New ZI or used M6-TTL - Which would you buy?

I prefer all-mechanical cameras because I marvel at their clockwork mechanisms. Battery independency is a welcome bonus, not a decisive factor. My watch is mechanical, much for the same reason.
 
the only clockwork mechanism in cameras is a simple, dinky little slow speed escapement. it's pretty unimpressive.
 
Point well-taken. A matter of opinion nonetheless. You can have child-like enthusiasm about dinky little clockwork things, esp. seeing as they can last for ages.
 
willie_901 said:
This is an excellent point.

I've decided to automatically send myself an email every four months to replace the batteries in all my cameras. That way I'll greatly reduce the likelihood that one of them suffers sudden battery loss. The used batteries will become emergency spares.

willie
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Clever idea. Might have to use that to remind myself to replace the batteries in the smoke detectors, also. The switch to and from daylight savings time just doesn't seem to work for me. :)
 
RML said:
Ugly or not, it does remind me a lot of the Contaxes and Kievs.

Battery dependency... hogwash. We have more battery dependent gadgets on our body than we care to remember. Do they fail when we need them the most? Only when you're ignorant of the fact the batteries need recharging/replacing now and then. Same with cameras. In all my years of using battery dependent cameras I've had not once had a problem. You notice the battery go empty long before it really stop functioning. And the indicator on my R-D1 works flawlessly. It shows up, I replace the battery with a fresh one. As soon as I get home, the empty battery goes into the charger. Next morning, I take it out and put it back in my pocket/bag. Missing a decisive moment? I miss more while I sleep. I can't be bothered by it. You miss them when you have to slam in a new film, don't you? And you do that more often than replacing a battery, don't you?
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The only battery dependency item on me is usually my camera. My watch is mechanical, (And, fortunately, I don't have a pacemaker yet.).

Battery dependency can become a problem if you travel abroad alot. I've found issues with finding particular batteries in Columbia and Bosnia. Not a big deal if you pack extras. As I shoot primarily digital, I'm used to being "battery dependent". Having a charger and universal electrical adapter helps with the digital cameras. When it comes to the cameras where you have to find those "button" size batteries, that's where you can run into problem. Film is usually always easy to find if you run out (or loose) that.

For me, I just like to have something that doesn't need a battery. Because, as you stated, we have more battery dependent gadgets than we care to remember.
And, I too like the "all mechanical" design behind a good camera. When Rolex starts putting batteries in their time pieces, I may rethink. :)
 
George, I've solved your problems. Just get a M7. You have automation, full maunal exposure, and TTL.
 
I've been thinking of this myself. Since I'm 50, either camera should last either as long as I do or film is available. I think the M6 Classic would sell for more money at the estate sale when all my crap gets sold off, but I'll reserve stating my choice until I can look through both viewfinders.

Either one seems like an excellent choice to me.
 
Hi George, I would buy the Leica. A purchase such as this is something that you'll be living with for a long time and you can trust that when the Leica is getting on in years that it will still be functioning as it should and will still retain a large amount of its resale value; a mint M3 for example, will still set you back more than that of a ZI and the M3 is the best part of 50 years old. I was just in the dentical situation to you only I was tossing up between the M6, the ZI and the new R2M C/V; the M6 won. I only had a play with the ZI and can say that the finder is amazing and is nearly reason enough to buy it, but the M6 has the edge everywhere else. The CV and the ZI lack the tactile plesure that the Leica has and in reality unless you're a pro, looking to earn a living from it, it's all about the pleasure of the whole experience, not just the picture taking. IMO with the same lens mounted on either camera you'll end up with the same result, it's just which camera floats your boat. Cheers N.S.
 
To counter-balance this "tactile pleasure"... I never found my M2 to be much of a tactile pleasure. It's just a camera and, though admittedly a finely built one, it feels like a chunk of metal in my hands. Add to that it has no internal meter, making it difficult for me to shoot quickly in quickly varying lighting conditions (in Mongolia I can have as much as 5-7 stops difference due to very bright sun and skies and very deep shadows); that it has no AE, which reduces for me the time spend on deciding between half a stop more or less; that it scratches my glasses to no end; and that it does not have anything going over a Bessa R or a CL except for history and being finely built, I consider the M2 an nice but expensive mantle piece ornament. The M7 is different from the M2 but is it worth the thousands of $$ over the ZI? The M6 is in the same price range as the ZI, and then it becomes a matter of what you personally want. Get your a*se to B&H and fondle some cameras, George! :)
 
RML said:
To counter-balance this "tactile pleasure"... I never found my M2 to be much of a tactile pleasure...
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LOL, and well put..

Same holds for my M4. Granted, it does have nice top deck engravings, a wonderful finder, and it goes 'clop' instead of 'ker-click'. But even the lowly Bessa-T is nicer to hold.. There, I said it, blasphemy I know, but that's my take on it..
 
RML said:
Get your a*se to B&H and fondle some cameras, George! :)
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Guys, I think George's mind is already made up. After Joe's thread about his issue with his new Zeiss lens, George realized that all this Zess stuff is all junk. I think he's going with the M6.
 
kyle said:
Guys, I think George's mind is already made up. After Joe's thread about his issue with his new Zeiss lens, George realized that all this Zess stuff is all junk. I think he's going with the M6.
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Kyle,

Well, truth be told, I am leaning in that direction, but my mind is not completely made up. What concerned me about Joe's thread was that it was a problem with a ZM lens. Regardless of whether I were to get the ZI or M6 - my thinking was to go with ZM lenses as providing a better cost/quality ratio. Now I'm not so sure....
 
copake_ham said:
Kyle,

Well, truth be told, I am leaning in that direction, but my mind is not completely made up. What concerned me about Joe's thread was that it was a problem with a ZM lens. Regardless of whether I were to get the ZI or M6 - my thinking was to go with ZM lenses as providing a better cost/quality ratio. Now I'm not so sure....
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George,

Sorry to put words in your mouth. Judging by some of your responses in the other thread, I thought you had made up your mind.
 
and to be clear, i never said the lenses or the body were junk.
i returned the lens for an exchange not a refund, if that helps.
it should be here by friday, i hope.

joe
 
Since I shoot a lot with (fill-)flash and, due to our weather, fast film I lean to the ZI. AE is an option I like, too. So lower price, faster shutter and X-Sync as well as the viewfinder speak for the ZI and against the, functional comparable, M7.

And the most important argument, with the ZI I'm not in one group with the nice poster with the descriptive nickname.
 
back alley said:
and to be clear, i never said the lenses or the body were junk.
i returned the lens for an exchange not a refund, if that helps.
it should be here by friday, i hope.

joe
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I know you never said that. I was being a bit snooty with my reply, unfortunately.

I love the ZM lenses, my 25/2.8 arrives today!
 
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in fact, i would buy a black zi in a heartbeat if i had the cash!!

oh that would be sweet, 2 bodies with 25 and 50 attached...:)

joe
 
back alley said:
and to be clear, i never said the lenses or the body were junk.
i returned the lens for an exchange not a refund, if that helps.
it should be here by friday, i hope.

joe
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I am truly hoping your experience was "unique" and you merely got "one made on Monday" because I really do hope the ZM lenses provide that cost/quality difference. Everytime I look at the price of new Leitz lenses I have to be revived with ammonia salts!

Granted I'd probably gravitate to used ones for that reason - but that route has its own risks.

All of this may become moot anyway - we go out to Tucson tomorrow and the better half wants some more furniture and new kitchen appliances! :eek:
 
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