Yes not really too much to get excited about I think even at $300. If you want to treat yourself get a nice M3. Even the MP4 or a good used M6 won't run you too much and you get an awful lot of camera. Throw on a nice 1969 era 50mm Summicron rigid F2 and wow you got quite the setup already. Just be careful the glass from these lenses can be soft so they scratch easily. Lots of junk copies out there. The Voigts and of course Zeiss lenses are wonderful too. Especially the Voigt 15, 21, Zeiss 28, 35 and 50s. The 18 ZM Leica is also unreal. I had to sell mine unfortunately because I went back to Grad school :( Take the plunge! The Leica M is a truely wonderful system. It compliments my Nikon gear perfectly.

Personally I wouldn't get anything less than a M3 or newer and $300 isn't that great of a deal IMO. Some really experience Leica users have told me the pre-war Leica's were not all that great and were not known for the "Leica quality" as later models. CLAs for Leica run from my experience from $200-1000 (depending what is needed or you want done) and take 2-4 weeks if you are not close to an authorized shop.

If you wanted to try the rangefinder experience, for $500 you can get a used Voigtländer and lens, which has a meter, 60-70 years newer, no need for a CLA, and basically get the same experience. You could also go for a Canon RF for about the same or less money as well.

RFs is damn expensive to get into. Most new Voigt lenses are around $500 and $700 for the "ones you want" new. Used, all of them run generally around $450-600. Zeiss RF lenses run $1,000-$1,500 (even used), and Leica doesn't have anything less than $1,800 for their f2.8s and any 1.4s will run you $4k-6k. Used Leica glass will run you at least $1,000-2k for decent pieces and $500+ for beat to hell ones.

I have been dipping my toes in with Bessa R2, Voigltander 35mm f/2.5, Jupiter-8 50mm f2, a really beat up and old Leica 90mm f/4 and a meter and that has set me back close to $800. And that was getting very, very low bids (30-50% lower than usual) on ebay - got the 90mm for $70. Hate the slowness and size of a 35mm, the Jupt aperture moves with the focus, and I need a vice grip to turn the aperture on the 90mm. My advice - don't skimp and get stuff that really works since the nostalgia wears off fast. Plan on $2,000 and get a Voiglt R'x'A body and a one good Zeiss lens.

The voice of sanity as always, Niko. :) I'm probably better off going with something more recent.

Thanks, everyone, for the input.

$300 for a pre-war model isn't really that exciting. That's pretty much the average price for those models. You can find lots of pre-war Leicas for around $150-$200. It just depends on the model. Keep in mind though that these old cameras need a good CLA (Clean,Lube, and Adjustment) and that can run you a good amount of money depending on where you send it. So in my honest opinion I would pass and invest the $300 on something else.

a slight delay said:
or is it like putting a Yugo engine in a Bentley?

It is a bit
But changing lenses, is a lot easier than changing an engine
Before you buy, try and borrow a Leica lens, you know is in perfect condition and run a film through it. Shoot at a wide aperture and check focus
Beware it is not a coverted ZORKI Just do a seach "fake Leica"

Yeah, makes sense. He said he's been trying to sell it for a couple of years now, and everybody balks at the price of lenses. I figure that worse comes to worse, I can get one of the old Canon M-mounts, or even one of those old Russian rangefinder lenses... Don't know. The thought of owning a Leica, just on general principle, is tempting. Part of me would probably be just as happy with a Yashica (I'm not hung up on one brand or another). Either way, if I buy it, I'm using it; it's not going to sit on a shelf somewhere.

I would say buy first and think later, if that makes any sense. I don't think Leica stuff can go down in value.

Besides, you don't need modern lenses with it, you can shoot older, cheaper lenses. But if money is an issue, you better make sure you shoot with it eventually.

Okay, I'm posting this here because I know a handful of you shoot Leica, and I've generally been able to trust the input I've gotten here. I went to an antique shop last week (one of those big places with multiple dealers). One of the dealers had literally dozens of cameras. All his. He's been shooting since the forties; some were cameras he'd used quite a bit, and others were just part of his collection.

Here's my dilemma: the guy's got a prewar Leica body that's in decent shape, but no lens(es) to go with it. He only wants $300 for the body. I know the lenses can go for several times that, but I've also seen third-party options on eBay that have the Leica screw-mount that are more in my price range. Are any of them any good, or is it like putting a Yugo engine in a Bentley? I just bought a D7000, and if I buy this thing, I've got to hold off on a zoom lens for a while, but at that price, it's pretty darned tempting...

Thanks for the input.