upgrading M4 to M6?

This is a huge can of worms. First, you will be gaining an in-camera light meter which depends on a battery. That is the only functional gain in the move to a M6. But it can be very useful in certain social situations; not having to stick a meter out makes one slightly more discreet.

But there are things you lose, too.

1. the aesthetic appearance of the M4 2. the brass gears, their smooth movements 3. the selftimer

Weigh out those things to see if they matter to you.

Regards, Thomas
 
You won't miss a thing in practical terms. Now, when it comes to camera looks, the jury is still out on it. Personally, any Leica camera looks incredibly cool to me, and I have the M3, M4-2 and M6TTL to admire, use and enjoy.

So, back to your question, you won't miss a thing, in operative terms.
 
The self timer on my M4 has never been used so I don't think I'll miss it. The meter is the driving factor behind the change. But what was that about the looks? If I go for an M6 classic then isn't the exterior effectively the same?
 
I dont' think you will miss anything. build quality is not MY primary concern when choosing a camera though I'd admit the m4 is better built than m6.
I like the m6 onboard meter a lot mainly because I don't 100% rely on any meter.
 
The frames accuracy, for me, make the M4 to M6 something I wouldn't do.
I can live with my MP 0.58 just because the 35 FL precision seems quite ok (for 50 it's awfull), and the 0.58 vision is a pleasure to use with wides (And its such a beautfull piece of gear...).
Did you consider using a leica meter MR-4?
Very handy and sometimes more useful than on-board meter, because you can set everything before bringing the camera to your eye.
 
I did a similar switch a while ago. The thing I missed most was having my pictures look like what I had composed in the viewfinder. Everyone on this forum will tell you its not a big deal and perhaps for them its not, but the M6 finder is nowhere NEAR as accurate as an M4 finder. If you dont compose with things on the edge of frame you'll NEVER see it, but if you do it may drive you crazy. I still have that M6, which I cant stand and its now my beater body to take into extreme conditions. Hate that camera. And no, its not broken, its designed that way... Also worth mentioning is that the M6 meter is nothing short of detestable for me and its again one of those things where Im the only person on this forum you'll hear knock it, so weigh that one as well.
 
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Reading this I'm almost glad I lost bidding on a beautiful M6 this morning...:)
... Hear me well, Almost, I said...;)
 
What I missed the most going from M2 to M6 was NOT having a meter...

By that I mean that I lost the edge on assessing light - something I am trying to get back to these days with NOT using the meter but rather the preview screen as I work...

Would love to have an M4 againg though, it is regarded as the best M by many!
 
Roger S said:
The self timer on my M4 has never been used so I don't think I'll miss it. The meter is the driving factor behind the change. But what was that about the looks? If I go for an M6 classic then isn't the exterior effectively the same?
Click to expand...

Aesthetically, the M6 has no engraving (excepting the original Wetzlar M6) and the camera covering is just a standard leatherette (the vulcanite in the M4 is much nicer).

Aesthetics aside, there are a number of differences you may or may not care about -

M4 vs M6
1. four framelines vs six (add 75 and 28)
2. self timer vs built-in meter
3. brass topcover vs zinc alloy
4. brass gears (smoother operation) vs steel
5. No motor-winder capability vs motor-winder connection
6. Flair resistant/more complicated finder vs simpler "right or replace" finder with some flair resistant optics removed (can be put back for less than $200).

I would first buy the M6 and use it for awhile before selling the M4 – you may decide with some of the posters above that you don’t like it (or you may want to keep two bodies around for a back-up).
 
The frameline issue is flatout silly. The older Ms have framelines at infinity, so at close focus you end up cropping. It's a trade off now matter how you look at it unless the framelines adjust with focus distance, which they don't. The issue is very very simple, learn your lens.

Build is another moot point, who cares?

The meter is on the other hand...handy.
 
Some have already mentioned these, but here's my 2 (ok, maybe 3.5) cents:

- The M4 has a less-cluttered VF, with fewer framelines. I like this when I'm composing my shots. I don't miss the 28mm framelines, which are pretty hard to see on the M6 anyway (not to mention less than accurate along with the other framelines). On the M4, I just use the entire VF image when composing for 28mm.

- Unless you get the MP upgrade, the tendency for the RF patch to flare and washout on the M6 can be annoying.

- It's nice to know you have a built-in meter on the M6, especially if you want to just grab and go and not deal with a grabbing a separate meter. However, the M6 meter takes some getting used to--it's more of a large spot meter, and if you're not careful you can make erroneous readings. I find that I'm more used these days to carrying around a small handheld meter which I'm quite familiar with, and I only use it occasionally, eg under new lighting conditions, or when conditions change. The rest of the time it stays out of the way of my shooting. With my M6, I often have to second-guess the readings with every shot. And red LEDs in the VF can be distracting.

- My M4 has that nice balance of smoothness and solidness of operation, more so than my M6. The shutter release is much smoother and quieter.

There have been a few CLA'd M6s with MP VF upgrades on sale lately, so this might be the way to go if you're really set on a built-in meter (which you can always disable by removing the batteries). A little spendier than a stock user M6, but not quite as spendy as an M7 or MP.

Ming
 
You guys have some convincing arguments. I think I need to get my hands on an M6 and try it out before I decide. I certainly wouldn't want to lose the smoothness of the M4 that I've got used to.

Thanks.
 
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