For really top-notch image quality
- Nick.
There is no logical reason to buy a leica. Hell, regardless of what you read on this forum this is no logical reason to buy anything other than a Canon or Nikon, maybe that Sony.
Even the Nikon N-90 file vs. file, inch vs. inch, ounce vs. ounce is a better camera than the Leica.
Like it or not Nikon and Canon are the real Toyotas of the camera world, not Mamiya, because they always work, the do it on the cheap and you don't even have to think about them, you just turn them on and shoot.
I would never tell anyone just to buy a Leica and compare it to anything, because it is slow to start, the batteries are small, the data card goes in the bottom and the framing is a surprise. Color accuracy in available light is almost impossible to figure out.
The Leica does have a different look and you will shoot different things with it. I know, I also laughed at the Leicaness of photos and of the photos I've seen through the years shot will all Leicas 90% are just snapshots though 10% are much more and well that 10% is something.
There is a difference shooting with the Leica and I'm not just saying this a mumbo jumbo, bigger is better, spend 5 grand to get to 2 because it doesn't make senses unless it makes you and your subjects feel good.
Then it's worth it and used M-8's are out there for $2,500. Also you can buy all the Leica glass you want though most of the lenses are non usable. Try a 90 on the m-8 and you'll laugh looking at a frame the size of a 12 pt. helvetica W.
So after buying a 24, or 28 and maybe a 50 you probably won't use anything else anyway. Actually I haven't taken the 28 off of it in a year.
I have a lot of cameras, too many actually, but if today every one of them disappeared I'd go out tomorrow and buy 3. Two 1ds3's (or Nikon D3x's) to make a living and one leica to make me smile.
JRR