What do you think about this offer?

[blacklight]

Hi,

just few days ago I wrote about my lust for Leica and bang! - I got offer for M6 for a price of cca 1100$. It is from the first owner, who used it seldom and cared very good for the camera. The best thing is, I could inspect the camera for myslef, I would have to pay no shipping costs, no taxes or sale taxes, no paypal fees. He has also 50 Summicron for sale for about 700$ and I could probably squezze the price a bit if I bought both body and the lens.

Now what do you think about it ... can I or should I resist this temptation?

Here are the pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7223713@N05/413719900/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7223713@N05/413719897/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7223713@N05/413719893/

 

[Xmas]

Buy it but note a shelf M is just as likely to need a CLA or snap a ribbon.

Noel

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[blacklight]

should I take that it would need CLA for granted? if indeed, then I had to really rethink this. and what about the price for Summicron - though I dont know which version (the camera was bought in 1988, so I suppose the lens too) - is it right?

 

[shenkerian]

If the camera hasn't had a CLA since 1988, I think it would at least benefit from if not require one. That said, I think $1100 is a pretty good deal for an M6 in this condition, especially since you can purchase it locally.

 

[FrankS]

How much is CCA 1100$ in US currency?

A local deal is good, considering cost to ship to Slovakia.

 

[thomasw_]

i don't view this as a great deal at all.

 

[blacklight]

Now Im really confused. I mean $1000 for M6 in probably mint condition (lets not speak about CLA for now - maybe it would need it, maybe wouldnt) is not a good deal? At KEH its 1200 for EX, for EX+ even more, the same popflash - and I would have to pay about 25% of the price for taxes + pay for shipping. In european shops its even more expensive - shphoto or leicashop, they for 1300-1500 euros! so...if this is not good deal, where can I get better?

 

[Keith]

Now Im really confused. I mean $1000 for M6 in probably mint condition (lets not speak about CLA for now - maybe it would need it, maybe wouldnt) is not a good deal? At KEH its 1200 for EX, for EX+ even more, the same popflash - and I would have to pay about 25% of the price for taxes + pay for shipping. In european shops its even more expensive - shphoto or leicashop, they for 1300-1500 euros! so...if this is not good deal, where can I get better?

Considering what you say about taxes and shipping it sounds good to me ... in your positon I'd take it, run a roll of film through it to make sure it's OK then CLA it at some future time when you're totally sure you love it! 🙂

 

[d30gaijin]

should I take that it would need CLA for granted? if indeed, then I had to really rethink this. and what about the price for Summicron - though I dont know which version (the camera was bought in 1988, so I suppose the lens too) - is it right?

My M6 is a 1984 vintage (748th M6 to be built). It has seen very light use in 23 years and has never been CLA'd. It works perfectly as shown by 2 rolls of chrome shot just last week in very low light and daylight environments in cold weather.

I think you're getting a very good deal. As someone else mentioned, shoot a roll through it and plan on buying it because I bet it will work fine.

Don

 

[pmu]

Maybe you people outside europe don't find this as a good deal, but 1000 usd is about 780 euros and that is definitely a good deal for a clean and working M6 here in europe. In Finland the normal price for a clean M6 seems to be around 850-1000 euros. And if I would buy a normal priced M6 from states...after taxes and customs the price would be maybe 100-250 euros more.

So I would definitely buy this one If everything works OK. And I would propably buy it even if it needed normal CLA.

 

[wontonny]

Go for it!

When you get it though, fire the camera off a bunch of times unloaded and then fire it off a few times a day every day for a week. That should get the lube back in all the right parts. Then load it up and have some fun.

 

[Kim Coxon]

The price for the body sounds like a fair price for a European deal. I think the Cron is a bit pricey though, that is around dealer price with warranty.

Kim

 

[blacklight]

one more question. if you could choose between this body and M4 in a very good condition for roughtly the same price, what would you choose?

 

[FrankS]

one more question. if you could choose between this body and M4 in a very good condition for roughtly the same price, what would you choose?

It all depends how much you value the built in meter of the M6. If you are comfortable and used to using a hand-held meter, then the M4 is the choice, IMO.

 

[varjag]

It is a good price for M6 that you can inspect yourself and need no paying import duty and shipping for. For an M4 it would be on the expensive side I think, unless the M4 is black paint one.

 

[blacklight]

It all depends how much you value the built in meter of the M6. If you are comfortable and used to using a hand-held meter, then the M4 is the choice, IMO.

Bult in meter is not really issue for me, most of the time I use sunny 16 anyway, I could also use my R3M for metering, but nevertheless, I plan in the future to purchase handheld meter for shooting in difficult light conditions.

As for what varjag says, $1100-1200 for a M4 really seems a bit too much for me, but that's the price in Leicashop in Vienna, where I could also buy it, personally inspect and pay no additional fees. I could probably buy a cheaper one from e*ay, but I'm not very comfortable with that idea, it's too much money to risk for me, though I've never bought anything this way so maybe I shouldn't be so afraid.

My personal choice would be M4, but to pay the same price as for probably "mint" M6...hm..decisions...

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[d30gaijin]

one more question. if you could choose between this body and M4 in a very good condition for roughtly the same price, what would you choose?

Over the years I've had a couple of M2's, several M3's, and several M4's so I guess one could say I have chosen, and my choice was M6, two of them. For me having a meterless camera was an inconvenience I didn't like. Of course that's my choice because I shoot a lot of chrome. Others will, I am sure, feel different about having or not having a meter in the camera.

Don

 

[d30gaijin]

Mangus,

I think the M6 looks worn in the photos because of the light the pics were shot in. Black chrome in perfect condition will look like that in certain types of light because of an odd sort of radiance the black chrome gives off.

Don