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Black paint on M thinner than usual? Brass already showing.


bhauck

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Hi guys,

 

I have my M only for two months and been handling it very carefully. But: I have already three spots on the body (bottom plate) where the brass is showing and one at the side. I have been handling it like some very fragile piece, so I am wondering. Anyone else the same experience? My M9 was much more durable and it took a very long time, until the first signs of wear appeared. I am wondering if I got a copy with a thinner paint layer than usual.

 

It wouldn't worry me too much, but I plan of selling it, when the successor arrives. Can an M be repainted?

 

Thank you for your advise,

Bernd

Edited by bhauck
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I must be some sort of incorporeal spirit or something...

 

I've used my M virtually every single day for nearly three years now. Never in a case or protection of any sort, never worry about where I put it down or how I handle it, I just treat it like a notebook or some other useful object that works just as well whether it looks good or not. (I don't suggest you should do the same, I'm just explaining how i get most pleasure and utility from it.)

 

And yet, despite all this rough treatment, there are no marks or scratches on either the bodywork or the screen. 

 

Isn't it odd? I don't know why your camera seems so vulnerable when mine seems so tough. My M9 was the same, like yours.

 

And sorry, I can't answer your question about repainting it, because it's never occurred to me to ask, never having had the need.

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I must be some sort of incorporeal spirit or something...

 

I've used my M virtually every single day for nearly three years now. Never in a case or protection of any sort, never worry about where I put it down or how I handle it, I just treat it like a notebook or some other useful object that works just as well whether it looks good or not. (I don't suggest you should do the same, I'm just explaining how i get most pleasure and utility from it.)

 

And yet, despite all this rough treatment, there are no marks or scratches on either the bodywork or the screen. 

 

Isn't it odd? I don't know why your camera seems so vulnerable when mine seems so tough. My M9 was the same, like yours.

 

And sorry, I can't answer your question about repainting it, because it's never occurred to me to ask, never having had the need.

That's because you have very soft hands.

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So far my black M240 has no marks on it, however I have the bottom half of the Leica ERC on it.  Likewise my black M8 and M9 were sold with zero paint wear, but likewise I had half-cases on them throughout the time I owned them.  Personally I wish Leica would make the stock M's in black chrome and leave black paint for the Lenny Kravitz-type editions or at least offer it as an a la carte option for those who find brassing esthetically pleasing and/or a boon to their creativity.

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[...] I wish Leica would make the stock M's in black chrome and leave black paint for the Lenny Kravitz-type editions or at least offer it as an a la carte option for those who find brassing esthetically pleasing and/or a boon to their creativity.

 

+1

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Hi guys,

 

I have my M only for two months and been handling it very carefully. But: I have already three spots on the body (bottom plate) where the brass is showing and one at the side. I have been handling it like some very fragile piece, so I am wondering. Anyone else the same experience? My M9 was much more durable and it took a very long time, until the first signs of wear appeared. I am wondering if I got a copy with a thinner paint layer than usual.

 

It wouldn't worry me too much, but I plan of selling it, when the successor arrives. Can an M be repainted?

 

Thank you for your advise,

Bernd

 

 

If you plan on avoiding brassing to help with resell value, I would advise using one of Leica's cases, for example:

 

http://en.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-M/Accessories/Protector-M

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In the past, Leica would bring out special editions with soft, fast-wearing paint and customers would pay a premium for it.

Nowadays a hard-wearing coating is used, yet I find a user camera will brass disappointingly fast.

Still, chrome will scuff, brass and silver as well. I guess we should accept that these are tools that get used and thus will end up looking, well...used.

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Compared to my MP (the film one), which I have for eight years or so, now (so I have not been using it much, since the last three or four years) my M-P (240)'s paint is quite tender (sorry, don't know if that's the right term to use, here) and is showing quite a bit of brass, by now (after owning and using it intensively since Januar 2015). 

Although I would not like to buy a new camera which shows any brass or has otherwise any tiny marks of having been used (of course would not mind it if I buy second hand) I don't mind my M-P showing brass by now. In fact I like it and see it as a part of building up my personal relationship with this camera. 

In fact I had the thought (probably it's seen from a very rosy point of view), that Leica used this kind of paint because it allows brassing, which many people like, much faster - particular in a time where even a (digital) Leica is not used for half a lifetime, but where users are longing for a new model every three years, or so.

 

I am planning to use my M-P as long as possible and am not planning to sell it - therefore I don't worry. But sure, any marks, scratches or showing brass will lower the resell value. 

I don't see any reason, why it would not be possible to repaint it, but still I don't think it will look like new. 

 

One more point: I don't mind the paint showing brass but still, the smooth black paint of the (film) MP is much more beautiful. If I would ever think about getting my M-P repainted, this would be the reason.

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I think that "tender" is quite a good term for the black M-P. I haven't used mine enough (only a couple of hundred snaps in six months) to tell, but it's just a feeling I have that I might see brass a little sooner on this model than others I've owned. My M8.2 has a nice brass patina on the edge of the top plate and I'll probably sell it soon and I know some potential buyer will complain about the brassing. But then Leica has apparently played to the "brassing is better" crowd with the Lenny Kravitz edition. My black M8 after three years of fairly consistent use never showed a mark or rub spot. Man, that was one tough camera.

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It took me 6 months to get a tiny brass mark above the viewfinder of my M, i don't know how it got there, but it hasn't grown at all.

it was at least a year old before brassing started showing up on the edges of the bottom plate, the shutter button and the top right edge, its very slowly growing, still "spots" and not "stripes" 

 

to be honest, i love the look of the brass peeking through, its my camera, and shows wear from being used.

 

My Canon 1DX are missing much more paint, and i have had them around the same length of time (although they do get used a lot harder)

the matte grey showing on the Canons just looks ugly though

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In fact I had the thought (probably it's seen from a very rosy point of view), that Leica used this kind of paint because it allows brassing, which many people like, much faster - particular in a time where even a (digital) Leica is not used for half a lifetime, but where users are longing for a new model every three years, or so.

 

When I worked in news photography, nobody sought the brassed look. I just happened and we ignored it. At some point in the M4 production Leica switched from the shiny, deep looking black enamel to the dull finish which lasted longer.

 

The first part of a black enamel M to show brass is the film rewind lock/unlock lever. If you find one without any wear there, then it has not been used.

Edited by pico
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I think this is nothing out of the ordinary.

I bought my new M 3 months ago and it started showing brassing after about 1 month. The "Info" button is showing signs of wear and the diopter correction lens looks as if it has been used for 10 years. :)

In other words, I use my camera...

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Hmm, I do not know what to make out of it. I certainly plan on selling my camera in due time, so resell value is important to me. On the other hand I looked very carefully into protective half cases, but I can't decide to go for them. I just like the "naked" M. I think I will cope with it and accept that owning a Leica is an expensive hobby :). I am just a bit dissapointed, because my M9 was much more durable.

 

And I am very envious of Peter H and his very soft hands ;)

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Hi guys,

 

I have my M only for two months and been handling it very carefully. But: I have already three spots on the body (bottom plate) where the brass is showing and one at the side. I have been handling it like some very fragile piece, so I am wondering. Anyone else the same experience? My M9 was much more durable and it took a very long time, until the first signs of wear appeared. I am wondering if I got a copy with a thinner paint layer than usual.

 

It wouldn't worry me too much, but I plan of selling it, when the successor arrives. Can an M be repainted?

 

Thank you for your advise,

Bernd

Doesn't Leitz charge extra for some sort of "Kravitz" version that's been pre worn out? If that's the case, every scratch makes your camera more valuable, right?

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Well, if you become not only successful but really famous, as a photographer or as something else, than you will have good chances to sell a worn out M for a lot of money, I guess. Probably it would'd even have to function anymore. Good luck ;)

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Well, if you become not only successful but really famous, as a photographer or as something else, than you will have good chances to sell a worn out M for a lot of money, I guess. Probably it would'd even have to function anymore. Good luck ;)

Is it the famous guy himself who wears them out? Or perhaps is it that guy who spends an hour or so sanding the "T"?

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