Although the first Standard version doesn't have TTL metering, this is the one I would pick. Mine made spot on exposures even w/o that, but the main selling point is the fit and finish. Superbly built camera, even better than the later versions. The Standards are sorta rare, can be pricey, and tend to still be in good shape. Viewfinders on all of them are like a big picture window and don't play well w/ glasses due to their high magnification.
But all of these are old and suffer from possible (probable) prism degradation. I talked to Shirley Krauter a couple of years ago on the phone because she had the Leicaflex model that was introduced right after the Standard, and it was nicely priced at $400.
When I asked if her guarantee covered the prism she said no, she had no cameras to get a replacement prism from, so I would be on my own for that. She would guarantee that the prism in hers was clear, but stressed that degradation could occur at any time. You have to research lens compatibility on any camera you buy too, as not all the Leicaflex models will meter w/ the different 2 cam, 3 cam and 3rd cam R lenses.
The lenses are as good as it gets in 35mm photography, even today. Amazing build quality, 3-D imaging and very smooth bokeh. The first version 90 2.8 Elmarit on my Standard was said to be different than the later Elmarits, and certainly different than the last 2 and 3 cam R lenses, which are too contrasty for my tastes. Mine close focused almost like a macro, and rumor was it had intentionally been designed to be a little soft wide open for portraits. It sure did a beautiful job w/ those.
That Elmarit was the best lens I ever owned other than the 90 2.0 Summicron. I put an adapter on it and shot it on a Nikon n8008s, worked great. Had to cut off the single cam to get the adapter to fit, as it was actually part of the lens barrel! The later R lenses have cams you can remove by unscrewing the two little bitty retainer screws on each one.
