I currently own the M6 and use it regularly. I have an offer to trade for an early model (brass top plate) M4-P with VC II lightmeter, both in great shape. The two qualities I like over the M6 is the brass top plate (love brassed cameras) and the lack of batteries. Aug 08, 2014 The normal black chrome and silver chrome over zinc top plate is smooth finish. A substantial% of early M6 had a spotty problem and my 95 silver chrome had spots on both top plate and back door where the top finish was forced up by corrosion from below. They went to zinc some way through M4-2 production.
Leica M4 P Review (Cheapest Leica Film Camera!)Looking to buy a good cheap Leica film camera? The Leica M4 P is strangely cheaper than the other Leica M cameras and I now use it more than my Leica M3!In this Leica M4 P review I share 5 points on why I bought not 1 but 2 Leica M4-P cameras including a Leica M4-P vs M6, M3 and M2 comparison and some film portraits.1. Cheap Leica Camera!?12 months on since my last Leica camera purchase, the Leica M6 Classic, I found myself buying another Leica M film camera.
It was completely unplanned (as usual) and I happened to have a free hour researching cameras online. I stumbled across to me what seemed a real bargain. The often less regarded Leica M4 -P. Leica M4-P IntroThe Leica M4 -P is a 35mm rangefinder camera like all other analogue Leica M film cameras. I bought a black chrome M4-P and it has a 0.72x viewfinder the same as my Leica M6. The Leica M4-P was in production from 1980 until around 1986 and was based on the earlier Leica M4 camera and followed the Leica M4-2.
Leica M4, Leica M4-2, Leica M4-PTo take a step back, the Leica M4 was released in 1966 and saw Leica introduce a few new camera features including; a film rewind crank to replace the vertical rewind knob of the M2 and M3 (will make rewinding film so much faster!), a new angled film advance lever and faster film loading by removing the need for the separate take up spool (as used in the Leica M2 and M3).The Leica M4-2 was released in 1977 and was similar to a Leica M4 but with a hotshoe rather than a cold shoe (The Leica M2 and M3 also have cold shoes). The later Leica M4-P variant was similar to the Leica M4-2 but also had 28mm and 75mm framelines added so it could be used with the newer Leica M lenses. Frameline pairs are 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 meaning you always see two framelines in the viewfinder.As a Leica photographer and a strobist and someone using a Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f2.8 ASPH lens and Leica Summicron 75mm f2 APO lens three words above have already sold the camera to me – “hotshoe”, “28mm framelines” “75mm framelines”. (OK it was 5 words sorry!) More details below.4. Leica M4 -P is regarded as not the best Leica M camera. The M4-P saw the start of Leica using precision parts as part of a cost reduction program and it is said the M4 and later Ms are not as smooth as the earlier Leica M3 and Leica M2.
Leica M4-P has zinc top and base plates not the traditional brass plates. The Leica M4-P was built in Midland, Canada not Germany to save cost (with an exception to those cameras made in the last year of production when production was moved back to Wetzlar, Germany in 1986 before being replaced by the Leica M6).
Leica M4P lightmeter? No, but is otherwise it’s similar to a Leica M6 so why not just buy a M6. Leica M4 P has a “cluttered” viewfinder with too many framelines (vs. The older Leica M3 and M2) but is the same viewfinder as the Leica M6.
The Leica M4P is said to suffer from flaring in the viewfinder (the same as the Leica M6)(I don’t remember experiencing many issues with my M6). Leica M4-P Leica red dot is positioned on the front right side of the camera rather than front centre to hide the adjustment screw5. So why do I need another Leica camera!?I guess I don’t really need another camera but I managed to construct a good argument for the purchase!
Here is a summary of the Leica M4-P vs. My other Leica M cameras. 5.1 Leica M4-P vsThe Leica M3 viewfinder does not have 28mm or 35mm framelines and does not have a hotshoe so I can’t use the M3 with flash triggers and off camera flash. The M3 also has the slower to use film take up spool and rewind knob (meaning it takes more time to load and unload film) which is not ideal if working fast at a Leica wedding or on location with a model / client.The Leica M3 is arguably better built and smoother to operate than the Leica M4-P.
The Leica M3 has THE best rangfinder viewfinder, I think, if using 50mm lenses. But, because I use flash I use the Leica M4-P camera the most unless shooting with available light only.5.2 Leica M4 -P vsThe Leica M2 viewfinder does not have 28mm framelines for accurate framing with the Leica Elmarit-M 28mm ASPH. (I have just used the entire M2 viewfinder field of view as 28mm to guesstimate to date). The M2 like the M3 does not have a hotshoe so I can’t use it with flash triggers and off camera flash. The M2 like the M3 also has the slower to use film take up spool and rewind knob which are not ideal if working quickly.The Leica M2 is arguably better built and smoother to operate than the Leica M4-P but because I use flash I chose the Leica M4-P. 5.3 Leica M4P vsThe Leica M4-P is basically the same as my Leica M6 Classic, just without a built-in light meter. The same viewfinder/ framelines, same zinc top plate and base plate, the same film rewind knob and film loading.My Leica M6 currently jams at around 25 exposures.
I bulk load my own 25 exposure film so not to waste the last 10 or so shots on a standard 36 exposure roll of film. It can be repaired but other than that the M6 is a great camera. I use the M6 perhaps second most of my analogue film M cameras because of the hotshoe, after the M4-P. The faster to operate film rewind crank is also a great help.5.4 Leica M4-P vs Leica M8 / Leica M9 / Leica M240For completeness, the Leica M4-P is better than my Leica M8, Leica M240 and the Leica M9 I replaced as the M4-P is analogue! I probably don’t need to say any more other than to use the hashtags #believeinfilm, #filmisthefuture!
Leica Film Loading (Including Leica M4 Film Loading!)For anyone that has just treated themselves a new M4 / M4-P here is a good video I found showing Leica film loading for the Leica M4/M4-P, M6 and later models (.not suitable for the Leica M2/M3). Leica M4 P PriceWhen I saw the Leica M4 P price (used) (on sale at a reputable online store in the UK) at almost half the price of my Leica M6 Classic and half the price of my new Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f2.8 ASPH lens (.Blog post to follow) and that I can use with flash and hopefully shoot an entire 36 exposure roll of film in I jumped at the chance! Cheap Leica Camera (More affordable Leica camera.) – Leica M4 PI love Leica cameras (and lenses!) and I love a cheap Leica camera even more (more affordable Leica camera.)! I buy Leica cameras to use rather than to polish so to get a slightly more used Leica camera at a discounted price is far better for me than a mint boxed camera at full price.
I am also not a Leica puriest as for one I use flash photography a lot but also I don’t mind too much where a camera was made or if the top plate is made of zinc or brass.Leica M4-P, welcome to family! 🙂 I enjoyed the M4P so much I bought a second one and now often travel with a pair of Leica M4-P cameras.
I load one camera with colour film and one camera with B&W film. Finally I reveal how I make my Portrait Images!If you want to know the exact photography equipment I use to make my Leica M4-P portraits, other than the Leica camera (or other cameras I use) see the links below. I used to avoid writing about my non-camera gear but I thought it was time to reveal all! I detail the speicific speedlights and wireless triggers I use together with the other photography gear needed for my portrait photography.Related Posts.You may also like What Gear I Use for Portraits!. See full details of my portrait photography lighting kit (2018) –.
See full details of my portrait photography equipment kit (2018) –. Just for the record, not all M4-Ps have zinc top plates.In fact it is only the case with late models (btw, the base plate is brass for all of them). The ones produced in the I think 4 years between the introduction of the M4-P and M6 are all brass.
When the M6 went into production alongside the M4-P Leica used zinc top plates for both. Most of these were chrome. You can distinguish them by the windows: With the brass top plate ones they are slightly recessed similar to older Ms (like in the picture above) while those with zinc top plates are flush just like the M6.So the majority of all M4-Ps actually have brass top plates 😉. – Leica using precision partsIntroduced on the M4-2, early teething issues.
Fixed well before the M4-P. Still in use on the M-A.– zinc top and base platesNo Leica has a zinc base plate. The last few M4-2 had essentially prototype M6 top plates, but they are very rare. The rest have stamped brass plates.– to save costActually to save Midland. All Elcan made were M series lenses, so if the plan to scrap the M was allowed, they would likely have been shut down.– why not just buy a M6Cheaper, better built and no risk of electronic parts becoming unavailable in the future.– same viewfinder as the Leica M6Not exactly.
The framelines in the M4-P are subtly different and unique to that model.– flaring in the viewfinderThis started somewhere in the early-to-mid production of the M4-2, when a condenser lens was removed from the design. It was true until the MP, where a redesign fixed it in a different way.– front right side of the cameraSo you can enjoy it when it’s sat idle, but it’s covered by your fingers when out shooting. No duct tape required!
I think most of the black M4-P’s have zinc top housings. Mine which is a very early one (1st Batch) is certainly zinc. I was told during a visit to Leica Solms some years ago when discussing the M7, is that the black finish both chrome and paint adheres better to zinc, whereas the nickel undercoat to the traditional silver chrome, adheres better to brass. Both my chrome M4, black M4-P and black M7 all have brass bottom plates (as do all my digital M’s). I would suspect that thin zinc alloy would regarded as too fragile and brittle for the rough and tumble that bottom plates tend to suffer. When I set up my media business in 2007 writing articles for magazines and newspapers in English-speaking countries, I bough two M4-P bodies and an MD-2.
Classic Brass Hinges
The latter is fitted with a 21mm f3.4 Super Angulon (by Schneider) and a 21mm finder plugged in the top. I use the M4-P cameras with 25, 50 & 90mm lenses.
All have proved very reliable and now I’m retired I use my cameras to take photographs to help with my new hobby – painting. The MD-2 combination is awesome in cities. Originally intended for use with the reflex housing Visoflex units, or clipped to a microscope or telescope, the MD (1964-67 actually an M2) the MDa (1967-75 an M4) and MD-2 (1977-88 an M4-2 but sold alongside the M4-P & M6) are now being sought out by street shooting enthusiasts for their simplicity and ruggedness. A readily available viewfinder of the same focal length as the lens provides a brighter view than a normal Leica and minus the distractions of rangefinder patch and frame lines.
Leica M6 Ebay
Using a wide-angle lens well stopped down and the Hyperfocal Distance method eliminates the need for focus.
Greetings from Naples. Not many cameras here in Italy with the ubiquitous smartphone ruling the roost with all nationalities, natives and visitors. Next Saturday the Leitz Photographica Auction ( formerly WestLicht) takes place in Wetzlar and while it will be largely a collector audience, it will be interesting to see which way the Leica prices go. I will be watching my favorites, the LTM models, but there are many interesting Ms, including the fifth M3 ever made and also one of the first MPs with a motor drive from the 1950s. Steep 6 figure sums are expected for those items, but there also quite a few more ‘ordinary’ film Ms to test the market.William. Makes me nostalgic for the M bodies I traded – the M3, the M4, the M6 and the M6TTL — Im sure that I got good prices for them but. In the end I don’t regret this – in return I have the most delightful digital CL,M10, and for a time the Q.
Shooting has become easier and low light for y architectural interior photography has increased in quality and with the CL everything has become lighter and even auto focus! And Im waiting to trade my Panasonic Lumix S1R and lens for the new SL2 — if ever it emerges out of the Leica works. Not sure I can resist the design quality and simple menus of the SL. I have always regretted selling my M4P and 50mm summicron to buy a Minolta 9 and some AF primes. Minolta had some gorgeous primes such as the 85/1.4 and 200/2.8 but it was not a Leica M. I wish I had kept the M but I had a young family at the time and had to make some choices. Even my wife missed the look of my Leica images afterwards.
It is the only camera body I have ever regretted selling. The only lens I have truly regretted selling is the Leica 50/1.4 which I loved everything about it: built-in hood, tiny, beautiful rendering.There is something wonderful about picking up a Leica M of most vintages: the fine craftsmanship, the feel in your hand.My Minolta 9 will not be sitting on someones shelf being admired and worth anything. My Leica M4P is probably still in use and I do not want to look up what it is worth.