which should i buy?

[jody36]

Got a budget of 500 us. I can get a m3 or a nokon 50mm. in the opinion of the leica owners here which should I buy? May be awhile before I can buy both. I have several rangefinders that could use lens and several lenses that can use camera. I do not have any spectacular lenses.

[Roger S]

Leica bodies are an absolute joy to use, but they won't make your images any better. Given a choice, go for the lens.

[rover]

If you have a little of each, but not a spectacular lens, buy a spectacular lens. If to you the Nok is that lens, do it. If it is just going to be "another" lens in your opinion, then save the $500 and keep looking.

[Merkin]

If you are most unhappy with your bodies, get a body. If you are most unhappy with your lenses, get a lens. If you can't decide, wait, save up more loot, and get something you know you will be super thrilled with. Alternately, you could sell some of the gear you aren't thrilled with to bump up the amount you have to spend on something nice.

[payasam]

You don't say which bodies and lenses you have, nor what kind of photos you take. Perhaps you do not really need either an M3 or a Nokton.

[jody36]

I have a fed 3,5, zorki 1,3,4,6, bessa R, and jupiter 8,12 cannon serinar 50mm 1.8 I think it is. A few other russian lenses. Use the bessa the most. I take family pics and pics of graveyards. Some pics in nightclubs. Would like to take more street pics.

[Ken Ford]

In that case, *if it were me* I'd be buying a decent M body to use with my existing lenses. Then only if I found I needed it I'd look for new glass later.

With your bag o'glass I wouldn't be surprised to see that it takes a while to buy something else.

[35mmdelux]

if in budget crunch, liquidate all and buy one M camera and one spectacular lens. When $ loosens up, buy backup camera/lens.

There is nothing like shooting thru spectacular glass sharply and looking/printing the results. WoW!

[Debusti Paolo]

maybe you can buy a used nokton 35/1.2 ,,,

[januaryman]

Originally Posted by jody36

I have a fed 3,5, zorki 1,3,4,6, bessa R, and jupiter 8,12 cannon serinar 50mm 1.8 I think it is. A few other russian lenses. Use the bessa the most. I take family pics and pics of graveyards. Some pics in nightclubs. Would like to take more street pics.

I was almost EXACTLY where you were until a short while ago. I strongly suggest that you get the Leica and use the J8 and J9 with a couple of adapters! The Jupiters are VERY good and reasonable lenses, but the clacking lightweight Bessa R needs to sit home while you use an M2. The difference in the experience is pretty surprising. I still have my Beesa R and use it for a second because 1) it's light, 2) it's not too expensive so I wouldn't really despair if I lost or broke it, and 3) it has a meter you can use to double check your Sunny 16 quesstimates!

Tgis is of course, just my opinion, but uif I was standing in your shoes, there would be no hesitation. All you need later is a nice 35mm lens like the Canon/Serenar 35/2.8 or a newer model J12.

[Kozhe]

I´d buy the M3, you allready have some good lenses to make great photos. Ok, the jupiters are not boutique lenses but they do a nice job.

Moreover you have quite a nice camera set with those 6 fsu leica evolutions (which I love) a "real" one would be nice in your collection and to compare, isn´t it?