I think the one thing that keeps me using my Nikon FE instead of replacing it with a Leica (besides being able to see through the lens which is nice sometimes) is I'm not afraid to be a bit rough with it. Same reason I'd never go offroad if I owned a Porsche Cayenne or Mercedes G-Wagon, they're super capable and awesome but I'd be afraid of every little bump and scratch because it's so expensive. Along with low price comes a "lets do anything" ride or die mentality that doesn't hold you back. Apart from that Leicas sure are sweet, many times I'm just doing some comfy casual driving downtown and some luxury would be nice...
do you plan on selling it ? if yes: then yeah take care of it. Do you plan on keeping it forever ? then be rough with it. they are. built to last and it will be YOUR mark
i have a 60 dollar pentax SLR that I plan on keeping forever but i'm happy it's cheap so i dont have to be worried about carrying like 5 grands worth of shit
I bought an M4 just last week. Zero regrets. Light meters are great, and definitely critical for slide film. But for negative film honestly guessing exposure and sunny 16 works perfectly.
I've been rocking a Praktica MTL-50 for a while now, and I love it! Sold off my Olympus OM-2n and never looked back! There is something I love about those vintage M42 mount lenses that really give the photos a lot of charm.
??? the F, F2, FM and FM2 are 100% mechanical (meaning their shutter has got no electronic component and does not require a battery) with or without the photographer using their light-meter. Only the light meter on these cameras requires a battery (but the lightmeter has no control over the shutter).
I love how grainydays puts out a Video where he tells you to get a 20 Dollar Canon EOS body the same day this love letter to Leicas comes out... Great Video!:)
Fairly new M5 owner here! I love the thing and the voightlander 35 nokton classic I picked up. The viewfinder is simple and clear to read and I love the way the shutter speed dial works on it compared to the other M bodies. Best film camera purchase of mine to date!
I felt kind of silly spending so much money on my M6, but I love it so much that it's made me a better photographer - not because it takes better pictures than my AE-1P, but because I like having it in my hands and just constantly want to bring it with me and put rolls through it. I'm doing more photography because I'm excited to use it. I think getting caught up in gear acquisition can be problematic, but on the flip side of that if a piece of gear really gets your blood pumping, then it's going to make you practice your skills more purely because of that excitement factor.
I was really going to pull the trigger last year but at the end of the day it's just 35mm, so I just kept using what I had (Canon 1V, Leica Minilux). And after I started using 120 film exclusively I never looked at 35mm the same way, but I can also understand the allure of using an all manual film camera after using a Hasselblad 501C.
I know people hate me saying this but the M5 is just the best. It also looks amazing in person. Somehow it looks really weird in most pictures. The M5 has amazing ergos, a super precision spot meter, and a fantastic finder.
We both rocking the same lens for our Leica. I have a Leica M4-P and been using it for 5 years now and I am loving it to this day. I bought mine when I went to Japan for $1000, excluding the Voigtlander. I just recently find out that the M4-P's price skyrocketted like crazy to $2000 on eBay and that made me loved my M4-P even more even though people were looking down on the M4-2 and M4-P because it wasn't made in Weltzar. I'm also using a Canon New F-1 SLR. Very great and sturdy mechanical film camera that I bought on Ebay 5 years ago.
So cool! Love your work dude, so creative, funny and informative. I feel you, I have a leica obsession since 2008, I have the M3, M4, M6 and M7. The M7 is so easy and smooth to use, that I've shot 95% of my rolls on it in the last ten years.. it's like a part of my body! Anyway, there are all marvelous black boxes and I still have the butterflies when I open the magic closet 🥰
So, for a while now I was thinking about it but very hesitant and couldn’t believe the hype. Until I went to a local seller to try it out. And every single thing you said in that video is 100% accurate.
I fully understand you. While very different beasts, that's exactly how I feel about the Pentax SV. The mechanical tactile feel is something else. A very personal experience. I tell people it is jewelry that happens to take pictures. I haven't yet, but I'd love to test drive a film Leica.
Plz tell me about the wide angle M mount lenses and if you like them. I think I see a wide angled voigtlander in there somewhere??? Great video! thanks for sharing!
6:25 The new M6 doesn’t have that problem. I bought one in 2023 from the Leica store in Washington DC and mine has nothing in that spot. I’ve only developed one roll from this camera so far (shot entirely in direct sunlight) and the first frame was the only one with a light leak.
I actually started with the M10M. The only reason I considered a Leica and the $$ was to get that sweet, sweet monochromatic sensor....and it was worth every penny. I know, Digital..but bear with me. I loved the experience and got lenses. I've also been shooting film, mostly 120 medium format, but thought he, the only folks still making NEW film cameras was Leica. I wanted fully mechanical and found a supposed "used" Leica MA for a very (for Leica) reasonable price from Leica SF. This thing appears brand new. I like that similar to my M10M, it is fully blacked out, no Leica red dots, and virtually no inscription....incognito. I think I'm still on my 2nd roll of film tho. I just don't use it. I mostly only went to film for unusual formats....MF to shoot 6x6 (Hassy), and various others from 6x7 to 6x17 (Shen Hao View camera). For 35mm...meh. I seem to just shoot FF digital if I want that. For 35mm film, I shoot primarily pano...with the old fully metal Russian HorizonT swing lens camera, and a custom made PressPan out of a Nikon FE body that shoots Xpan format. I love the idea of the Leica MA...it looks great. It feels great....I just never seem to grab it.
Yeah, I love my Leica M4-2. I somehow managed to find it on ebay, boxed and unused, for $700. Got a 50mm Voigtlander, 28mm 7Artisans, m42 mount Voigltander 15mm and it’s a great little setup. Hardly touched any of my other 35mm cameras since
I purchased a new MP a couple of weeks ago because of the spiralling prices of the M6 and was a little worried about having to send it back to Leica for months. No regrets with my new as you put it Baby 😇 Great content 👌
Get a Nikon FM, FM2, FM2n, or FM3a. It's fully mechanical. The first three have a simple 3 light meter. The last has a needle meter. A lot less expensive.
After 5 years of using my M6, I never regret I'd spent my money on it and kept along Nikon FM2n in my arsenal. Welcome to the M club to those who just acquired the M system. Get out there and take many memories.
I would like to join the one of three club please. But really, nice vid. Can't say these pockets can afford an M6, but I've been digging my Pentax P3n lately and will likely take out the Nikon N65 this weekend!
You make me regret buying a Conatx G2 & Contax T3, should have opted for a M6 as well but the whole range finder system was something I was afraid to learn especially when my A-1 & AE-P are not range finders 😅
FM2N. Fully manual from B to 1/4000th. Huge lens selection, and you can get one in good condition for $250ish. But to each their own. I really like split prism focusing or zone focusing depending on the situation.
Please do a Leica CL review if you get the chance, it's a camera (along with the Konica c35 FD and Mamiya 645) that I love so much and would be very interested in what you think of that puppy
@@BadFlashes bruh, if u ever for whatever reason find urself in Shanghai you can use mine OR if all goes to plan I'll be in LA 2026 for a while u can bounce with it then lolz
I owned for several years a Leica M2. When I shipped it to service last year, it went lost. The insurance gave me the money back, so I have to decide, what I would do with my money. I own a lot of other analoge film cameras, so there was no really need for the M2. I had some options: to sell all the M lenses and invest in my screw mount Leica III or rebuy a M-mount camera. I love to take analoge pictures, so I will ever use some analoge cams. But I’m also knowing, that all that stuff is really old and it will fail someday in heavy use. And on the most types of mounts, there are no modern lenses. So I decided to buy a Leica M again. Because I will ever get spareparts or services on this camera and there are still modern lenses. And it’s a M2 again, because of the 35mm viewfinder and the self timer.
My favorite film camera was the Leica M3 but also love the Yashica Electro 35 GSN. It feels a little cheap but that lens attached to it produces some nice images and when you can hack the battery it’s variable/automatic shutter is really interesting
I would say have a look at the Voigtlander r3a/m or r4a/m as they’re also wonderful m-mount rangefinders, but it seems like everyone realises this now and they seem to sit somewhere between M4s and M6s on the used market. A real shame. But, their M-mount glass is really truly excellent.
I'll never own a Leica - it is a great camera, and great glass deserving to be in the hands of a pro, not an amateur like me. But your video, with really great shots with the Leica, did stir within in me a bit of Leica desire. Can't get a Leica without robbing a bank, what to do to scratch the Leica itch? So I ran out and bought a Simmon's bros omega medium format camera (considered the ugliest rangefinder/press camera ever made). Support the underdog, I say, the oppressed, the unloved, the maligned cameras (that are cheap, too)! Now I feel better - thanks for the inspiration!!! And thanks for a nice Leica review - keep on making those beautiful photos and fun videos!
My first Leica was an M1 that I used in college on a microscope. My last Leica was an M10 that spent more time in the repair shop than I spent shooting with it. In between the M1 and M10, I used an M6. The M6 was the best.
Funny, even with my Leica I still grab the Electro 35 more often. Mine is solid tho, no light leaks, etc, and I just love the rounded corners it has for the frame mask...probably the only 35mm camera I include the rebate in my scans. But you are right, the Leica...is, well, a Leica and it really does an amazing job at just getting out of the way and just giving you jussst enough feedback to inspire confidence. I wish I could figure out why I like the Yashica more...is it the locking shutter? The biggerness? THat KA-THUNK of the Pad of Death? IDK, but I do love rangefinders more than anything else.
How many hours did it take to edit this video? It's well done: the music, closeups, titles/graphics, etc. It looks like it was made with a team of 5 or more people.
I have a question for you Caleb. If the Leica glass is so good, why didn't you buy into the R-System? It's still got the red dot, and they're much cheaper than the M-System.
@@BadFlashes y'all look like my Dad in 1983 rockin that short strap...It's probably why you can tell a Gen-X photographer walking down the street because we rebelled and went with the low-slung over the shoulder side-mount 54" strap so our camera can whack us on the hip. Take that DAD! :P
I stopped by at camera store and they have a Leicaflex camera in stock. The leica itch started and I've been looking up leicaflex cameras till I bought one on silver chrome. Two months later I bought the lenses. Somehow I keep searching Leica M6 cameras and even though I already own a leica camera....😅
I had an m3 with 5cm summicron in the early 2000's and i got it for ~$500. It was an amazing camera and I was sad that I had to sell it after a few years. I could never justify buying another one because the price is so high. I eventually found a jammed canon 7 at the thrift store for $5 and I fixed it myself. I then found a mju2 at a flea market for $2. I sold the mju2 for a huge profit that I used to get the voigtlander color skopar that you have but in thread mount. The canon 7 with that lens is almost as good (imo) but only cost me $7 instead of thousands. But my favorite 35mm camera to use is the nikon fm2. It's all mechanical with a light meter, 1/4000 top speed, split image focusing screen, has great lenses and everything is much more affordable than leica. With a pancake lens it is just as compact as a leica as well. You could get an fm2 and a set of epic nikkor lenses for a fraction of the cost of a leica m with 1 leica lens. But that being said, if someone wants a leica, can easily afford it and feel comfortable using/carrying something that expensive (worrying about the camera will lead to missed shots/opportunities ) then they should get it and see if they like it. You can always sell it later as long as it doesn't break or get stolen
Same here for started with looking at Bessa then end up with a brand new MP for my case. I chose it because it’s fully mechanical so less likely to fail and have a better chance of being repairable as it’s a in-production and popular model. The lack of close focus, zoom lens and not good with tele lenses are real bummer though. I do miss my days of shooting film Canon EOS with their modern-ish handling and optics.
Lmao I just bought an absolutely mint M4 with all the original paperwork and recent CLA paperwork. Then I see this video. You were pretty spot on with the price range. Just add a grand.
Why not? Before I use Leica, I was working with my Canon and Nikon cameras. After many years, I got a Leica camera. Then, I truly love photography, as a hobby. Leica inspired me to take photos, not just for working. Maybe it is not the best one, but Leica is better enough for me. It is not a toy, or whatever, it is just a simple camera to me.
I have been lusting after Leica MP or M6 for years but just never could justify the investment. Last year I got a mint conditions Canon P and the ltm version Color Skopar 35mm/f2.5 lens. Its 1/10th the price of M6 with same lens. Im very happy with the Canon P - its very smooth and solid fully mechanical camera.
I want one but I want to keep my collection small. I feel like being super familiar with a camera allows for the best work and a rangefinder just doesn't make sense for my main camera.
@@BadFlashes the main issues for me are I like the option of Macro lens and most of the time when I go out to take photos, it is by bike and includes time of single track or gravel roads and I'd be worried about the rangefinder getting out of alignment. On the other hand, who doesn't want to fill like Henri Cartier-Bresson
The cost of getting into the Leica game can be recouped on the way out. Even if the camera has depreciated it will not have depreciated much. So what you do, in effect, is rent a really good camera for peanuts. And while I was at first skeptical I have found my M9 a really good camera to work with. And the color and resolution are near the best. And as a popular platform there are lots of really good lenses available in the used market. So, up front cost is steep. But look at what you get.
Don't waste your money on one. I had an M6 TTL and 5-6 lenses including the legendary Noctilux. Yes, the build quality is great, it looks great and it might even be a good investment from financial point of view. But to take pictures? No, thanks! Why? First of all it's hard to focus manually with a Leica. If you try to take pictures at f1.2 or even with f0.95 all you get are soft pictures because the range finger mechanism is not precisely enough for anything faster than f2. You'll also be unable to focus anything that's moving. I tried it for 2-3 years and failed. And if focus isn't correct all those expensive lenses are useless. Ever tried to focus a subject that is not in the middle of the frame? Forget it. Yes, you can focus and then change framing, but if you want to shoot wide open the image will be soft again because the plane of focus is just somewhere else after re-framing. Ever tried to even put in a film into a Leica M? It's fiddling around for some minutes because the mechanics are so old fashioned and complicated. Ever tried to shoot wide open in bright sunshine? 1/1000s won't be short enough. Do you know how many pictures I took with the lens cap still on the lens? You won't see that through the viewfinder 😅 I sold my Leica M6 more than a decade ago and still don't regret it.
I mean, you could be crazy, but I don’t think it’s strictly related to your camera choices.😹 I’m really enjoying my Minolta CLE, and it’s Canonet buddy. I didn’t used to like rangefinders, but I think I’m getting into them. I also used to have a voigtlander R3M, and I sort of miss that one now. Getting one again costs 3x what I sold it for a decade ago, and used only! 😅 It’s mostly SLRs for me, but… I’m clearly changing in my old age 😹😸
I've owned a smattering of non Leica rangefinders, zorkis, electro, canonet, minolta, canon 7... I've loved them all however I still lust for a Leica. Pretty sure this is a common theme, I'm also pretty sure that resistance is futile.
The M5 has a great light meter interface in the viewfinder. I think it's better than the M6 arrows. The M 5 strap lugs are less likely to snap off / cause light leaks, so there is also that. I also really enjoy my Leica CL, and I think, it's easier to load than the M bodies. The film advance on Leicas cameras, the feel of the shutter button and the sound of the shutter across all the models is in a league of its' own. I do wish, they had made a medium format film Leica though - a Leica M645, M670 or M690, that would be my white whale camera. For now the Mamiya 6 holds that title for me...
A Leica medium format camera would be unaffordable to most mortals. Like the digital S bodies, where a combination of a body and lens is tens of thousands of dollars versus the sub 10k investment for any film Leica M with any lens (other than the Noctilux).
@@MusicByAngels When I bought it, it broke twice within the 6 month warranty period. Second break was the shutter mechanism. They (repair people) had to MAKE a part for it. When I got it back the second time I asked the dealer what they would do with it, and he said "Get rid, quick". Shame. It's a fabulous camera. I loved mine for the short time I had it. In a world of people with an M6, get an M5. But be prepared to sell it for spares when it goes wrong....
Most people buy Leicas just to take photos of their Leicas and talk about how great their Leicas are while sipping coffee with their Leicas sitting on a table.
I went from analogue Leica R to Leica digital in 2005 - or I had to, because I'm a press photographer. Today I would not even consider investing in an analogue M camera, because the work flow is too slow and expensive too. If I shoot film again, I can take my R 6.2 from the shelf and carry on. I absolutely love my M240 and M-P240, they're my best digital tool I ever used.
@@BadFlashes I started out with a Digilux 2. My first M was the M8, I bought second hand. Nice, but too slow for professional work. I considered getting an M10 instead of my M240, but in comparison the M240 is faster in handling, so I bought a new M-P240, which was a left over on the shelf in a dealership. I got for half of the normal retail price. Lovely beast! The M11 is overkill for me. So I can recommand the M240 and M-P240 as a good entry level Leica M digital camera.
Like your POV. I get it that a lot of ppl like SLR’s more but comparing them against one another is like comparing apples and oranges. Like answering a Stephen Cobert questionnaire, there is no correct answer. Some ppl just like apples more like some ppl like rangefinders more. For my photographic experience I just prefer Leica’s more. My M3, M2’s and Leica IIIa works for me. My Nikon F and F2 were just too heavy and bulky for how I enjoy my photographic experience. I prefer the older Leica M’s with 3 frame lines as I shoot mostly with a 28mm, 35mm and 50mm. To each their own and please respect their choice.
ill never probably buy a leica, but im hoping to be able to pull the trigger on a bessa r in the next year or so… and eventually invest what i save on the body in a leica lens, though in the meantime ill probably pair it with some voigtlander glass
@@BadFlashes the main thing keeping me from pulling the trigger every time i see a solid deal pop up is im still not totally sold on rangefinders. ive been practicing with the ovf on my x100f but its just weird to me. plus i mean ultimately i dont need the bessa any more than i need a leica, but the bessa is just a far more affordable indulgence.
Umm.... after 3-4 months of struggling my own, I found it's not worth 2-3 grand. although I found a mint Konica Hexar RF for less than $700, no doubt the voigtlander lenses are best in the world, haven't yet used any Leica lens on it. But I do agree the form factor is really great, the weight of the body feels like you have a solid camera in hand. and just like film Cargo pants might get cool again. :D Please review any TTartisan / 7artisans lenses now you have M6.
Aw yeah I get that. I saw one of those cameras this past weeks. They are cool. Unfortunately I probably won’t review TT OR 7 … I had one and I didn’t like the calibration process
@@BadFlashes They say fixing the konica Hexar RF is going to be nearly impossible because of the complexity and only few technicians around, but I guess, will have to see when I get there.
Dunno. This cam style good for street, but waist finder better than rf for street. Pricewise, similiar with hasselblad, i definitly prefer digital medium format than digital RF if the price similiar especially the MF not that bigger than full frame
Idk. I've had 3 M6's over the years, I sold all of them They're great cameras don't get me wrong. Back like 4 years ago when you could get one for 1600, sure why not grab one? But 2800 plus a lens. It's hard to just be cool carrying around 4k everywhere. Same with my Mamiya 7, I used to take it everywhere but then some jackass smashed my window and went through my case because he saw a open portra wrapper on the passenger seat and got a free camera. Even though insurance gave me like 5k to replace it, I don't take it out of the house as much as I want because what if? for 35mm it's way easier to just carry around an F3, if it becomes gone like that sucks but it's basically replacing a set of tires instead of the entire car.
Funny thing, the first time I held an M6 I immediately compared it to the Canon F1n. They felt the same. I love the F1n and couldn't possibly justify buying the M6, but I'm probably going to, just to spite my bank manager.
Personally I think it's wild what they're charging for this camera especially since I've seen quite a few forum posts of people dealing with light meters dying on them and I even found two instances of people reporting the ISO dial not functioning properly
Great video. Gonna say no. It's not worth it. Save the money, get a Canon 7 or Canon P. And with the money you save on the body, invest in good LTM (Leica Thread Mount) glass. At the end of the day a camera body is just a light tight box. The real magic is in the lens. That being said GAS is real. If you're lusting for the red dot, and you can afford it.... meh, I'd still say get the Canon... but you do you. 😄
With the film loading you noted at around 4 minutes: you do not have to advance the film with the bottom plate off! It feels unnatural to not advance it because of SLRs usually requiring it, but just thread the tongue of the film into the prongs and put the bottom plate back on. That’s it. After many, many rolls of film (and other RUclipsrs saying the same thing as well), trust in the heart of the cards! Wait. That’s something else. Save those film frames!
Hahah oh for sure. I mostly only do it to make sure 100% it takes up. But I do see what you are saying for sure. Maybe someday I’ll have that trust in me haha
Actually i have m4 ;3 But it is in transit. Can't wait becouse i hear so many good about Leica. Personally i want small film camera with no problems. B4 i had Olympus om1, om2 , om2n, Nikon SII Nikon SP and many.... many russian camera but.... all have same problems.... they broke. I need Camera for life. And about leica m5. I could have it but there is no in my country ;/
seriously, don't see a reason to buy a Leica body, if you are not going to put a quality piece of glass out front. But i like your point about voigtlander and zeiss. got to have leica mount on them. Good vid and good shots!
Goddammit Caleb! It's the people with M-mount cameras buying up all the less expensive LTM lenses, then using an M-adapter, that are making affordable options for those of us with LTM cameras harder to find. And honestly, if what you want to shoot is Leica lenses, you don't need a Leica camera for it. You could even adapt those lenses to mirrirless digital .
@@BadFlashes Yeah, but I can't find a decent Canon 35mm f/2.8 LTM lens for under $200 for my Canon 7 because all you M-mount boys bought them up to adapt to your fancy Leicas! I went with a Jupiter 12 instead. Just like your buddy Jason did for a while.
Let's make it clear here, by Leica, we are only talking about film cameras, right? Because I see people crazing about Leica morrow less and... I am confused, with that price tag, why not just getting a Hasselblad?
@@BadFlashes basically M3 is superior to M6 in every single way. If you have not you really have to try it. the shutter and winding lever of M3 is magnificent... also the bright and big viewfider...+ if you get M3 plz dont attatch external meter which looks so so so stupid!!!
@@taehanyoun8126 But if you like to use a 35mm lens... ? Also the Seiichi Furuya photo of his wife Christine (Izu, 1978) proves Leicas with external light meters are cool!
@@stephenhurling I admit, light meter part of my last comment is very subjective. Viewfinder though, in my case, I sometimes use 35mm on my M3 and I dont mind it. Framelines on rf cameras aren't accurate anyway so I just assume the full viewfinder window(+a bit more) matches 35mm angle and it hits pretty well. I don't do precise framing with my leica. When I need to, I'll pick up my another beloved one, the pentax 67😆
I think the one thing that keeps me using my Nikon FE instead of replacing it with a Leica (besides being able to see through the lens which is nice sometimes) is I'm not afraid to be a bit rough with it. Same reason I'd never go offroad if I owned a Porsche Cayenne or Mercedes G-Wagon, they're super capable and awesome but I'd be afraid of every little bump and scratch because it's so expensive. Along with low price comes a "lets do anything" ride or die mentality that doesn't hold you back.
Apart from that Leicas sure are sweet, many times I'm just doing some comfy casual driving downtown and some luxury would be nice...
Oh I so feel that tooo!
There is a Comfort in that feeling.
And I miss that comfort sometimes haha
do you plan on selling it ? if yes: then yeah take care of it. Do you plan on keeping it forever ? then be rough with it. they are. built to last and it will be YOUR mark
I’m going to be so rough with it!!! It’s mine forever ☺️😍🥰
Took my new (to me) M6 on a warship for a few weeks. It'll be alright
i have a 60 dollar pentax SLR that I plan on keeping forever but i'm happy it's cheap so i dont have to be worried about carrying like 5 grands worth of shit
I bought an M4 just last week. Zero regrets. Light meters are great, and definitely critical for slide film. But for negative film honestly guessing exposure and sunny 16 works perfectly.
Sunny 16 baby! Can’t go wrong ☺️
I've been rocking a Praktica MTL-50 for a while now, and I love it! Sold off my Olympus OM-2n and never looked back! There is something I love about those vintage M42 mount lenses that really give the photos a lot of charm.
Those lenses are pretty awesome
I've added a Nikon FM to my collection and absolutely love it. It has a light meter but can also function fully mechanical.
Those are dope for sure.
??? the F, F2, FM and FM2 are 100% mechanical (meaning their shutter has got no electronic component and does not require a battery) with or without the photographer using their light-meter. Only the light meter on these cameras requires a battery (but the lightmeter has no control over the shutter).
Boom 🤯 🥳🥳🤩
@@BrunoChalifour yup, poor choice of worlds on my part. Btw, great portfolio on IG. Love your work.
My wallet can't take this (but I'm totally still buying an MP)
Hahahaha no wallet can really take this video
Right!
Dude, did you get it, the MP..... breaking my balls about getting one over the M6... Thanks man...
I love how grainydays puts out a Video where he tells you to get a 20 Dollar Canon EOS body the same day this love letter to Leicas comes out... Great Video!:)
Haha just happened that way. Balance 😝
Jason and Caleb are kickass!!!.. best in whole multiverse
Awwwe thanks 😊
Fairly new M5 owner here! I love the thing and the voightlander 35 nokton classic I picked up. The viewfinder is simple and clear to read and I love the way the shutter speed dial works on it compared to the other M bodies. Best film camera purchase of mine to date!
Oh I love that :)
I’m
For whatever twisted reason I lust after an M5.
I felt kind of silly spending so much money on my M6, but I love it so much that it's made me a better photographer - not because it takes better pictures than my AE-1P, but because I like having it in my hands and just constantly want to bring it with me and put rolls through it. I'm doing more photography because I'm excited to use it.
I think getting caught up in gear acquisition can be problematic, but on the flip side of that if a piece of gear really gets your blood pumping, then it's going to make you practice your skills more purely because of that excitement factor.
This right here!!!!! 😍😍😍😍
I was really going to pull the trigger last year but at the end of the day it's just 35mm, so I just kept using what I had (Canon 1V, Leica Minilux). And after I started using 120 film exclusively I never looked at 35mm the same way, but I can also understand the allure of using an all manual film camera after using a Hasselblad 501C.
I mean I totally get that. Medium format is king 👑 or queen 👸 FOR SURE ! 😆
I know people hate me saying this but the M5 is just the best. It also looks amazing in person. Somehow it looks really weird in most pictures. The M5 has amazing ergos, a super precision spot meter, and a fantastic finder.
I’d love to use one some day !!!
@@BadFlashes I let you shoot a roll if I’m ever on LA if you give me your Voigtländer.
photo walk camera Swap
We both rocking the same lens for our Leica. I have a Leica M4-P and been using it for 5 years now and I am loving it to this day. I bought mine when I went to Japan for $1000, excluding the Voigtlander. I just recently find out that the M4-P's price skyrocketted like crazy to $2000 on eBay and that made me loved my M4-P even more even though people were looking down on the M4-2 and M4-P because it wasn't made in Weltzar. I'm also using a Canon New F-1 SLR. Very great and sturdy mechanical film camera that I bought on Ebay 5 years ago.
I would even like one of those bad boys as well :)
My FM3A is giving me these feels right now, and I’ve been taking it with me everywhere. Maybe someday I’ll spring for a Leica. Thanks for the vid!
If it gives you the feels…. Keep going with it baby!!! :)
When I bought my FM2n, I told myself that it was the only 35mm camera I would ever need. But that doesn't mean I don't almost a Leica M6.
Right there with you on so many levels 🤣☺️
So cool! Love your work dude, so creative, funny and informative. I feel you, I have a leica obsession since 2008, I have the M3, M4, M6 and M7. The M7 is so easy and smooth to use, that I've shot 95% of my rolls on it in the last ten years.. it's like a part of my body! Anyway, there are all marvelous black boxes and I still have the butterflies when I open the magic closet 🥰
Love that! Someday I’ll be on your level!!!!
@@BadFlashes man you're already above, you have a Mamiya 7, you're drop the mic level 😂
So, for a while now I was thinking about it but very hesitant and couldn’t believe the hype. Until I went to a local seller to try it out. And every single thing you said in that video is 100% accurate.
I sometimes… Sometimes know what I’m talking about haha
They are amazing
I fully understand you. While very different beasts, that's exactly how I feel about the Pentax SV. The mechanical tactile feel is something else. A very personal experience. I tell people it is jewelry that happens to take pictures. I haven't yet, but I'd love to test drive a film Leica.
Dude, I LOVED my Pentax SV. To this day, I regret selling it. Such a beautiful mechanic machine. I may be getting another one soon again…
Ok, that’s spooky. I was just about to pull the trigger on a nearly new FM3a and got a notification for this video… Second guessing myself now.
Hahahaha no no don’t second guesss do what your heart tells you
Those FM3a’s are AWESOME
I've used both and would buy the FM3a in a heartbeat over a Leica. Use the rest of the money for a set of lenses and a whole bag of film.
No matter what you buy, you will want the other. I have the M6 and while I normally don’t suffer from GAS, those Nikons do look good…
Honestly having to go back to a 1/1000th shutter speed doesn’t appeal to me. It makes it difficult to shoot fast lens wide open.
@@adamkrupa1039 it’s like you know me… I’m sure I’ll eventually end up with both. Might be eating instant ramen to pay for them though!
Plz tell me about the wide angle M mount lenses and if you like them. I think I see a wide angled voigtlander in there somewhere???
Great video! thanks for sharing!
Thanks!!!
It’s Jason’s but I do like it a lot. It’s a vibe, not for every scene but awesome nonetheless!!! It’s a 12mm
6:25
The new M6 doesn’t have that problem. I bought one in 2023 from the Leica store in Washington DC and mine has nothing in that spot. I’ve only developed one roll from this camera so far (shot entirely in direct sunlight) and the first frame was the only one with a light leak.
Yeah I’m sure they fixed it for the new M6
Do you recommend to upgrade from M6 TTL x0.72 to M6 2022 model?
Do you have an m6 currently???
@@BadFlashes Yes I have M6 TTL x 0.72 in very Mint condition and it is in Silver
I mean I wouldn’t… but if you want. Party on 🫡
I actually started with the M10M. The only reason I considered a Leica and the $$ was to get that sweet, sweet monochromatic sensor....and it was worth every penny.
I know, Digital..but bear with me. I loved the experience and got lenses. I've also been shooting film, mostly 120 medium format, but thought he, the only folks still making NEW film cameras was Leica. I wanted fully mechanical and found a supposed "used" Leica MA for a very (for Leica) reasonable price from Leica SF. This thing appears brand new. I like that similar to my M10M, it is fully blacked out, no Leica red dots, and virtually no inscription....incognito.
I think I'm still on my 2nd roll of film tho. I just don't use it.
I mostly only went to film for unusual formats....MF to shoot 6x6 (Hassy), and various others from 6x7 to 6x17 (Shen Hao View camera). For 35mm...meh. I seem to just shoot FF digital if I want that.
For 35mm film, I shoot primarily pano...with the old fully metal Russian HorizonT swing lens camera, and a custom made PressPan out of a Nikon FE body that shoots Xpan format.
I love the idea of the Leica MA...it looks great. It feels great....I just never seem to grab it.
Yeah, I love my Leica M4-2. I somehow managed to find it on ebay, boxed and unused, for $700. Got a 50mm Voigtlander, 28mm 7Artisans, m42 mount Voigltander 15mm and it’s a great little setup. Hardly touched any of my other 35mm cameras since
Oh shitttttt that’s pretty dope sauce.
I purchased a new MP a couple of weeks ago because of the spiralling prices of the M6 and was a little worried about having to send it back to Leica for months. No regrets with my new as you put it Baby 😇
Great content 👌
Ah I’m jelly. An MP would be perfection!!!
Get a Nikon FM, FM2, FM2n, or FM3a. It's fully mechanical. The first three have a simple 3 light meter. The last has a needle meter. A lot less expensive.
That’s also a great point!!!
I agreee those cameras and pretty awesome
@@BadFlashes I actually learned on a Nikon FM as a child.
1:09 pure gold moment, love your videos keep it up!
Haha awesome thanks so much!!!
Great presentation ! I love my M6….. thanks, Rick. ps, I love the leather strap, who makes it ?
Check the link the the description 😘🫶🏼
whats the brand of your leather strap?
Clever 🤙🏼
@@BadFlashes the size was 34"?
Not 100% but I thinks it’s the shortest possible
After 5 years of using my M6, I never regret I'd spent my money on it and kept along Nikon FM2n in my arsenal.
Welcome to the M club to those who just acquired the M system. Get out there and take many memories.
It’s a great club :)
I would like to join the one of three club please.
But really, nice vid. Can't say these pockets can afford an M6, but I've been digging my Pentax P3n lately and will likely take out the Nikon N65 this weekend!
That’s all that matters! Getting out there and shooting
It was jawdropping how accurate the first minute of this video is. I do want a Leica.
Hahaha I know allllll 😝
I love my leica m3 and MP :) but I also wanna get m5.. (feels like I am becoming collector)
Truth… got to collect them alll hahaha
@@BadFlashes 😭
You make me regret buying a Conatx G2 & Contax T3, should have opted for a M6 as well but the whole range finder system was something I was afraid to learn especially when my A-1 & AE-P are not range finders 😅
Yeah I get that. But those are great cameras too so can’t go wrong :)
Bought a Leica MP recently, it was a tough decision between the MP and M6, but gosh I do fancy a M7 lol
Hahaha “Got to catch ‘em all!!!”
FM2N. Fully manual from B to 1/4000th. Huge lens selection, and you can get one in good condition for $250ish. But to each their own. I really like split prism focusing or zone focusing depending on the situation.
Haha I mean. It’s sexy as well :)
Please do a Leica CL review if you get the chance, it's a camera (along with the Konica c35 FD and Mamiya 645) that I love so much and would be very interested in what you think of that puppy
But I don’t have a Leica CL 😭😭😭😭
But if I ever get my hands on one you know I will
@@BadFlashes bruh, if u ever for whatever reason find urself in Shanghai you can use mine OR if all goes to plan I'll be in LA 2026 for a while u can bounce with it then lolz
Hahhaha hit me up in 2026 then 😆
I have to say love the strap, can you share a link please ?
For sure!!!! I’ve updated the description 😉 …. Use the link and get 10% off 😗
I owned for several years a Leica M2. When I shipped it to service last year, it went lost. The insurance gave me the money back, so I have to decide, what I would do with my money. I own a lot of other analoge film cameras, so there was no really need for the M2. I had some options: to sell all the M lenses and invest in my screw mount Leica III or rebuy a M-mount camera.
I love to take analoge pictures, so I will ever use some analoge cams. But I’m also knowing, that all that stuff is really old and it will fail someday in heavy use. And on the most types of mounts, there are no modern lenses.
So I decided to buy a Leica M again. Because I will ever get spareparts or services on this camera and there are still modern lenses.
And it’s a M2 again, because of the 35mm viewfinder and the self timer.
Oh I totally totally totally get that !!!!!!!!
Great video my dude!! Random question though.. where’d you get your shutter button? lol
Oh thanks!!! I think I got it from Camera obscura…. My buddy from beers and camera gave it to me. I love the small shot shutter button. Worth it!
"Man Sack" too funny. Lover your work Caleb. You touched on the film prices. That is whole world of pain.
Haha glad you love the stuff. Makes me happy.
I've been holding off on buying a Leica for a while now. Thanks for helping me take another irresponsible step towards making it happen! :P
That’s what I am here for!
I'm ordering a Leica Certified M10 the second my paycheck hits tonight!
Don't know if cargo pants are back in style, but I sure am rocking them
Love it!
My favorite film camera was the Leica M3 but also love the Yashica Electro 35 GSN. It feels a little cheap but that lens attached to it produces some nice images and when you can hack the battery it’s variable/automatic shutter is really interesting
I agree the electro 35 has some goodness to it.
Love my M6 🤗 but lately the shutter button gets stuck after every 10-15 shots. ☹️🥺
Oh nooooo I guess cla time 😳
@@BadFlashes NOOOOOOO 😭
I feel ya
Omg yes! the perfect video for me to watch while I fiddle around with my Leica ❤.
Haha good good good
I would say have a look at the Voigtlander r3a/m or r4a/m as they’re also wonderful m-mount rangefinders, but it seems like everyone realises this now and they seem to sit somewhere between M4s and M6s on the used market. A real shame. But, their M-mount glass is really truly excellent.
I agree with you. I myself have a Bessa R
I'll never own a Leica - it is a great camera, and great glass deserving to be in the hands of a pro, not an amateur like me. But your video, with really great shots with the Leica, did stir within in me a bit of Leica desire. Can't get a Leica without robbing a bank, what to do to scratch the Leica itch? So I ran out and bought a Simmon's bros omega medium format camera (considered the ugliest rangefinder/press camera ever made). Support the underdog, I say, the oppressed, the unloved, the maligned cameras (that are cheap, too)! Now I feel better - thanks for the inspiration!!! And thanks for a nice Leica review - keep on making those beautiful photos and fun videos!
Aw thanks. I’m glad you were able to get some inspiration from it overall! 🥰
My first Leica was an M1 that I used in college on a microscope.
My last Leica was an M10 that spent more time in the repair shop than I spent shooting with it.
In between the M1 and M10, I used an M6. The M6 was the best.
Ahhhhhh yeah. Those M6s are solid :)
That’s quite a journey !
Funny, even with my Leica I still grab the Electro 35 more often. Mine is solid tho, no light leaks, etc, and I just love the rounded corners it has for the frame mask...probably the only 35mm camera I include the rebate in my scans. But you are right, the Leica...is, well, a Leica and it really does an amazing job at just getting out of the way and just giving you jussst enough feedback to inspire confidence. I wish I could figure out why I like the Yashica more...is it the locking shutter? The biggerness? THat KA-THUNK of the Pad of Death? IDK, but I do love rangefinders more than anything else.
Helpful video! I'm thinking of selling my CLE for the M6, for the mechanical reliability and...it's an M6 lol
And it’s an m6 lol 😆
@@BadFlashes oh and love the banter in your video! Subscriber earned!
Oh yayayayayay so glad you dig the content 🥳
How many hours did it take to edit this video? It's well done: the music, closeups, titles/graphics, etc. It looks like it was made with a team of 5 or more people.
Haha I’ll take that :)
Thanks so much! Just me and my two hands and ten fingers … maybe the cat helped too 🙂
The colours are so good!
I have a question for you Caleb.
If the Leica glass is so good, why didn't you buy into the R-System?
It's still got the red dot, and they're much cheaper than the M-System.
Leica glass is good but the M system is a different eco system giving a different user experience.
Yeah I like the M system. Rangefinders are my jam!
Such a nice short strap! Where'd you get it from?
Clever supply co
Love love love it!
@@BadFlashes y'all look like my Dad in 1983 rockin that short strap...It's probably why you can tell a Gen-X photographer walking down the street because we rebelled and went with the low-slung over the shoulder side-mount 54" strap so our camera can whack us on the hip. Take that DAD! :P
This video just convinced me to finally buy an M6. I have zero regrets.
10/10 worth it … let us work it!
Silly Question..... I'm on my 3rd... thanks.... working on my 2nd lens....
Dope!!!
I stopped by at camera store and they have a Leicaflex camera in stock. The leica itch started and I've been looking up leicaflex cameras till I bought one on silver chrome. Two months later I bought the lenses. Somehow I keep searching Leica M6 cameras and even though I already own a leica camera....😅
Oh I get that. I still look toooo
I had an m3 with 5cm summicron in the early 2000's and i got it for ~$500. It was an amazing camera and I was sad that I had to sell it after a few years. I could never justify buying another one because the price is so high. I eventually found a jammed canon 7 at the thrift store for $5 and I fixed it myself. I then found a mju2 at a flea market for $2. I sold the mju2 for a huge profit that I used to get the voigtlander color skopar that you have but in thread mount. The canon 7 with that lens is almost as good (imo) but only cost me $7 instead of thousands. But my favorite 35mm camera to use is the nikon fm2. It's all mechanical with a light meter, 1/4000 top speed, split image focusing screen, has great lenses and everything is much more affordable than leica. With a pancake lens it is just as compact as a leica as well. You could get an fm2 and a set of epic nikkor lenses for a fraction of the cost of a leica m with 1 leica lens. But that being said, if someone wants a leica, can easily afford it and feel comfortable using/carrying something that expensive (worrying about the camera will lead to missed shots/opportunities ) then they should get it and see if they like it. You can always sell it later as long as it doesn't break or get stolen
I’ve always been intrigued by those canon 7’s …. That’s not a bad find at all! I definitely feel what you’re putting down
Love the channel! 🔥🔥🔥 And 04:17 is a winner!!! 😂😂😂😂😂
Hah aw thanks :)
Great analysis, but as a retiree on an Air Force pension, it may be a little out of my price range! Keep up the great videos!
Maybe your new boss might be able to help a bit 😆
Same here for started with looking at Bessa then end up with a brand new MP for my case. I chose it because it’s fully mechanical so less likely to fail and have a better chance of being repairable as it’s a in-production and popular model.
The lack of close focus, zoom lens and not good with tele lenses are real bummer though.
I do miss my days of shooting film Canon EOS with their modern-ish handling and optics.
What happened to the canon EOS? Those modern lenses are pretty nice to have haha
Lmao I just bought an absolutely mint M4 with all the original paperwork and recent CLA paperwork. Then I see this video. You were pretty spot on with the price range. Just add a grand.
Oh shit. Welll you know things change everyday
Why not? Before I use Leica, I was working with my Canon and Nikon cameras. After many years, I got a Leica camera. Then, I truly love photography, as a hobby. Leica inspired me to take photos, not just for working. Maybe it is not the best one, but Leica is better enough for me. It is not a toy, or whatever, it is just a simple camera to me.
I have been lusting after Leica MP or M6 for years but just never could justify the investment. Last year I got a mint conditions Canon P and the ltm version Color Skopar 35mm/f2.5 lens. Its 1/10th the price of M6 with same lens. Im very happy with the Canon P - its very smooth and solid fully mechanical camera.
Awesome !!! I just got a canon 1.8 LTM lens... I've always wanted to try out the Canon P ... maybe someday
The M5 gets a lot of hate but I love my ugly duckling! It also felt right to double up and grab an M10-P!
I know they get a lot of hate but to be honest… there is something intriguing about it 😂🥰
@@BadFlashes Keep hating on it publicly, PLEASE. ;)
Should I buy a Q2? I finally have the money, but...I need some help off the ledge.
I’ve unfortunately never used a q2 😬
So so sorry
I know this sounds stupid but my first film camera was a Leica Minilux... Still have it and I love it to bits.
Not stupid. Solid. Love that you are still rocking it!
I want one but I want to keep my collection small. I feel like being super familiar with a camera allows for the best work and a rangefinder just doesn't make sense for my main camera.
I get that. You know yourself. Love that :)
@@BadFlashes the main issues for me are I like the option of Macro lens and most of the time when I go out to take photos, it is by bike and includes time of single track or gravel roads and I'd be worried about the rangefinder getting out of alignment. On the other hand, who doesn't want to fill like Henri Cartier-Bresson
The cost of getting into the Leica game can be recouped on the way out. Even if the camera has depreciated it will not have depreciated much. So what you do, in effect, is rent a really good camera for peanuts. And while I was at first skeptical I have found my M9 a really good camera to work with. And the color and resolution are near the best. And as a popular platform there are lots of really good lenses available in the used market. So, up front cost is steep. But look at what you get.
Bc they be the best!!!!!!!!!!!
Honestly, the only reason why i want a leica is that i was born in and grew up in Wetzlar, Germany. So it's really just an emotional thing haha
lol fair. I get that 🤣
I want an M6 so bad. This video is so timely. One day :’)
One day. #goals
Don't waste your money on one. I had an M6 TTL and 5-6 lenses including the legendary Noctilux. Yes, the build quality is great, it looks great and it might even be a good investment from financial point of view. But to take pictures? No, thanks! Why? First of all it's hard to focus manually with a Leica. If you try to take pictures at f1.2 or even with f0.95 all you get are soft pictures because the range finger mechanism is not precisely enough for anything faster than f2. You'll also be unable to focus anything that's moving. I tried it for 2-3 years and failed. And if focus isn't correct all those expensive lenses are useless. Ever tried to focus a subject that is not in the middle of the frame? Forget it. Yes, you can focus and then change framing, but if you want to shoot wide open the image will be soft again because the plane of focus is just somewhere else after re-framing. Ever tried to even put in a film into a Leica M? It's fiddling around for some minutes because the mechanics are so old fashioned and complicated. Ever tried to shoot wide open in bright sunshine? 1/1000s won't be short enough. Do you know how many pictures I took with the lens cap still on the lens? You won't see that through the viewfinder 😅 I sold my Leica M6 more than a decade ago and still don't regret it.
@@stefan_becker to each his own!
Depends on your shooting preference. I prefer 6x6 or 6x7, sometimes that's not Leica's domain :)
Oh … I get that haha
Not sure how this guy doesn't have more followers.
🥹🥹🥹🥰
@@BadFlashes For real man! Your content's got kick, it's unique. I feel inspired to continue bankrupting myself on creamy analog goodness :)
Hahaha well don’t bankrupt yourself but I’m glad you enjoy the channel!!! :)
I mean, you could be crazy, but I don’t think it’s strictly related to your camera choices.😹 I’m really enjoying my Minolta CLE, and it’s Canonet buddy. I didn’t used to like rangefinders, but I think I’m getting into them. I also used to have a voigtlander R3M, and I sort of miss that one now. Getting one again costs 3x what I sold it for a decade ago, and used only! 😅
It’s mostly SLRs for me, but… I’m clearly changing in my old age 😹😸
Hahahha naw. All is welcome. And I feel ya on the R3M … those are sick
@@BadFlashes and I’m even coming around on 40mm as a focal length! 😹 (one of the R3M’s frame lines)
I've owned a smattering of non Leica rangefinders, zorkis, electro, canonet, minolta, canon 7... I've loved them all however I still lust for a Leica. Pretty sure this is a common theme, I'm also pretty sure that resistance is futile.
Give in !!!! 😆😆😆
The M5 has a great light meter interface in the viewfinder. I think it's better than the M6 arrows. The M 5 strap lugs are less likely to snap off / cause light leaks, so there is also that.
I also really enjoy my Leica CL, and I think, it's easier to load than the M bodies.
The film advance on Leicas cameras, the feel of the shutter button and the sound of the shutter across all the models is in a league of its' own.
I do wish, they had made a medium format film Leica though - a Leica M645, M670 or M690, that would be my white whale camera. For now the Mamiya 6 holds that title for me...
Mamiyas are sexy!!!!!
But yeah a medium format Leica. I mean that would be great!
A Leica medium format camera would be unaffordable to most mortals. Like the digital S bodies, where a combination of a body and lens is tens of thousands of dollars versus the sub 10k investment for any film Leica M with any lens (other than the Noctilux).
Ok very true haha
Had an M5. Loved my M5. Sold my M5. Regrets.
So many regrets.
There will be another…. I can foresee it
Very few people can fix the M5 light meter. It's a very unsafe investment.
Maybe get one on discount haha
@@MusicByAngels When I bought it, it broke twice within the 6 month warranty period. Second break was the shutter mechanism. They (repair people) had to MAKE a part for it. When I got it back the second time I asked the dealer what they would do with it, and he said "Get rid, quick".
Shame. It's a fabulous camera. I loved mine for the short time I had it. In a world of people with an M6, get an M5. But be prepared to sell it for spares when it goes wrong....
@@walliswizard Agree. It really is a shame. Wonderful camera, but too much of a risk.
Most people buy Leicas just to take photos of their Leicas and talk about how great their Leicas are while sipping coffee with their Leicas sitting on a table.
Shit, how did you know that’s what I’m doing at the moment 😳😬😵💫
You’re good! ☺️😆
No I'm here because I'm subscribed for the shenanigans.
Aw thanks for the sub!!!
Your analogue imaging universe is cool to experience through your vids - I'm just too lazy to live there.
Oh I get that. But I’m glad you dig the videos :)
I went from analogue Leica R to Leica digital in 2005 - or I had to, because I'm a press photographer. Today I would not even consider investing in an analogue M camera, because the work flow is too slow and expensive too. If I shoot film again, I can take my R 6.2 from the shelf and carry on. I absolutely love my M240 and M-P240, they're my best digital tool I ever used.
I’ve been looking at a digital m … are the 240s the only ones you have used.
@@BadFlashes I started out with a Digilux 2. My first M was the M8, I bought second hand. Nice, but too slow for professional work. I considered getting an M10 instead of my M240, but in comparison the M240 is faster in handling, so I bought a new M-P240, which was a left over on the shelf in a dealership. I got for half of the normal retail price. Lovely beast! The M11 is overkill for me. So I can recommand the M240 and M-P240 as a good entry level Leica M digital camera.
Ohhh that’s cool to know 😂
Like your POV. I get it that a lot of ppl like SLR’s more but comparing them against one another is like comparing apples and oranges. Like answering a Stephen Cobert questionnaire, there is no correct answer. Some ppl just like apples more like some ppl like rangefinders more.
For my photographic experience I just prefer Leica’s more. My M3, M2’s and Leica IIIa works for me. My Nikon F and F2 were just too heavy and bulky for how I enjoy my photographic experience.
I prefer the older Leica M’s with 3 frame lines as I shoot mostly with a 28mm, 35mm and 50mm.
To each their own and please respect their choice.
Oh im so glad you like the videos :)
And I totally agree with you!
apple vs oranges vs watermelon 🍉
I'm currently saving for a Hasselblad. Somehow I feel like getting a Leica would interfere with that goal. 🤔
Yeah I get that. It totally would. 😬😝
ill never probably buy a leica, but im hoping to be able to pull the trigger on a bessa r in the next year or so… and eventually invest what i save on the body in a leica lens, though in the meantime ill probably pair it with some voigtlander glass
Hey. Can’t go wrong with that at all! I’m into it.
@@BadFlashes the main thing keeping me from pulling the trigger every time i see a solid deal pop up is im still not totally sold on rangefinders. ive been practicing with the ovf on my x100f but its just weird to me. plus i mean ultimately i dont need the bessa any more than i need a leica, but the bessa is just a far more affordable indulgence.
Which one in three am I?
That’s up to you! Haha
Umm.... after 3-4 months of struggling my own, I found it's not worth 2-3 grand. although I found a mint Konica Hexar RF for less than $700, no doubt the voigtlander lenses are best in the world, haven't yet used any Leica lens on it. But I do agree the form factor is really great, the weight of the body feels like you have a solid camera in hand. and just like film Cargo pants might get cool again. :D Please review any TTartisan / 7artisans lenses now you have M6.
Aw yeah I get that. I saw one of those cameras this past weeks. They are cool.
Unfortunately I probably won’t review TT OR 7 … I had one and I didn’t like the calibration process
@@BadFlashes They say fixing the konica Hexar RF is going to be nearly impossible because of the complexity and only few technicians around, but I guess, will have to see when I get there.
Oh noooo not worth it. Don’t put yourself though that potential pain in the future 😭
The 200gb iCloud account was the real flex of the video, not the gorgeous Leica.
Hahahahha you see me!!! 😆
Dunno. This cam style good for street, but waist finder better than rf for street. Pricewise, similiar with hasselblad, i definitly prefer digital medium format than digital RF if the price similiar especially the MF not that bigger than full frame
GO BIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Idk. I've had 3 M6's over the years, I sold all of them
They're great cameras don't get me wrong. Back like 4 years ago when you could get one for 1600, sure why not grab one?
But 2800 plus a lens. It's hard to just be cool carrying around 4k everywhere. Same with my Mamiya 7, I used to take it everywhere but then some jackass smashed my window and went through my case because he saw a open portra wrapper on the passenger seat and got a free camera. Even though insurance gave me like 5k to replace it, I don't take it out of the house as much as I want because what if?
for 35mm it's way easier to just carry around an F3, if it becomes gone like that sucks but it's basically replacing a set of tires instead of the entire car.
Yeah I get that. I just love my so so much. I’ll totally risk it 🤣
Funny thing, the first time I held an M6 I immediately compared it to the Canon F1n. They felt the same. I love the F1n and couldn't possibly justify buying the M6, but I'm probably going to, just to spite my bank manager.
That checks out 🤣
Why invest in the establishment when you can invest in old camera technology lol
Aaaand I just bought the M6. Pray for me.
Oh damn fam that’s hawt
Kaleb, my guy, when are you gonna get some Leica Glass!?
What, you don’t approve of some voigtlander glass? Haha
@@BadFlashes I do, I also started out with a skopar and a nokton , but Leica glass is insane , you gotta steal Jason’s summicron it’s a game changer!
I mean I do plan on testing those lenses for sure
Personally I think it's wild what they're charging for this camera especially since I've seen quite a few forum posts of people dealing with light meters dying on them and I even found two instances of people reporting the ISO dial not functioning properly
Hum that’s interesting. I’ve had no issues with mine thankfully
@@BadFlashes that's good, my main point is I was surprised to hear of it happening at all
@RabidNemo yeah totally. Weird shit totally happens haha
Great video. Gonna say no. It's not worth it. Save the money, get a Canon 7 or Canon P. And with the money you save on the body, invest in good LTM (Leica Thread Mount) glass. At the end of the day a camera body is just a light tight box. The real magic is in the lens.
That being said GAS is real. If you're lusting for the red dot, and you can afford it.... meh, I'd still say get the Canon... but you do you. 😄
Exactly, You do you! 🥰
Couldn't agree more!
With the film loading you noted at around 4 minutes: you do not have to advance the film with the bottom plate off! It feels unnatural to not advance it because of SLRs usually requiring it, but just thread the tongue of the film into the prongs and put the bottom plate back on. That’s it. After many, many rolls of film (and other RUclipsrs saying the same thing as well), trust in the heart of the cards! Wait. That’s something else. Save those film frames!
Hahah oh for sure. I mostly only do it to make sure 100% it takes up. But I do see what you are saying for sure. Maybe someday I’ll have that trust in me haha
Actually i have m4 ;3 But it is in transit. Can't wait becouse i hear so many good about Leica. Personally i want small film camera with no problems. B4 i had Olympus om1, om2 , om2n, Nikon SII Nikon SP and many.... many russian camera but.... all have same problems.... they broke. I need Camera for life.
And about leica m5. I could have it but there is no in my country ;/
Time to take a trip 😜
Loved the video, thanks.
Yayayayaya !
seriously, don't see a reason to buy a Leica body, if you are not going to put a quality piece of glass out front. But i like your point about voigtlander and zeiss. got to have leica mount on them. Good vid and good shots!
Thanks! Glass is always the winner 😝
You have a great point !
Goddammit Caleb! It's the people with M-mount cameras buying up all the less expensive LTM lenses, then using an M-adapter, that are making affordable options for those of us with LTM cameras harder to find. And honestly, if what you want to shoot is Leica lenses, you don't need a Leica camera for it. You could even adapt those lenses to mirrirless digital .
I mean, unfortunately I can see that. But I think all lenses across The board are going up no matter what system
@@BadFlashes Yeah, but I can't find a decent Canon 35mm f/2.8 LTM lens for under $200 for my Canon 7 because all you M-mount boys bought them up to adapt to your fancy Leicas! I went with a Jupiter 12 instead. Just like your buddy Jason did for a while.
@@ldstirling 🤣🤣😅😅🤭
Let's make it clear here, by Leica, we are only talking about film cameras, right? Because I see people crazing about Leica morrow less and... I am confused, with that price tag, why not just getting a Hasselblad?
Everyone really should try M3! That is the real pinaccle of M body
OH damn ... that is what I have heard
@@BadFlashes basically M3 is superior to M6 in every single way. If you have not you really have to try it. the shutter and winding lever of M3 is magnificent... also the bright and big viewfider...+ if you get M3 plz dont attatch external meter which looks so so so stupid!!!
@@taehanyoun8126 But if you like to use a 35mm lens... ? Also the Seiichi Furuya photo of his wife Christine (Izu, 1978) proves Leicas with external light meters are cool!
@@stephenhurling I admit, light meter part of my last comment is very subjective. Viewfinder though, in my case, I sometimes use 35mm on my M3 and I dont mind it. Framelines on rf cameras aren't accurate anyway so I just assume the full viewfinder window(+a bit more) matches 35mm angle and it hits pretty well. I don't do precise framing with my leica. When I need to, I'll pick up my another beloved one, the pentax 67😆
@@taehanyoun8126 That totally makes sense. I'm scared to even pick up an M3 (or M2 or M4) - will just keep stroking my FM2t!
5:45 genuinely made me lol
Hahaha 😂
Sick!!!