A little game: MP or M3?

[f16sunshine]

I would go the M3 in this case.
Personally I do like metered bodies but, I don't like LED displays.
For myself I use M5, one with stock frame lines and one with M6 frame lines.
Never have tried an MP or any of the unmetered M's so the M3 is of interest.
The M6 metering light show in the VF was not so good so I passed it on ....

[morback]

I wish I had a perfect condition M3 to compare & use. I now only have an M2 and MP. The Zeiss' viewfinder is "identical" in concept to the M3, and it was very nice indeed.

I use the MP 95% of the time since I got it. Not sure why, there's no practical reason for it. In fact:

+I find the finder inferior in some ways (lines not as consistency clear and contrasty as the M2, prefer yellow over white patch).
+I even had a misload on my first reload on the MP (while on horseback in the snow, that was fun). In fact I had more misloads with the MP than with the M2 (0).
+it's impossible to keep those flush viewfinder & rangefinder windows clean from fingerprints. Even the coating makes it harder to remove finger smudges.
+plastic frame illumination window and frame counter annoys the crap out of me.

I think the reason I use the MP more are:
+gentler on my (plastic) eyeglass lenses.
+frames are smaller, easier to see with glasses. I just need to lean in more for "proper" framing.
+easier to change shutter speeds with the tip of my index while walking.
+slightly better in dim environments (for framing, not necessarily focusing)
+it's black, I want to see it brass!

Meter is a non-issue, the MP has no battery. I use a Gossen when in doubt.

I wonder why Leica has not brought back the old-style M3 viewfinder. I would seriously consider that. But no rounded corners please!

[suckerpunch]

mp all the way. clean. classic. meter.

[dave lackey]

Originally Posted by Mackinaw

Do what I did and buy both. I use the MP for most everything, the M3 when I feel nostalgic.

Jim B.

Bingo! Life is too short for this either/or crap. Get BOTH!

[dave lackey]

Seriously? Like the up-talk kids say these days? Seriously?



'Nuff said.

[Clancycoop]

M6 TTL.

I like how the shutter speed dial is easier to turn and turns the way that the meter arrows point. To me it is more natural and I have both an M6 classic and TTL.

Remember that the MP is just an expensive re-release of the M6 with a viewfinder upgrade. If you feel like paying an extra $2000 for glossy paint and a flare-less finder, that is fine. Even as I mock it, I find myself falling prey to their marketing, but then remember that I would have to sell my 50mm Summicron and M6 just to get an MP body, and for what?

Do you already have a lens? Remember that the lens takes the picture, not the camera body which is just a dark box which holds the film. All other details are creature comforts and dependability. Definitely don't buy an MP before considering how much your lens will cost.

[dave lackey]

So, Akiva, I think there are more answers than just M3 or MP. For example:

Black Paint MP! IF I had the money. Nothing else in that price range works for me, just the black pain MP.

Green M3 until I win the lottery.

But if I won the lottery, I would certainly buy both.

[chrishayton]

Originally Posted by gilpen123

I think barrack is prettier than any M.

Obama?

Ready to Go Rally, Richmond, VA, May 5th, 2012 by Barack Obama, on Flickr

A perfect M3 would be my pick over an MP. anything less than mint and Id go for the M3. its a pure fondle thing though. My M4-P is ideal for me as its the most versatile meter less M (it also cost me next to nothing)

[kshapero]

Originally Posted by Pirate

M3

You don't need 35mm frame lines, everything you see in the viewfinder is your 35mm area.

Yes I do that all the time.

[kshapero]

Originally Posted by thomasw_

Given the dichotomy the OP sets, I'd go with the M3 over the MP .85x -- due to the fact that the red dot/arrows in the VF drive me to compositional confuzzlement while shooting in low light situations or they slow me down by how often they advise me to adjust (usually in useless small increments) my aperture or shutter speed. This is assuming I am wanting a body for shooting a 50/75/90 etc...

To my mind the best all-round M (which, for me, has to be without an in-camera meter) would be a M4-P. Its 28/35/50/75 lines do any framing I might want and its a simple no nonsense M that never distracts me while I am composing. I just had my M4-p buffed, too; so now it looks as good as it functions for me!

Urg, you could take the battery out of the M6.

[kshapero]

Originally Posted by dave lackey

So, Akiva, I think there are more answers than just M3 or MP. For example:

Black Paint MP! IF I had the money. Nothing else in that price range works for me, just the black pain MP.

Green M3 until I win the lottery.

But if I won the lottery, I would certainly buy both.

I vote for my M3 but secretly love the MP.

[Pete B]

I ditched my MP for 2 M2s and never looked back
Pete

[PrimeTime]

Another vote for a used M6
- CLA
- Masked 135/75 Framelines
- MP Upgrade
- MP/M3 Advance Lever
- Re-Skin it

Then use the rest of the $$$ on "another" craigslist fridge & a ___ load of film

[robbeiflex]

^ this is exactly what I did, plus made it into an "M6 black dot anti-panda". and no regrets. Will go for an MP only when the money is no object and I can do something similar a la carte.

Cheers,
Rob

[seakayaker1]

I choose the Black Paint MP (traded in a used M7 to make the purchase)

. . . . . a short time later I picked up a mint Chrome M6 TTL VF 0.85.


Most often have a 35 or 50 on the MP, and a 75 or 90 on the M6.

Others in the past have complained about small speed dial (MP) vs big speed dial (M6 TTL) and the need to move in the opposite direction with the MP and in the same direction that the arrow is pointing with the M6 as being problems. I find no difficulty moving from one camera to the other. Enjoy having two film cameras with different focal lengths when out for a walk.

A plus to the M6 TTL when it comes to loading film, for me it is just easier and quicker to load a new roll with the M6 TTL.

A plus to the MP is the film rewind, for me I find it easier to use then the M6 and I like the look of the camera better.


What ever works for folks, I don't think they can make a bad choice.

[Moriturii]

I think you all should buy... an M3. I am so shameless!!

I am sort of in love with an M6 at the moment though.

[Timmyjoe]

Originally Posted by richardhkirkando

I don't think I could ever justify paying $3000+ for a 35mm camera. I'd go with an M2 . . .

That's what I did. Looked lustfully at a BP MP but couldn't justify the cash. Found a very nice M2-S (with M4,6,7,P loading) and it's great. Learned to live without the built in meter. And it was only $1200, having just had a CLA from Sherry.

Best,
-Tim

[alexnotalex]

M3, the finder is perfect (for me at least) learn sunny16 and use the lightmeter iphone app. Keep the cash for your birth year summicron

[Roger Hicks]

MP. Meter, 35mm frame lines, Leicavit, and (I suspect) rather cheaper if you want black paint.

Cheers,

R.

[errorlogin]

If I had the choice between a modern MP and a M3.....

I would go for the M3, no doubt!

Better built quality than the modern MP, no plastic parts and better finder for me. And this old thing just looks cool with the framed windows. Backdoor looks also much nicer than the modern MP.

I don't need a built in meter, I prefer to use my separated one. Don't know why, I just like it more. Just for verifying as I am guesstimating most of the time.


Oh, I would go for the old, original MP.....but....you know! Dreaming!

And maybe I would go for the modern MP-3. I have seen it once in natural and I have to say, it's really cute. Wanted to buy it. Went to the bank to get the money, and when I came back, the seller told me, that he decided to keep it. Sad story. But I learned the lesson to have the money with me. Just in case.

[steveyork]

I had a pair of MPs for 10 years, loved them, used then all over, from Russia to the Galapagos, but recently got rid of both, because I started to view them as a bit fraudulent, and overpriced, and they don't do anything an M6 or M5 can't do (at half the price). Over the last year or two, I sold both MPs and an M7 (actually made money, even though I used one of the MPs for a decade) and got an M5, and then another M5. Great, functional camera. So yes, my vote is to go with the older cameras. There's something special about them.

I've never been a big fan of the M6. A capable camera, but compared to the older cameras they feel just "so, so." Nothing special.

[Drago]

Originally Posted by thomasw_

Given the dichotomy the OP sets, I'd go with the M3 over the MP .85x -- due to the fact that the red dot/arrows in the VF drive me to compositional confuzzlement while shooting in low light situations or they slow me down by how often they advise me to adjust (usually in useless small increments) my aperture or shutter speed. This is assuming I am wanting a body for shooting a 50/75/90 etc...

To my mind the best all-round M (which, for me, has to be without an in-camera meter) would be a M4-P. Its 28/35/50/75 lines do any framing I might want and its a simple no nonsense M that never distracts me while I am composing. I just had my M4-p buffed, too; so now it looks as good as it functions for me!

Here's a recent snap:

That looks really good. How hard removing those Leica m4-p engravings
is ?

[kshapero]

Anyone thrown a CV 40 on an M3. I am thinking this would work just fine.

[paradoxbox]

shooting a 40 on an m3 is great, the actual viewfinder window shows a 40mm frame (not 35) so it's even better than using 35mm.

that being said i also use a 35mm on my m3 without an external finder or goggles and it's just fine.

i made this same decision about a month or two ago when i bought my m3. i had enough money for any leica barring the m9, and eventually settled on the m3 because the viewfinder was the best and the operation of the camera was the quietest and smoothest. in addition the heavyness of the body was a great attractive feature for me - i feel the m3's heavy body lets me take pictures at lower shutter speeds than many other lightweight plastic cameras do.

one thing that was sort of important for me was the rangefinder patch's visibility. the m3's patch doesn't disappear - ever. i don't know about the mp but i do know that sometimes if you look through the viewfinders of other m's or other rangefinders the patch will disappear - you have to look at the finder straight on. the m3's patch just stays there no matter what. that was something i noticed quickly.

[thegman]

I traded my M3 for an MP, for me, it's probably not worth it. I was concerned about light leaks etc. in the M3, so a fully CLA'd M3 without any issues would be very nice. The MP is a lovely camera of course, but I preferred the frame lines of the M3. I'd maybe trade for an M3 and an Ikon, the Ikon for the wider frames like 28mm, and the M3 for 50mm and 90mm.

MP is great, but it did not grab me the way the M3 did.