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

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The best camera ever made is the camera that I have with me, or sometimes, the camera I didn't bring with me. M5 is a very underrated camera, the last Leica with true Leitz build quality. So it's a very fine picture taking machine. Right now my greatest camera ever made is a Contax T3. Title changes from day to day.
 
The Leica M5 is the last Wetzlar bench-built 35mm M camera.
I toured the Wetzlar factory and our guide mentioned this fact.
That encouraged me to buy two bodies, one each, silver and black.
The sensitivity and accuracy of the M5 light meter and shutter speed information in the viewfinder produce near-perfect exposures.
With a 50mm lens, the meter reads approximately 21°, which is ideal for my style of shooting, particularly when encountering back-lit subjects.
The M5 is often overlooked by the Leica community because it's not a "classic" M.
That fact keeps the used prices low.
Next year, 2021, will mark the 50 year anniversary of the M5's introduction and it may be a good time to try one.
If you've never before shot with an M5, I urge you to borrow or rent one.
You might be pleasantly surprised.
 
Disclaimer: I own and use a Leica M5. I do not own or use any other Leicas. My M5 is a wonderful camera, operates smoothly and is a joy to use. I does have the occasional corner light leak, I just need to part with it long enough to have it repaired. The downside is it is an orphan camera. There are not many technicians who work on it and parts can be hard to get.
 
Pieter12 said:
I does have the occasional corner light leak, I just need to part with it long enough to have it repaired. The downside is it is an orphan camera. There are not many technicians who work on it and parts can be hard to get.
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Mine does too. And it seems to be somewhat commonplace with the M5.
 
alter ego 6x9 said:
the red one I used to have was somewhat worse than Leica, but OTOH my red version was 1220 times cheaper than the blue one, so who knows...
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I want a red one. That is not beat up and actually works. And costs $100 or less. Been looking for a while now... (the Japanese offerings tend to be higher priced and very optimistic with their condition..)
 
Huss said:
I want a red one. That is not beat up and actually works. And costs $100 or less. Been looking for a while now... (the Japanese offerings tend to be higher priced and very optimistic with their condition..)
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Too bad I sold mine (for 5€) a few years ago - I can’t believe anyone is ready to pay 100$ for this type of camera.
 
Huss said:
You sold too soon! Don't feel bad, I sold my Contax T3 about 15 years ago for $200...
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I don’t worry about the money, but it was nice looking camera :smile: I’ve also sold red XA2 - now that I think back I could have started “red collection”...
 
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M5 are on the cheaper side of film M line.
After using film Ms a lot, I'm diggin Nikon EM with compact 24 2.8 by Tokina. Focus rotates to normal direction.
Very good metering, works better for street photography than M5/M6.
I could meter with it at any time. No status kit, but Flickr's inexplore picked it three times.

To me LTM Leicas are more on the best of all time. More robust than film M and size is awesome.
 
DAG is the guy for Leica M's with meters - if you want the meter checked out. Did great work on mine (now happily sold), but there's no fire drill there. Patience is a very difficult virtue. Enjoy the M5 Huss!
 
With used Leica cameras and accessories, because of the nuttiness of collectors, price Is mo benchmark for quality or usefulness. I have M3,4 and 5. I have used my M5 with absolutely no breakdown...except when I dropped my brand new M5, in soft case on marble floor of JFK airport 50 years ago. Camera and meter worked perfectly, except that counter was knocked askew. Quick fix by friend who worked at Leitz.
I have seen collectors pay big bucks for cutaway display models. Are these better cameras for taking pictures? And then there is fashion. We should be thankful for all the hippies who wore Nikons as a decorative accessory, otherwise, where would many of us find those like new Nikon F &F2 cameras today.
Speaking of price drop. Leicaflexes often go for less money than I paid for my CLA....except that I bought my cameras new and know they have not been abused. Aesthetically, they have the most beautiful design of any 35 mm slr ever made and fit in hands nicely. Never had one fail me yet, which is more than I can say for PhD cameras that I have used.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
M5 are on the cheaper side of film M line.
After using film Ms a lot, I'm diggin Nikon EM with compact 24 2.8 by Tokina. Focus rotates to normal direction.
Very good metering, works better for street photography than M5/M6.
I could meter with it at any time. No status kit, but Flickr's inexplore picked it three times.

To me LTM Leicas are more on the best of all time. More robust than film M and size is awesome.
Click to expand...

I've recently been using a Nikon N2000. Like new condition, $40. Works perfect, and takes all sorts of fantastic lenses.
Only bummer is the shutter speed readouts in the VF are a little hard to see in bright light. Has exposure lock which is super handy, and the built in motor winder takes AAA batteries.
It's weird, I like using this more than my F3P. I guess it's because the pics look exactly the same that come out of it! But it costs pennies in comparison.

Then... I picked up a Nikon FG in my local shop, just window shopping. The size of the EM but with more features. Only thing missing for me is the exposure lock function, but I would get around that by switching to manual.
Love the tiny size, love the weight, love the design - especially of the wind on lever!.
This is also why I really like my Pentax SuperA and ME series. Tiny but excellent. And cheap.
 
Huss said:
I've recently been using a Nikon N2000. Like new condition, $40. Works perfect, and takes all sorts of fantastic lenses.
Only bummer is the shutter speed readouts in the VF are a little hard to see in bright light. Has exposure lock which is super handy, and the built in motor winder takes AAA batteries.
It's weird, I like using this more than my F3P. I guess it's because the pics look exactly the same that come out of it! But it costs pennies in comparison.

Then... I picked up a Nikon FG in my local shop, just window shopping. The size of the EM but with more features. Only thing missing for me is the exposure lock function, but I would get around that by switching to manual.
Love the tiny size, love the weight, love the design - especially of the wind on lever!.
This is also why I really like my Pentax SuperA and ME series. Tiny but excellent. And cheap.
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I had mint, all working FG-20. I think the real and only reason why I sold it, it was't black :smile:.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
Except, it's archaic flash connectivity and richies price if black Leica matters.
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Archaic flash connectivity ?
Are hot shoe and PC socket archaic?

or does the M4 have that goofy socket like the M3 that came before the PC standard socket ?
 
Haha. I think it's big and ugly.

Huss said:
The viewfinder port is slightly too far to the right compared to other Leica Ms.
The meter stays on when the shutter is cocked.

That is all. (Happy that I got it back from DAG!)
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H
 
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