of their cameras (which sell out pretty much as soon as they are announced) helps fund this then I reckon it is a smart move.

Leica optics are truly superb and do render very fine images - again, they are not cheap but they are low volume, hand assembled, highly precise and are the result of a lot of R&D. They are also not compromised by the demands of volume production or competing by price. The cameras are quirky in some ways, but work beautifully. The M9 (and the newer versions) and M Monochrom are often criticised (again from mostly by people who don't use them) as being out of date and over-priced. It is true, they have very basic functions (but more than enough to be used to take a photograph) and the LCD is fairly low resolution (quite sufficient though and I don't use pre-view much in the same way as I don't with a film camera!). But they produce very fine images. And that is the important point. Are they better than those that other cameras produce? Maybe, maybe not but there are times when they have a definite looks to them. As you all know, I own many cameras (too many I suspect) and of many different sorts. Which do I take the most pictures with? The M9! Am I a fanatical Leica elitist? Hardly. But I can afford to buy them and I derive great pleasure from using them, but that is because of the images I get from them and not just because it's a Leica (although their tactile qualities are quite alluring). That's not to say that I'm not tempted by a XPro-1 though! :)
 
Seems sensible to me. I my own world of guitar playing, there are faster, slicker guitars out today, with amazing electronics, etc, etc. But give me a 1959 Gibson ES175 any day! Class.
 
Great looking kit Rob - I dream of finding a Leica in a garage sale someday, and scooping a bargain :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Stephane Tougard
[Review] Leica M9
Replies
0
Views
153
Stephane Tougard
Stephane Tougard
Julian Tanase
A hike with Leica IIIC and Fomapan 400 Action
Replies
14
Views
552
Gary R. Smith
Gary R. Smith
Gary R. Smith
Light meter app
Replies
14
Views
349
Pete Askew
Pete Askew
Art Meripol
Critique Welcomed Leica still life.
Replies
7
Views
375
Dave Farnes
Dave Farnes
Art Meripol
Finally fired up that old Leica
Replies
11
Views
421
Art Meripol
Art Meripol
Back
Top