question about Leica M6 Classic .85

[emraphoto]

so, i stumbled upon a black M6 classic .85 and being of compromised will power i bought it. now that i have it in my hand some questions have arisen.

the primary question revolves around the condition... it is, in a nutshell, mint with the original box, presentation case etc. i have had a few folks tell me it is pretty rare and a bit of a collectors piece. i am not in a shortage of Leica cameras so do i put this in rotation and work it or sell it on and put the money towards funding more work? what is a camera like this worth? i am very, very hard on my gear (working conditions tend to be rough and unpredictable) and the condition would go from 'mint' to 'not mint' very quickly. i am about as far from a collector as one could get.

just looking for input from the folks in the know 🙂

 

[Livesteamer]

I have one. Only Leica body I bought new. As I understand they made about 2,000 of them. Initially it was a disappointment as I was hoping for an M3 with a meter. The original rangefinder patch flared badly. Some years ago I had Sherry K upgrade the finder to MP standards and now it is a very nice camera for 50mm and longer. Works well with a Noctilux or other fast lenses. I don't think it commands much of a premium so if you like it and it fits your style, use it. Good Luck, Joe

 

[Travis L.]

They made a little over 3000 of them at the tail end of M6 production, just before the TTL.
That makes them a bit rare, and worth a little more on the open market. Most of them are
probably still in the condition you describe because the collector market snapped them up. Hoping to cash in when the value increased.
If you like the magnification, I would keep it and use the hell out of it.

 

[emraphoto]

i reckon that is all i needed to hear! i shoot a 35mm lens almost exclusively and the huge view the finder provides seems intriguing. i reckon i will put it to work.

happy holidays folks

 

[MikeL]

I picked up a used one that had been dropped, so I wasn't too concerned about resale. Used ones seem to go for a few hundred more than normal M6s here in the states, so if you like the finder, might as well just wear it out.

I use mine with a 35mm most of the time. And like Joe's, the finder whiteout was bad on my camera whenever something bright was to the side. I had Sherry put the MP upgrade in about 6 years ago, and I've been happy as a clam ever since.

 

[emraphoto]

I picked up a used one that had been dropped, so I wasn't too concerned about resale. Used ones seem to go for a few hundred more than normal M6s here in the states, so if you like the finder, might as well just wear it out.

I use mine with a 35mm most of the time. And like Joe's, the finder whiteout was bad on my camera whenever something bright was to the side. I had Sherry put the MP upgrade in about 6 years ago, and I've been happy as a clam ever since.

thanx for the input Mike. i thought about upgrading my finders. i might just take a little time and put this one through the process. build an uber M6! someone recommended putting a 35 Biogon C on it and away you go. i do believe that will be the end result.

 

[FrankS]

I had one of these, but because I wear eyeglasses, and because of the viewfinder magnification, I could not see the 35mm framelines all at once.

 

[emraphoto]

well Frank, i lost my glasses about 2 days after i picked up the new prescription so i reckon i will be good

 

[Robert Lai]

Don't be in a hurry about the MP finder upgrade

Don't be in a hurry about the MP finder upgrade

My experience is with an earlier 0.85X M7. When I got it, I found that the RF patch did flare in backlighted situations. So, I spent around $600 for Leica NJ to upgrade to the MP finder, change the film speed contacts to optical (this one is a freebie), and general CLA.

After I got it back, it still flared in back lighted situations.

So, don't be in a big hurry to get that MP finder upgrade. It doesn't cure the problem. Only an M3 cures that problem.

 

[Huss]

An M6 .85 is worth about $1500 in perfect shape. Tops.
The ttl version a couple o bux more, but I have seen them sell for as low as $1200 in great shape.

(info derived from all the time I have wasted on auction sites and the classifieds).

Just use it.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Use it! I had one, which I also bought in nearly mint condition in the box. I had to have the RF calibrated, as it backfocused a bit, but after DAG adjusted it, it was an incredible camera. Loved it for shooting with a 50mm lens. The .72x finder's 50mm frames are a little small; I liked the .85 better. Wish I hadn't had to sell all my Leica gear earlier this year. If I'm ever able to replace it all, another M6 .85 will be the first thing I get.

 

[Corran]

I like mine...I only paid $800 for it.
It does flare occasionally in the VF.
To be frank I like my Nikon SP more. One of these days I'll get an M3 to try out.
I wish my M9 was a 0.85x! I can visualize the 28mm FoV just fine...and I like 25mm better anyway.

 

[sc_rufctr]

M6 .85!... Great Leica body for getting the job done.

I had one for a while and mostly used it for 35mm but I don't wear glasses so it worked well for me. I sold it after I bought an M6ttl .58. (Two very different cameras. The .58 is better for 35mm IMO)
As far as flare goes. Yes they do flare but so does my M6ttl .58. It seems even a modern MP has the issue to some degree. (according to my local Leica friends who have them)

What I want is a "brand new" M3 version viewfinder that is optimized for 35mm. Hey, I can dream 😎

 

[emraphoto]

well, the end of the story is a biogon c 35mm on the front and loaded with tri-x.

 

[raid]

Congrats. I have a mintish M6 0.85 that I use side by side with a beautiful M3. I have not sent either camera out for any adjustments.

 

[Godfrey]

As with any camera: unless you are a collector, just use it. I imagine that in the future, a well used M6 .85x might well command more money than a minty mint one because signs of use are also prized by serious collectors.

G

 

[splitimageview]

They are?

-

 

[Pioneer]

If there truly are no signs of use, and you have plenty of cameras to use, I would have it evaluated by someone who could give you a clear estimate of its collector status.

 

[jonmanjiro]

I bought one of these in great condition just a few days ago for a little over $1000. I purposely sought out one of these instead of a TTL version because the shutter speed dial rotates in the "correct" direction. I might have sprung for an MP 0.85 if I could find one, but I haven't seen one of those for sale for a long while.

At over 3,000 M6s made with the 0.85 finder in the late 1990s, they're not particularly collectible IMO. I will use mine as intended.

 

[emraphoto]

Congrats. I have a mintish M6 0.85 that I use side by side with a beautiful M3. I have not sent eirher camera out for any adjustments.

when i bought the .85 i also saw a brand new m3. never out of the box until that moment. was a quite lovely camera but i could produce a book, with travel and expense on top, for what they were asking.