new m6 owner..

butter71

butter71

Member
Local time
4:22 PM
Joined
Nov 20, 2004
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37
hi all..

i just bought a gorgeous black body M6 (serial number suggests it's from oct '97).

the bottom plate has a plastic cover on it. is this something that all M6s shipped with? or maybe an aftermarket addition for protection?

i haven't touched it and plan to leave it on.. just curious about the origin.

thanks,
 
Yep, its just a protection thing, like the plastic film on LCD displays when you buy a new item.

You won't need me to tell you to enjoy the M6, eh! ;)
 
Leicas are cool. I want one too. Leave the plastic on. A very late model is nice to own. I once considered selling my car to buy a Leica - but I'd still have to borrow for about 50% of it.

Enjoy it. Love it. USE it. And post your pics.
 
butter71 said:
hi all..

i just bought a gorgeous black body M6 (serial number suggests it's from oct '97).

the bottom plate has a plastic cover on it. is this something that all M6s shipped with? or maybe an aftermarket addition for protection?

i haven't touched it and plan to leave it on.. just curious about the origin.

thanks,
Click to expand...

If you plan to sell it in the near future, leave it on. But if you're going to use it for the rest of your life, I suggest removing it. It would be quite odd looking (after even 1 year) having a wear-through gun-metal top with a prestine black bottom ;)
 
Congratulations!

The plastic on the bottom plate is a legendary proof of good ownership, and leaving it on means you're a good Leica fetishist. When I got my first Leica I peeled it off, because I had decided to keep the camera regardless. My second... still has it, just because I didn't feel like taking it off. However, some day I'll do it, and then the camera will stay with me for life.

What lens are you using with your super cool black M6?
 
shutterflower said:
Leicas are cool. I want one too. Leave the plastic on. A very late model is nice to own. I once considered selling my car to buy a Leica - but I'd still have to borrow for about 50% of it.

Enjoy it. Love it. USE it. And post your pics.
Click to expand...

Let's hear it for spending prioritization - my (very) old pickup has been my best source of funds for gear, fwiw.

Oh yes, congrats on your new M. Be very delighted, I'm sure.
 
regit said:
If you plan to sell it in the near future, leave it on. But if you're going to use it for the rest of your life, I suggest removing it. It would be quite odd looking (after even 1 year) having a wear-through gun-metal top with a prestine black bottom ;)
Click to expand...


One of my M6 bodies dates from 1987 or 88, it's a "Wetzlar", has had its body covering changed, a few marks on the baseplate, an abrasion near the eyepiece. I otherwords, it's definitely been used. No sign at all of "wear through gun metal top". Perhaps some people have more abrasive palms and fingers than others. Seems like that could be a detriment in other areas too :D
 
Ben Z said:
One of my M6 bodies dates from 1987 or 88, it's a "Wetzlar", has had its body covering changed, a few marks on the baseplate, an abrasion near the eyepiece. I otherwords, it's definitely been used. No sign at all of "wear through gun metal top". Perhaps some people have more abrasive palms and fingers than others. Seems like that could be a detriment in other areas too :D
Click to expand...

Consider yourself lucky then ;) I had my brand new M7 for only 4 months and the edges, rewind knob and the top-plate under the advance level are already a little "gun-metalry"... then again, I'm not those people who baby their camera.
 
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I wonder if the black-chrome-over-nickel plate-over-brass on the M7 wears faster than the black-chrome-over-cast-zinc of the M6.
 
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Ben Z said:
I wonder if the black-chrome-over-nickel plate-over-brass on the M7 wears faster than the black-chrome-over-cast-zinc of the M6.
Click to expand...

Actually, I wonder about this as well... From what I can see thus far, the wear is a little different. The wear on the M7 is more of a "rub-off" effect rather than a "fading" effect ... it is difficult to put into words... M7 is still relative new and it needs to be seen what will happen to a really worn out sample (anyone?)... but I don't think it will "brass" even with the underlying brass :mad:
 
Leave the bottom plate plastic on. It doesn't hurt anything, provides some protection, and will stay in place for years, and I know that last one from experience. My M6 is from the the first year of production in 1984, in fact it is the 748th M6 built and the plastic bottom protector is still in place. My camera has been used regularly throughout those 20 plus years but it has also been well taken care of.

Don
 
In the past year I've bought three M6's, circa 1990's and 2002. All had plastic sheet on bottom for protection from factory. Yesterday I bought a fourth M6 circa 1995. It too has the plastic on the bottom, which tells me it wasn't used very much. I'm happy:)
 
It must be contagious. Just today I bought a black M6 TTL .85 to join my silver MP.
I have been learning lots from all of you at RFF over the past year, and had been searching for an M3, but finally decided on the M6. I love my 90 Asph Cron and 75 lux, and also find I like my two kinds of TriX, the 250 version and the EI 1250 to make the Lux shine. Therefore the two bodies.
Thank you all. What a great forum!
 
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