Description: Small, quiet, and discreet: The LEICA M6 TTL-models are not only the ideal cameras for photojournalism, travel-, and available-light photography, but also for care-free and successful flash operation.
Summary: I have been reading reviews on the M6 for quite a while but I never saw one in the flesh until October when I was on holiday in London.
I was wanting to look at the Digilux 2 but I spied an M6 and fell in love with it.
I already have a Contax G2 kit and wasn't thinking about another film camera but I caught the bug and bought a used M6 in new condition. I then bought a 50mm f2 lens which I love.
As the Leica lens are very expensive I have just bought a used 90mm Voigtlander and am thinking of buying a Voigtlander 25mm f4.
The M6 is a lovely camera to use, it is not a point and shoot but a deliberate photographic instrument that takes me back to when I started photography 35 years ago.
I shoot black and white film with it, develop the film in the normal way and print the photos with my Epson Color 680 printer using a single black ink at 2880 dpi.
The camera gets knocked for film loading but I don't find this a problem, it's all part of the manual aspect of Leica photography like the focusing and metering.
The fun is now back in my photography.
The contax is an excellent camera but in a very different way.
Strengths: Brings back the joys of photography.
Weaknesses: Taking the M6 as it is I see no weaknesses.
Summary: This is a wonderful camera that allows high quality 35mm images to be taken without the intrusiveness of an SLR. It is a camera that forces you to consider the fundamental elements involved in photography with every picture taken. Unfortunately it is expensive.
Strengths: Small, quiet & extremely portable
Discreet
TTL metering
Minimal shutter lag
No viewfinder blackout
Weaknesses: Rangefinder patch flare
Sluggish meter response
Shutter easily damaged by the sun
Parallax error (common to all viewfinder cameras)
Difficult to focus moving subjects
Similar Products Used: Leica M2
Konica Hexar AF
Olympus MjU-II
Customer Service: Obsolescence is not an issue, but it costs a packet to get anything done.
Summary: I initially approached the Leica M through a M^TTL 0.58. Wearing glasses I found that I could see the bright lines easily particluarly with my 35, 50, 75. I added a dioper and the 1.25 magnifier but have since removed both from the eyepiece. Moving from the SLR ( I the camera do everything, including your thinking), I found the M6TTL a little getting use to. Viewing, film loading and making all the adjustments. It couldn't have been too bad as I added the 0.85 for my 75 and 90. Eschewing the diopter and 1.25 magnifier I found viewing easy with time (read practice). Being my first experience with Leica, I was and am completely impressed by the design and solidity of these cameras. They are NOT designed to be obsolete after 1 or 2 years with a new wizbang model SLR, ala Japan. Designed for obsolescense is he mafrketing scheme and has been for them. Back to my lovely Leicas. Now over time they are simply an extension of my vision (Iknow sounds like copy for Leica ad),but it is true. Having started around age 10, now 61 my Leicas ( and lenses ) are all one could ask for in 35mm, given the constraints of design and purpose.
Strengths: Solid, quality, flawless operation, ease of operation (after practice). The results, my chromes speak for themselves.
Summary: Un placer tenerla en las manos. Muy facil de usar, si lo tuyo son las camaras manuales: cargas la pelicula por la parte de abajo como hace 80 años, encuadras, enfocas manualmente, mides la luz y seleccionas el diafragma y la velocidad, disparas y pasas al siguiente fotograma manualmente y cuando acabas el carrete lo rebobinas tu mismo. Con esta camara no sacas fotografias. Haces fotografias. Una camara para toda la vida.
Strengths: Extrafuerte. Silenciosa y no demasiado grande. Calidad total.
Weaknesses: En determinadas situaciones es algo dificil de enfocar mediante el sistema de imagen partida. No tiene autodisparador. La velocidad mas lenta es de solo 1 segundo sin contar la posicion B. No hay informacion en el visor de la velocidad ni el diafragma utilizado. Poco practica con teleobjetivos pues no posee vision reflex.
Summary: This camera was always a dream of mine to own. As a pro wedding photographer I have been used to carrying tons of kit around on a wedding. I hurt my back early this year and seriously looked at someway of lightening the load. I have been using Xpan for two years and felt that I could introduce a Leica M as a lightweight alternative to one of my big Eos1v cameras. Luckily I bought my first M6 just as Leica introduced the MP so I got a good deal. I bought it with the f1 Noctilux. Needless to say that it was the best decision that I have made in my 15 year career.
After the initial getting to grips with the back to basics approach of the camera, film loading, manual metering, winding on the camera!!!!! etc. I am hooked on this camera system. It is beautifully made, the lenses (I now have four) are stunning at full aperture and the Noct is just unbelievable in low light. The camera doesn't draw attention to itself like the pro Canons that I used. The lack of mirror means that I can get pictures which I couldn't get before; the camera is quiet and can easily be handheld at 1/15 and 1/8 sec.
The viewfinder is wonderful and clear, I have the 0.85 version as I use the Noct and the 90mm Summicron ASPH as my main lenses. Using the 35mm summilux is a little bit of a problem as the framelines are hard to see when working at speed, but this is a very small price to pay.
The focussing is extremely accurate and I generally achieve 36 sharp pictures per roll now - with the Eos 1V I used to get about 20-25 on average!
Overall I can see why so many of the world's great photographers chose Leica M's. It takes the photographic process out of the camera computers hands and thrusts it into yours. It makes you think about the pictures.
Strengths: Build quality, compactness, quietness, wonderfully fast lenses, absolutey no shutter lag, the camera oozes quality.
Weaknesses: None except the price - but you do get what you pay for.
Similar Products Used: Hasselblad Xpan
Customer Service: Not had to use it but Leica's passport scheme should make sure that everything is ok.
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