Hi Nico, I got very lucky, last November I want to the Leica store in Turin and ordered a Black MP. After 20 days my new Leica arrived from the factory. When I ordered it I was afraid to wait 6 months. Got fairly lucky. Love my MP.
I have both the Leica M-A and the Leica M10-R. When I was trying to register my two cameras with the Leica website I realized that they did not have a current picture of the M10-R for reference. My theory is that whoever is in charge of the Leica website simply doesn't have the work ethic of other Leica employees.
I was on the waitlist for a Leica Q3… while waiting my local store showed a Leica MP black paint in stock… picked it up immediately… this happened 2 weeks ago (mid June 2023)… couldn’t be happier… beautiful camera I look forward to using and seeing it patina over time.
find an old SL2 Leicaflex. I picked one from Japan, it's half the price of what I paid for an M5 few years ago, and this came with a lens. Its built like a tank and works well.
Thanks Nico. I have been wondering myself. I chose the black MP, because of the improved viewfinder compared to the older M6, and because it didn't have the red dot.
I got my MP six or eight months ago. Not realising they were in short supply I popped up to London assuming I could just buy one; and luckily I could! I don't know what the situation is now but Aperture had both the Silver and the Black in stock.
I just picked up a Jan.2023 production black paint MP (version 2, i’m told). I didn’t get it directly from a leica dealer but I was on the waiting list of various leica stores here in the US for the new m6 and MP. I got a call from two stores to buy the m6 back in Jan. Of 23, but decided to wait until I had an opportunity for the MP as I loved my M3 and wanted similar controls. From what I was told, single units of the MP trickle into the states and they get sold to those on the waiting list. Low production, but at least they are still being made!
Interesting- here in the USA, the MA is actually available to purchase. However the MP and the M6 I feel like has been on back order forever. Also on the digital side the M10 has been on back order forever but the M10R and M11 have always been available.
The camera store guy I talked to said the m6 uses a lot of mp parts and they are more focused on the m6 right now. It's also easier to get an ma because there's no electronics. Maybe nobody wants ma's right now
I was on the waitlists at the SF Leica store and with another dealer in the US since early last year and they both had no idea when they’d get more MPs in their hands. The owner of the SF store said I was like 15th in line and it’d probably take 3 years at that rate for me to get one through him. Luckily, after forgetting about it for most of the year I was able to get one from the other dealer in early December 2022. The only problem is that I think it was from that batch with the faulty pressure plate because I’ve noticed maybe half the frames of each roll have some light horizontal scratches in the same location. Nothing difficult to edit out but I’m still going to send it back for replacement soon
Bought my MP, my first Leica, in silver, from Adorama here in NY, USA just last month. They seem to be on the website now as well. Incredible, beautiful piece of equipment- shocking in its simplicity and singular function. A joy to use even if I am finding it challenging to go back to film. Enjoying the work and focus- rand ealizing how much my main digital cameras (all Fujifilm) are doing to help me look good- all the heavy lifting is on me with this now!
You have a point, Nico, in your assessment that some people buy or carry Leica cameras because they make a statement. I use for work an M9P and an M10R (none bought new) and to me they are excellent because they fit my workflow, are beautifully made and are reliable. Leica’s marketing department surely thinks otherwise. They foster the myth of carrying a Noctilux when the Summicron is just so good. But I think we should be happy that we can still have such beautiful and well made material, and ignore the statements of the posh.
I've seen new prices in Germany. +400€ for the MA and +500€ for the MP. The new M6 price has also increased to 5450€, that's +400€ i think. The last thing i heard about the MA and MP here on youtube (Leica Store Wetzlar) they will be produced alongside the new m6 and not be discontinued.
I have a black matte MP and it’s my favourite camera of all time. And I am pretty sure that won’t change soon, despite me shooting digital lately (but still Leica).
Coincidentally - after literally years of deliberation then 3 weeks on the waiting list at the Leica store - I managed to get a new MP just under 2 weeks ago. The production date was in March 2023. Leica did say they’re not expecting to get more stock for another 2-3 months as they’re made in limited production runs. One dealer could give no guarantees on delivery either. I was on the list with the website which received stock last week but they sold out the same day too - it’s a frenzy! I was also baffled by the removal from the website - my guess is we may see the MP/MA fall alway for a while so they can focus on the M6 and fulfil a reasonable number of orders, just a hunch though.
They need to fix the m6 pressure plate issue before they can release new batches of M6’s. the film scratching issue was a surprising QC oversight. I haven’t seen this issue with my BP MP, which was born August 2022 batch. My M-A was birthed very recently in 2023 will be assessed soon.
At Meister Camera (big German Leica seller) the Silver chrome MP and M-A are "As long as stocks last for the old price!" and the black versions as pre-order. Perhaps will the Silver chrome disappear and black stay. Price hike indicated in any case
On the presentation of products, there are only M11 and M6. On the Online store, all products are still there from France. Probably just a refresh of the product pages.
With the launch of the new M6, is there still a place for the MP? I bought my MP Black Paint about 18 months ago after waiting 2 weeks. If I were Leica I would have rereleased the M6TTL with the larger shutter speed dial which matched the metering arrows, but I get that the name may not be as sexy as M6.
It was a minor miracle that Leica went with a redesigned shutter speed dial on the M6 TTL. After the M5 debacle, Leica has been very wary of deviating from M film camera tradition. The smaller shutter speed dial made sense back when Leica offered external light meters designed to sit atop the camera and the dial itself. After incorporating a built-in meter, the shutter speed dial design found on the M6 TTL makes far better ergonomic sense. (The same could be said of the M5's shutter speed dial.) The fact that the M6 TTL dial rotated in conjunction with the meter display was the common sense icing on the cake.
My guess is that Leica has limited production facilities for M film cameras which have a lot of parts in common for the 3 types. On another hand, they sell, apparently, many more M6’s than M-P’s or even more so M-A’s. So from a business point of view, it would make sense to prioritize the production of the M6’over the M-P and M-A. But again, it’s just a guess.
Don’t think it’s an issue at all. I haven’t seen anyone actually buy the new m6. I think the MP is still desirable and still commands a high price on the second hand market. I love my first production one and would one day love to add a black chrome M-A
The MP is still amazing in my opinion, not my camera but it is a great option. I somehow have started to like the looks of the M6, still don’t need any of them.
A couple years ago....I found a deal on a "used" Leica M-A...being sold at a Leica Store in California. I bought it...in original box, etc.....and if it had actually really been used, I couldn't see any signs of it. I've not run much film through it, I use my M10M as my go to all the time camera. I think I ran a roll of film through the M-A, but I don't think I've developed it yet...need to check it to make sure it's working. I don't use it that much...but I don't want to get rid of it....
They're still on the website, just not in the main nav. It actually happened when I was looking at them on their website, then the next day I went back and couldn't find them. March time.
Strange. On the Leica USA website, the MP, MA, and M6 are all currently shown. After buying a M6 more than two decades ago I stopped paying attention to Leica's current offerings. The release of the "new M6" happened to catch my eye because it was plastered all over the place online (Leica's marketing seems to be their biggest strong point these days). Meanwhile news of a bad batch of pressure plates making their way into the production of the new M6 (resulting in scratched film) has gotten out - it seems that the pressure plates are not produced by Leica but by an external supplier. I wonder if this has occurred with the MP & MA as well?
Interesting - their quality control is quite poor in my experience. My brand new MP was missing its battery, strap and spare battery cover and had a minor engraving error too. Perhaps they are overstretching themselves at the moment.
@@Ben-vg1lw Given the rising interest in film photography over the past few years I can't help but imagine Leica chomping at the bit wanting to capitalize on this. (Who could blame them?). In which case overstretching themselves is not hard to imagine. With any sort of premium high-end product you would hope that things like quality control and customer service would truly be world class - unfortunately that makes it all the more disappointing when this proves not to be the case. Ironically, it is Leica themselves that set such expectations with all of their well polished marketing.
@@VirtualGuth yes you’re right, and I’d be extremely disappointed if, to add to the engraving error and missing accessories, the camera had a pressure plate that ruins the film as well! Oh well - first roll of film is with the lab now, will see.
@@Ben-vg1lw I was not aware that you had yet to see the results from shooting a roll of film with your camera. Know that I hope the mishaps that you've already encountered end up being the only ones you will have to deal with for now. Good luck!
Nico, you are right. MPs and MAs will still be there, however Leica did a major mistake at this point. 400-500 euros increase (Germany) over night for film cameras....?? Inflation and etc. these are film cameras at the end of the day. Being a monopoly on what Leica offers, who cares.. :) Some people will buy and everyone is happy.
I traded an old M6 last year for a new MP before the new M6 was released. Two things I don't like about the MP are the rewind lever which requires about 50 winds and the black paint is far too soft and my MP has a lot of scratches all over it already. I bought an after market MP rewind knob which ended up scratching as well so that was the wrong call. It would be crazy from a $$ point of view to trade up to a new M6 for these two reasons. Comparing the light meter from the old M6 to the new MP - the new MP seems much more accurate so overall very happy. Cheers.
The „new pictures“ theory doesn’t make sense for me because wouldn’t you just update the website instead of having it gone for weeks? Discontinuation doesn’t make sense because (afaik) the film internals are already very close. My guess is, either some sort of marketing stunt or PR game, or just plain accidental/ incompetence because of miscommunication.
The dial in metered Ms is responsible for selecting the ISO metering thru resistance contacts on the door. The door connects thru pogo pins to the camera (which you can see where it connects if you pull up the door). Being an electronic parts, having metal part increases the risk of misoperation i.e bent and always setting ISO 800. From an engineering and practical standpoint, Leica never chose to put a metal dial for ISO to any previous metered Ms. It could be done with extra parts to non-conducting shielding between the metal dial and the resistance contacts but that can add a millimeter to the dial's thickness and also, cost.
Global chip shortage might be one of the reasons why Leica brought out the new M6. Production of mechanical cameras will continue until the supply of chip improves. A few months ago I walked into my local camera shop, saw a MP black paint and bought it on the spot. It was available because someone cancelled his order.
MP, M-P, M-A, Typ this, Typ that - horrible designations chosen by Leica. The MP seems to be an M6 with M3 style controls, the M-A seems to be an M3 without the self-timer. The M-P is digital. There are two M’s, and an M-E and newer M-D. Crazy. Makes Mercedes Benz designations seem sensible.
Hi Nico, I got very lucky, last November I want to the Leica store in Turin and ordered a Black MP. After 20 days my new Leica arrived from the factory.
When I ordered it I was afraid to wait 6 months. Got fairly lucky.
Love my MP.
I have both the Leica M-A and the Leica M10-R. When I was trying to register my two cameras with the Leica website I realized that they did not have a current picture of the M10-R for reference. My theory is that whoever is in charge of the Leica website simply doesn't have the work ethic of other Leica employees.
I was on the waitlist for a Leica Q3… while waiting my local store showed a Leica MP black paint in stock… picked it up immediately… this happened 2 weeks ago (mid June 2023)… couldn’t be happier… beautiful camera I look forward to using and seeing it patina over time.
I have a major problem with Leica.....it just will NOT transition from my dreams to my hands. Quite frustrating.
Just buy used Leica
Just add more zeros to your bank account! Problem solved!!!
find an old SL2 Leicaflex. I picked one from Japan, it's half the price of what I paid for an M5 few years ago, and this came with a lens. Its built like a tank and works well.
Thanks Nico. I have been wondering myself. I chose the black MP, because of the improved viewfinder compared to the older M6, and because it didn't have the red dot.
I got my MP six or eight months ago. Not realising they were in short supply I popped up to London assuming I could just buy one; and luckily I could! I don't know what the situation is now but Aperture had both the Silver and the Black in stock.
I just picked up a Jan.2023 production black paint MP (version 2, i’m told). I didn’t get it directly from a leica dealer but I was on the waiting list of various leica stores here in the US for the new m6 and MP. I got a call from two stores to buy the m6 back in Jan. Of 23, but decided to wait until I had an opportunity for the MP as I loved my M3 and wanted similar controls.
From what I was told, single units of the MP trickle into the states and they get sold to those on the waiting list. Low production, but at least they are still being made!
Interesting- here in the USA, the MA is actually available to purchase. However the MP and the M6 I feel like has been on back order forever. Also on the digital side the M10 has been on back order forever but the M10R and M11 have always been available.
The camera store guy I talked to said the m6 uses a lot of mp parts and they are more focused on the m6 right now. It's also easier to get an ma because there's no electronics. Maybe nobody wants ma's right now
I was on the waitlists at the SF Leica store and with another dealer in the US since early last year and they both had no idea when they’d get more MPs in their hands. The owner of the SF store said I was like 15th in line and it’d probably take 3 years at that rate for me to get one through him. Luckily, after forgetting about it for most of the year I was able to get one from the other dealer in early December 2022. The only problem is that I think it was from that batch with the faulty pressure plate because I’ve noticed maybe half the frames of each roll have some light horizontal scratches in the same location. Nothing difficult to edit out but I’m still going to send it back for replacement soon
Do you know which batch this is? I just heard about batch 52XXXX.. which seems to scratch the film..
Bought my MP, my first Leica, in silver, from Adorama here in NY, USA just last month. They seem to be on the website now as well. Incredible, beautiful piece of equipment- shocking in its simplicity and singular function. A joy to use even if I am finding it challenging to go back to film. Enjoying the work and focus- rand ealizing how much my main digital cameras (all Fujifilm) are doing to help me look good- all the heavy lifting is on me with this now!
Both MP and M-A are on the website now. In fact, I've never noticed a time when they weren't.
March 8, 2024.
Yeah, it seemed strange as the blip lasted a few weeks, but thankfully they are all in stock.
You have a point, Nico, in your assessment that some people buy or carry Leica cameras because they make a statement. I use for work an M9P and an M10R (none bought new) and to me they are excellent because they fit my workflow, are beautifully made and are reliable. Leica’s marketing department surely thinks otherwise. They foster the myth of carrying a Noctilux when the Summicron is just so good. But I think we should be happy that we can still have such beautiful and well made material, and ignore the statements of the posh.
I've seen new prices in Germany. +400€ for the MA and +500€ for the MP. The new M6 price has also increased to 5450€, that's +400€ i think. The last thing i heard about the MA and MP here on youtube (Leica Store Wetzlar) they will be produced alongside the new m6 and not be discontinued.
Yep, same in Sweden. Big raise sadly
I paid 4.200 € for my Leica MP in 2022. 😊
I have a black matte MP and it’s my favourite camera of all time. And I am pretty sure that won’t change soon, despite me shooting digital lately (but still Leica).
...@azzalos, what exactly is "a black matte MP"? Leica offers the MP in silver chrome and black paint only.
Coincidentally - after literally years of deliberation then 3 weeks on the waiting list at the Leica store - I managed to get a new MP just under 2 weeks ago. The production date was in March 2023. Leica did say they’re not expecting to get more stock for another 2-3 months as they’re made in limited production runs. One dealer could give no guarantees on delivery either. I was on the list with the website which received stock last week but they sold out the same day too - it’s a frenzy! I was also baffled by the removal from the website - my guess is we may see the MP/MA fall alway for a while so they can focus on the M6 and fulfil a reasonable number of orders, just a hunch though.
They need to fix the m6 pressure plate issue before they can release new batches of M6’s. the film scratching issue was a surprising QC oversight. I haven’t seen this issue with my BP MP, which was born August 2022 batch. My M-A was birthed very recently in 2023 will be assessed soon.
Available everywhere
Nico, the Leica Store Bellevue in Washington State has a silver MP and a silver MA in stock. Right now. So they're not going anywhere.
At Meister Camera (big German Leica seller) the Silver chrome MP and M-A are "As long as stocks last for the old price!" and the black versions as pre-order. Perhaps will the Silver chrome disappear and black stay. Price hike indicated in any case
Meister are great, had a visit last time in Hamburg. I guess inflation also hits Leica gear and production.
On the presentation of products, there are only M11 and M6. On the Online store, all products are still there from France. Probably just a refresh of the product pages.
With the launch of the new M6, is there still a place for the MP? I bought my MP Black Paint about 18 months ago after waiting 2 weeks. If I were Leica I would have rereleased the M6TTL with the larger shutter speed dial which matched the metering arrows, but I get that the name may not be as sexy as M6.
It was a minor miracle that Leica went with a redesigned shutter speed dial on the M6 TTL. After the M5 debacle, Leica has been very wary of deviating from M film camera tradition. The smaller shutter speed dial made sense back when Leica offered external light meters designed to sit atop the camera and the dial itself. After incorporating a built-in meter, the shutter speed dial design found on the M6 TTL makes far better ergonomic sense. (The same could be said of the M5's shutter speed dial.) The fact that the M6 TTL dial rotated in conjunction with the meter display was the common sense icing on the cake.
They're backordered in USA but still available. I use mine - its a solid tool.
Thanks for describing the differences between the M-A and the M-P
The new M6 is just an MP with a worse rewind lever. The M6 is faster but it cuts in your eye and gets stock on stuff.
I always liked the M2/M3 winder.
@@NicosPhotographyShow Yeah I didn't mind it either. The M6 winder was also awkward to use because of the angle. Obviously the M5 has the best winder.
My guess is that Leica has limited production facilities for M film cameras which have a lot of parts in common for the 3 types. On another hand, they sell, apparently, many more M6’s than M-P’s or even more so M-A’s. So from a business point of view, it would make sense to prioritize the production of the M6’over the M-P and M-A. But again, it’s just a guess.
I think your explanation dors make sense
Don’t think it’s an issue at all. I haven’t seen anyone actually buy the new m6. I think the MP is still desirable and still commands a high price on the second hand market. I love my first production one and would one day love to add a black chrome M-A
The MP is still amazing in my opinion, not my camera but it is a great option. I somehow have started to like the looks of the M6, still don’t need any of them.
Maybe the pictures of the cameras are low resolution on the way-back versions because the pages cannot source the original media.
8:48 The M6 is an MP in a different disguise. The M6 actually has the MP internals.
I just checked the website and MP and M-A are back in the list. Maybe a glitch around the time that M11 Monochrom release.
A couple years ago....I found a deal on a "used" Leica M-A...being sold at a Leica Store in California. I bought it...in original box, etc.....and if it had actually really been used, I couldn't see any signs of it.
I've not run much film through it, I use my M10M as my go to all the time camera. I think I ran a roll of film through the M-A, but I don't think I've developed it yet...need to check it to make sure it's working.
I don't use it that much...but I don't want to get rid of it....
They're still on the website, just not in the main nav. It actually happened when I was looking at them on their website, then the next day I went back and couldn't find them. March time.
This is exactly what was stated/shown in the video.
Strange. On the Leica USA website, the MP, MA, and M6 are all currently shown. After buying a M6 more than two decades ago I stopped paying attention to Leica's current offerings. The release of the "new M6" happened to catch my eye because it was plastered all over the place online (Leica's marketing seems to be their biggest strong point these days). Meanwhile news of a bad batch of pressure plates making their way into the production of the new M6 (resulting in scratched film) has gotten out - it seems that the pressure plates are not produced by Leica but by an external supplier. I wonder if this has occurred with the MP & MA as well?
Interesting - their quality control is quite poor in my experience. My brand new MP was missing its battery, strap and spare battery cover and had a minor engraving error too. Perhaps they are overstretching themselves at the moment.
@@Ben-vg1lw Given the rising interest in film photography over the past few years I can't help but imagine Leica chomping at the bit wanting to capitalize on this. (Who could blame them?). In which case overstretching themselves is not hard to imagine. With any sort of premium high-end product you would hope that things like quality control and customer service would truly be world class - unfortunately that makes it all the more disappointing when this proves not to be the case. Ironically, it is Leica themselves that set such expectations with all of their well polished marketing.
@@VirtualGuth yes you’re right, and I’d be extremely disappointed if, to add to the engraving error and missing accessories, the camera had a pressure plate that ruins the film as well! Oh well - first roll of film is with the lab now, will see.
@@Ben-vg1lw I was not aware that you had yet to see the results from shooting a roll of film with your camera. Know that I hope the mishaps that you've already encountered end up being the only ones you will have to deal with for now. Good luck!
I got my MP from Leica within 2 weeks. Factory sealed. Got lucky I guess but I also traded my m6 for it
Nico, you are right. MPs and MAs will still be there, however Leica did a major mistake at this point. 400-500 euros increase (Germany) over night for film cameras....??
Inflation and etc. these are film cameras at the end of the day.
Being a monopoly on what Leica offers, who cares.. :) Some people will buy and everyone is happy.
I recently sent my MP to Leica for a CLA, their ETA is 20 weeks.
Sent my watch to Rolex, took 4 months... so 16 weeks... just the way things are.
Yeah, they dont have a lot of people doing it, its not an easy craft.
I have mu MP 0.58 and happy, together with the M10M, its'(for me) like de Nikon D3 and the F6 :-)
Oh man, I tested the M10M and really liked it. Tempted to pick one up at some point.
I traded an old M6 last year for a new MP before the new M6 was released. Two things I don't like about the MP are the rewind lever which requires about 50 winds and the black paint is far too soft and my MP has a lot of scratches all over it already. I bought an after market MP rewind knob which ended up scratching as well so that was the wrong call. It would be crazy from a $$ point of view to trade up to a new M6 for these two reasons. Comparing the light meter from the old M6 to the new MP - the new MP seems much more accurate so overall very happy. Cheers.
The „new pictures“ theory doesn’t make sense for me because wouldn’t you just update the website instead of having it gone for weeks?
Discontinuation doesn’t make sense because (afaik) the film internals are already very close.
My guess is, either some sort of marketing stunt or PR game, or just plain accidental/ incompetence because of miscommunication.
The M-A also has the nicer ISO dial, not sure why the MP is the plastic
The dial in metered Ms is responsible for selecting the ISO metering thru resistance contacts on the door. The door connects thru pogo pins to the camera (which you can see where it connects if you pull up the door). Being an electronic parts, having metal part increases the risk of misoperation i.e bent and always setting ISO 800. From an engineering and practical standpoint, Leica never chose to put a metal dial for ISO to any previous metered Ms. It could be done with extra parts to non-conducting shielding between the metal dial and the resistance contacts but that can add a millimeter to the dial's thickness and also, cost.
Global chip shortage might be one of the reasons why Leica brought out the new M6. Production of mechanical cameras will continue until the supply of chip improves. A few months ago I walked into my local camera shop, saw a MP black paint and bought it on the spot. It was available because someone cancelled his order.
I removed my red dot from my m6 TLL and lost it lol, prefer it black though
Any updates on this
Most people put tape on that dot.
I heard that the M-A also has a lower quality viewfinder like the early M7 vs the later Models which feature the MP finder.
What kind of nonsense is this? As of today (July 2023)both models are on offer on the Leica website...
They were gone for a while, then came back.
@@NicosPhotographyShow In that case, it would probably be best to remove the video completely from CZcams.
How do they actually vary internally?
We have a new M6 and will be opening it to see the differences.
B&H has the silver one in stock, forget if it’s Mp or MA.
They are in stock in some places, just have to search a bit.
My local dealer in Hamburg, Germany says that the M-A will not be produced anymore by Leica. Only the M-P and the M6.
Better not make that backdrop green one day. 🙂
They are probably just distracted with all the broken M11's.
Are they breaking? My M10-P is doing fine.
You also mean broken M6 pressure plates
M6 isn’t brass.
From BH with the new Leica M6 “• Solid Brass Top Plate w/ Red Leitz Logo”. Old one isn’t brass, new one is.
@@NicosPhotographyShow that’s a big plus then.
MP, M-P, M-A, Typ this, Typ that - horrible designations chosen by Leica. The MP seems to be an M6 with M3 style controls, the M-A seems to be an M3 without the self-timer. The M-P is digital. There are two M’s, and an M-E and newer M-D. Crazy. Makes Mercedes Benz designations seem sensible.
It is messy for sure. But they started with an M3, then M2... so the confusion is historical, I guess.
@@NicosPhotographyShow you forgot about the M1
The new M6 ist the MP V2.....
I'm glad to own a real M6!!!