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


bhauck

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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.

whats the difference between black paint and the chrome

 

I'm aware the black paint will go brassing as a sign of wear, what will the black chrome look like for signs of wear?

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Personally I rather dislike the silvering on the edges of black chrome cameras, nor the general greying in use. The only long-term finish is silver chrome imo, however, that can scuff which I don't like either. I think the only option is to encase the camera in a solid block of Acrylic plastic...

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Yeah... And I'm going through a phase where I wish I had bought a silver M-P rather than black... it looks particularly stunning in silver with a Rally Volpe Arte Di Mano case... VERY retro... very classic looking.

 

My black M-P is beginning to brass very gently on the bottom plate and there are a couple of 'dings' showing brass on the top plate (no idea how they got there...).

 

I think I'm going to let this 240 really brass up and not worry about it. Looking at used prices I have already lost nearly a couple of grand in the past nine months so rather than trade it in for a new M whenever that materialises, I'm going to keep this body for a long time and buy a silver Monochrom when the Monochrome version of the NEXT M comes out in two or three years time...

 

(That's the plan anyway... ;) )

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I will add my 2 cents here... my M240 was pristine for the past 8 months and I thought paint was better than M9 but after I came back from a backpacking trip where I carried the camera (either hanging outside or in the backpack inside some stuff sack), I can see left rounded top edge showing brass. It must have rubbed against something while I hiked. I went through all five stages of grieving in one day and now it looks beautiful to me. :) I can't compare it with M9 since I never used it that way. I don't know whether the paint is thin but I guess the brassing depends on how one stores it and how one uses it. 

 

After I passed the acceptance stage of my grieving, I reconciled to the following:

- I have never babied my cameras (or any gadget for that matter) and never will. If they are not rugged enough then they are not for me.

- Worrying about resale value in digital camera body is a waste (even more so in Leica land). We should accept this fact before buying any Leica digital body. It is expensive and face it.

- Yes, my Sony Nex-6 looks exactly like it was after an year with similar use but I don't think I would like similar finish (and for that matter latest Canikon's) on Leica M. Part of the appeal of M is that it looks good. Brassed or not.

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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.

 

 

Dodgy Paint job ...... unless you are more clumsy that you imagine ....

 

Complain to Leica ..... a replacement bottom plate is not going to cost them and an arm and a leg and will keep the customer happy. 

 

You have a years warranty ..... and if in the UK a passport insuring you against accidental damage as well......

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Why not put a black bottom plate on a silver camera or a silver base plate on a black camera and then you can complain which ever turns out worse. If you feel your camera's paint job is too thin by all means complain and send it back.

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This thread makes me feel better - I just bought my first Leica - a typ 240 supposedly 'very low usage' and while the camera is basically out-of-the-box type spotless all over, there's a tiny spot of brass on front of the ring around the shutter by power switch.  Was thinking I got conned and it must have been turned on and off at least 10,000 times.  Guess not! :)

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Well, mine is getting more Kravitzed by the day. I guess I should be proud and happy in true Leica show-off tradition, but in fact i am going to have the top and bottom replaced by bright Chrome...

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This thread makes me feel better - I just bought my first Leica - a typ 240 supposedly 'very low usage' and while the camera is basically out-of-the-box type spotless all over, there's a tiny spot of brass on front of the ring around the shutter by power switch.  Was thinking I got conned and it must have been turned on and off at least 10,000 times.  Guess not! :)

Highlight mine...

 

It is actually mystery to me. I bought my camera new and I am not in the habit of switching camera off. It just goes to sleep. It means I don't keep flicking the switch off and on. Even then I also have tiny spot of brass on the power switch after one plus year of use. I guess the pointy nature of the surface makes the paint go away faster....

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Well, mine is getting more Kravitzed by the day. I guess I should be proud and happy in true Leica show-off tradition, but in fact i am going to have the top and bottom replaced by bright Chrome...

Is that an option? How much does it cost. Can I ask?

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Formally it is not an option but a repair. I have not asked for the price, but I assume it will not be cheap.

 

If you want to change the type, i.e. do the 240 in M-P style, that option is not available (yet).

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Some people moan that their black camera isn't brassing. Some moan that it is. Chrome owners moan that their camera isn't black. It's all very confusing. 

 

How about a thread on dents? Anyone like them?

 

Tools get used. Signs of use are inevitable. Cosmetics can be repaired by Leica just like any other worn part. It just costs money.

 

Personally as long as my camera work ok the rest is pretty superfluous. And test the black paint on my M cameras does wear - paint simply isn't that hard even two pack.

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How about a thread on dents? Anyone like them?.

When I was an urban city daily news photographer we usually carried three cameras at a time so they always banged against each other. Lots of dents. No problem.

 

If I were doing the same today I would carry one camera with a big fast zoom. Little likelihood of the same dents.

 

BTW, back in the day there were no acceptable zooms. Nikon came out with a 43-86mm zoom which was just terrible.

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