to m6 or not?

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knodd

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hello guys,

is anyone in the same situation as me:
i currently have an r3a with a 40mm and 50mm lens and i want really badly to 'upgrade' to an m6 although i can't seem to find any justification to do so.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 😀

cheers,
shaun
 
well

half a year ago i got my r3a from a guy who upgraded to a m6

now i have two m6 and one m4-p and my girlfriend uses the r3a 🙂

once you go m6, you wont go back, can't reason for it, but just try it
 
A couple of years ago I sold my R3a and 40 Rokkor and 75 Heliar because I could get a good deal on a M6 with 50 summi and 90 elmarit. The M6 felt so much better than the R3A and soon after that I bought a second M6 and quite a few other lenses, but always missed the 40 Rokkor. Two weeks ago I went to pick up a mint CLA'd Leica CL and 40 summi. Just back from a short trip to Turkey and curious for the results.

The R3A is not a bad camera, the viewfinder is lovely, but I always was afraid of really using it hard, it felt a bit finicky. The M6 feels a lot better, smoother and more sturdy. I just use it and don't think about scratches/bumps/rangefinder misalignment etc. This all being said the R3a is simply a good camera and if you like 40mm there really is nothing else. In any case if you decide to upgrade to a M6 I would try to keep the R3A if I were you.
 
Should be very easy to justify or choose between these two cameras.

- Base length
- Shutter loudness
- Build quality
...

The only thing I see that would make me choose Bessa is the price...
 
Tell yourself you need 28 and/or 135 lens and - consequently - frames in finder for it ("oh, no, no, I can't shoot with whole viewfinder [in case you have some R2A around], it's so bothersome... I need frames." "no, I can't have an external viewfinder, I don't like it, it's major hassle."). This is my method. 😀
 
About 18 months ago I was curious about rangefinders (Frank, Winogrand and DeCarava are my faves) ... bought an R2, then an R (to get the lens it came with). Both of these cameras served me well but were definitely lacking 'something'. More a combination of small things that aren't quite right rather than any great problems.

Then about 6 months ago I succumed to temptation and played with an M6 in a shop - whoops. From that moment on resistance was futile, I bought one here on RFF 2 weeks later. Sounds corny but having used many well built cameras I did not expect the M6 to be so good. It is a great camera and I thoroughly do not recommend trying one out unless your wallet can take the sting, but hey - life is short.
 
Have you ever tried a Leica?

If you do, you'll either see why you have to have one, or will decide you can live without.

Warning: the former is more likely, though far from inevitable.

Cheers,

R.
 
I thoroughly do not recommend trying one out unless your wallet can take the sting
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🙂
Exactly.
A friend of mine let me handle his M6 once, and in a few weeks I bought it from him. Leicas are like heroine - once you try it, it's hard to go back 😀
I went from R2 to M6, and the M6 made me shoot much more... really hard to describe the difference.
BTW: here's my story: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62803
 
Peter S said:
A couple of years ago I sold my R3a and 40 Rokkor and 75 Heliar because I could get a good deal on a M6 with 50 summi and 90 elmarit. The M6 felt so much better than the R3A and soon after that I bought a second M6 and quite a few other lenses, but always missed the 40 Rokkor. Two weeks ago I went to pick up a mint CLA'd Leica CL and 40 summi. Just back from a short trip to Turkey and curious for the results.

I´m keen on seeing your results. Did a similar thing and bought a Minolta CL with the 40mm and hope to receive it next week. How does the CL handle in comparison to the M6.
Click to expand...
 
Retow, to be frank I like my M6-s a lot more. The good thing about the CL is that it is such silly looking old camera that people don't take you serious and just let you shoot. Kind of good for street photography I guess. Am wearing glasses so I am curious to see whether the shorter EBL caused a lot out of focus shots. About to develop first roll now and 3 more to come (2 days in Istanbul with 20 year old friends so not a lot of time to go shooting). Will be a while before everything is developed/scanned/postprocessed. Will let you know when everything is on Flickr.

It is a nice little shooter and I like 40mm, but build quality is only so so. It is the smallest interchangeable lense rangefinder, have to love it for that.
 
if i had the oppor to upgrade from a Chevy to a Porsche and had the money, I would not need justification. But if you do need a justification, just remember the Leica M cameras are the best in the world. Built to industrial, professional standards.
 
knodd said:
hello guys,

is anyone in the same situation as me:
i currently have an r3a with a 40mm and 50mm lens and i want really badly to 'upgrade' to an m6 although i can't seem to find any justification to do so.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 😀

cheers,
shaun
Click to expand...


As you said, this is about want and desire, so as long as you aren't putting yourself or your family into financial hardship by doing so, why not just go for it? But instead of disparaging your Bessa by using the word "upgrade", simply say that you would like to try an M6.

Upgrading a camera will not necessarily upgrade your photography, unless the initial camera is unsuited to the job at hand.

I've owned and used several Leicas (M2,3,5,6), a couple of Bessa R's and a Bessa R2. While you cannot tell from the pictures which camera took which pictures (how could you!), there is no doubt in my mind that for me, the Leicas feel better and are more satisfying to use. This is purely a personal and subjective reaction, but it seems that many people have the same reaction, and I don't believe that it's based on mass hysteria caused by brainwashed people mindlessly falling for the "Leica mystique" as it is sometimes called.
 
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FrankS said:
I've owned and used several Leicas (M2,3,5,6), a couple of Bessa R's and a Bessa R2. While you cannot tell from the pictures which camera took which pictures (how could you!), there is no doubt in my mind that for me, the Leicas feel better and are more satisfying to use. This is purely a personal and subjective reaction, but it seems that many people have the same reaction, and I don't believe that it's based on mass hysteria caused by brainwashed people mindlessly falling for the "Leica mystique" as it is sometimes called.
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Exactly. Not quite the same cameras, but the same overall response.

Cheers,

R.
 
knodd said:
i currently have an r3a with a 40mm and 50mm lens and i want really badly to 'upgrade' to an m6 although i can't seem to find any justification to do so.
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I was. I tried focusing a 90/2 wide open and while it worked sometimes, it was pretty inconsistent. Unfortunately 85-90 is about my favorite length so that was an issue. I also didn't like the shutter sound on the R3a - it was louder than every SLR I had and these things are supposed to be quiet? Really did help that I found a CLA'd M6TTL for a very good price, otherwise I'd have held off a lot longer.

It isn't an upgrade in some respects - AE is very, very nice to have and I was getting used to keeping both eyes open with the R3a (left eye dominant) and while I can do this with the M6 I can't see the RF path and while I can see the framelines they are floating over what my left eye sees which is wrong.
 
gnarayan said:
I was getting used to keeping both eyes open with the R3a (left eye dominant) and while I can do this with the M6 I can't see the RF path and while I can see the framelines they are floating over what my left eye sees which is wrong.
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With practice you may find that you can use both eyes with greater ease, almost regardless of VF magnification.

Cheers,

R. (39 years with Leicas, 34 with Ms -- or thereabouts)
 
My first rangefinder was a bessa R2A.Sold that.Then about 4 month ago I decided to buy a M6 Mint condition.It is a wounderful camera.The best camera I have owned in my 30 year of photogrphy as far as build. Its like a rock.Now im considering selling my M6.Im going back to a bessa R3A.They say once you try leica youll never go back.The bottom line is its not the camera body but a good lens on the camera and the person behind the camera that makes a great photograph.Like I said leicas a great.They cost a lot of money. You can get the same results with your bessa.Id put your money into better glass.
 
Roger Hicks said:
With practice you may find that you can use both eyes with greater ease, almost regardless of VF magnification.

Cheers,

R. (39 years with Leicas, 34 with Ms -- or thereabouts)
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Hope so - am still trying quite hard. I did try to use it with my right eye at a poetry slam in Cambridge last night and it gave me a bit of a headache after about 30 minutes so I went back to the left eye.

I appreciate someone with your experience taking the time to help out here Roger. I have read some of the (admittedly free) modules on your website, particularly the how-to on developing film. Still has pride of place as an insert inside my copy of Hornstein.

Cheers,
-Gautham
 
gnarayan said:
Hope so - am still trying quite hard. I did try to use it with my right eye at a poetry slam in Cambridge last night and it gave me a bit of a headache after about 30 minutes so I went back to the left eye.
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Dear Gautham,

Thanks for the kind words.

I had to keep trying really hard for ages -- so much so that I gave up. Then when I tried it again I found I could do it with no real effort. So I'm a lousy guide on how long it takes to learn...

Cheers,

R.
 
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