• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Want to Buy WTB: Leica M4 - Clean

Trader history for NortheastPhotographic (1)

NortheastPhotographic said:
Many other users have come out of the woodwork with other similar stories since I had my issue. Some people get lucky but it's a big gamble with them.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I've bought two new large format cameras over time, a Wehman 10x8 and a Walker Titan SF 5x4. fortunately without issue, and both take completely standard Fidelity or Toyo etc. film holders.
 
Tom Kershaw said:
Thanks. I've bought two new large format cameras over time, a Wehman 10x8 and a Walker Titan SF 5x4. fortunately without issue, and both take completely standard Fidelity or Toyo etc. film holders.
Click to expand...

I have a Chamonix 57N and 810V. Toyo, Fidelity, and Chamonix holders are all working great.
 
Tom Kershaw said:
Chamonix cameras do seem to get reviewed positively by owners. I'm not sure if there are any current large format camera makers in the USA apart from Richard Ritter?
Click to expand...

My experience with the Chamonix cameras has been only excellence. Well made, well thought out, beautiful. Keith Canham is also still making cameras in the USA.
 
NortheastPhotographic said:
The M4-2 is tempting but it's frustrating that they were fairly recently considered $600-1000 cameras.
Click to expand...

Yup, 5 years ago. And at that time you could get an M6 for $1K. And a new in box Zeiss Ikon ZM for $750..

As for your L35AF surviving that drop... dood you got seriously lucky. I know a shop that has a tonne of broken ones that they scavenge for parts cuz they just break w age. I recently had an absolutely looks like new LW35AF (the water resistant version of yours) just die in my hands. All I did was try to use it.

I have the M4-2, as well as other Ms. And they all are super nice to use. Just that some are just a little bit super nicer than the others. But if you handled just one you'd never know!
 
FYI that 'all new affordable film M' is just some click bait story.

Leica sells all the film Ms they currently make. Most shops are back ordered. I actually can't find one that has a new one in stock. With that demand, why would anyone think they would release a cheaper version?
 
 
Somehow this thread went off track. The OP was interested in M4 and similar Leicas that used external metering and used computer in his head.
M4 is convenient with 35-135 frame lines. Have used my two M4 since shortly after camera introduced for sale without a problem, and still dependable. Of course, condition of used camera depends upon history of camera, so best to buy from a dependable dealer. As for new is better, my 1983 M-B 300D is still going strong, while I doubt if plastic, overly electronic cars can expect a long life. In the long run, the cheapest car I have ever owned. The same can be said about my M4s, 50+ years and still perfect. There was a time not long ago when few M4 cameras were on the used market compared to other models, mainlyp because owners held on to them. Probably the bigger number offered on used market today reflects demise of former owners.
While build quality does not equal the competitors of Zeiss Contax, Nikon S2/SB, or Canon, its design and ease of handling drove out the competition. The M mount is far superior to the Contax/Nikon mount. While I often enjoy using these cameras, I still fumble when changing lenses, whereas lenses can be changed n M cameras when blindfolded.
 

They sell all the expensive cameras they can make because they don't make a lot of them. If they can secure a way to make a lot of $3500 bodies they'll sell every one of those, and every MA and MP they make too, plus more lenses. More is more. Apple sells every iPhone 13 Pro they make, and they still make the XR.
 
The Leica MA is Leica's concept of a less expensive M film camera - delete the built-in light meter and sell it for $100 less than the Leica MP. Maybe, they'll start assembling MA and MP in Portugal and sell those for $200 less than those made in Germany. That's probably as close as they'll get to "less expensive".
 
Last edited:
Huss said:
Lol. Leica USA, has one silver M-A in stock. Black M-A sold out. Silver MP sold out. Black MP, sold out.

Ok, so the HQ has one.
Click to expand...
They may have more than one silver M-A in stock but yeah, only one model.
 

They've obviously studied their business model and determined this is the best way for them. And I think learned from their Leica CL lesson.
 
Huss said:
They've obviously studied their business model and determined this is the best way for them. And I think learned from their Leica CL lesson.
Click to expand...

All there is to learn from the CL from 1974 is that they should make a cheaper M in 2021.
1974 is not 2021. Besides, the CL was garbage.
We are deep into the consumer society, owning 10 Leicas is not unrare, as opposed to 1974 where owning more than two cameras was a crazy idea.

Make the new cheap Leica cheap enough so that it doesn’t rival a M and yet every Leica nut would need to own one because of brand validation.

Make it like a Bessa/Zeiss, with a regular hinged door like on all the regular cameras, make it from magnesium alloy (not brass), keep the original high quality Leica RF mechanism (not a japnese/bessa/korean knockoff).

1500$

I’d buy one. We’d all buy one on top of our True M cameras. I need one true original but cheap Leica for when I’m shooting in dangerous places. Remote places. In -20c degrees temperatures. When skiing. When getting drunk. When in Rome. When in Barbès-Paris. When in Harlem. When in a dirty Mahala.
For all those times that I actually have a M with me but am using the damned Nikon FM2n/F3/Minolta around my neck.

Because gone are the days where you could treat a 1500$ M4-2 as a disposable garbagey second camera and yet, 1500$ is still good money for any company.

Think R4 body with a RF. Cheap so you don’t wanna touch it, yet a native Leica that accepts your M lenses so it always beats your Nikon that’s waiting to be used.

Hey, I’m maybe totally out of whack. Who knows
 
Last edited:
Tom Kershaw said:
Chamonix cameras do seem to get reviewed positively by owners. I'm not sure if there are any current large format camera makers in the USA apart from Richard Ritter?
Click to expand...

Chamonix cameras get positive reviews from their owners because they don’t know anything different. I believe Chamonix is made in China. Doesn’t Keith Canham still make cameras in the US?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register