Does anyone know of a comprehensive on-line review of Leica M cameras and lenses?

Erwin Puts has some excellent reports on his site http://www.imx.nl/photosite/leica/leicahome.html but he has covered only a selection of the lenses. Stephen Gandy's web site http://www.cameraquest.com/ is pretty good as far as bodies go but, again, he doesn't cover many of the lenses. Doug Herr is building a very comprehensive review site for Leica R http://www.wildlightphoto.com/leica/ but I haven't seen anything on the 'net to compare with it for Leica M.

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), December 04, 2001

Answers

I have a site bookmarked on another computer - Leicagallery.com, maybe? I'll post a link later today when I get to work if someone doesn't do it in the meantime.

It's not as extensive as Doug's or as detailed as Erwin's, but does touch on all the bases somewhat - covers M and R.

Did you look at Gandy's "Leica M Lens Users and Buyers Guide". He has a thumbnail of just about everything ever made - at least a sentence - including some of the non-Cosina Japanese recent editions (Ricoh 21, Pentax 43 f/1.9, etc.) The link is right below the "Leica M camera buyers guide" and about 3 inches below the lists of serial numbers links and just above the fancy M limited editions links.

Compares the various 90 'crons, for example,and mentions the thin 90TE's occasional glass diseases. (First place I ever ran across that.)

He lists his favorite picks for price/performance - which always make me feel warm and fuzzy since they match my set-up exactly 8^)

Oh, what the heck! HERE!

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), December 04, 2001.

Thanks, Andy. I was already aware of that site. It has lots of information and my only problem with it is that it's rather brief when discussing lenses that are not of much interest to Stephen (to be fair, he does admit: "This is a VERY opinionated USER'S and Identification Guide to Leica M Lenses.")

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), December 04, 2001.

Ray, try this site- LEICAPAGES

-- Steve Wiley (wiley@accesshub.net), December 04, 2001.

Ray

I don't think there is one that is in anyway systematic. The best thing by far is Erwin Puts' book which one gets a flavor of on his website, and it is very instructive reading. Unlike some of his detractors, I think he tries to be objective, but even with him, you can tell that there are some lenses that it actually owns and likes (rather than borrows to test) so that he is more fulsome in praise for these over others. All natural of course. If you do not have it, then I recommend it strongly.

Like most things optical, there is so much conflicting opinion with a great deal of rumor that most of us cannot distinguish "fact" from "opinion". Puts I think does at least provide some sensible background to all discussions of this type when considering Leica glass. Of course if you want comparison of Leica with Nikon-- forget it!

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), December 04, 2001.

Ray: LINK to Leicagallery.com

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), December 04, 2001.

Andy,

Thanks for the link to Leica Gallery. I already knew of the web site from long ago but have now revisited it, at your suggestion, and found that there is a lot more information than I had realized.

Robin,

I will have to buy Erwin's book, maybe on an upcoming trip to the UK. I find his style rather dry and heavy going but there's lots of information on his web site. I understand why he doesn't want to publish all his findings on the 'net, of course.

Regards, Ray

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), December 04, 2001.

I find his style rather dry and heavy going"

Yes, it is terrible and Hove have done nothing to it apart from correct spelling errors, and presumably add/correct some punctuation. This is not so uncommon these days more's the pity

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), December 05, 2001.

Not that I know of, but there's an M6 Users Forum.... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/leicam6

-Duncan.

-- Duncan (airborn@euromail.se), December 06, 2001.