What do I need to know about the Leica M6?

Strapps

Strapps

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Following the GAS thread, I keep thinking about getting shot of a lot of my film gear in favour of a Leica. I think the M6 is the model for me as I prefer a metered camera and it'd make a welcome change to have one or two excellent lenses instead of a box full of good ones that I can't choose between!

I'm a big fan of rangefinders and have a couple of fixed lens cameras and an X-Pro1 so the focusing and handling won't be a surprise. I'd be looking to buy from a reputable dealer with a warranty, I think I could spend years waiting for one to come up on ebay with a poor description and one photo :)

So I guess I have two main questions: is there anything in particular to look out for on a used camera? And are there any viable alternatives using the same lenses and/or mount? I appreciate that any camera is essentially a light-tight box with a shutter mechanism but if I went that way, would I just pine for the red dot?

Thanks in advance :)
 
There are alternative makes but as you've already said you'd still hanker after a Leica if you bought something else so why bother. One of your major considerations is which viewfinder model to go for, do you tend to shoot wide or tele-photo? That could focus (sorry) your choice between the .72 or the .85 versions.
 
Thanks for the links.

I should have been more specific regarding the alternatives; I'm hoping for people who've owned them to contribute their thoughts on how the bodies handle and feel compared to the M6. This would be a purchase of the heart more than the head and I don't want to compromise and end up regretting it when I pick up the camera. That approach worked with my XP1 and I've felt no compunction to acquire more digital gear since then, it's been more than enough for me.

Though I don't use it as often as I should so it's teetering on the edge of the "maybe sell" pile at the moment...
 
RaglanSurf said:
There are alternative makes but as you've already said you'd still hanker after a Leica if you bought something else so why bother. One of your major considerations is which viewfinder model to go for, do you tend to shoot wide or tele-photo? That could focus (sorry) your choice between the .72 or the .85 versions.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Nick. I hadn't thought about the finder. Very good question and one I can't answer off the top of my head.
 
I have an XP1 and a M4 - the M4 is better built, more comfortable in the hand (the curved ends of the Leica sit really well, I have to use a grip on the Fuji). Viewfinders are similar, but I'd give the edge to the Leica, the mechanically linked parallax correction of the frame lines is a lot smoother than the sudden snap into position that the XP1 has. The M4 is a lot simpler and the shutter release feels a bit more responsive.

As for finders, it really depends on what your main lens will be - 0.85 for 50mm, 0.72 for 35mm. 0.72 is also nice for 50mm as there's a lot of room outside the frame lines.
 
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I can't really comment on the M6 as I've never had one but I did have an M3 and while it was a beautiful piece of engineering and a pleasure to use I felt I needed the benefit of a little help in the exposure department so went for a Bessa R4A which suited my liking for wide angle lenses as it has markings from 21-50, of course that raised the spectre of "what if I want to use something a little longer?" so I bought a Bessa R3A which has markings for 40-90. I like them both and it does mean that I can give myself options of colour/b&w and wide 25mm and my longest lens which atm is a 50mm.

I'm not sure I'd bother buying another Leica unless I could afford the Leica lenses to go with it, but do understand the urge :D
 
I think everyone knows how I feel about Bessa's, 90% of the leica for a fraction of the cost, love 'em to bits.
 
I have an M6 TTL with a .85 finder and 50mm summilux and I don't think I will ever sell it. The other half has a Bessa R2a with a 35 Nokton.

They are both very capable cameras, but the Leica feels every $ better in your hands. I don't need to say that the Leica glass is exceptional :) You really need to handle one, run the film advance a few times, try the loading mechanism. In terms of pictures? Of course the Bessa takes the same pictures with the same glass, but the Leica puts a smile on my face the way the Voigtlander can't.

I bought mine from www.9days.hk when I was living in HK. Really good store with a great range of cameras and lenses, I would happily buy from them online.

I've just spent 5 minutes tinkering and cleaning mine....this happens regularly!
 
I have just come from a Bessa R to an M6. The Bessa R was my introduction to rangefinders which I purchased from @RaglanSurf
As said above, effectively both the Bessa and M6 would do the same job but the Leica just feels that little bit nicer in your hands.

I have just shot my first roll through it so fingers crossed all is good.

How is it to use? Lovely! I just love the simplicity of it and it's handling. They are really nicely made and are just solid! I would have kept the Bessa as well as they are great cameras but couldn't justify it.
I believe it is recommended to have them CLA'd every 10 years ideally which is around £140 I think.

You do see them on eBay for good money sometimes however I managed to pick one up from Ffordes recently. You get a 6 month warranty which gives some peace of mind although you do pay a little more for it.
Worth keeping an eye on there website as they do sell quite a bit of Leica stuff and the M6's do appear on there occasionally along with the crazy priced special editions. I found them pretty helpful and they are more than happy to describe the item in more detail for you over the phone.

As for lenses, 'Cron is King as some might say however I would look at the Zeiss ZM lenses. These have been pretty well rated against the Leica variants and are a lot cheaper.
Alternatively there is the Nokton 35mm 1.4 and 50mm 1.5 which come well rated. Some have reported focus shift with the Nokton 35mm however although this may have been the earlier lenses.

Best of luck in your hunt!
 
Thanks everyone. Re: the finder, I tend toward wider lenses, though most of my shots on 35mm are probably taken with a 50mm lens. Not much help with the question there.

I've spent far too long this evening looking at a few of the alternatives and I'm still no closer to a decision. I quite like the Hexar RF, I can see the value of the Bessa and I still love the classic simplicity of the M-series. I'll have to sleep on it for several nights and put some of my current gear up for sale to start building the fund while I ponder. :)
 
i think if you want the leica look to your pictures, then in theory a lens will get you 90% there, specialy with film

for the leica experience they you would need the body, and hopefully a lens.

ive briefly used some digital leica's, and where they shine or are different from other rangefinders ive tried..
clarity of viewfinder (its damn sharp!) and the split prism or whatever isnt tinted and is sharper
carries its weight and bulk well
i liked the tab on the lens
feel more involved in picture making and enjoy it more (vs auto digital stuff)
theres something about them that makes you really really want them, its akin to gold or diamonds.
 
Having only used a very, very old Leica (1931, a Leica I converted to a II) I can't comment on the M6 viewfinder but according to Cameraquest the Bessa is betta. I think it really depends on what you want to spend and how long it would take to acquire the funds and of course your patience. If you really, really want the 'Leica experience' then save up and go for it but if you want the look but without the fiscal pain try a Bessa with a Leica lens....you can always sell the camera later and upgrade. (y)
 
Ruffmeister said:
Some have reported focus shift with the Nokton 35mm however although this may have been the earlier lenses.
Click to expand...

My 35mm Nokton definitely focus shifts; it slightly front focuses at 1.4, is bang on at f2 and then progresses backward slightly from that point onwards. It's never so severe that the target point is not within the DoF (even at 0.7m wide open) and I've only ever noticed it in test conditions but it's definitely there. This is all on a Bessa though. The previous owner used it on an M9 and reported that it was bang on at f1.4, back-focussed noticably at f2 and f2.8 but then was usable again from f4 onwards - slight differences in mount and digital's greater resolution likely being to blame.

More of an issue (IMHO) is the barrel distortion. If you like taking pictures of straight lines they will end up noticeably bendy. Either a deal-breaker or a minor issue depending on your preferred subjects.

Despite these two issues though, it's still a stunning lens. I love mine to bits and it's produced some of the very best photos I have ever taken.
 
I got an M2 made in 1965 in the early 1990's from a Camera Club member --it was £ 400-00 with a Canadian 1966 35mm f1.4 Summilux -- then later i got an M6 1986 made with another ( German Leitz) 35mm f1.4 Summilux and those lenses are SOFT at f1.4 with 'coma' and other abberations -- I got a 1989 made 50mm f2 Summicron new later and that is OK at f2 BUT I can see no difference from my Pentax 50mm f1.7 and the 50mm f1.4 lenses I have at wide apertures -- now the M2 has trouble with the slower speeds -- erratic . I had trouble with the M6 electronics which needed a complete circuit board replacement and also a piece soldered onto the base plate as I found out if you use the M6 with a 'Hammer Head' flash ( Mecablitz 45 CT series) it 'bends' the base plate and the numbering system does not work -- I would be out on jobs and would not know how many frames I had left as the frame counter didn't work -- it cost £ 127 --00 that repair !
35mm f1.4 Canadian Leitz Summilux at full aperture in Barcelona


Barcelona 2 par pentaxpete, sur Flickr

at f2.8 it's OK



Barcelona 1 par pentaxpete, sur Flickr

35mm f2 Super-Takumar 1970's lens at full aperture f2 - see sharp detail on 'shopping trolleys' - just as good as Leitz lenses


Brentwood 03 par pentaxpete, sur Flickr
 
Think you have a duff/damaged lens there tbh, I've never seen Leica glass that soft, and by most accounts the Canadian made lenses are just as good as those from Solms.
 
I have not had an M6 but did handle one (with a 50mm Summicron) and it was lovely!!! I did have an M3 for around 7 months. It did put a massive smile on my face to use and even to look at. They are brilliantly engineered and built and in my case, did not feel 55 years old! The results were excellent too. However, I like a camera that meters (in the main, although I do still have a rolleicord) and the biggest thing for me was the lack of AF. I am just not a big fan of manual focussing and that took the enjoyment out a little. However, if you have a lot of film gear that should not be an issue. Think I got mine from Aperture in london.
 
In case I'm missing something, could anyone who's owned either tell me the major differences between a Bessa R2 and a Leica M6, please?

Both have TTL metering, the Leica has more frameline options at the expense of a "busy" viewfinder and the Bessa has a brighter finder (both points according to Cameraquest). Why didn't I consider this before (or, more accurately, pay more attention to Andy's point)?
 
Strappy said:
In case I'm missing something, could anyone who's owned either tell me the major differences between a Bessa R2 and a Leica M6, please?

Both have TTL metering, the Leica has more frameline options at the expense of a "busy" viewfinder and the Bessa has a brighter finder (both points according to Cameraquest). Why didn't I consider this before (or, more accurately, pay more attention to Andy's point)?
Click to expand...

Twas ever thus, a prophet ignored in his own land...... :coat: IMHO the Bessa is 95% of the Leica for 50% of the cost, beautifully made, ergonomically lovely and a joy to use. As I may have mentioned (:whistle:) you can pop a Leica lens on it if you want but tbh I always found the Voigtlander equivalents to be fantastic lenses and unless you are going to be blowing them up to poster size you won't notice the difference. However, if you want a Leica, you want a Leica and nothing else will do as a substitute. So you have to decide how much you want a Leica....yes Dean its all down to you.... :runaway:
 
To be honest, I wasn't sold on the Bessa styling when I was looking at the R-a and R-m models. The R2 differs with sloped lines to the viewfinder and I really like how the film crank is incorporated into the shoulder of the top plate. It looks designed whereas the later bodies look as though the viewfinder box was added because it had to go there, if you see what I mean.

I think I've mentioned previously that I like a combination of style and functionality and the R2 is ticking those boxes. Plus the samples I've been looking at on flickr seem to capture the film look that I'm after, particularly with the 50mm Nokton lens.
 
The first time you lay your hands on an M6 you just know that it will let you take any photo you want (within reason)- it is beautifully made and easy to focus and also completely unobtrusive. It's simple and intuitive and like an extension of you. I ended up getting rid of my Leica kit because I couldn't focus it fast enough to get pics of my fast moving son but I am glad I owned it all.

Scratch the itch- you will most likely break even if you buy well and then sell on.
 
I have an m6 which I really love. I went for the ttl version as it is slightly newer. I use it mainly with a 50mm summilux. I highly recommend trying one if you can. The all manual controls and focus really make you think. I have loved all the (keeper) images from it right from the first roll. I highly recommend trying one.
 
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