Erm I've kinda just bought a leica

allicio said:
Aww mate I've got a luigi strap on my xe2 and bessa r4m, beautiful beautiful products! I'd love one of his cases! Well have to what's left in the pot at the end!
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It's a must. It just makes the using that M6 an even more enjoyable experience. He also makes a lovely battery/card case that fits onto the strap. Very useful and just gorgeous to look at and handle. This was the one I had on my X100 case:





Pics of the case here: Luigi’s FujiFilm X100 Half Case
 
That's nice! I have his button battery case on my voigtlander strap and as you say such a neat beautifully designed piece of kit!
 
The classic camera who I originally bought the m4 off that was supposedly mint and wasnt have now dropped it to near mint which it still isn't! and chucked another 100 quid on top! It's up ar £999 now!
Eh!!!
 
Enjoy it! I've always quite fancied an M3, but I doubt if I'll ever be able to afford one.

Just as a matter of interest, how do most people interpret 'mint'? I've always understood it to mean as new, exactly as it left the factory and unused, but does this apply to cameras and lenses?
 
MartynK said:
Enjoy it! I've always quite fancied an M3, but I doubt if I'll ever be able to afford one.

Just as a matter of interest, how do most people interpret 'mint'? I've always understood it to mean as new, exactly as it left the factory and unused, but does this apply to cameras and lenses?
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It should do, yes. Unfortunately, as eBay became more popular the term has been used more and more slackly and many class something that's in "reasonable condition for it's age" as "mint".

Something that's truly "mint", of course, shouldn't even have been used, I believe, by it's true definition.
 
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MartynK said:
Just as a matter of interest, how do most people interpret 'mint'? I've always understood it to mean as new, exactly as it left the factory and unused, but does this apply to cameras and lenses?
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As I understand it, it's borrowed from coin collecting, where it does indeed mean "as it left the mint" - the coin hasn't been in circulation. If cameras were graded as strictly as coins, I don't think you could call a camera that had been used "mint".
 
Semantic inflation.

Every new-build flat in London for the last fifteen years has been a 'luxury apartment'.
 
WingTsun said:
It should do, yes. Unfortunately, as eBay became more popular the term has been used more and more slackly and many class something that's in "reasonable condition for it's age" as "mint".

Something that's truly "mint", of course, shouldn't even have been used, I believe, by it's true definition.
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abdoujaparov said:
As I understand it, it's borrowed from coin collecting, where it does indeed mean "as it left the mint" - the coin hasn't been in circulation. If cameras were graded as strictly as coins, I don't think you could call a camera that had been used "mint".
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That's very much as I understand it. 'As new' has a very specific meaning for book collectors and generally means that the book has never been opened, let alone read, and 'mint' or 'as new' to gun collectors means in factory new - never fired - condition, although the finish may have developed a patina over the years.

Grays of Westminster advertised a Nikon F2 in mint condition a few years ago, emphasising that it was in every sense mint, unused and in its pristine box with everything that came with it, unopened, and the original receipt. I can't remember the price but it was substantial!

I'm not sure I'd want to buy a truly 'mint' camera. I'm not a collector and classic cameras in this condition must be pretty rare, so I'd rather leave them like that. I'd be quite content with an excellent/very good example, in perfect working order and with no significant cosmetic damage. In other words, some signs of wear (minor rubbing/brassing) are fine but dents and chips aren't, unless accurately described and reflected in the price.
 
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That's sweet..
 
I appreciate the fact that your all gonna think I'm mental, I had originally thought of a rolleiflex but got kinda sidetracked by the leica lure!
I bought a voigtlander bessa r4m new last year so it's always been in the back of my mind do I need an m6?? So after some serious thought and whisky last night I decided I should stick with my original plan and gut feeling to keep the bessa and look for a flex.
I found an old thread on here about recommended tlr stockists and found a 2.8f listed on vintage classic camera website.
I spoke to rob the owner who said the camera was in what he classes as mint- condition or 97% comes cased and has been recently serviced. Seemed a real decent chap so I bit the bullet.
Must admit I have to agree with the above statements mint does seem to have been diluted down from what I imagined it meant!!
Thanks so much to everyone for there help and advice in this thread it really did give me pause for thought
 
Well done Andrew and welcome to the 'hip to be square' club. :D

I've used VCC a few times and Rob is usually pretty accurate with his descriptions, I've never been disappointed.

Andy
 
Cheers Andy
I'm pleased, I think I made the right decision in the end. I'd have still needed to buy a 50mm lens for the leica and that really was stretching the budget some what!!
Rob was great on the phone, went through all the shutter speeds for me over the phone and gave me a fantastic description of the camera. Which have you got andy?
 
I have the Automat, a lovely little camera.
 
allicio said:
Well you could say I got an odd shaped leica in the end!!!

Rolleiflex 2.8f from the vintage and classic camera company:D
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I've always been very pleased with what I've bought from V&CC. On the other hand, searching for "the Classic Camera" brings up some less enthusiastic reports. :(
 
@Andysnap that is a lovely camera! I've just been reading about those on the rollei club page
@Sejanus Aelianus I wish I'd have google them first I think I would have stayed well clear!!!
 
Cheers mate!
Robs just fitted a bright screen upgrade to it for me and says its fantastic!
Should arrive today hopefully!!!
 
Few from the bessa r4m, not had the film processed from the rolleiflex yet.

 
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