whats the difference between Leica MP, M6 and M7 ?

[juza]

just out of curiosity, i want to know the difference between the leica Mp, leica M6 and the leica M7.

and also the diffence between the squarish lens hood and the round lens hood (like the ones you see on 50mm and bigger). 😀 i personally like the squareish lens hood 😀 it looks wicked cool.

juza!

 

[rogue_designer]

M6 - metered manual, mechanical shutter, viewfinder sometimes flares. No longer in production

MP - metered manual, mechanical shutter, viewfinder doesn't flare (maybe built slightly better - debateable), Current production

M7 - Aperture priority AE, electronic shutter, viewfinder doesn't flare, Current production

 

[Assaf]

M6 - metered manual, mechanical shutter, viewfinder sometimes flares. No longer in production

MP - metered manual, mechanical shutter, viewfinder doesn't flare (maybe built slightly better - debateable), Current production

M7 - Aperture priority AE, electronic shutter, viewfinder doesn't flare, Current production

For 150$ you can get the MP viewfinder on an M6.
M6 - some don't have TTL flash support (classic model), some do (late model). The rewind lever on MP is different than in M6.
There should be other differences that I'll be happy to know.
Besides that, for the price of a new MP you can buy three used M6 in a good condition.

 

[alexz]

Assaf, are you sure 150$ for the VF upgrade in M6 (for a non-flaring one of MP) ?
I remember inquiring DAG a while back on the matter he quoted somethign like 200-250$ for that...or it is just my faked memory ?

 

[Ken Ford]

I think it's around $150 if done in conjuction with other work - it's more if Don has to tear into the body just for the upgrade.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

M6 - battery for meter only. Steel gears. Flarey RF patch under certain conditions, no AE. Users = $1,000
M7 - battery for almost everything (1 mech. shutter speed avail.) AE available, shutter is quieter than M6 at slow speeds due to electronic switches instead of a gear train and springs. Users = $1700 - 2300.
MP - see M6, but RF update and brass gears. Users = $3000.

M6, IMHO = best deal of the bunch, these days. You left out the M6TTL, which gives limited TTL flash capability with dedicated flashes, has a shutter speed dial that goes the "other" way, is a hair's breadth taller and is, on average, 10 years younger than the M6.

Ben Marks

 

[EmilGil]

Ben, your price for a user MP is definately on the high side. A new one runs for $3500 at Popflash and I haven't seen any secondhand above $2500, a more realistic interval is $2000-2300.

An M6TTL is usually slightly more expensive than classic M6's, typically $200-300 more.

 

[peter_n]

M7 - battery for almost everything (1 mech. shutter speed avail.) AE available...

The M7 has two mechanical shutter speeds, 1/60 and 1/125.

 

[payasam]

Juza, the 35 mm film frame is rectangular. For this reason a rectangular hood is more effective than a round one. A round hood leaves large areas at the top and bottom of the lens front exposed to off-axis light.

 

[Eelco Amsterdam]

M6TTL - metered manual, mechanical shutter, viewfinder sometimes flares.
Large "good way" shutter dial like the M7. TTL Flash :<)
No longer in production. If you are lucky you can buy it for a good price.
New or like new.

Eelco

 

[juza]

thanks guys for the insight on the differences between the M series and the lens hood's

i think i'll enjoy the M6 if i can find a second hand one at a really reasonable price. i cant afford anything new right now.

the 35 mm film frame is rectangular. For this reason a rectangular hood is more effective than a round one. A round hood leaves large areas at the top and bottom of the lens front exposed to off-axis light.

Payasam but i dont get why some lens comes wit a round hood and some with the rectangular ones (especially in the leica ranges) like a summricron 50mm comes with a round hood and a 28mm comes with a rectangular hood. Or do all Leica lens comes with a rectangular hood ?

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Juza, the current 50s come with a round, built-in hood. So do the long ones, like the 75, 90 and 135mm. The short lenses have square hoods... probably because it's easier to keep them on. Let's be thankful there are no tulip hoods yet!

BTW, the shutterspeed selectior in the M6 and MP is the classic, small type. The M7, together with the M6TTL, have larger, Alka-Seltzer sized shutterspeed dials,m and theirs turn in the same direction of the meter arrows visible in the VF.

 

[Eelco Amsterdam]

built-in hood for the 50 mm summicron

built-in hood for the 50 mm summicron

Juza, the current 50s come with a round, built-in hood.

The built-in hood for the 50 mm summicron is not my think.
Flair problems 🙁

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Ben, your price for a user MP is definately on the high side. A new one runs for $3500 at Popflash and I haven't seen any secondhand above $2500, a more realistic interval is $2000-2300.

An M6TTL is usually slightly more expensive than classic M6's, typically $200-300 more.

Always glad to be wrong when the price is lower!

Ben

 

[Assaf]

Assaf, are you sure 150$ for the VF upgrade in M6 (for a non-flaring one of MP) ?
I remember inquiring DAG a while back on the matter he quoted somethign like 200-250$ for that...or it is just my faked memory ?

Alex, that's what DAG charged for the upgrade of my camera's VF in July.
About rectangular vs. round hoods - doesn't a rectangular hood protrude less into the VF? Or does that had to do with the vented hoods?

 

[alexz]

Assaf, this is an improtant info for me, thanks. I'm considering upgrading VF in my M6 for the flare-free in the next few months at DAG or Sherry (whomever will be faster in service), will also conduct a routine CLA on the camera.
Did you also CLAed yours at the time of VF upgrade ? How much have you been charged for it ? How long it took ?

As about rect. hood - ot does protrudes into the viewing area of 35mm frame at the right lower corner. More on shorter focusing distances, though it is there even at infinity. Not critical (at least for me), not yet noticeable if you look for it in the finder.

 

[Eelco Amsterdam]

Send 2 M6 TTL (0.72/0.85) to Solms in Germany for a anti flare upgrade.
It's better ! Not 100 % Flare-free !!!!!!!

I keep my M6 the way it is :<)

Eelco

 

[Eelco Amsterdam]

anti flare upgrade

anti flare upgrade

Send 2 M6 TTL (0.72/0.85) to Solms in Germany for a anti flare upgrade.
It's better ! Not 100 % Flare-free !!!!!!! 😕

I keep my M6 the way it is :<) 😉

Eelco

 

[Assaf]

Send 2 M6 TTL (0.72/0.85) to Solms in Germany for a anti flare upgrade.
It's better ! Not 100 % Flare-free !!!!!!! 😕

I keep my M6 the way it is :<) 😉

Eelco

Excuse me all for asking, but isn't that M6 VF flare issue a bit overrated?

Some of the best photographers in the world used M6 and considered it to be the best camera in the world for at least ten years (80's 90's). With it's original flare prone optics, of course.

The VF of my M6 was upgrade by previous owner, and I must admit that I don't fully understand when this horrible flare occurs and how sever it is.

 

[alexz]

Assaf, I was also quite sceptical about the whole issue, until got my M6 and begun shooting. It is indeed quite prone to flare, in particular in portrait format with strong light sources in the frame of a strong stray rays...
Must confess it si quite annyoing in our Israeli bright sunny daylight ...

If we will have the chance to meet on sunny hours (or at the appropriate lighting conditions) - I'll let you check this out with my M6...