Leica M5 - the only flaws to the greatest film kamera ever..

[Huss]

Can you see the needle meter in the M5 VF when using the 1.4x? I never tried it but sold the M5 in 2009 when I bought the M7.

Not straight on. You have to move your eye around/down to see it. i.e you cannot focus and see the meter reading at the same time.

 

[Huss]

Small lenses on rangefinders for me. I just can never see the point in the blocking the vf at all no matter how nice the lens is.

I get that. But it's for those who are concerned more about the final image, than the haptics.
I'm still on the fence with the ZM 1.4 - the image quality is incredible. VF blockage not so much. I'm fortunate enough to have other small 35mms (Summicron Asph etc) to use the majority of the time.

I have a Nokton 35 1.4 v2 coming - as that is tiny and I'm curious as to its funky output - especially for night street scenes in B&W where all that matters is the story.
p.s all this stuff is bought used so the depreciation hit has already been taken buy the original buyer.

 

[Huss]

Modern Voigtlander lenses, like the Zeiss ZM are made in Japan by Cosina.

Correct. And they are superbly built. My CV 40mm 1.2 is built as well as anything I have from Leica apart from the Summicron 50 DR. That lens is just a mechanical masterpiece.
I have noticed that while Cosina makes both the Zeiss and CV lenses, the CV lenses seem to built to a higher standard than the Zeiss ones. Obviously the design brief is different.

 

[Craig75]

I get that. But it's for those who are concerned more about the final image, than the haptics.
I'm still on the fence with the ZM 1.4 - the image quality is incredible. VF blockage not so much. I'm fortunate enough to have other small 35mms (Summicron Asph etc) to use the majority of the time.

I have a Nokton 35 1.4 v2 coming - as that is tiny and I'm curious as to its funky output - especially for night street scenes in B&W where all that matters is the story.
p.s all this stuff is bought used so the depreciation hit has already been taken buy the original buyer.

yeah its very much a balancing act of ability to frame image easily vs final image quality with these big lenses on a rangefinder for me. i prefer to use bigger lenses on slr and smaller ones on rangefinder - always nice to see people bolt a range of wildly different things on to the rangefinder and share their experiences tho because im adamant im not going down that rabbithole again myself - 3 lenses is more than enough for me .

 

[NB23]

Careful with that soft release. They have been known to distort the shutter plunger, which is perhaps why your two M7s are defective.

My two M7 are not defective. I feel my cameras to a deep level and they just do not function the same in electronic shutter mode as in Mechanical shutter mode. There is that lag, and I am not the only one to feel it.
Maybe after 30 years of shooting, more than 2 million digital shutter actutions, and more than 10’ high of stacked film negative sleeves, you too will feel the clear difference.

I never use a shutter button except on the M5 on occation. The shaft will get bent only if the camera is dropped on that button, otherwise it’s fine.

 

[Huss]

My two M7 are not defective. I feel my cameras to a deep level and they just do not function the same in electronic shutter mode as in Mechanical shutter mode. There is that lag, and I am not the only one to feel it.
Maybe after 30 years of shooting, more than 2 million digital shutter actutions, and more than 10’ high of stacked film negative sleeves, you too will feel the clear difference.

I never use a shutter button except on the M5 on occation. The shaft will get bent only if the camera is dropped on that button, otherwise it’s fine.

Well I don't have any lag with my M7s - used in the manner you described. I even posted a video showing it. And another user here also tested his M7 extensively and had no lag. So you can claim that your cameras - which you state have lag - are fine. When they clearly are not. You can stack your millions of pic as high as you want, that doesn't make your cameras any less "defective".

Clicking on this image will take you to the video:
Untitled by desmolicious, on Flickr

 

[NB23]

As soon as I take mine out of their cave I will post. Will have to find batteries too... For now I’m too busy with my rolleiflexes.

 

[NB23]

You have a Leicavit?
The M7 in auto mode just cannot keep up! Try it and it will be case closed.

 

[Huss]

yeah its very much a balancing act of ability to frame image easily vs final image quality with these big lenses on a rangefinder for me. i prefer to use bigger lenses on slr and smaller ones on rangefinder - always nice to see people bolt a range of wildly different things on to the rangefinder and share their experiences tho because im adamant im not going down that rabbithole again myself - 3 lenses is more than enough for me .

Totally agree. Even a large camera like an M5 is so much more pleasant to use with small, compact lenses.

 

[Huss]

You have a Leicavit?
The M7 in auto mode just cannot keep up! Try it and it will be case closed.

I have the Leica Motor Winder M which is faster than a Leicavit, and there are no issues.

Go get your cameras fixed already.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Hopefully those of delicate disposition can rest easier now...

That is not a Leica case nor a Leica strap Huss. Shame on you! Lol.

 

[Huss]

That is not a Leica case nor a Leica strap Huss. Shame on you! Lol.

OG Leica M5 straps are really hard to find!

 

[removed account4]

I have the Leica Motor Winder M which is faster than a Leicavit, and there are no issues.

Go get your cameras fixed already.

I have one that is powered by Bavarian elves, super fast until about 1100 then they start guzzling beer and it gets slow

 

[Huss]

Frankly the Motor Winder M is about the worst designed winder I've ever used. I never use it because I hate the way it recoils through the shutter button, shaking the camera. Totally weird. A motor winder on a Pentax MX or Nikon FM is so much better. The one nice thing is once it is attached it looks like it is a seamless part of the camera, not some item you bolted on. But that's aesthetics, not functionality.

 

[NB23]

Frankly the Motor Winder M is about the worst designed winder I've ever used. I never use it because I hate the way it recoils through the shutter button, shaking the camera. Totally weird. A motor winder on a Pentax MX or Nikon FM is so much better. The one nice thing is once it is attached it looks like it is a seamless part of the camera, not some item you bolted on. But that's aesthetics, not functionality.

Actually, it’s the other way around. The way the winder works is the only possible way. There is no other way.

The winder is actually very well designed and its tension sensor mechanism is quite clever. Leica had a mind bender when they had to design a winder that would actually work with M cameras.

if you sit down and think hard about how to design a working winder/motor for M cameras, you will understand that there is no other option. The recoil is a totally necessary evil.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I'm with Huss. The kick on the Leica winders I have seen is just way too much.

 

[NB23]

There is simply no other way to design a Leica M motor/winder. The kick has to be there.

I'm with Huss. The kick on the Leica winders I have seen is just way too much.

 

[Huss]

There is simply no other way to design a Leica M motor/winder. The kick has to be there.

Of course there is, Leica could have made the winder grip bigger and put a shutter button on top. Like any decent winder from every other mfg. But they didn't, instead they made the garbage one that kicks back and shakes the camera.

Hey.. anyone want mine? Perfect condition - $265 shipped/pp.

 

[Huss]

Leica M5, CV 50 2.5 Color Skopar, Fuji C200

 

[test_realm]

The M5 is a great camera and if it wasn't for the increase in size I would use it over my M4.

 

[NB23]

Of course there is, Leica could have made the winder grip bigger and put a shutter button on top. Like any decent winder from every other mfg. But they didn't, instead they made the garbage one that kicks back and shakes the camera.

Hey.. anyone want mine? Perfect condition - $265 shipped/pp.

And how would the shutter button fire the camera, exactly?
For anything to change on the winder you have to modify the M camera. And this is the biggest no-no in the Leica world. You need at least an electrical contact for your idea to work.

You seem to lack a proper understanding of the major constraints of a M Leica and how the mechanism works. There is absolutely no communication between the body and the winder except the tensional forces.
For any better design of the winder, Leica will have to modify a M camera, thus adding electrics at least. Nobody wants to see a M camera go that route.

I like the winder because, in those situations where I need it it’s a marvelous tool. During blizzards, rainy days, fast paced shooting and so on. For any other time a Leicavit does the job.

 

[NB23]

Theoretically they could have designed a mechanical lever/contraption similar to most pistol /side grips for medium format cameras. Personally, I can't even comprehend the idea of using the auto-winder on a Leica. It's a sure way to de-leica a Leica by throwing compactness and quietness out the window. Every auto-winding camera I saw sounded like two pigs fucking. After each shot. Eww...

motorized sidegrip? I cannot imagine... how?
As for using a motor, you don’t have to but it’s there and quite effective if you need it.

There’s nothing more Leica than a Leicavit, so there is that, too.

 

[George Mann]

And how would the shutter button fire the camera, exactly?

A short remote shutter release could couple it to the shutter button.

 

[NB23]

A short remote shutter release could couple it to the shutter button.

Yes... which proves that any other design than the present one would be a step down is elegance.

 

[Huss]

Yes... which proves that any other design than the present one would be a step down is elegance.

A motor winder that kicks back through the shutter button shaking the camera is about as inelegant as you can get.