Leica M6 35mm lens - .72 0r .85x

[Leica All Day]

This is a good place to buy used Leicas if you can find an established seller, we have lots of great member in the E.U.

If you look at the two shutter speed dials on these cameras, you can clearly see the size difference, but also, take a closer look and you can see that the numbers go in different directions. The MP is at shutter speed 60, and if you look "up", it goes 30, 15, 8 etc… now look at the M6ttl (millennium) , the shutter speed is at 30 (well sort of, its actually between 15 and 30) and if you look "up" it goes 60, 125, 250 etc… In this photo you can see the differences of the shutter speed dials.

[/url]mp m6ttl by

cheers, michael

 

[Captain Kidd]

Thanks Michael, I really appreciate you putting that picture up, the black looks great too. What would you consider a fair price for a good condition M6? €1,500?

 

[Captain Kidd]

The TTL's seem to be a little more expensive.

 

[Leica All Day]

I imagine somewhere around 1000 Euro (1,120 USD) for an M6 classic can be found, maybe 100 Euro more for an M6ttl. That said, I am talking about purchasing a camera off of a private seller from RFF or something similar. Please don't be "fooled" by those black cameras, those are both Black Paint models that look different (and are more expensive) than a "standard" black m6 / m6ttl. That said, they all work the same 🙂

Cheers, michael

edit, there is an m6 classic (the seller is a long time RFF member) in the classifieds now for 1,090 USD, but it is in L.A. (I have no affiliation with the seller), but I would not hesitate to buy off of him because he is a long time member.

 

[Captain Kidd]

Great thanks Michael, I had no idea cameras were sold here, ill check out the classifields, im really so grateful for all your help,

Thanks again

 

[Ken Ford]

VF magnification: if you're only going to ever have one M body but may have a variety of lenses, .72 is the way to go. However, if you're going to generally stick with 35mm and maybe 50mm you might want to at least try a .58 first. I know that if money were no object I would have two film M bodies - a .58 for my 35 and a .85 for my 75 - instead of my current .72 M6.

On the subject of M6 Classic vs. M6TTL, is there ever a chance you would pick up a digital M body or an M7? If so, you might want to consider a TTL - the M7 and digital bodies have the same general shutter speed dial design (slightly different placement, though) and more importantly the same rotation direction as has the M6TTL. I'm finding my Classic to be a little annoying to use alongside my M-P and am considering swapping it out for a .58 M6TTL for that very reason.

Just trying to think about futureproofing considerations...

 

[wpm]

It may not matter to you, but one other thing about the rotation of the shutter speed dial. If you use the TTL version, the dial rotates in the direction the lights tell you to move. I use my index finger to move the dial in the direction I need to go. Consistent with the digital models. On the smaller dials, it doesn't much matter, as you don't have a meter, except for the MP. Until I had lasik, I had trouble with the .72 finder seeing the 35 framelines. Now that I don't use specs, no problem. Agree with the others about going with the .72. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Warren

 

[Leica All Day]

It may not matter to you, but one other thing about the rotation of the shutter speed dial. If you use the TTL version, the dial rotates in the direction the lights tell you to move. I use my index finger to move the dial in the direction I need to go. Consistent with the digital models. On the smaller dials, it doesn't much matter, as you don't have a meter, except for the MP. Until I had lasik, I had trouble with the .72 finder seeing the 35 framelines. Now that I don't use specs, no problem. Agree with the others about going with the .72. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Warren

He has a good point about the ttl shutter speed dials being consistent with digital Leicas and that the dial moves in the same direction that the "arrows" tell you, but there a couple of small typos. The m6 classic has a smaller dial and has a built in meter…
cheers, michael

 

[wpm]

Thanks Michael,
Indeed you are correct about the magnification. Not enough coffee on my end. My reference is with the TTL. I have no trouble with the dials on my older M's but the larger dial, for me, is quick when I need it. I'll wake up soon.

 

[froyd]

As some have mentioned already, go with .58 if you are going to be a 35mm man. The .72 is OK with 35, but it starts to get tight around the edges of the frame and you lose the big RF advantage of seeing outside the edges of the frame.

I used to have a goggled 35 that brought up 50mm framelines in my M4. Much as I disliked the bulk of the goggles, I much preferred seeing the 50mm frame lines for the 35 instead of the 35 frameline that come up with goggle-free 35s. I learned to live with the 35 framelines (which are not dissimilar to the 35 framelines on a .72 M6), but I wish the M4 came with .58 magnification. That, for me, would be the perfect M body.

 

[Ken Ford]

Captain Kidd, do you wear glasses? If you do, that's another reason you might want to consider a .58 viewfinder - it would allow you to better see the 35mm framelines.

 

[Mute-on]

M6 0.72 for 35 and 50, just like an M2 with a meter.
If you get a 50 at some point it will feel like a short tele.
If you fall in love with the M6 and find yourself flush with funds, a 0.58 with a 35mm is a wonderful experience, but an indulgence nonetheless.
Good luck with your search. Please share your experience when you find your Leica.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pepeguitarra]

... thanks for describing the need to roll your eye around the viewfinder, that doesn't sound appealing.


Thanks again everyone

I do it all the time with my M2 (.72) and the 35mm lens, and it does not bother me ( I wear glasses).

 

[gnome chompski]

In order to see the whole 35mm frame lines in the .85, you need to roll you eye around the VF, which is pretty unconvenient and slows you down.
Go for the .72

This is the exact issue I have with my .85 and 35mm lens. But at the end of the day it doesnt bother me that much. But if I could do it again, I would seek a .72

 

[huddy]

Invar a 0.58 M6TTL with a 35. I love having all of the extra room around the frame lines for composition. With that said, I don't think you can go wrong with a 0.72. The large shutter speed dial of the TTL model is nice.

 

[MikeL]

I like the 0.85 M6 with a 35mm but I use it with both eyes open. With one eye I can see all edges of the framelines but nothing outside.

One thing that drew me to rangefinders (especially the Nikons) was the 1:1 finder. The 0.85 is a nice compromise for me where I still feel comfortable with both eyes open.

 

[pechelman]

honestly, i think this answer depends on you and how you shoot.

I think 35mm on a .85x might be a lot like how 28mm is on a .68x, which at first I struggled with a bunch, but now love it. It's just a matter of getting to know your framelines and also caring less about precise framing, but seeing the scene first and knowing where to place your subjects in the viewfinder to get the shot. The 35/135 lines arent nearly as handy though as the 28/90, where the 90 represents a close approximation to placing your subject(s) on the rule of third intersections.

It also depends how well you can shoot with both eyes open versus how much you need to be able to see outside the framelines.

 

[WJJ3]

I use a M6 ttl with 0.58 magnification for my 35 mm lenses. There is only one uncluttered frame and for 35mm. It's a joy to use.

Invar a 0.58 M6TTL with a 35. I love having all of the extra room around the frame lines for composition. With that said, I don't think you can go wrong with a 0.72. The large shutter speed dial of the TTL model is nice.

I can't agree more with these comments

 

[sc_rufctr]

I use a M6 ttl with 0.58 magnification for my 35 mm lenses. There is only one uncluttered frame and for 35mm. It's a joy to use.

This... My M6 TTL .58 is brilliant for 35mm. They're rarer than any other magnification but they are out there.

 

[Doug]

Not a Leica of course, but worth mentioning in the context of low finder magnification... The Konica Hexar RF has a .6x finder that I have found very useful for wider lenses. And of course there's the Voigtlander Bessa 4 with a .53x finder sporting 21mm framelines!