You can also pick up a IIIC or IIIF screw mount Leica, with lens, for
$500 or less. These cameras are among the prettiest Leicas. The won't
take M lenses, but those early fifties LTM lenses will give you the
classic Leica look. Some M shooters prefer the old lenses for their
lower contrast, reduced saturation and mellow rendering. The Summicron
50/2 collapsible, for example, is a masterful lens. The more common,
less expensive and more compact Elmar 50/3.5 is quite good as well.
Paul
On Aug 5, 2005, at 11:21 PM, frank theriault wrote:
On 8/3/05, Shel Belinkoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
<snip> True, there is
probably little chance you're going to get started with a good Leica
system
for $200.00, or the price of a pre-owned plastic Pentax, but for the
price
of an istDs and a 77mm you'll be well on your way and have a few
dollars
left over for film and processing. <snip>
$500US will get a Leica CL with 40mm Summicron C, in pretty good
condition. It's a pretty good body (made in Japan by Minolta), and an
outstanding lens. With M-mount, it will accept pretty much every
Leica lens, except very wide ones (due to the light meter contacting
the rear lens element). Certainly as wide as 24mm is no problem.
Don't judge by my photos how good this camera is for the money <g>.
It's not cheap, but it's an inexpensive way to start a Leica system,
IMHO.
cheers,
frank
--
"Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
