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

[Huss]

View attachment 287185

By contrast, here’s my M5 with the Zeiss 35 2.8 Biogon that more or less lives on the camera.

I’ve not felt the need for anything faster than 2.8; however I tend to use Fuji digitals for colour low light, rather than film.

Very nice! Nothing like using a lens that does not intrude at all into the VF! I like to use the 40mm Summicron a lot of the time for that.
It's also why I absolutely hate the Noctilux .95. I tried it once - 1/2 the vf is blocked. It goes completely against the rangefinder/small lens ethos.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I've always thought the M5 was made for the Noctilux. If I ever have the scratch for one of those, then the M5 is a natural choice.

 

[Huss]

I've always thought the M5 was made for the Noctilux. If I ever have the scratch for one of those, then the M5 is a natural choice.

Physically, yes. As it is a bigger body. But the VF blockage is miserable.

Here is the opposite - with my Light Lens Lab 8 Elements replica. You can see this 35mm f2 is even smaller than the ZM Biogon 35mm 2.8! :

 

[warden]

By contrast, here’s my M5 with the Zeiss 35 2.8 Biogon that more or less lives on the camera.

I’ve not felt the need for anything faster than 2.8; however I tend to use Fuji digitals for colour low light, rather than film.

My favorite of the ZM 35s. A great lens, and small too.

 

[George Mann]

Agree! (if we restrict ourselves to 35mm...) Although the F3 is not far behind.

My F2 will eat your F3 for breakfast!

 

[maddoc2021jp]

I've always thought the M5 was made for the Noctilux. If I ever have the scratch for one of those, then the M5 is a natural choice.

The M5 light meter didn't work well with my 50/1.0 in low light and the VF/RF of the M5 isn't really up for critical focussing. The M7, possibly with a 1.25x magnifier loupe, is a much better match, especially with an optional grip, like the Rapidgrip.

 

[Huss]

The M5 light meter didn't work well with my 50/1.0 in low light and the VF/RF of the M5 isn't really up for critical focussing. The M7, possibly with a 1.25x magnifier loupe, is a much better match, especially with an optional grip, like the Rapidgrip.

You can use the Leica magnifier with the M5 too. I keep the 1.4x one in the bag with it, but have found no issues nailing focus with my 50 1.4 and 1.1 lenses.
Perhaps your rf is slightly out of whack? (technical term).

 

[Huss]

p.s I can see how a spot meter may not work well with a lens that may have heavy vignetting wide open.

 

[Huss]

Don't want to turn this into a gear p@rny thread... but it works/handles really well with the Color Skopar 50 2.5. You can see in the pic that the OEM Leica LTM-M adapter I am using has the lens slightly off to the right.
But no effect on focusing or use.

 

[Dismayed]

Don't want to turn this into a gear p@rny thread...

It's a little late for that!

 

[Huss]

Just to show it can be used to take pics... from last weekend.
M5 + ZM 35 1.4 + Portra 400

 

[Huss]

Leica M5, ZM 35 1.4, Portra 400

 

[Huss]

The Agfa Optima Lux looks and works great with it - as long as you don't venture further than 3 meters..

 

[NB23]

El Mofo

 

[reddesert]

The Agfa Optima Lux looks and works great with it - as long as you don't venture further than 3 meters..

I would be shocked and horrified that you put something with the odious "computer" label on a holy Leica, but it's an M5 so I guess it's okay.

 

[Pieter12]

I would be shocked and horrified that you put something with the odious "computer" label on a holy Leica, but it's an M5 so I guess it's okay.

More shocking is the Voigtlander lens.

 

[NB23]

More shocking is the Voigtlander lens.

Indeed

 

[MattKing]

For the Leicaphiles, doesn't the flash and the lens require a NSFW label .?

 

[Pieter12]

Am I the only person in the world who thinks that modern Voigtlander lenses are better built? I have just 3 Leica lenses (35, 50 Luxes and one 50 Summarit) and all of them have somewhat loose aperture rings. My two Voigtlanders (35mm Nokton Classic II and 28mm Ultron II) are more "tight", come with better designed all-metal bayonet hoods, and they out-leica Leicas in how petite they are relative to their speed.

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

 

[dourbalistar]

For the Leicaphiles, doesn't the flash and the lens require a NSFW label .?

Not Safe For Wetzlar.

 

[maddoc2021jp]

You can use the Leica magnifier with the M5 too. I keep the 1.4x one in the bag with it, but have found no issues nailing focus with my 50 1.4 and 1.1 lenses.
Perhaps your rf is slightly out of whack? (technical term).

p.s I can see how a spot meter may not work well with a lens that may have heavy vignetting wide open.

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.

 

[Craig75]

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.

 

[Huss]

Leica M5, ZM 35 1.4, Fuji C200

 

[Huss]

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

 

[Huss]

El Mofo

View attachment 287465

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