Love my M2 !!!

[sparrow6224]

Yea though I walk through the valley of the M2 myth, I fear not
For Tom A is my shepherd
And I shall not fall for eBay scams....

I wasn't going in for that M2 anyway; too pricey. Did you guys see the one that had never been used? Or so it was claimed. Sure was pretty.

Meanwhile, a question: what is the difference in practical terms between the button rewind and the lever? Is one better than another, more reliable etc? Or does the distinction merely signify date of production?

Thanks

Vince

[raytoei@gmail.com]

i keep my fingers crossed. the Franken-M2 will be in my grubby hands next week... and I will post some pictures and run through a test roll. I wait with bated breath.

[Tom A]

Originally Posted by sparrow6224

Meanwhile, a question: what is the difference in practical terms between the button rewind and the lever? Is one better than another, more reliable etc? Or does the distinction merely signify date of production?

Thanks

Vince

The button versus the lever rewind is just a matter of ergonomics. Very early M2's had an inconvinient button that had to be held down while rewinding the film, later it had a "lock" that made it stay put. The lever stays put and is easier to handle.

[davedunne]

I picked up this M2 at a photo fair a few weeks ago and I have to say I am in love with this camera.

Right now I am shooting with a CV Nokton 35mm f/1.4 and a cheap Jupiter 8 50mm f/2. Saving up for a better 50mm but not sure what to get yet.

[januaryman]

Some of my favorites shots around DC were taken with my M2, like this one.

[sparrow6224]

Thanks Tom. A friend just sent me this link. Quite funny. And it mentions you! Says, "Tom A. knows everything." You probably have seen it already but others might not have-- called "I Want to Buy a Rangefinder" :
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7320285/

[Tom A]

I have had several links to it. Makes me nervous when one is "gurufied". Well done and quite funny. I just wish that leica would look at it and say: Ok, lets go back and remake the M2 (for less than $2000). Fat chance though. Good thing is that they made some 80-90 000 of them between 1957 and 1964. Plenty around for us addicts.
Going to a swap-meet on Sunday - I have started chanting "No more M2's" quietly already - as if that helps!!!!!

[bobwith2bees]

Tom:

sorry, I've been MIA . If you let me walk ahead of you as you walk around the room scouting for M2s, I can hide them all before you get there.

see you Sunday

bob

[ChrisLivsey]

Originally Posted by bobwith2bees

Tom:

sorry, I've been MIA . If you let me walk ahead of you as you walk around the room scouting for M2s, I can hide them all before you get there.

bob

I can buy them all before you get there?

[Tom A]

There are not that many around in Vancouver anymore!

[sparrow6224]

Another question for the M2 lovers: if one were to pick up the 35/2.8 Summaron with goog-goog-googly eyes, but own an M2 and not an M3, and so mount it on the M2 would one go blind or grow hair on the palms or what? Would the M2 rangefinder still work? I'll worry about my hand and eyes on my own....

[ItsReallyDarren]

Originally Posted by sparrow6224

Another question for the M2 lovers: if one were to pick up the 35/2.8 Summaron with goog-goog-googly eyes, but own an M2 and not an M3, and so mount it on the M2 would one go blind or grow hair on the palms or what? Would the M2 rangefinder still work? I'll worry about my hand and eyes on my own....

Yes, it will still work. The goggled Summaron 35 will bring up the 50mm framelines. The goggles will demagnify the framelines to correct the view to 35mm. The corners will get a little blurry and the overall image through the viewfinder will lower in contrast a little. Much depends if there is any haze in the goggles.

[mathomas]

Originally Posted by davedunne

I picked up this M2 at a photo fair a few weeks ago and I have to say I am in love with this camera.

Right now I am shooting with a CV Nokton 35mm f/1.4 and a cheap Jupiter 8 50mm f/2. Saving up for a better 50mm but not sure what to get yet.

Congrats, I've shot quite a lot with just that combo and have enjoyed it immensely. You might consider the Zeiss Sonnar or Planar as your 50mm.

[sparrow6224]

Dear I-can't-believe-it's-not-Darren:
Thank you. That's basically what I thought, though it didn't occur to me that it would bring up the 50mm framelines... I thought at worst it might overmagnify the 35 frameline area in a way one could compensate for. And it doesn't affect the rangefinder or parallax or anything like that.
Thanks.

[davedunne]

Originally Posted by mathomas

You might consider the Zeiss Sonnar or Planar as your 50mm.

I have been researching the Planar as well as the Summicron 50mm (an old one). A Planar new is around the same price as a Summicron Rigid from the 60s.

[sara]

I adore my M2.
Recently, it suffered a chip in the leather and I screamed.
But its okay, it's my preciousssssssssssssss

But yeah, my M2 is literally, my boyfriend, any unwanted hands on it, I will slap you :P LOL

[Doug]

At the time I got it, I had a feeling I was rescuing my M2 from oblivion... a dusty back shelf in the camera shop. It was 9 years old, and as I recall the clerk said it had been a professional's camera. Well used but well treated. Smooooooth! The seller may have traded it in on the latest Leica M4, just introduced. Or possibly switched to SLR, as RF popularity faded, maybe a Nikon F.

It's had an easy life with me, treated to CLAs every couple decades. I mostly had a 35 Summicron on it, but could never quite see the whole horizontal frame at once, never mind any view outside it. So last summer I gave the prized camera a gift of a freshly-CLA'd 35/2.8 Summaron with goggles.

This was after I got my first peek at the viewfinder with a 50mm lens attached. I liked the view enough to get me started looking for the Summaron. I'm enjoying seeing the world around the framelines for the first time! Even more fond now of the M2 than before...

[mathomas]

Originally Posted by Tom A

The button versus the lever rewind is just a matter of ergonomics. Very early M2's had an inconvinient button that had to be held down while rewinding the film, later it had a "lock" that made it stay put. The lever stays put and is easier to handle.

Plus, you probably don't put the camera into rewind mode as easily with the lever (?). I'm constantly pressing the rewind button on my locking button rewind model when digging it out of the bag. I know it's not harmful, but still...

[TheHub]

Originally Posted by Doug

At the time I got it, I had a feeling I was rescuing my M2 from oblivion... a dusty back shelf in the camera shop. ...

It's had an easy life with me, treated to CLAs every couple decades. ...

Weird, that sounds like my M2. I picked it up a month or so ago, and it was cheap because the VF isn't in the best condition. Fungus had taken its toll and left its mark I think the shop was just trying to sell it off quickly.

The previous owner seems to have had it serviced: it's whisper quiet, buttery smooth and even has new shutter curtains. I use it with a small Canon 35/2, and it's so much fun to use

[rpilottx]

Well, I have an M2 on the way from RAZOR. Have decided to stick with film for the time being (giving my Canon S90 to my daughter).

Had a couple M2's back in the 90's and as everyone says, I should never have sold them. The one coming from RAZOR looks to be in great shape. It will serve as my second M body to compliment the M4.

I presently have 15/35/50/ and 90 focal length lenses. Am thinking about a 21 or 24 (probably CV or perhaps zeiss). The 24 is one of my favorites with the Nikon F. And I need a camera strap.

[rpilottx]

My M2 just arrived from RAZOR. It is an early version and in great shape. Now I have owned all the M's up to the M7. I owned an M2 back in the late 1990's so I should not be that enamored with it's "magic", it's not like I am an M2 virgin so to speak.

Now I also own a very nice M4 which for the longest time represented (to me) the ultimate M since it was made in Germany and was the M which I could not afford in college.

Can't explain it but the M2 feels better. Perhaps it is simply that it is new to me. However, the viewfinder is great (and let's be honest, there is not that much difference between an M2's/M4's viewfinder) and I am liking it more then the M4, at least for now.

Go figure.

[Tom A]

I suspect that it is the "pure" Leica design. There is nothing you dont need attached to it - no extras.
I always feel that shooting with the M2 is photography as it once was. You get a good shot - you took it, warts and all.
A couple of lenses, a pocket full of film - the 35 on the M2, possibly a 50 or if you are daring, a 90 in the pocket. What else is needed?
Welcome back to the M2 fold.

[ZoomP]

My first M was a Robert repainted M2 but moved on to the convenient of a meter MP. A couple of years later, after accumulating M3, M4, M6, M8, and M9, my quest to return back to a M2 remains.

Bought a repainted M2 by Masa recently but the blackpaint too pretty to hold on, so I sold it to a buddy.

Was surfing ebay and was attracted by the green lizard skin on this user M2. Didn't expect to win the bid but I did. A trip to Youxin Ye to correct the slow shutter speed, and I received this baby on the first work day of the new year.

While the conditions a bit more user than expected, with some fungus on the viewfinder mask. Youxin said it could not be cleaned. Also noticed some play on the frame counter dial, but it's click and foward correctly.

Anyway, I suspect this will be my user M from now on. I coupled it with a Canon 35 f2.0 with some fungus too. The perfect Fungus pair.






The best part of this story is I've made a new friend with the seller. Turned out we both play the electric guitars and he used to be a member of a boutique guitar forum I used to co-host. Small world. A great deal on a M2 and a new found friend.

[behhl]

gosh ... the lizard skin is ... fuhhh! ;-)

[Erik van Straten]

Leica M2, Summaron 35mm f/2.8, Tmax400, negative scan.

Erik.