Leica Some thoughts on M5

[Hap]

I have been eyeing an M5 for a while now, reading about opinions on the net . Since I have CL and CLE (not real Leicas ...right?) I have some knowledge of using a metered M mount and rather thought the M5 would suit me better than a newer one. there are lots of reasons to consider an M5..need not be enumerated here cuz easy to find opinions and reviews.

Once I had it in my hand....it was large. I got over it. I loved the finder and 50mm frame lines with the spot meter lines around the rf patch. This makes it really easy to move the camera around and meter appropriately. It's nice to see the shutter speeds in the find and the matched needle system works well and intuitively. It really works like an AE type camera.

Sherry Krauter loves the M5...but some of y ou may think that is or is not an endorsement. she has her point.

My experience is such that you have to make some decisions. The meter needs to work or forget it. the repair will kill you. the battery voltage system requires adjustment. I found that the MR9 adapter did not work on the M5 as it did with the CL and my Canonet QL III 17. Can't screw in the battery cap. Wein cells are not a very good solution. Set aside $100.

the R/F........well these cameras can be old and finders age and begin to decement. Some finders flare. I don't quite understand but Leica in its bean counting wisdom started in with removing the anti flare optics in M5.....early models. Folks complained. You can't clean or fix the prism finder capsules, they have to be replaced and leica does not stock parts for M5 replacement. Some "upgrade" to MP finders, incorporating now the 28 frame lines with all the others.... At that point it is not really an M5 any more but some are big proponents. the ticket to play is variable but can be up to 500-600$ depending for this finder improvement.

And then there's the lugs.....good to have three. Two maybe not so good. If you have two....set aside $$.

the one I purchased had a useable finder but definitely ageing, decementing, and not pristine. Little branching black lines in the RF patch. My eyes need a clear finder that gives me a chance to focus in lower light....say like an M3!. It had to go. My 2003 350Z with 150K is starting to wear.....gaskets here, stabilizers there etc. Once ageing machines start "springing leaks".....it's a spiral . At least Nissan has the parts...or somebody does.

the M5 seems like really fine and useable M, perhaps more user friendly than my M or M4P..but not CLE. Howver, CLE and CL fail and your dead. the usual suspects in the rockstar group of those who fix M cameras......are not so fond of working on M5. ONe publically states no M5 or CL. Sherry seems to be bucking that trend.

I think if I really had a strong M5, I'd actually consider ousting the CLE and CL and possibly the M4 P....and keeping the M3. If you feel differently, bring it on.

 

[carlb]

Have you tried an M9? Very different beast, of course but I'm guessing a surprisingly similar experience (pretty much have to ignore the screen anyway). The CCD sensor in the M9 is so lovely. As film has its allure, the M9 CCD has something too. Not the best dynamic or noise specs, but just wonderful character and detail.

(Sorry, no direct experience with Leica film bodies.)

 

[Hap]

I've been doing my best to stick with film as much as possible , although have very decent nikon DSLR. Have regarded the digital M as generally too expensive an investment for me... However, I have probably over spent with the film cameras.

An M9 would probably be almost ideal a compromise between all the possibilities swirling in my head. An M8 could work.
the simplicity of the x series is very attractive. Lots of bang for buck in Oly, Panny, and Fuji..

The M5 is a very nice Leica. Prices now are rising because they are popular in a niche way. However, the user experience for me is very good.

 

[asiafish]

The M5 is my favorite camera, and when I shoot film, it is always the one I grab. Mine went to Sherry for full CLA and voltage adjustment, but I didn't add the third lug.

 

[Hap]

The only thing that held me back was a R/F patch that was not good and DAG and Sherry assured me it was decementing. Meaning.....a costly replacement. My other M's are sharp and easy to focus.

 

[tennjed]

It seems everyone, including myself, using an M5 today loves the thing. The first one I purchased was a 2 lug, and then I came across a three lug at a very reasonable price on Ebay and purchased it. The accurate metering, as well as the fact that you can view shutter speed in the viewfinder, make it a very enjoyable camera. It is a bit larger and heavier than other Ms but, once you get beyond that, it seems amazingly well designed and solid in construction. It may be 100% psychological, but the extra heft and size makes me feel more confident in shooting at slower speeds. Among other things that amaze me about using the M5, is the fact that ISO can be set as high as 3200.

On the de-cementing thing:

I am not exactly sure, the various ways it might manifest, but, both of my M5s have numerous small, short, hairlike lines than run from all four outside edges of the rangefinder patch toward the center, and extend about 20% of the way across the patch. The best way to imagine them is to imagine how a child draws grass in a picture. They do not seem to be progressing any further, and have no negative impact on my ability to focus. For now, I am not going to sweat it.

Go for it. Maligned though it may be, it is like any other Leica M, if you don't like it, somebody else will want it.

 

[Hap]

You are clearly describing an ageing rangefinder prism. The one I had and returned also was fuzzy enough , especially rrelative to my other M's to be harder to focus with precision. No one knows how fast this kind of thing progresses, but eventuallyl it does. So if you are happy, no reason to spend all that money to get an MP finder replacement . Sherry thinks it is well worth it....but she has some skin in that game. If I find one with a decent finder and meter, I could go for it.
thanks

 

[PaulJ]

It's not a camera I've ever used to any great extent but, of all the M bodies, it seems to be the one that divides opinion the most. I haven't yet heard anyone criticise its capabilities - more usually just its "size" and looks. As far as size is concerned, we are talking about a few millimetres in each dimension, so it is hardly of professional DSLR proportions. It's a bit "clunkier" looking than the M2/3 and M6/M7/MP but it is, from all accounts a good performer and, seemingly, a bit cheaper to-boot.

3 lugs is, IMO, a good thing. I preferhanging cameras along their longer axis. My Mamiya 7 proved that to me and it's a shame the same option isn't more widely available.

Although I'm happy enough with my M7/M240 pairing, I might keep my eyes open for an M5 (at the right price, of course) and see how it suits...

 

[Hap]

the M5 seems to come up with folks on the various forums.....mostly they are curious and they read the comments of mostly devotees. IT's an interesting camera with problems in my estimation mainly age related. But it does have a novel and fun element. It is a fair amount bigger in use than on spec . My guess is that an M6 ttl would be a better more reliable camera, but perhaps without the novelty and the cache of being the last of the Leicas made the old fashioned way. Cheap....they are not...and to some extent that's related to necessity for maintenance and repairs. Old is not good....just ask me. Although a real good M2 or M3 is fabulous. M4 P not bad either.

 

[tennjed]

They are "utilitarian" to a degree that exceeds just about any other Leica camera I have seen or used. When considered against all other members of the M line, they are unique in that they seem to exude, just sitting there on the table in front of you, the urgency that must have been felt at Leica during the time they were designed and produced. If you look at them for a moment, and close your eyes, you can almost feel, hear, and see the anxiety that must have been present at the meetings between Leica marketing and engineering department personnel of the day. That alone makes them worth keeping.....It does not hurt that you can still get them repaired, if they need it. They are truly an interesting piece of Leica history.

 

[asiafish]

My favorite aspect of the M5 is the meter and its "frame lines" when using a 50mm lens. With a 35mm lens, the 135mm frame line represents what the meter sees. With a 90mm lens the outer circumference (sides as edges) of the rangefinder patch while with a 135mm lens the inner circumference (top and bottom as edges). With the 50mm lens though, there are these glorious round bright-line projections that make it absolutely clear what the meter sees and what it does not. It is so good that I've only put a different focal length on my M5 two or three times in the three years I've had it, and pretty much always just attach my 50mm f/2 Sonnar or Jupiter 8 and call it a day.

 

[Hap]

I am in total agreement with your sentiment. It's a blessing IMO to have the spotmeter lines as you can easily move the camera around and come to a fairly accurate assessment of how to expose the frame. I understand how you might come to rely and habitually use a 50mm. I really lilked that feature and it's totally unique. Wish I had it on my CL. The meter arm also works very different on the CL than the M5. It's a kick to watch the meter change as you press the shutter button and the meter tucks itself away before the shutter activates. I am very much looking forward to finding another M5.

 

[asiafish]

I am in total agreement with your sentiment. It's a blessing IMO to have the spotmeter lines as you can easily move the camera around and come to a fairly accurate assessment of how to expose the frame. I understand how you might come to rely and habitually use a 50mm. I really lilked that feature and it's totally unique. Wish I had it on my CL. The meter arm also works very different on the CL than the M5. It's a kick to watch the meter change as you press the shutter button and the meter tucks itself away before the shutter activates. I am very much looking forward to finding another M5.

Actually while I love the meter frame for the 50mm, the primary reason I use mostly 50mm lenses on my M5 is the same reason I use them on my M Monochrom, M-E and even my Canon 6D, which is that I really like 50mm lenses.

 

[Hap]

Yes....50's are nice and obviously the M5 was purposely modified to use one most effectively.