The more you shoot the M5 the more you love it . This is the most practical Leica M because its has the best TTL light meter ( spot light meter ) which very accurate compare to others M . The speed dials stick out when you look through the viewfinder metering made it so easy to dial without moving your eye off the view finder to adjust the speed , the viewfinder better too , bigger and clearer made it better to focus , Very smart and thoughtful design . I sold all my M film cameras but keep the M5 . Never regretted , this is not ugly Leica just different and better built than most of them .
I have one and love it. Don’t really understand why people don’t like it. I would recommend it to everyone who wants an M and not ready to spend too much for an M6. Love how the shutter speed dial is placed. Really easy to turn it while looking through the viewfinder.
Sometimes I forget that you only have 36k subscribers. I am always surprised when I realize that, too. You seem to know everyone in the photography world, the RUclips world, you travel all over, you review and use both film and digital, as well as both old and new stuff. You have done everything from how-to's to interviews, from vlogs to gear reviews. You are also pretty good about interacting with your audience and you regular get involved in the comments. It's actually pretty shocking that there isn't an extra "0" added to your subscriber count.
Ha ha, thanks man, I appreciate it. I guess my problem is I should stick to one thing and focus on just that. Because I love mobile photography, digital and film, also I love travelling, featuring other brands and photographers, reviewing, etc. I'm spread out pretty thin. But you know I'm happy with what I've been able to build with all of your support. I don't get many gear trolls. I've helped many get into film photography and introduced them to brands they've never heard of, and that makes me happy. If an extra zero on my subscriber count helps to grow this community, that's great. But if not, it's just a number. I get to meet so many cool people, review tons of great cameras, work with great people and brands, travel, all with 36K followers. I leverage my social currency to get more value out of what I have, versus focusing just on pure numbers. Sometimes the numbers don't reflect the depth of a brand and the relationships that can be built on mutual interest, trust and friendship. Thanks for your comment and happy shooting!!
@@aaronoverstreet1436 thanks :-) First and foremost I am a photographer, then a writer, then educator/reviewer, and finally a RUclipsr. However, I don't really use RUclips as my primary platform to showcase my photography. It's more about building a community here. Thanks for your support!
Haha, really love this video! Especially the moment the two different plastics were compared...that was the highlight of the video! Keep up the good work!
the leica m5 is still one of my favourite leicas. it is hated by so many but it is so convenient to shoot and actually super comfortable! really enjoyed this, hope to see more and thanks for sharing all this super dope content with us
I like it because it's so quirky. The more people hate it, the more I love it. But the M5 is actually a great M body to shoot with. The only issue is that it's slightly bigger, heavier and uglier. If you don't care about those 3 things, then the M5 is the way to go.... the uglier part is of course subjective.
Peace! This is the filmmaker/photographer Khalik Allah and I always watch your videos. Very helpful, useful, information. What I appreciate is your knowledge and respect; especially of Mr Chan.
There is no battery in the M4-P, and most M4-Ps are brass top and bottom. Only at the end of the run, as Leica was ramping up for the M6, did a small number switch to zinc tops. You can tell which are brass and which are zinc by looking at the viewfinder and frame line illumination windows. If they're flush, the top is zinc. If they're slightly sunken (and most are), the top is brass.
I think M5 is the best Leica M system camera ever. It has spot meter and all - no other Leica M has spot meter. The M5 was the last hand assembled Leica, made the "old fashioned" way. The prices will go up.
I prefer and own the silver M5. It is an awesome camera to shoot with and I am pretty sure it was not the camera itself that got Leitz into trouble but more the changes in the camera market.
I highly suggest you use the straps at the left side of the camera. It’s much more comfortable to have them on the side. The vertical lugs are much much better ergonomics wise. Your steps never get in the way of your film advance lever.
I prefer the chrome one. Used to love black cameras but now days the chrome just has a more classic look to me. Have an M3, M4 and MDa but have always wanted an M5
Ya it was a technological success, but not a sales success. They didn't realize the power of the original M3 and how loyal people would be to it's basic design. The success of the M4-P and M6 show that people liked all the advanced features on the M5 but wanted the same basic shape of the original M3. I get it, but definitely an ignored M by many collectors.
thanks for showing this... I got a Visoflex III lately btw. so now you know at least one guy using it ;) it's actually great for focal lengths 90mm and up
The M5 was my second Leica (my first was a 'CL' so the M5 was REALLY my FIRST real Leica!) :) I liked it for the metering and the oh so easy shutter speed dial that could be used without taking the eye away from the VF, but I did end up with an M-4P instead for the same reason that I prefer the Fuji X-E bodies to the Fuji X-Pro bodies: I found it too chunky...aesthetically with the tiny LTM and M lenses, but also in my hand, ergonomically. (Remember I went to the M5 from the super tiny CL.)
Yes that's the only 'real' objective negative about the M5, is that it's large for an M body. The fact it's ugly is subjective and not relevant if it can take fantastic photos or not.
Some by screw on magnifiers, as well as screw on diopters to make it easier to focus for those who wear glasses. I wear glasses and contacts, and sometimes focus with sunglasses, and I'm fine. the M3 is the easiest to focus since it has a 0.91x magnification, at the cost of 50mm being the widest lens mountable. There is a 0.85x available for the current M-A and MP and on some older M6 models which is the next highest magnification Leica M body.
I was gonna get an M5 but I found a good deal on a Minolta CLE + 40MM Rokkor. This video brought back my lust for the M5 :(. Although I adore my CLE haha
I think the M5 and CL/CLE are a great combo. I too enjoy my CLE and 40mm M-Rokkor. I'll borrow the black M5 for a few months and report back my thoughts.
Had to chuckle about Zinc Air not being the same as mercury - the name kind of suggests it. :) They are the most used replacement batteries for mercury today, unfortunately both expensive and not long lasting. The name is literal, they work with zinc and air, so immediately before use you remove a small sticker to expose a little hole in the case. Since small versions are widely used in hearing aids you can sometimes adopt these with rubber rings or adapter cases as a cheaper alternative to pricey "Wine Cell" or the like that were made for cameras, I use them in an old Fujica.
Both great, although my preference is still for the M-A versus the MP because it's closer in concept to the M3. I'd a a la carte the M-A and add 0.85x viewfinder though.
A generally good presentation of the M5. However, the rear scale is to assist you with EVs--Exposure Values. Once you go to B and below (one second and longer) you have that scale as a guide to help you to figure out how many seconds you need to shoot when you begin to close your aperture--always maintaining the same exposure value. When comparing the M3 and M7 shutter noise to the M5, it would be better to use the same shutter speed across all three cameras.
If I remember my experimental measurements I think the X-Es had visoflex clearance. Getting it with an MD anything is a nice cheap workers pairing as you can shoot the neat teles without having to guess framing clutter.
If you order an M-A a la carte and add the 0.85x viewfinder, it's as close as you're going to get to the original M3. No batteries, no meter, just pure mechanical photography. As for digital, the M10 is getting close, but they need an actual mechanical shutter with a shutter lever to cock the shutter.
If you run the camera with today's PX 625A Alkaline battery (non mercury) you get 1.5V and not 1.35V as from old PX625 mercury. Old CdS sensor meters needed a constant battery voltage as a reference point for the measurement accuracy. PX625 mercury batteries had an absolutely constant 1.35V voltage over their entire long life. Modern alkaline 625A batteries don't have a constant voltage, they give a false light value with a changing error during battery life time. (But modern cameras regulate internally the voltage. Solutions are: - purchasing illegaly Russian PX625 mercury batteries 😞 - Using a Wein Zinc/Air 1.35V battery. they last only some weeks and are expensive - Using a Criscam MR-9 adapter that regulates down a tiny 386 silver oxide batteriy from 1.5V to 1.35V (be carefull, some chinese adapters don't regulate down the alkaline battery voltage) - Modifying the camera by incorporating an electronic component that regulates internaly the voltage of a 625A 1.5V alkaline battery to 1.35V I have 2 Criscam MR-9 adaptors I put in my vintage cameras that worked with PX625
The best M ever made is without question is the M3. That's why they sold over 200,000 copies. No other M has come close to that number, including the digital M's. As for SLR, that's a very contentious subject because many Leica fans never liked the SLRs. I liked the Minolta collaboration era because it allowed for Germans and Japanese to work together to create the perfect system. I think the Leica R6.2 is the best Leica SLR, while others think it's the all Leica R8. I find the R8 too big, although very beautiful and innovative design.
@@bigheadtaco I agree with u from a practical point of view. my point of view is, as a pure German mechanical solid design the SLs nicknamed "Panzer" tanks for a reason. I own both systems. I find Leica R lenses more solidly built than the Ms, and render little better. Keep up the good work.
The M5 is the last Leica built to old school standards. It was a very expensive camera new and almost broke the company. The size put off many Leica fans, and it's undoubtedly a large rangefinder camera but remember the competition was SLRs like the metered Nikon F2.
The more you shoot the M5 the more you love it . This is the most practical Leica M because its has the best TTL light meter ( spot light meter ) which very accurate compare to others M . The speed dials stick out when you look through the viewfinder metering made it so easy to dial without moving your eye off the view finder to adjust the speed , the viewfinder better too , bigger and clearer made it better to focus , Very smart and thoughtful design . I sold all my M film cameras but keep the M5 . Never regretted , this is not ugly Leica just different and better built than most of them .
I have one and love it. Don’t really understand why people don’t like it. I would recommend it to everyone who wants an M and not ready to spend too much for an M6. Love how the shutter speed dial is placed. Really easy to turn it while looking through the viewfinder.
Wow, this is a very clear walkthrough of Leica M5. Thanks for the video, I really came from knowing nothing about it.
Sometimes I forget that you only have 36k subscribers. I am always surprised when I realize that, too. You seem to know everyone in the photography world, the RUclips world, you travel all over, you review and use both film and digital, as well as both old and new stuff. You have done everything from how-to's to interviews, from vlogs to gear reviews. You are also pretty good about interacting with your audience and you regular get involved in the comments.
It's actually pretty shocking that there isn't an extra "0" added to your subscriber count.
Ha ha, thanks man, I appreciate it. I guess my problem is I should stick to one thing and focus on just that. Because I love mobile photography, digital and film, also I love travelling, featuring other brands and photographers, reviewing, etc. I'm spread out pretty thin. But you know I'm happy with what I've been able to build with all of your support. I don't get many gear trolls. I've helped many get into film photography and introduced them to brands they've never heard of, and that makes me happy. If an extra zero on my subscriber count helps to grow this community, that's great. But if not, it's just a number. I get to meet so many cool people, review tons of great cameras, work with great people and brands, travel, all with 36K followers. I leverage my social currency to get more value out of what I have, versus focusing just on pure numbers. Sometimes the numbers don't reflect the depth of a brand and the relationships that can be built on mutual interest, trust and friendship. Thanks for your comment and happy shooting!!
And may I add, some mighty fine street photography work too!
@@aaronoverstreet1436 thanks :-) First and foremost I am a photographer, then a writer, then educator/reviewer, and finally a RUclipsr. However, I don't really use RUclips as my primary platform to showcase my photography. It's more about building a community here. Thanks for your support!
@@bigheadtaco
Hi! If you add some more (cheap) vintage lens reviews/buying tips your Subs will skyrocket!
@@bigheadtaco do you know what? I would love so much to see online workshops done by you in collaboration with John Lehmann, it would be awesome!
Haha, really love this video! Especially the moment the two different plastics were compared...that was the highlight of the video!
Keep up the good work!
the leica m5 is still one of my favourite leicas. it is hated by so many but it is so convenient to shoot and actually super comfortable!
really enjoyed this, hope to see more and thanks for sharing all this super dope content with us
I like it because it's so quirky. The more people hate it, the more I love it. But the M5 is actually a great M body to shoot with. The only issue is that it's slightly bigger, heavier and uglier. If you don't care about those 3 things, then the M5 is the way to go.... the uglier part is of course subjective.
Peace! This is the filmmaker/photographer Khalik Allah and I always watch your videos. Very helpful, useful, information. What I appreciate is your knowledge and respect; especially of Mr Chan.
So very well done - Sehr gut - And no background music - Fantastisch!
thanks 🙏🏼
There is no battery in the M4-P, and most M4-Ps are brass top and bottom. Only at the end of the run, as Leica was ramping up for the M6, did a small number switch to zinc tops. You can tell which are brass and which are zinc by looking at the viewfinder and frame line illumination windows. If they're flush, the top is zinc. If they're slightly sunken (and most are), the top is brass.
I think M5 is the best Leica M system camera ever. It has spot meter and all - no other Leica M has spot meter. The M5 was the last hand assembled Leica, made the "old fashioned" way. The prices will go up.
I prefer and own the silver M5. It is an awesome camera to shoot with and I am pretty sure it was not the camera itself that got Leitz into trouble but more the changes in the camera market.
50 Jahre means 50 years.
Thanks for sharing .
I highly suggest you use the straps at the left side of the camera. It’s much more comfortable to have them on the side. The vertical lugs are much much better ergonomics wise. Your steps never get in the way of your film advance lever.
I prefer the chrome one. Used to love black cameras but now days the chrome just has a more classic look to me. Have an M3, M4 and MDa but have always wanted an M5
The m5 is so underrated
Ya it was a technological success, but not a sales success. They didn't realize the power of the original M3 and how loyal people would be to it's basic design. The success of the M4-P and M6 show that people liked all the advanced features on the M5 but wanted the same basic shape of the original M3. I get it, but definitely an ignored M by many collectors.
bigheadtaco have you shot it yet? And if so did you use the straps on the side?
"50 Jahre" means 50 years taco. Greetings from berlin germany :)
thanks for showing this... I got a Visoflex III lately btw. so now you know at least one guy using it ;) it's actually great for focal lengths 90mm and up
Cool. I wish I could see one out in the wild!!
Hey Take, I know this is a video about the M5 but I’m curious what lens is on that M3 it looks so compact 50mm?
It’s a 50 mm Elmar collapsible.
The M5 was my second Leica (my first was a 'CL' so the M5 was REALLY my FIRST real Leica!) :)
I liked it for the metering and the oh so easy shutter speed dial that could be used without taking the eye away from the VF, but I did end up with an M-4P instead for the same reason that I prefer the Fuji X-E bodies to the Fuji X-Pro bodies: I found it too chunky...aesthetically with the tiny LTM and M lenses, but also in my hand, ergonomically. (Remember I went to the M5 from the super tiny CL.)
Yes that's the only 'real' objective negative about the M5, is that it's large for an M body. The fact it's ugly is subjective and not relevant if it can take fantastic photos or not.
@@bigheadtaco The 1.35 volt PX-625 mercury oxide batteries are still made in Russia & can be ordered from there.
So does the light meter work in vertical position?
Thanks for all the information about the Leicas M, I use glasses and want to know how difficult is to focus with a Leica rangefinder
Some by screw on magnifiers, as well as screw on diopters to make it easier to focus for those who wear glasses. I wear glasses and contacts, and sometimes focus with sunglasses, and I'm fine. the M3 is the easiest to focus since it has a 0.91x magnification, at the cost of 50mm being the widest lens mountable. There is a 0.85x available for the current M-A and MP and on some older M6 models which is the next highest magnification Leica M body.
I love my black leica M5 ♡♡♡
I was gonna get an M5 but I found a good deal on a Minolta CLE + 40MM Rokkor. This video brought back my lust for the M5 :(. Although I adore my CLE haha
I think the M5 and CL/CLE are a great combo. I too enjoy my CLE and 40mm M-Rokkor. I'll borrow the black M5 for a few months and report back my thoughts.
@@bigheadtaco looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it!
I have both and personally prefer the form factor of the cle. Also, that 40 is fantastic. Though Im using Voigtlanders on the m5.
When are you doing the M3 M5 shootout? :)
Nice video! Where is the included CD-ROM? 🤣 “Jahre” stands for years. Cheers mate!
I think the most beautiful Leica ever made is the IIIF. It is one of the cheapest too. That's why this is the only Leica i have :-)
Exciting times - enjoy 😎😎😎
Good times :-)
Nice! I'd love to see one of these for the LTM's. Thank you.
Ya I'd love to review or even get myself a Leica IIIF or IIIG with a collapsible 50mm
@@bigheadtaco They are a lot of fun & there are some great lenses.
Had to chuckle about Zinc Air not being the same as mercury - the name kind of suggests it. :) They are the most used replacement batteries for mercury today, unfortunately both expensive and not long lasting. The name is literal, they work with zinc and air, so immediately before use you remove a small sticker to expose a little hole in the case. Since small versions are widely used in hearing aids you can sometimes adopt these with rubber rings or adapter cases as a cheaper alternative to pricey "Wine Cell" or the like that were made for cameras, I use them in an old Fujica.
The 1.35 volt PX-625 mercury oxide batteries are still made in Russia & can be ordered from there
M3 and MP are my favorites.
Both great, although my preference is still for the M-A versus the MP because it's closer in concept to the M3. I'd a a la carte the M-A and add 0.85x viewfinder though.
I like the silver one most.
Hello again, would you buy a Leica M5 in 2023, in very good condition for 1300.00 euro ? ( Chrome finish )
The 1.35 volt PX-625 mercury oxide batteries are still made in Russia & can be ordered from there.
thanks for tip!
I think Mr Chan knows why it's "not for sale" ;).
Ha, good point. Maybe someone wrestled this camera away from Mr.Chan and smuggled it to the USA 👍🏼
A generally good presentation of the M5. However, the rear scale is to assist you with EVs--Exposure Values. Once you go to B and below (one second and longer) you have that scale as a guide to help you to figure out how many seconds you need to shoot when you begin to close your aperture--always maintaining the same exposure value. When comparing the M3 and M7 shutter noise to the M5, it would be better to use the same shutter speed across all three cameras.
If I remember my experimental measurements I think the X-Es had visoflex clearance.
Getting it with an MD anything is a nice cheap workers pairing as you can shoot the neat teles without having to guess framing clutter.
Fujifilm X-E series?
they had styrofoam boxes in 1975?
Nice & Thanks :)
I never understood, why after the M5 the Leica M cameras doesn't have a self timer any more. Such a loss.
I hope Leica makes the exact duplicate of the M3 (bothe film and digital) , before they go bankrupt or being sold to the Chinese. (Hasselblad #2)
If you order an M-A a la carte and add the 0.85x viewfinder, it's as close as you're going to get to the original M3. No batteries, no meter, just pure mechanical photography. As for digital, the M10 is getting close, but they need an actual mechanical shutter with a shutter lever to cock the shutter.
Leica did that in 1994. It was called the M6J
The shutterspeed dial looks exactly the same as on the Canon EF.
Year =Jahre
Awesome, thanks! I should have guessed that...
Danijel Kulacin Year= Jahr
Jahre= Years
My God how many Leicas do you have man?
Ha ha, most of these are not mine. I have many friends and colleagues willing to loan me their camera gear for my videos. I'm not Steve Huff :-)
@@bigheadtaco hahahaa
If you run the camera with today's PX 625A Alkaline battery (non mercury) you get 1.5V and not 1.35V as from old PX625 mercury. Old CdS sensor meters needed a constant battery voltage as a reference point for the measurement accuracy. PX625 mercury batteries had an absolutely constant 1.35V voltage over their entire long life. Modern alkaline 625A batteries don't have a constant voltage, they give a false light value with a changing error during battery life time. (But modern cameras regulate internally the voltage.
Solutions are:
- purchasing illegaly Russian PX625 mercury batteries 😞
- Using a Wein Zinc/Air 1.35V battery. they last only some weeks and are expensive
- Using a Criscam MR-9 adapter that regulates down a tiny 386 silver oxide batteriy from 1.5V to 1.35V (be carefull, some chinese adapters don't regulate down the alkaline battery voltage)
- Modifying the camera by incorporating an electronic component that regulates internaly the voltage of a 625A 1.5V alkaline battery to 1.35V
I have 2 Criscam MR-9 adaptors I put in my vintage cameras that worked with PX625
when you pulled out that second m5, i thought you were doing a giveaway
That would have been nice right? Perhaps one day if I have enough subscribers to justify such things...
Jahre means "years." Jahr is the singular form, "year." It is pronounced similarly -- yar. Jahre is pronounced yar - uh.
I know leica is awesome but i like those leitz minolta
long video. sat down and get food. nice profile picture!
Yes it's long.... editing it wasn't fun, but I did it for the nerds...
Chrome!
Jahre - years
The M3 and the Leicaflex SL/SL2 are the best Leicas ever made. Everything else is flawed, compromised or borrowed.....lol
The best M ever made is without question is the M3. That's why they sold over 200,000 copies. No other M has come close to that number, including the digital M's. As for SLR, that's a very contentious subject because many Leica fans never liked the SLRs. I liked the Minolta collaboration era because it allowed for Germans and Japanese to work together to create the perfect system. I think the Leica R6.2 is the best Leica SLR, while others think it's the all Leica R8. I find the R8 too big, although very beautiful and innovative design.
@@bigheadtaco I agree with u from a practical point of view. my point of view is, as a pure German mechanical solid design the SLs nicknamed "Panzer" tanks for a reason. I own both systems. I find Leica R lenses more solidly built than the Ms, and render little better. Keep up the good work.
The M5 is the last Leica built to old school standards. It was a very expensive camera new and almost broke the company. The size put off many Leica fans, and it's undoubtedly a large rangefinder camera but remember the competition was SLRs like the metered Nikon F2.
一
That camera is so ugly and big!!! D'=
I want an M5 what you thnk of it Mr, Bigheadtaco