I have been shooting 35mm SLR camera's for years; last year I bought a Contax G1 w/45mm lens and I also own a Konica Hexar, not the RF. Along with everything else I own two Canon G-III's and an old Yashica Electro GSN. Now, I'm interested in buying a Leica, but which one, I have no idea, nor do I have any idea of which lens to buy. Mainly what I want to shoot is people and scenery. Autofocus really isn't a big deal for me, but I'd like some guidelines on which Leica to buy. After doing all sorts of reading and research on the web I've come to the conclusion I need to ask questions to previous Leica owners. So, to put it bluntly, HELP!!!!!!! Any and all suggestions would be helpful.

-- karen (kareng@bwsys.net), June 29, 2001

Answers

So far you are all over the place in features, very confined in lenses. I would suggest before you spend money on a Leica, you make a list of exactly what it is you want from a camera system, then see if the Leica fits the bill. You're only short a couple more lenses (like a 28 and 90) for the G1 and you'd have a full system, if the G1's features appeal to you (AE, AF, motor wind/rewind, fast loading) more than the Leica's. Not trying to talk you out of a Leica, but it is an expensive proposition and you should know your needs and preferences going in. Then, I suggest you buy Brian Bower's "Leica M Book", especially since you mention shooting scenery. Very few Leica M books pay much attention to that subject but Bower treats it heavily.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), June 29, 2001.

If you don't need it, don't buy it.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), June 29, 2001.

Karen, how do you like using the Contax G-1? Most people either hate the viewfiender outright, or learn to live with it because they like the rest of the G-1's features. If you like the G-1, then get more lenses to round out the system, as a previous poster suggested. That's the least expensive way to go.

If you think you'd really rather have a Leica, go to a store where they are sold or find someone who owns one and will let you handle it. Put it up to your eye and look at the view. Try focusing on different things at various distances. Snap the shutter. Twist the aperture ring and shutter speed dial. Look at the frame lines for the different lenses and think about how you would like shooting with them. In larger cities, it may be possible to rent a Leica and a few lenses for a weekend to do some actual photography.

If you still feel you just gotta have a Leica, I would suggest you look for a clean M6 Classic with a 50mm Summicron. You already have the Hexar with its high-quality 35mm lens, so that base is covered for the time being. You can add other lenses to your Leica system as you feel the need (and as you save up your pennies, if you're like the rest of us).

The Leica isn't for everyone, but it may be just what you've been waiting for all your life. If you buy clean, used equipment and take care of it, you can resell it at little or no loss if you later decide Leica just isn't for you.

-- Dave Jenkins (djphoto@vol.com), June 29, 2001.

I concur w/Jay & Bill. You really need to know what lens/lenses you need or favor before deciding to buy a particular Leica body (or even if you want to buy Leica at all--it would probably be more cost-effective to expand your selection of Contax G lenses). However, from your stated preference for "people & scenery" photography, you will most likely be looking for wide to normal lenses, say 21mm to 50mm, which would then point you toward the M2, M4, M5 or lower magnification (0.72 & 0.58) M6 bodies (not that this list narrows things down much!).

-- Christopher Chen (furcafe@cris.com), June 29, 2001.

Like the others have said, I think you need to figure out why you want to start investing into Leica. It's a big outlay in money, and it's not always easy to find a place where you can get your hands on one, to see if you'll like it.

I decided to take the plunge b/c I knew I wanted something smaller, unobtrusive, good for travel, simpler, great optics- and I was very impressed with the Hexar Classic's images, the lens of which is a knock-off of a 35 Summicron. I also hope to get rid of my other stuff too- in keeping with the ideal that less is more (both in my bag and in my closet). And generally one is pretty maxed out on image quality with Leica- tho' the variety is much smaller.

But in your post it isn't clear why your present eqpt doesn't suit you anymore. Maybe if you figured that out, it'll be clearer as to truly whether you want to buy Leica. There aren't a whole lot of choices. Altho' the used market is big and active, most people will probably advise you to get the M6 in any of its incarnations (viewfinder mag, TTL flash or not); then you have a choice of primes. It's not like buying Nikon- who offer so many very viable models (F to F5/F100, etc.)

Probably not best to buy into it simply b/c you can.

My $0.02

-- Tse-Sung Wu (tsesung@yahoo.com), June 29, 2001.

Karen - tricky, isn't it? To me, it boils down to a simple choice. Mechanical or electronic? Of course, the M6 has electronics but only for the metering, otherwise it will have a very similar feel to all the earlier Ms. Either you like, or don't mind the whirring autofocus and autowind of the G1, or it doesn't bother you. You may love how easy it is to load, and appreciate all its electronic features. Some people are infuriated by the bottom-loading Leicas; I don't mind in the least. The G1 definitely has more features (top speed 1/2000 or 1/4000 for the G2 I think), but do you need them? To me, the Leica has a jewel-like mechanical quality which makes it a pleasure to use. Older 35 rangefinders had this too to a certain extent. As for lenses and results, both Leica or Contax will challenge the abilities of any photographer. I find the 50mm the most underrated lens in the world, but teles and ultrawides open up a whole lot of possibilites. Another possibility is the much vaunted Voigtlaender system. An important consideration is weight. Al rangefinders are more compact than an SLR, but they do vary. A word of warning on Leica: it's addictive! If you like it, you will want more!

-- David Killick (Dalex@inet.net.nz), June 29, 2001.

Buy an M6 and a 35 asph. Great combo for people and scenics. Sell everything else on eBay asap. You'll probably get more than enough $$$ to pay for the M6 and lens. Then, shoot, shoot, shoot with the M6. If you aren't satisfied after 25 rolls or so, sell the M6 outfit and go back to a PHD SLR.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 30, 2001.

I like Jack's idea! The M6 with 35 ASPH is an incredible combination and you may very well not want to use anything else after having this anyway. I've been selling off my MF SLR gear after using an M6 again and for my purposes it's a much better match. By the way, I've used both the Hexar and the G1 and I much prefer my M6. However, be prepared for taking the time (and practice) necessary to master the M6. Good luck!

-- KL Prager (www.pragerproperties@att.net), June 30, 2001.

Just a few more thoughts. Yes, the M6 and 35 ASPH has to be the most enticing, if most expensive choice. Not that price matters if it is really what you want - it will pay off in the long term. Not all Leicas are Ms though. The purists may scoff at the point-and-shoot miniluxes, but they are tiny and achieve good results. At the other end of the scale are the original screw or threadmount (LTM) Leicas. The choice is analagous to driving an MG TC classic sportscar, or an MGF new spostcar. More info, try www.cameraquest.com, www.photographyreview.com, or www.camerareview.com. Good luck.

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), June 30, 2001.

Karen:

I concur with Jack and the others. Get an M6 TTL and the 35mm Summicron ASPH lens. That is how I started after selling all my Nikon and Canon SLR gear. I was so impressed with the image quality of the Leica lenses that I have since then bought into the Leica SLR system too for the macro lenses. Although I love the light and compact M6 TTL, obviously you cannot use macro or telephoto lenses with it (unless you use the Visoflex system). I have bought most of my gear on EBAY for 1/3 to 1/2 of new equipment prices. But you have to be careful! Since you already have a bunch of rangefinder cameras, you will get used to the M6 quickly. So if you can afford it, go for it!...................

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), July 01, 2001.

I recomend a M6 classic, with a .72 finder, great for the 35mm lens, the asph is a top quality lens designed by a young woman, the 35/2 pre-asph is a good lens too, a little cheaper and a little smaller, the most important thing is to find out wich lens is best suited for your photography, if street photography is what you´re on, then the M leica is for sure your camera.Good luck, hope we can read about your experiences.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), July 03, 2001.

Like you, I enjoy photographing people and scenics. I have used 35mm (Olympus & Leica SLR's) and medium format (Hasselblad). The Leica M system is unique, and does what it does better than any other system. I like the M6 TTL .85 viewfinder camera because it gives a larger finder area for the longer lenses, which I use all the time. The 35mm frame line is not difficult to see, unless you are a glasses wearer. I would suggest that if Leica is what you want, consider the 35mm focal length first. You would certainly want this focal length lens for the subject matter that you are shooting. The current Asph Summicron lens is great, but a better deal may be had on the pre Asph lens, and it is only (slightly) surpassed by the Asph. The other focal lengths that I use the most are: 21mm, 50mm, and 90mm. Good luck and happy shooting!!

-- David Page (pagedt@attglobal.net), July 04, 2001.

You already have a great 35mm lens on the Hexar. Get an M6 classic and the 50mm f2 Summicron. I like using this particular combination because it lets me switch between normal and wide without changing lenses. Both the M6 and Hexar will fit into a tiny little camera bag together.

-- Joe Buechler (jbuechler@toad.net), July 09, 2001.