LEICA M2 | Review and Sample Photos

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  • Опубліковано 5 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 130

  • @benjhaisch
    @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +46

    quick note: apparently the Leica M2 does focus down to 0.7m. mine just must be stuck at 1m for some reason. good news though!

    • @thedondeluxe6941
      @thedondeluxe6941 4 роки тому

      Mine definitely focuses down to 0.7 meters :-)

  • @kevinparkes417
    @kevinparkes417 3 роки тому +12

    The testimony as to how great this camera is is that 60 years on they bought out the Leica M-A which is almost identical apart from a couple of details and people are still desperate to buy it. My M2 is 60 years old, looks almost like new and works perfectly. Truly a camera to fall in love with.

    • @anthonyazanon6160
      @anthonyazanon6160 5 місяців тому

      @@kevinparkes417 how often do you service it?

  • @riceboy890
    @riceboy890 4 роки тому +6

    I typically loathe gear reviews but I gotta say this is one of the best gear reviews I've ever seen. Simple, to the point, and I dig the added visuals (framelines, the example of how a rangefinder patch works, etc.).

  • @KMondy
    @KMondy 4 роки тому +6

    Hey! I'm a Nikon fan boy with many F series camera's. I broke down and bought the Leica M3 a year ago and WOW! Back to basics and it has become my go to camera. Pure joy of photography!

  • @jsshayes1
    @jsshayes1 3 роки тому +6

    Great review. Couple of "Pros" for the M2 in my opinion. I love the older styling of loading. There is never a question of the leader has "caught" or not. The film rewind lever is much sturdier than a M6/M4. I once bumped M6's rewind lever (not a drop, a bump) and had to have YYE Camera completely replaced it. Sold the M6. I also feel it is much better made than a M6 (when you hold it in your hand you can kind of feel it). Maybe because it is made out of Brass and the M6 is not.

  • @neilpiper9889
    @neilpiper9889 3 роки тому +3

    I used an M2 in the 1960s, it had the collapsible 50mm f2 Summicron lens.
    It was excellent.
    We were shooting weddings in black and white. Everything was geared to medium format cameras.
    It was just so easy to get quality from the Rolleis we were using.
    We measured light with Gossen meters.
    Ilford Hp3 with Ilford Id11 at 320 iso.
    I still have the prints from back then, printed on Kodak Bromesko fine lustre paper.
    The Leica M2 hardly got used and was sold.
    We didn't drool over cameras then, just results. Strange days now.

  • @ruben619448
    @ruben619448 4 роки тому +4

    I have the 50mm summilux black chrome and it is the most amazing lens. Will stay in my family for a long time.

  • @IsaacOtto
    @IsaacOtto 3 роки тому +16

    The M2 can focus down to 0.7m... It's only the M3 that has a limitation of 1.0m and even that can be modified, I think.

    • @John-mf1sz
      @John-mf1sz Рік тому

      Woof, 0.7?!
      That almost sounds like it’s be impossible to focus perfectly.

  • @gilesjazzguitar64
    @gilesjazzguitar64 4 роки тому +2

    The most iconic M series camera . Also some of my favourite pictures were taken on the M2

  • @jessicahaydahlrichardson7951

    I bought a 3d printed spool for my Leica m3 that is a replica of a fast spool, mimicking the m4-2 and m6 spools. It’s pretty cool and has made a huge difference in how fast you can load a m3.

  • @abhinavgoswami3740
    @abhinavgoswami3740 4 роки тому +1

    Hi Benj I really like your channel and your info about Leica M 2 ,because I also own few Leica M cameras but my favourite is Leica M2 I shoot BW but I really like your Color work because it has some sublime nature in Color that really eloquently stands out .Thanks

  • @johndavidwolf4239
    @johndavidwolf4239 3 роки тому +3

    I owned an M4 with a 50mm F2 dual range Summicron. which I am sure would fit on your M2, which focused down to 0.48 meters, 19 inches.

  • @asimplefarmer
    @asimplefarmer 4 роки тому +1

    Love hearing your pain points as a working photographer with the M2

  • @JamieKateAdoc
    @JamieKateAdoc 2 роки тому

    The b-roll looks so good!

  • @allena3430
    @allena3430 4 роки тому +2

    I just realize my M1 is the M2 without timer and rangefinder. Amazing piece especially to train my distance gauging and zone focusing

  • @johnmarsland3442
    @johnmarsland3442 4 роки тому +2

    M4 is the perfect middle ground. it is my first leica film camera after having an M8 and M262... love it

    • @CalumetVideo
      @CalumetVideo 2 місяці тому +1

      @@johnmarsland3442 also have the M4, love it! Also have the M3, both great cameras. Enough Leica for me!

  • @yendor2043
    @yendor2043 2 роки тому

    The m2 is my favorite Leica. I find that I can roam the streets with it and people ignore me. I love the fact the camera has zero electronics or batteries. I wish it wasn't so expensive on the used market but that's how things go.

  • @SamuelElkinsPhoto
    @SamuelElkinsPhoto 4 роки тому +19

    That summilux 😢

  • @j.k5654
    @j.k5654 3 роки тому

    You took these with the M2? 😍😍😍
    Man, you mean business. Now am thinking of getting one

  • @sarahteixeira5179
    @sarahteixeira5179 4 роки тому

    Have the m2 and it is my first love! some weeks ago, got an m6 because of the light meter, and it is my second love!!

  • @avix88
    @avix88 4 роки тому +3

    Ben, as a fellow M2 owner and glasses wearer - how do you find/get around the viewfinder scratching your glasses?

    • @Dieseleafe
      @Dieseleafe 4 роки тому +1

      I use a DAG plastic eyepiece, you can get them from www.dagcamera.com/store/p109/Plastic_Eyepiece_Guard_for_all_metal_M_eyepieces.html $15 plus postage is a bit steep, but it stops my glasses from getting ruined.

    • @jsshayes1
      @jsshayes1 3 роки тому

      Glasses wearer here, personally I have found that it does scratch but it is so minor that even after 6 years of shooting my M2 it is hardly more than normal wear and tear. That being said I normally use a certain pair of glasses for shooting.

    • @jameswhiteside5213
      @jameswhiteside5213 3 роки тому +1

      I bought some stick on felt rings that go right over the metal eyepiece. Very thin a bit like the flocking on the inside of a good lens hood. Totally solved the problem of my glasses getting scratched! Unfortunately no idea where I got them from - online somewhere.

  • @Francois15031967
    @Francois15031967 4 роки тому +23

    "Sample photos" out of a camera body, in the realm of film photography, doesn't mean a thing. You'll eventually have sample photos from a film type or a lens.

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +8

      Francois Gobbi yeah, I’d disagree with the usefulness of that. When I was considering switching to Leica, I didn’t think that a lot of the photos that I showed as samples were even possible with a Leica because I hadn’t seen them used in that manner before. Yes, it’s just a box that handles the film and lens, but it really does mean something.

  • @David-hk3ly
    @David-hk3ly 10 місяців тому

    I try not to shoot much with the M2 because I just love the sound of the shutter. I am in a conundrum do I load and hear less shutter sound or just leave it empty so I can listen to the musicality of the shutter. Decisions, decisions.......

  • @TheMPhotography
    @TheMPhotography 4 роки тому +3

    Great seeing you talk about the M2. Your video shows your passion and love for the camera. Don't sell it if you don't need money right now unless you trade it for an M3 or M6 ;-)

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +2

      The M Photography haha I have an M6 :)

    • @TheMPhotography
      @TheMPhotography 4 роки тому +1

      @@benjhaisch Can never have enough of those :-P supply will be short some day.

  • @crispin8888
    @crispin8888 4 роки тому +18

    If you sell your M2 you will regret it. It has an emotional connection that a modern camera will not have.

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +1

      I do have an M6, so it wouldn’t be a total loss :)

    • @gilesjazzguitar64
      @gilesjazzguitar64 4 роки тому

      @@benjhaisch m2 is much nicer looking than the M6

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +2

      Giles Jazz Guitar I 100% agree

    • @gilesjazzguitar64
      @gilesjazzguitar64 4 роки тому

      @@benjhaisch I have one with a summilux 35mm v2 . Such a joy

    • @crispin8888
      @crispin8888 Рік тому

      ​@gilesjazzguitar64 Definitely. I have other Leicas, but keep going back to the M2, even without a meter.

  • @erichartke4331
    @erichartke4331 4 роки тому

    Great review I love my button rewind M2 ❤

  • @cfperwil
    @cfperwil 4 роки тому

    Nice to hear that you also have a camera that talks to you. My wife thinks I am crazy when I say that about my M4...😝

  • @ccoppola82
    @ccoppola82 4 роки тому +11

    Keep the M2 man. It makes my M6 feel like a tin can. Lol. I used my m6 for months and didn’t touch the M2...then went and used it and was like “whoa I forgot how good this is”

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +1

      That was literally me picking up the M2 to film this video.

    • @jieelyuu
      @jieelyuu 3 роки тому

      Can you explain it a bit more? What do you like on M2 that you don't on M6?

    • @ccoppola82
      @ccoppola82 3 роки тому +1

      @@jieelyuu it feels like a smoother and more solid camera. Also the finder is vastly better than the m6. It’s super bright. If you’re a 50 or 35 shooter and don’t need a meter, it’s an obvious choice tbh.

    • @jieelyuu
      @jieelyuu 3 роки тому

      @@ccoppola82 Thanks for the reply! One day I will get a M2, when my eyes are well trained and I have the money 😆

    • @jsshayes1
      @jsshayes1 3 роки тому

      So true. The M6 feels does feel cheaper. I mainly shoot an M2 then on a whim got an M6 a couple years ago. Sold it after 6 months. Just did not compare to my M2.

  • @doverjaquesfineartphotogra4050
    @doverjaquesfineartphotogra4050 10 місяців тому

    Hi Benj. Just bought my first Leica yesterday, an M2. If I place a 50mm lens on it, will the guidelines adjust for it in the range finder window? Thanks.

  • @jonlouis2582
    @jonlouis2582 4 роки тому +3

    Well said. I love mine too, but to be honest, I love my M5 more.

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому

      You’re a rare breed 😂

    • @zguy95135
      @zguy95135 4 роки тому +1

      @@benjhaisch I have both of those as well, and the M5 as a user edges out the M2 a little bit. The shutter speed wheel is really nice. The M2 wins in hand feel, beauty and framelines though

    • @jonlouis2582
      @jonlouis2582 4 роки тому +1

      Benj Haisch A heretic!

  • @rideroundandstuff
    @rideroundandstuff 4 роки тому +5

    I bought one in late 2010 at a camera store in Austria for 290 Euros! I still don't know what made them sell it for such a ridiculously low price.

    • @CianMcsweeney
      @CianMcsweeney Рік тому

      Even for back then that's a steal, if it wasn't such a beautiful camera you should really cash in on that

    • @rideroundandstuff
      @rideroundandstuff Рік тому

      @@CianMcsweeney Yeah well. At one point the viewfinder went black. I went to a camera store in Hamburg and they said it would cost 1000 Euros to fix that. So I sold it again (don't know for how much).
      The real cost would have been more like 200, maybe 300. I was so stupid.

  • @jaredgotcher
    @jaredgotcher 3 роки тому

    I believe Youxin Ye does modifications to the M2 & M3 where he converts it to the faster film-loading system of the M6. If that's a big hangup for you, then there's an option to consider. I have the M3, and honestly, I consider it the most perfect camera ever made (for me & the way I like to shoot); just an absolute joy to shoot. That whole "It calls to me, like it wants to be shot" comment is dead on the money. Exactly how I feel about my M3. Endorphins, endorphins, endorphins.

  • @doubleletter
    @doubleletter 3 роки тому +3

    Good review but the fact is that the M2 is easier to use than the M3 with 50mm for those who wear glasses myself.

  • @joeschlicht
    @joeschlicht 4 роки тому

    Hmm... First video that made me not want to consider an M2 (namely the film loading, didn't realize it was the old way). I've never used an M2, though I have handled one (excellent condition) in a camera store, and the shutter release and advance were like butter, just amazing. I have an M6 though, maybe I should be content with that, the grass is not always greener.

  • @mattymrj01
    @mattymrj01 4 роки тому +1

    Okay, so not M mount, but i wonder why the Leica R range was never so popular. Seems to me like they're very underrated SLRs. You can get a body for 100-300 dollars.

  • @utbeebob
    @utbeebob 4 роки тому +1

    Hi Ben! Great video! I was just wondering about what you said about the min focusing distance. I think the Leica M2 does focus down to 0.7m - Could you clarify?

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +1

      Apparently I’m mistaken according to some comments and mine just doesn’t focus down to 0.7m

  • @chriswalters6434
    @chriswalters6434 4 роки тому +2

    I didn’t know some m2s only focus to 1m. I have an older serial number than yours but focuses to .7m

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +2

      Oh dang. That’s awesome. Maybe it’s a service thing? Good to know

    • @johntaylor4056
      @johntaylor4056 4 роки тому +3

      Chris Walters mine focuses down to 0.7m too 1959 production year.

  • @johnnyrinsma
    @johnnyrinsma 4 роки тому +1

    Hi Ben I love your videos. What is your favorit film rolls to shoot with?

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +2

      Portra 160, 400, 800. ColorPlus 200, Tri-X 400 are my go-to’s

  • @huilinow
    @huilinow 4 роки тому

    Question: How did you guys know when you used up the film since the film count can be manually changed?

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому

      The film advance will stick when you get to the end of the roll

    • @huilinow
      @huilinow 4 роки тому

      Benj Haisch i see! Thanks for the prompt response! Cause i just got my first leica m2 and still trying to explore it :) Anyway~ nice video you had made here!

  • @dangerpowers123
    @dangerpowers123 4 роки тому +3

    Love my M2, I feel like it's the best all mechanical rangefinder... I thought the M3 was 1 meter and the M2 is 0.7 meters... I'm sure my M2 focuses closer than 1 meter.

    • @dangerpowers123
      @dangerpowers123 4 роки тому +1

      As sorry just read the other comments and realise this has already been commented on

    • @nickfanzo
      @nickfanzo 2 роки тому

      @@dangerpowers123 dual range summicron makes that irrelevant

  • @MarcS4R
    @MarcS4R 4 роки тому +2

    always inspiring watching your vids man.

  • @frogfish36
    @frogfish36 4 роки тому

    Oh, so cool to see that. I shoot many of my weddings with two Leica M2. I love these little peaces, a beautiful combination of art and craftsmanship.
    Let the good content coming (:

  • @josecaffarena4269
    @josecaffarena4269 4 роки тому

    Can I use a elmarit 28mm ASPH in the M2??, thanks man for your videos!

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому

      Sure, the 28mm is going to be outside of the 35mm framelines though

  • @alexanderjavadpeygambarian9878
    @alexanderjavadpeygambarian9878 3 роки тому

    Which M film camera do you recommend for a 28mm lens?

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  3 роки тому +1

      M6 or M7 and a .56 viewfinder if you really want precise framing. But .72 works in a pinch

    • @alexanderjavadpeygambarian9878
      @alexanderjavadpeygambarian9878 3 роки тому

      Oh got it! And between the M6 classic and TTL, which in your opinion is the better buy?

    • @buchenwang9080
      @buchenwang9080 3 роки тому

      Hi Benji ! Really like your videos and I recently bought my first leica m2 too and now wondering where did you get those great wood hot shoe cap and shutter button? Cause they look so nice on a chrome body, I really want to get me a pair of those !

  • @harrisjon1
    @harrisjon1 5 місяців тому

    Curious, do you still own it?

  • @lucapace8136
    @lucapace8136 4 роки тому

    hey thanks for the great vid, much appreciated. You should definitely slow down the time when you display images as your eyes only settle in and appreciate the image right when the next one comes. Other than that I really liked this clip.

  • @colinandpaige
    @colinandpaige 4 роки тому

    THANKS BENJ

  • @zillascoots6802
    @zillascoots6802 3 роки тому +1

    i have a old m2 from my grandfather who lived in Germany and who fought in the war

  • @aboutphotography
    @aboutphotography 4 роки тому

    Great video! Thank you

  • @davegball
    @davegball 2 роки тому +1

    "The difference between 1m and 0.7m is about a foot". As a non American that made me chuckle. :-)

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  2 роки тому

      Haha believe me, so many Americans have no clue

  • @Webrisernl
    @Webrisernl 4 роки тому

    How reliable is shooting on film for weddings? Today Digital cameras are able to create backup on Another card How do you deal with this analoog?

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому +1

      People had been using them for decades, so it can be done. I personally shoot primarily on digital cameras for weddings mostly for ease of use and cost.

    • @Webrisernl
      @Webrisernl 4 роки тому

      @@benjhaisch a I see and onderstand. Thanks ben

  • @renatosantos63
    @renatosantos63 4 роки тому

    Benj,
    Great review. I have my grandfathers M2. Where to you get your Leica's serviced?

  • @RodUSMC75
    @RodUSMC75 4 роки тому

    Great Vid

  • @sylvaingarel4753
    @sylvaingarel4753 4 роки тому +9

    Please Folks, don't repeat the accident i had with my beloved M2 (it could cost you your arm ^^). I left it outside on a sunny and very hot summer day, the lens wide opened at f2 and it burned the shutter curtain.... I now have to save money in order to send it for repair and CLA (Around 400-500 euros).
    Please be careful, put your lenses to F16 or F22 and use a lens cover

    • @O4KAST
      @O4KAST 4 роки тому

      If you still didn't CLA it, I may know someone who will do it way cheaper

  • @scottbrennan4008
    @scottbrennan4008 4 роки тому +1

    Best M ever

  • @nickhaisch4277
    @nickhaisch4277 4 роки тому +2

    I'm about to have a cheap leica you can review. :) still waiting for that package though......

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  4 роки тому

      Nick Haisch lets do it next time I visit

  • @antonpaisov
    @antonpaisov 3 роки тому

    did you end up selling it or keeping it? :)

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  3 роки тому

      Selling 🥺😭

    • @antonpaisov
      @antonpaisov 3 роки тому

      @@benjhaisch I recently got an M2 and I love it so far, of course not having a built in meter is a bit annoying, but otherwise the camera is a dream!
      For a long time before getting it I was quite annoyed by the film counter on this model, but not that I have it, I don't really care that much about it 😅

  • @TENGUJAPON
    @TENGUJAPON 4 роки тому +1

    Don't sell it! haha. I sold mine but it was a different model without self-timer so I got a good money for it. Then I bought the M6... now I miss the M2 again :P

    • @erichartke4331
      @erichartke4331 4 роки тому +1

      I have the older button rewind M2 without the self timer and she's a beaut.

  • @marcelogusmao5905
    @marcelogusmao5905 3 роки тому

    Thanks from 🇧🇷

  • @tylertrudeau2038
    @tylertrudeau2038 4 роки тому +1

    If you sell your M2 you should let me know cause I might be interested in buying it haha.

  • @thedeadguy
    @thedeadguy 4 роки тому +1

    The loading of the film enrages me. Sometimes it says it’s advancing,but it’s not.

    • @mattah
      @mattah 3 роки тому

      I've never had a problem with mine. I always watch the rewind knob to make sure it's engaged.

  • @johnshick4303
    @johnshick4303 4 роки тому

    the m2 is my favorite M film camera . i shoot almost exclusivly black and white negs with the many m2s I have ownd over the years and i find with a little practice the m 2 can be very fast to use. This however requires some practice and some acceptance that being close on the focus is more than good enough for most shoots. First i have learnd my thirtyfive sumicrons tab positions for focusing that the tab straight down is very close to infinity and so on., i also return the lens to infinity after a shot if i have time so i will always start focuing by turning the lens in the same direction. If you set your lens to hyper focus setting of a given f stop i usuually use f 8 and use a hing iso film i can shoot most subjects say around the chess tables in front of Au bon Pain in harvard square without focusing or changing the exposure much. very fast.
    the other endering aspect of the M2 are the various anomalies in different iterations, early ones had a vestigial depth of field indicator in the range finder patch a longish notch on the bottom and s shorter notch othe top but i forgot exactly how it works as I never used its/ there is a very good aftermarket device that offerers the rapid loading similar to the m 6 but that is found on the last of the m2 cameras known as the m2r the r staning for of course rapid load. all subsequent M cameras had it.
    the close focusing thing is more interesting. First off one needs to realize that as the lens moves in and out focusing the field of view actually fhanges slightly including more in the frame lines at infinity then at the closest focusing distance given the same initial framing. this is because the entire lens moves in and out thus getting further or closer to the film plane. In the early days leitz engineers had to figure out a standard for wich to adjust the frame line vis a vie the changing coverage, In the day of the m2 the closest focusing distance of the lens was thouight to be a good place to start, both the fifty and thirty five summicorns of the day had a minimum focusing distance af about three feet hence the range finder not focusing much closer because it was not thought to be needed, and at that focusing setting the frame line for that lens would be one hundred percent accuratete. when the reformulated fifty f2 summicron came out some years later the frame line for the fifty mm got a tad smaller. so as to enable one hundred percent accurady at the closest focusing distance,
    i hear so many praise the Leica range finder because you can see outside the frame lines unless you wear eye glasses. I had and M2 and never saw the twenty eight frame line without crunching my nose.

  • @lukasrejchrt2128
    @lukasrejchrt2128 3 роки тому

    Just got the deal of my life, bought a Leica M2 with some lense for 40bucks, I’m thinking about keeping it for a while, then selling it.

  • @paulgreen6903
    @paulgreen6903 4 роки тому

    No.....you are.... NOT AN IDIOT. There were many news photographers, to whom used the M2...........................way back when. It s a working..... MEAN MACHINE. It s only job was to JUST HOLD THE FILM in a box ( camera ). You put on a lens, set shutter, then f stops......focus.....then take that...... WORLD GREATEST PHOTO.......That s real photography. If you knew the limitation of your film......your a REAL PHOTOGRAPHER. Today s photographer is toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo busy......trying to find THAT PERFECT SHOT.......but can t as there s ( again ) toooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much to do. Good show......do more.....and yes....i m an M3 nut.

  • @Fourbars26
    @Fourbars26 4 роки тому

    It's the third M mount

  • @avallejo
    @avallejo 4 роки тому

    What does film means? 😄

  • @256k_
    @256k_ 2 роки тому

    im legit so torn on the choice between a M2 and a M6 for the meter. i know the M5 exists but i just can't get myself to want it. sorry M5 lovers.

  • @AB-lx8cf
    @AB-lx8cf 3 роки тому

    Meters are over rated sunny 16, or use your eyes. And buy the right film. 100-200 iso - sunny. 400-800 overcast 1200 -3200 low light.

  • @nickfanzo
    @nickfanzo 2 роки тому

    Cameras are fun but it’s the work and the projects and the editing of your work, that is what matters.
    Too many videos about the device or machine
    Not enough on what matters in photography
    1- projects
    2 choosing your life long subject matter for consistency
    3 studying contact sheets and editing your shots (show less)- not editing in terms of computer adjustments.
    4 getting on the inside and how to do so when shooting places, businesses etc

    • @benjhaisch
      @benjhaisch  2 роки тому

      Sure, I just don't see UA-cam as the platform where that necessarily shines. I do have a Patreon where most of those types of videos live though as I do produce both. I started making videos that really dive into those things but no one watched them, so I switched it up to make videos like this for a more broad audience and those who want the most in depth stuff can subscribe to the Patreon.

    • @nickfanzo
      @nickfanzo 2 роки тому

      @@benjhaischI think you’re just using that platform as a way to make money, which is fine but to say UA-cam can’t be a platform to teach what I mentioned above, is silly. If Philip Perkis can teach me over a phone call, a UA-cam video came help people too

  • @Guairenito
    @Guairenito 4 роки тому

    My dream camera. Sell it to me please whenever you decide you want to sell it ❤

  • @wnuczekdonvasyla6210
    @wnuczekdonvasyla6210 4 роки тому

    mercedes sl300......................................;p