M6 - first thoughts

[oscroft]

I popped out yesterday morning "for a couple of hours" to shoot for the first time with my new M6 (with a CV 50/2.5 attached). And I ended up staying out all day with it, just walking around and shooting (and having to buy more film at store prices while I was out, which was annoying as I have a fridge full at home) and not coming home until the light really started to dim. So these are my first thoughts...

Film loading was really easy. I have a bottom-loading FED and that's a real pain to load, but the M6 loading is really nice (though I do need to put the bottom down somewhere while I'm doing it).

The feel of the M6 is just amazing. I shot at speeds between 1/1000 and 1/15, and the shutter is really smooth and quiet. In fact, "smooth" describes everything about it (and I'll bet there are people out there who'll tell me the older Ms are even smoother 🙂 ). In my 38 years of serious photography (after a few years of using an old and battered Voigtlander Brillant TLR my parents bought me a Spotmatic in 1969 when I was just 11, starting a lifelong passion - they're great things, parents 😀 ) I've never had my hands on a camera that just feels so right.

I also had one of Tom Abrahamsson's soft releases on the M6, and that was definitely a good thing - it made it much easier to "squeeze" the shutter release instead of prodding it with my fingertip.

The viewfinder is really nice with a 50 - with my eye back a bit in a comfortable position it was perfect for quick composition (I'm not sure how it will be with a wide - I'll go out with a 35 on it next, I think). I did notice occasional flaring of the RF patch, but I only needed to move my eye a fraction for it to go away.

It's a small thing, but I really like the frame counter. My close vision is fading (I need reading glasses to see close objects), and on the M6 the black-on-silver frame counter in its bright window is definitely easier to see than either the frame counter on my Bessa bodies or my OM SLR bodies. (And I really don't care if it's made of plastic 😀 ).

Using the M6 did make me appreciate what good value my Bessa-R is though - the Bessa viewfinder really is a fraction brighter than the M6 one (I've written about that in the CV forum), but when out with it the M6 viewfinder was excellent - I like its position at the very end of the body.

So what next? Well, I'm going to take the M6 off to Thailand shortly for a couple of months, together with several CV lenses and a sack of Sensia (and some b&w film - haven't decided which yet). But in the longer term, I can't help thinking that a Bessa R4 might make a very nice companion to it (28, 35, 50, 75 lenses on the M6 and 25, 21 on an R4, with some flexibility with the 28 and 35 - hmm, that sounds nice to me). Or maybe an M3 with its apparently excellent finder for 50 and 75. Ah, so many choices, so little money 😀

 

[paragon]

Alan,

There is just a hint in your postings that you really prefer the Bessa and that you are trying to convince yourself regarding the M6.
Maybe time will decide.

I have just bought an M6 which I have yet to "hold" as it is still in the UK and I am abroad, but I regularly use my M3 plus a Nikon F3 and the older both get the better they feel, (become), are
The M3 is always a joy to use and I do not see any disadvantages - has the M3 any?

Good luck

 

[oscroft]

Hi Bill,

There is just a hint in your postings that you really prefer the Bessa and that you are trying to convince yourself regarding the M6. Maybe time will decide.

You are very astute - yes, that hint is definitely there 🙂. I'd expected there to be a huge gulf between the M6 and the Bessa-R, but in some ways there just isn't (while in other ways there is). And I expect the gap between the M6 and, say, an R4 to be even less. As you say, time will tell.

I have just bought an M6 which I have yet to "hold" as it is still in the UK and I am abroad, but I regularly use my M3 plus a Nikon F3 and the older both get the better they feel

Are you sure it's not the older *you* get? 😀. I used to have a Nikon F3 but I sold it to help finance some medium format gear, and that's a decision I have since regretted - and I keep getting tempted when I see nice ones on eBay.

Cheers,

 

[paragon]

As you know the F3 is a fantastic camera - build quality, lens compatibility, (Nikon or others), feel, etc., etc. - also if you ever get attacked on one of your overseas trips you can use it as a weapon, (as Crocadile Dundee did with the can of beans), after which I am sure it would still function. Good user bodies @ £120 to £150 are now the bargain of the century.

I also like the ME Super - not as rugged by any means - but it is small for an SLR and again with great lens compatibility.

What I have always admired about Pentax, (and Nikon), is that the have kept the ability to use all their lenses ever made on all their SLRs right up to the modern digitals.
I shot Canon, (particularly the A1), for years but "fell out with them" when they consigned all my great FD glass to the cupboard as far as any future Canon was concerned.

Cheers

 

[rover]

Film loading was really easy. I have a bottom-loading FED and that's a real pain to load, but the M6 loading is really nice (though I do need to put the bottom down somewhere while I'm doing it).

Yes indeed it is easy, the easiest. And now you know what your mouth is there for. God thought of everything when he designed us, he too is a Leica man.

I also had one of Tom Abrahamsson's soft releases on the M6, and that was definitely a good thing

You may want to consider a grip at some point. I find the grip helps my shooting experience when carrying the camera for a full day.

Using the M6 did make me appreciate what good value my Bessa-R is though - the Bessa viewfinder really is a fraction brighter than the M6 one (I've written about that in the CV forum), but when out with it the M6 viewfinder was excellent - I like its position at the very end of the body.

Well said, two different cameras, hard to compare the two due to the differences in their prices and thus type of build, but both excellent in their own ways.

I can't help thinking that a Bessa R4 might make a very nice companion to it (28, 35, 50, 75 lenses on the M6 and 25, 21 on an R4, with some flexibility with the 28 and 35 - hmm, that sounds nice to me). Or maybe an M3 with its apparently excellent finder for 50 and 75.

Exactly what I am considering for my summer vacation. Right now the M3 is out of the bag, but I still have a month or so to think about it.

Enjoy your new camera.

 

[martin-f5]

be carefull with the Leica M6,
in the end you fall in love with leica lenses and the leica Mp

 

[rover]

And I expect the gap between the M6 and, say, an R4 to be even less. As you say, time will tell.

There is a big difference between the R and R4. I think you will feel the same issues regarding the wonderful finder, but the R4 is a lot closer to the M6 in build than the R is. The place for an R4 in your kit is much clearer though, so you won't be as conflicted to choose one over the other.

 

[oscroft]

And now you know what your mouth is there for. God thought of everything when he designed us, he too is a Leica man.

Hehe 😀

You may want to consider a grip at some point. I find the grip helps my shooting experience when carrying the camera for a full day

Funny you should say that - I just happen to be watching one on eBay UK at the moment. I prefer wrist straps to neck straps (I've got a Gordy wrist strap on the M6), and walking around yesterday I found myself holding the camera by the lens a lot, because of its weight. So yes, I think a grip is definitely in order (and if I don't get the eBay one I might even splash out for the cost of a new one).

There is a big difference between the R and R4. I think you will feel the same issues regarding the wonderful finder, but the R4 is a lot closer to the M6 in build than the R is. The place for an R4 in your kit is much clearer though, so you won't be as conflicted to choose one over the other.

Interesting thoughts, thanks. I think what I'll do is get a grip and a CV 28/3.5 (I'm watching one of those on eBay too - if I don't get that I'll order one from Mr G) and head out East with the M6 and 3 or 4 lenses (I'm thinking 21, 28, 50, and maybe 75). And then when I'm back in the UK I'll seriously think about selling the Bessa-R and getting an R4 (and then maybe an M3, and after that maybe... aaargh!)

 

[oscroft]

be carefull with the Leica M6,
in the end you fall in love with leica lenses and the leica Mp

Don't I know it! 😀

 

[raid]

I still prefer the feel of the M3 to the M6. I now use both together for side by side comparisons of lenses, and the M3 is just more hefty feeling and it has a more solid feel to it. The M6 has a great meter in it though, and that's why I bought the M6. I have an easier time loading the M3, by the way.

Raid

 

[oscroft]

I still prefer the feel of the M3 to the M6

I just knew someone was going to say that 😀

The meter was why my first M had to be an M6, but yes, an M3 has to be a possibility for the future. (My wife doesn't know I've bought the M6 yet, so there will have to be some compensatory gift-buying before I can contemplate another M 🙂 )

 

[raid]

Alan: I bought the M6 even though I have read many comments about "flimsiness" and so on. The M6 is still a great camera. The M3 is timeless.

Raid

 

[ferider]

I think the M6 is at least as robust as the M3.
I love my M3 and use it mostly in "controlled situations", like
at home, at friends, etc. Or for lens tests, Raid 🙂

Whenever I travel, one of the M6 bodies comes with - no question.

Have a look at lower DOF lenses, like a 50/1.4, 90/2 or even 135.
Or a 28. These will justify the M6 over the Bessa.

Best,

Roland.

 

[raid]

Roland,

Your opinion is always welcome.

I think that a soft release adapter would help with the M6. I have to push harder to get the shutter released. My 0.85 finder sometimes flares, but still I prefer it for more critical focusing. I just have to hold the camera a little off my eye to get the flare to go away.

Raid

 

[ferider]

Agree with what you say. Plus, the flare is supposed to be stronger
in the .85 finder when compared to the .72 finder.

But flimsy they are not 😉

Roland.

 

[foto_fool]

I have made the comment before about different tools for different jobs. I've had a hard time putting down the R-D1 lately but yesterday had both the R3A and M6 out. Put the 90mm Elmarit on the M6 for the first time and had a blast - nice combination. Even shooting Lucky 100 indoors I was confident hand-holding at 1/8th and 1/15th. The CV 40mm Nokton has found a permanent home on the R3A and they came out for some street shooting in the afternoon.

Back-to-back shooting like this reminds me of why I like both cameras. The M6 is a tank, easy to use and gives me confidence. The R3A is lighter and holds just that little bit better in my hands. Let the flames begin, but German design still seems mired in Bauhaus, while the Japanese have been masters of ergonomics for centuries. And no question that the R3A's AE is helpful in capturing the "decisive moment".

Both make good images and exceed my technical and artistic limits. I'm betting on the Leica to be servicable/repairable 50 years from now. And intrinsic build quality differences aside, I find the brassing along the edges of the M6 to be more esthetically pleasing than the paint chips on the Bessa. Both are great tools.

- John

 

[richard_l]

...In fact, "smooth" describes everything about it (and I'll bet there are people out there who'll tell me the older Ms are even smoother 🙂 ).

The M6 is very close to the M2/M3 in smoothness. Only someone with the sensitivity of the princess in 'The Princess and the Pea' would make a major issue out of the difference in smoothness.

 

[sepiareverb]

...Film loading was really easy. I have a bottom-loading FED and that's a real pain to load, but the M6 loading is really nice (though I do need to put the bottom down somewhere while I'm doing it)...

I had a hard time with this at first, but now I just old the bottom with the left hand and load the film with the right. I only really need the left hand to push the cassette down into the chamber. As they say- practice makes perfect- you'll get very used to it. I'm surprised how fast I can load the camera now compared to a year ago.

That said, I'll often take the opportunity to have a seat when I need to change films as these feet get older😀

 

[JNewell]

Agree with what you say. Plus, the flare is supposed to be stronger in the .85 finder when compared to the .72 finder.

My current Ms include .72x and .85x M6 classics, an M4 and a first year M3 which I've owned since '72.

As far as finder flare, I don't find the .85 any different, really, than the .72. It may be a little more sensitive to eye alignment, I suppose because of the greater VF magnification, but if that's so the increased magnification is a worthwhile tradeoff. It's like having an M3 with a meter (please, no barbs 😀). Having said that, I have had the .72 upgraded and will probably have the .85 upgraded also next time it gets serviced.

As far as smoothness, the M3 has been CLA'd three times while I've owned it (Rockleigh, DAG and YXe). The M6/.72 has been CLA'd once by DAG. In addition, my son has an M5 recently CLA'd by Sherry. Not sure about the M4, but it is hands down the smoothest of the bunch in every respect. FWIW, the shutter release in the metered bodies has to perform various ancillary tasks on its way down, so the M2/M3/M4 (and M4-2 and -P) all start a little ahead (speaking solely of the shutter release, not the shutter wind).

 

[oscroft]

Have a look at lower DOF lenses, like a 50/1.4, 90/2 or even 135.
Or a 28. These will justify the M6 over the Bessa.

Yeah, I've got my eye on a CV 40/1.4. I'm not too worried about the lack of 40 frames - I'll use the 50 and flick to the 35 when necessary (I love that frame preview lever - so easy to use without taking your eye from the finder). And I just bought a brand new CV 28/3.5 on eBay 😀

I think that a soft release adapter would help with the M6

Yes, I have one on mine and it really does work for me.