Late serial M6 TTL - brass top plates?

[shambla]

Hi everyone,

I recently picked up a near mint chrome M6 TTL with serial number 2757587 - from searching here, it seems that this places it at the very, very end of production for the TTL, most likely in/after 2001.

When trying to date the camera I found a few references to late M6 TTLs with brass top plates and was curious whether this could be one of them. From the Leica FAQ here: http://nemeng.com/leica/002ba.shtml it seems that they made a special batch with brass top plates that also had an additional engraving, which my camera lacks, but are these the only brass top plate M6 TTLs? Other references I came across while searching seemed to suggest that there might be other unmarked brass top plate TTLs that appear identical to the standard zinc version, but I have no idea how reliable this information is. Many thanks

 

[nobbylon]

My ttl, a 1999 model with serial number 2481944 had a brass top plate. I know because Will van Manen took it off and scratched the surface inside. I think the last ones had the M7 plates restamped when they ran out of zinc ones. Why mine had one I don't know. It was no different to any other ttl.

 

[ZivcoPhoto]

nobbylon - Mine is 350 less than yours, it is a black chrome model, I'll have to ask the technician next service.

 

[Rayt]

When the brass top plate models came out my friend bought a black chrome one and I bought a silver chrome. Sorry I sold it off a while ago and don't recall the serial number. At the time of the purchase we compared our new cameras with zinc topped M6TTL's the shop also had and it was obvious the brass tops were duller or flatter in tone but that was obvious by comparison only. Also the brass top bodies all came in paper inner boxes while the zinc tops had plastic inner boxes. Not very scientific I know.

 

[nobbylon]

I sold mine maybe 3 years ago. I never liked the cheap and nasty shutter speed insert on the shutter dial. The original M6 imho is a nicer camera.

 

[250swb]

Many thousands of brass topped M6 TTL's were made with chrome or black chrome finishes. Not rare, very common.

Steve

 

[shambla]

Also the brass top bodies all came in paper inner boxes while the zinc tops had plastic inner boxes. Not very scientific I know.

Ah ok, mine did have the paper/cardboard inner box instead of the plastic box - I guess combined with the later serial, it's most probably a brass top model.

Many thousands of brass topped M6 TTL's were made with chrome or black chrome finishes. Not rare, very common.

Yeah I figured it probably wasn't something especially rare, but I was just curious to know a bit more about the camera really. To be honest, I'd really rather it wasn't anything uncommon since I bought the thing to use - this way I don't feel bad when it picks up the inevitable scratches and marks from use.

 

[Frank Range]

M6 TTL with engraving

M6 TTL with engraving

I'd read that the M6 TTLs had no engraving on the top plate. Therefore is this Leica top plate a replacement?

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=14672179690&

 

[Clancycoop]

I sold mine maybe 3 years ago. I never liked the cheap and nasty shutter speed insert on the shutter dial. The original M6 imho is a nicer camera.

From the FAQ:
"...Also, all M6s also feature a (gasp) plastic film counter dial (you won't believe the amount of anguish this causes Wetzlar Snobs…)."

Why does it matter how durable the film counter is? I didn't even know it was plastic until reading that FAQ.

 

[Clancycoop]

I'd read that the M6 TTLs had no engraving on the top plate. Therefore is this Leica top plate a replacement?

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=14672179690&

From the FAQ linked above:
"Steven Gandy reported that from the end of 2001, for a small extra charge of DM 30, you could have fancy Leica script added to the otherwise spartan top cover of an M6, just like the good old days of the M3 or M4. Catch was, it was only available for the Japanese market and most importantly, the script was not engraved but merely printed on. In April '02 Leica offered this service to all Leica users for €*190 Euro (+P&H)."

 

[Vickko]

Because the plastic one used to break.

Vick

From the FAQ:
...Why does it matter how durable the film counter is? I didn't even know it was plastic until reading that FAQ.

 

[250swb]

All M6 TTL have brass top plates.

Steve

 

[2WK]

^ I thought they were zinc?

 

[ferider]

If you ever drop your M, you will wish it had a zinc top plate.

A brass rewind crank (instead of Aluminum) is a grea asset though.

Here is the best of both worlds: an M4P with zinc top plate, larger 35 and 50 framelines, and brass rewind crank - I love mine. I guess I'm too practical 🙂

 

[maddoc]

Here is the best of both worlds: an M4P with zinc top plate, larger 35 and 50 framelines, and brass rewind crank - I love mine. I guess I'm too practical 🙂

Interesting, Roland ! I always thought that the later M4-P with zinc-top plate, only one sync-port also had the new (smaller) 35 and 50 frame-line masks being afterwards used in the M6 and subsequent models ?

 

[250swb]

^ I thought they were zinc?

All M6 have zinc top plates.

Steve

 

[Spicy]

I thought the brass ones were preferred to zinc because while brass will dent, zinc will crack. similar to carbon fiber, it may be a bit stronger, but when it gives, that's all she wrote...

:shrug:

 

[250swb]

Interesting, Roland ! I always thought that the later M4-P with zinc-top plate, only one sync-port also had the new (smaller) 35 and 50 frame-line masks being afterwards used in the M6 and subsequent models ?

Yes I had one, the very last M4-P's are essentially an M6 without the meter, only script and logo being different.

Steve

 

[philipus]

To be honest, I'd really rather it wasn't anything uncommon since I bought the thing to use - this way I don't feel bad when it picks up the inevitable scratches and marks from use.

If you ever drop your M, you will wish it had a zinc top plate.

A brass rewind crank (instead of Aluminum) is a grea asset though.

Here is the best of both worlds: an M4P with zinc top plate, larger 35 and 50 framelines, and brass rewind crank - I love mine. I guess I'm too practical 🙂

I have the M6TTL BP/Millennium which has brass top and bottom plates. And I love how it brasses and don't mind dings or scratches 🙂 This model, to me, is the most beautiful and useful M but everyone's opinion is valid.

 

[fawate]

One of the problems with zinc top plates is that some of them blubbled a lot. I have one M6 from around 1986 which is completely covered with bubbles. Only the bottom cover remains intact (apart from some scratches). Curiously, I suspect that my 0.58 M6 TTL have a brass top cover, although it doesn't carry the last serial numbers. The corners of the cover are very sharp and the black chrome is very dull. Naturally, I should scratch the inner side of the top plate to be sure, but I haven't done that yet!