Well used M's - The anti-collectors

michaelwj

michaelwj

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Hi All,

I've had a few requests from members and non-members of the forum for more details about my M6. I used to find this odd. There's nothing special about it, it's from 1991, with a Leitz badge, and Leica Camera GMBH Germany engraved on the back. Yep, a whole lot of 'meh, it's an M6'.

Fast forward to two years hanging out here with Leica nerds, and now I know why people are interested. It is well used. It has a story. It hasn't been collected.

M6-2.jpg

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-collector, they serve a very useful purpose of keeping these beautiful bodies alive. If it wasn't for collectors, the only nice Leica's would be the new ones. I wouldn't have been able to buy a 50 year old lens that looks unused. Its an amazing part of the Leica heritage that they're keeping alive. But I digress.

So, back to the story of the M6. It was affordable, and I didn't want to pay much, so 'user' condition was what I was after. I'd never even held a Leica, so I wanted to pick one up locally. I found one for sale on a local classified, the seller had mine and an M4-P, I wanted a meter, so got the M6.

I had a bit of a chat to the seller, a local wedding photographer called Paul Griggs. Apparently he's quite good, shot Hugh Jackmans and Robert Allenbys weddings (on Leicas). Turns out he bought it new around 1991-1992, and used it alongside an M4-P and an M4 (which he kept) until he switched over to M9s. Every weekend. Around 5-10 rolls a weekend. For at least 18 years. Over 4500 rolls. Its worn from holding and shooting, hasn't got a dint on it, its just been used and relied upon.

M6-1.jpg

M6-3.jpg

Thats the story of my M6. In its retirement (not mine - 30 more years to go for me) its getting a leisurely 2-3 rolls per fortnight, getting used.

So whats the story behind your well used M? I'm sure mine isn't that interesting compared to a lot of others out there.

Cheers,
Michael
 
Hi Michael,

thank you for sharing the "story" behind your Leica.
I am a user like you. My M6 was nearly new when I got it about
15 years ago. All signs of use of mine were self-made and I had to
sell it last year because I needed the money.

The decision was difficult because my photographic life was getting
more and more digital and I could (and can) not afford a digital
Leica.
So there are some Fujis and lenses today I am happy with.
But I have no Leica anymore.
Let´s see the good things of user-Leicas: if you need you can get some reasonable money for them to fund something important 😉
Thats another story, right out of life.
 
When I put my chrome M6 (with a significant former owner's name engraved on it) down on the counter of a local camera store next to Michael's when we were window shopping, it was his that got taken out the back to get shown to the rest of the aficionados..!
 
Thanks Michael - as one of the people who has expressed interest in the story it's great to see some further photos. It's impressively worn for a chromed (rather than painted) body, and should give people (including me) comfort that their Leica M can survive just fine in very regular use. Many of course know this, but the sheer number of mint cameras out there suggests a lot get treated only to special occasion / shelf queen use.
 
Nice to see a well-used M.

Much as I like to see a camera that looks like this, my cameras almost never get such a nice patina because, perhaps, I coddle them too much. My M4-2 was purchased used and has presumably been used a bit over the years, but its finish is in better shape than the M6 you showed, and I think I'm too old to put the years of use on it that will render it so prettily. Never mind that it's one of four cameras that I use a lot these days.

G
 
beautiful camera!

I was reading an article about collectible M cameras yesterday, sorry but I cannot find the link at the moment but basically in auctions, well worn and used cameras sells more for the clean and never used ones.
 
That looks good! I have a couple like that, a M4P looked pretty much similar - I had stripped and repainted in a textured black finish, several M2's looks like that, a MP is slowly getting there. Seems to take 1-2000 rolls to get it going and, yes, I think 4-5000 rolls will do it. Now it is up to you to keep adding to the wear too!
 
Hi, The main thing is to USE YOUR LEICA ! I bought a DS Leica M3 that was a bit stiff ( had just been hiding on a shelf) I took it to our technican and his judgement was: There`s nothing wrong with it.. Just put some 200-300 clickings on it and it will be just fine ! That was true. Since then I had a CLA with swapping the somewhat cloudy original finder to a factory new (spare part) M4 finder with 35mm frames. Then it is now my greatest leica M !
 
Tom A said:
That looks good! I have a couple like that, a M4P looked pretty much similar - I had stripped and repainted in a textured black finish, several M2's looks like that, a MP is slowly getting there. Seems to take 1-2000 rolls to get it going and, yes, I think 4-5000 rolls will do it. Now it is up to you to keep adding to the wear too!
Click to expand...

Pics Tom? We want to see 'em! Especially the M2's.

I find it interesting what the wear tells about the user. I notice that I'm holing the camera slightly differently from the previous owner; lower around the front, and further around the back, Any wear that I add will be different from the existing wear, and add to the story.

Cheers,
Michael
 
I have no problem aging my cameras.
I am always amazed at the pristine condition of so many Leica cameras.
I was once told on an assignment to use a the Lady's camera..
A DSLR.
It was stored in two bags, one for body, one for lens, in another case.
Perfect condition after my hands were examined for dirt, dust, grease.
I refused.
On such assignments I mostly use a Nikon SLR kit.
2 bodies, 5~7 lenses, flash units, filters.Film.
All in one bag, things all touching and requiring a shake to sort of settle and fit.
I visioned her Virgin camera looking like my Leica M3.
 
Leica M6 and Zeiss Contax lla by knjy, on Flickr[/IMG][/QUOTE]

I have owned this M6 since new in 1989. It was a gift, in lieu of payment for some services I provided for a friend at the time.
I looked forward to using it and seeing that lovely M patina appearing and after 25 years, travelling all over the world and putting maybe 1000 rolls of film through it (I also owned a Nikon F2 through the same period) it remains in pretty good shape! No dings or scratches.

It lives in a Billingham bag with other stuff, sometimes lenses, cameras, iPad, books and so on. Never had a ER case although I have a Benser soft case that I use if it goes into my briefcase or if I take just one camera and one lens.

If it had been black paint then it would have been softly brassed on the edges and corners but the black chrome has been hard wearing and rubbed off to reveal the gunmetal grey finish underneath only on the sharper corners and the ridge by the wind-on lever.

Apart from a speed check at a Leica open day this camera has received no attention since new, it was taught when I first go it but now it has acquired a buttery smoothness in all operations, similar to that found on old M3's.

Throw this one in the box when I go.
 
2170183690_c5b65c6ef3_z.jpg


The M2 in the back was a bad re-peint. It was shedding flakes of black paint with a vengeance. I had it repainted in the end! The M2 in the front is an original black, but on it's 3rd top-plate. I bought it new in 1965 and it is still fine. Couple of services and the replaced top plates in almost 50 years. The top-plates were mostly done in by car doors!
 
My M4-2 is for use and abuse.
I returned it to Canada already with missing vulcanite and scratches.
But it was "user" Leica. I used it even more. Bump and scratch after it was dropped. More vulcanite is missing. But somehow, not like with other cameras, it doesn't matter. I use it weekly.
 
Tom A said:
2170183690_c5b65c6ef3_z.jpg


The M2 in the back was a bad re-peint. It was shedding flakes of black paint with a vengeance. I had it repainted in the end! The M2 in the front is an original black, but on it's 3rd top-plate. I bought it new in 1965 and it is still fine. Couple of services and the replaced top plates in almost 50 years. The top-plates were mostly done in by car doors!
Click to expand...

Very nice Tom, its so good to them being used. I hope they continue to get use for a long time to come. I wonder how many spare BP M2 top plates Leica has left?

Cheers,
Michael
 
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