How tough are M's

[lic4]

Maybe the myth of Leica M toughness causes people to treat their M's more roughly, while they treat other cameras (Canon fixed lens rf, etc) with more care. I know I'm kind of an oaf with my M bodies sometimes, but with my CLE, I treat it like it's an egg. -this could add to the frequency of dropping stories with M's? I don't know.

 

[Chris101]

If you are planning on making your camera double as an ice-breaker, I have heard that the Nikon F5 is the best at that.

 

[N.delaRua]

hmm... I've been in the field in Guatemala with my Nikon's and M's, and they both did great. My M got covered in dust this last trip, and my F100 did as well on the first trip. I've been through caves, jungle, and remote villages. However, I am always conscious of the fact that I have a camera with me.

I am pretty sure dropping a F100 would be bad just as I am pretty sure dropping my M6 TTL would be bad. Would one survive the fall better than the other, I am not sure.

However, I think you have nothing to worry about. If you are prepared and are conscious of the fact you have a camera around your neck, than you will have no failure. A camera failing due to an accident is quite different than a camera "failing in the field." Take a swim across a river and forgetting you have a camera is an accident. Have the shutter fail in the field is a failure. Different in my book.

Marines clean their rifle in the field, and take measures to insure its cleanness in the field. Do the same with any camera and it should work just fine.

There are so many posts about being worried about camera failure in the field.... Many people have gone into the field with X type or X brand with no problem. I don't think much matters beyond preparedness and consciousness.


*Edit: I know a M6 can survive a hard stop in car and fly off the passenger seat and hit the floor and tumble of couple of times. I can still focus accurately at f/2 with 50 mm, and so forth.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I took two Leica M bodies to Fallujah, Iraq in 2004-05 while I was a Navy combat photographer on duty with the Seabees. They were both much more reliable than my issued Nikon D2h.

During a rocket attack I fell on the M4 (with 50 DR 'Cron attached) and the only thing that happened to the camera was that the winder lever overwound from my weight and stripped a keyed brass collar along the winder shaft. One of our engineers helped me fab up a replacement then we press fit the collar on and it worked fine. The return spring was overstretched as well so I had to manually return the winder lever but the camera worked perfectly regarding all other functions.

Only after I fell into the Bay of Cadiz in Spain did it lock up. After that I sent it to Sherry and it's almost as good as new. I just was using it yesterday.

So, they survive urban combat in the desert with fine gritty silt blowing around constantly in extremes of heat and cold. Good enough for me.

Phil Forrest

 

[JHP]

Can't argue with that. ^

 

[brokencivilian]

I am taking my M6's regardless of how tough they are. This wasn't a thread about which camera is better per-say, just a general question on how tough the M's were.


I mean, obviously the non-metered cameras and the screw mounts would probably take a little more than the M6/7/P(?) just for the fact of not having electronics.

Like any camera a substantial fall or soaking can mess it up.

 

[ferider]

I mean, obviously the non-metered cameras and the screw mounts would probably take a little more than the M6/7/P(?) just for the fact of not having electronics.

Not so for the M6. Different material top and bottom plates, steel gears, no Canada Balsam in the finder. More sturdy than either M2, M3, M4 or MP. If the meter fails you can still shoot it.

Roland.

 

[Archiver]

If insisting on bringing Leicas, I'd choose two other countries starting with 'A' to visit, where it will be easier and less expensive to have a Leica M serviced.

😀

Afghanistan and Albania? 😀

 

[Paul Luscher]

I don't think a Leica will stop bullets and hammer nails without any ill effects, but they're tough....up to a point. The rangefinder system is a weak area. A hard knock will put it out of whack, as many of the posts above indicate.

But hey, what kills a Leica will kill most other cameras, too. Had one of those vaunted Olympus E-3s, supposed to be a super-tough camera. It fell 6 feet off a tripod onto stone pavement (my fault). Lens broke off clean at the mount, both camera and lens looked to be intact--hardly a scratch on either.

Took 'em in for repair. Three months later, told they were fixed and ready. However, it became obvious after the first few exposures that the focus was way off--despite what the focus confirmation light was saying. Took the camera back in. A month later I was told to come get my camera. I get there, and am handed a BRAND NEW camera and lens as a replacement. Apparently the problem could not be fixed, no matter how they tried, so I got new gear out of it. Very nice of Olympus, I might add.

And this was on a camera billed as being made for rugged, professional use, and which did not appear to have any significant damage (actually worked for a while after being dropped). So tough is one thing, "indestructible" is another....