Missing My M

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kzphoto

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Sent in my M6 TTL to DAG for a broken film rewind knob (the angled one.) It's been almost a week since I've taken a picture, and I'm really missing the action. It's making me want to buy a second body!

All things aside, what are you other users doing when your cameras are out for repair?
 
My MP is going strong, but I couldn't imagine being without an M. The solution?

An M2.

When I send one of them for service, the other one will keep me company.

Well, My three OM bodies, an XA and a Hassy (w/ 2 mags) and several others are there for me as well, though. 😀

All of my cameras get fair amount of use even though Leica Ms and OMs are my everyday rigs.
 
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Sympathetic to your loss of use, kzphoto! I do pretty much as coelecanth does, and use a different body. My black Konica Hexar RF has made 7 round trips across the country for repair since January, but I have a titanium-finish one to use, otherwise it would be more than just irritating!

In fact, my cameras frequently come in similar pairs like that... two Bronica RF645s etc... A personal defense trainer told me that once I settle on a favored item, go right out and get another just like it. If the first breaks, then the second can fill in with no changes in habit, all accessories will work, etc. He was referring to personal defense weapons, but the reasoning applies equally to cameras I think. 🙂
 
Doug said:
A personal defense trainer told me that once I settle on a favored item, go right out and get another just like it. If the first breaks, then the second can fill in with no changes in habit, all accessories will work, etc. He was referring to personal defense weapons, but the reasoning applies equally to cameras I think. 🙂
Click to expand...

Sage Advice! I might need to acquire another M body.... Now which one to settle on? Go digital and keep the film as back up? get an MP/M7? So many wonderful options, and so little money. (but isn't that always the case?)
 
I chose M2 because the ergonomics and handling is very close to MP. As Doug said, there will be less or no confusion when you switch bodies. I have absolutely no "brain switching" time when I swap between MP and M2.

For your case, MP or other older Ms could be a bit confusing because the speed dial goes opposite way of M6 TTL. Maybe an M7? I personally will never think film as a backup for digital, but all Leica digital M have same type/direction speed dial as the M6 TTL if you are into digital.
 
If your M6 was your ONLY camera (not just only Leica but only camera of any kind) I can't imagine working like that...it would drive me crazy to be without a camera of some kind for even a day. Backups! Gotta have em. LOL

I have one Leica, but if it needed service, I could use one of my Olympus OM-4T bodies (for which I have a lot of lenses, so I use them alongside the Leica normally anyway), or I could shoot one of my medium format cameras. I often choose medium format over the Leica for image quality and Olympus over the Leica if I need a lens I don't have for Leica.
 
So far only my former MP had spent most of the time that I owned it at Leica for being serviced / repaired (two or three times back and forth) so I had to use my "back-up" M4-P instead most of the time. Albeit without internal meter, the M4-P served me very well (and much more reliable) that I later sold my MP and kept my "back-up" M4-P. 🙂

I have always two Leica M cameras, just in case ...
 
I got a Bessa R2A as a "cheap backup" to my M7 so that both have AE - making them similar in use, sort of.

The problem was that the on/off switches went the wrong way from each other! I settled for "switched front means on" and have never gotten confused after that.
 
I'd stick with an M6. AE is very handy to have, but soon you'll be missing it in the M6. And the M7 is dead in the water without a battery, unlike the M6.

I use an M6 non-TTL 0.85 and an M3 DS. Very similar in VF magnification and action. My M6 has an M3 lever fitted. Differences in action and VF are minimal, shooting them side by side is very easy.
 
One comment on your broken rewind crank:

Ask Don to replace it with a brass machined SL2 crank, he has those in either chrome or black for an extra US 80.

The aluminum M6 rewind cranks are a weak point of the camera.

Regarding your question, everybody should also have an M3 🙂 Makes a good 2nd body with M6.

Roland.
 
This forum is a really wonderful place. I was contacted by a fellow RFF'er who graciously let me borrow an M2 until my M6 TTL is back from DAG. I'm really gracious to cfritze to lending me his M.

I love the handling on this camera -- Makes the M6 feel a bit 'stiff' in comparison. Also my lenses mount much more tightly on the M2 then they do on my M6.

Now to get out and make pictures!
 
That's how I wound up with two M6TTL bodies: one was in the DAG shop, I grew antsy, restless and irresponsible... and, voilà! A black body came in flying to save the day! 🙂
 
I felt the same way when I sent my Mamiya m645 for a CLA...it was gone for two weeks...I really missed it but I do have several other cameras I could & did use...
 
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