Guth
Appreciative User
I'm only a hobbyist and not nearly as demanding of my gear as most here are. I ended up with a M6 TTL because the Leica struck me as the most straightforward and well built camera that was being made in 2000 when I was in the market for a new camera. Looking back at things now I'll readily admit that it was really pretty silly of me to purchase the Leica gear given the cost involved and my level of usage. But I had saved my money and that's what I wanted — it was a total geek purchase. Nobody that I knew had even heard of Leica. No one asked about my camera back then because no one cared.
All that said, I will add that I do find the M6 TTL to be a pleasure to use. In my case with 35mm, 50mm and 90mm focal lengths. However, some of those things that I really like about the camera are a turn off to many others here. For example I especially like the configuration and operation of the shutter speed dial. The built-in light meter is also a real benefit for me as I've never learned to gauge exposure on my own. I am finally working on addressing this by trying to gauge the exposure for myself and then checking my chosen exposure against the meter's reading. (Maybe I'd have better luck with this if it were actually sunny here while I'm first attempting to learn this technique.) I even purchased a SF-20 flash a while back. It's easy to use and works well on this camera. A nice to have item if ever needed. Of course there's no telling what the future holds when it comes to my M6 TTL. I honestly have no idea what percentage of these cameras have been impacted by electronics failure thus far but the lack of electronic parts availability is a concern. In addition, as someone pointed out above, the availability of skilled camera technicians down the road will also likely become more of an issue with the passing of time regardless of what model you happen to own.
Good luck with your decision. I hope that whatever model you end up with works out well for your particular needs.
All that said, I will add that I do find the M6 TTL to be a pleasure to use. In my case with 35mm, 50mm and 90mm focal lengths. However, some of those things that I really like about the camera are a turn off to many others here. For example I especially like the configuration and operation of the shutter speed dial. The built-in light meter is also a real benefit for me as I've never learned to gauge exposure on my own. I am finally working on addressing this by trying to gauge the exposure for myself and then checking my chosen exposure against the meter's reading. (Maybe I'd have better luck with this if it were actually sunny here while I'm first attempting to learn this technique.) I even purchased a SF-20 flash a while back. It's easy to use and works well on this camera. A nice to have item if ever needed. Of course there's no telling what the future holds when it comes to my M6 TTL. I honestly have no idea what percentage of these cameras have been impacted by electronics failure thus far but the lack of electronic parts availability is a concern. In addition, as someone pointed out above, the availability of skilled camera technicians down the road will also likely become more of an issue with the passing of time regardless of what model you happen to own.
Good luck with your decision. I hope that whatever model you end up with works out well for your particular needs.
