Black or silver – and does it matter

[pico]

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I love silver. Silver is retro. Silver gets oohs and aahs and puts people at ease. Silver is a fashion statement. Silver is a conversation starter, makes people almost beg you to take their picture.

 

How very strange. Tell us more about your social circles.

.

[coup de foudre]

How very strange. Tell us more about your social circles.

.

 

Alas, it's when I'm in La La Land and it it annoys me to no end!

 

But then, there, I also get oohs and aahs over my strap, so go figure... Guess Silver is like botox 

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[Steve Ricoh]

The science would direct you to silver (black body radiation), but what the hell.

 

As I understand it the black version is black chrome, so no brassing (?), what a shame. Nothing looks better than when the brass substrate shows on the edges, the wear points. I can't wait for my M240 to show its colours, as it were.

[pico]

 

As I understand it the black version is black chrome, so no brassing (?)

 

I am not sure, Steve. If one buffs black chrome down, it might reveal brass. I think that is true of the M7. Awe, heck, I have a sacrificial M7. I will try it and get back to you.

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Edited January 26, 2017 by pico

[Glasauge]

Silver means: Kitsch (retro)

Black means: spießig (no fun)

 

so it's up to you

[colint544]

I know it's not everyone's taste, but I really think that a good old-school chrome lens on a black body is the business. 

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[enboe]

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Silver for the M10, Black for the M10-Monochrom, that way you can keep them straight.

 

Eric

 

P.S.  M10 Safari for Ektachrome when it is reintroduced this fall.

[JonPB]

It seems that black cameras look alike. I'm not talking about on the street but in my home. If I wanted to sneak a new camera onto my gear shelf, it'd be safer to go with black.

 

Cheers,

Jon

[Vern Dewit]

It seems that black cameras look alike. I'm not talking about on the street but in my home. If I wanted to sneak a new camera onto my gear shelf, it'd be safer to go with black.

 

Cheers,

Jon

 

Unless you're me and you decide on the bright red leather case for it!!

[uhoh7]

Does anyone have an image of a chrome that's gotten better with age?

That is what's weird, why black chrome? Since they are both chrome, I'd consider silver seriously, but further I wonder, why use brass at all if it's never going to age properly:

 

DSC09786 by unoh7, 3 years of wear.

 

Why not just use 262 top plate material, and loose a few grams?

 

They look great brand new, that's for sure

Edited January 26, 2017 by uhoh7

[steamboat]

Black lenses look good on black cameras.

Black lenses look good on silver.

Silver lenses look great on silver cameras.

Silver lenses on black cameras? Meh. It's an acquired taste.

 

Mentioned above - good point. If you shoot with two cameras a black one and a silver one will make it easier to keep track of different lenses, or MM for one and color the other.

[digitalfx]

I prefer black...with a black dot.

[adan]

The black/stealth - chrome/obvious theory was not borne out by my 10-year experience carrying both chrome and black M8s, or steel-gray or black M9s. Both got noticed and commented on equally. If anything, the silver(ish) cameras got me marked down as "some old geezer still using film," and thus more "harmless."

 

When I got the first M8, I ordered "whatever color is available soonest." Got silver, eventually got black as well.

 

When I got the M9s, I ordered black since steel-gray just seemed - weird. And as I recall, came only with the M8-style sharkskin covering, which I didn't like especially.

 

This time I chose silver chrome, because it shows less wear than black paint or black chrome, and I don't see anything useful in lowering trade-in value to no purpose.

[Paulus]

I love silver. Silver is retro. 

 

If one behaves I'm so glad I am retro now. It took me wearing chrome cameras from 1998 until now, but now I'm retro...  If you stay " normal " long enough, you'll end up retro in the end.

[Peter H]

The mythical Hasselblad X1D is silver and the more expensive premium edition that people drool over is black.

 

The less mythical but more popular Fuji X-T2 is black and the more expensive premium edition that people drool over is silver.

 

Leica offer a straight choice. Are they being deliberately awkward?

[coup de foudre]

If one behaves I'm so glad I am retro now. It took me wearing chrome cameras from 1998 until now, but now I'm retro...  If you stay " normal " long enough, you'll end up retro in the end.

 

I will never be normal -- I have red hair that goes halfway down my back. Alas, my face is pretty retro.

 

As for black vs chrome, my order was put in for black for me (long distance) because I always get black. I actually told him I'd like to look at both before I make my final decision because I already have three black cams I still use and shoot with -- the M8, M9, and original Monochrom*.

 

I have a combination of black and silver lenses (usually my older ones) and have never given a fig about what it looks like -- what matters is the lens! The only time I think it was ever commented on was a couple of Photokinas ago, when a Fuji exec was grinning ear to ear when he saw me with my v.1 35mm silver Summicron on the black M8.

 

Aesthetics aside, black does get awfully hot in the sun but Chrome is less likely to get knocked over mistakenly in a bar... The biggie to me is reflections, be it mirrors or windows, etc. Black disappears whereas silver can catch light and reflect.

 

 

* My M2 is chrome

[}{B]

When I ordered my black M10 I first had a look at a silver M240 to see if I liked that colour better. To my eye the modern silver finish is nowhere near as nice as on older film Ms. My silver 70th anniversary M4P is gorgeous and had the M10 silver finish been the same I would have chosen that.

 

I like silver lenses on black bodies and black chrome resists wear well my only reservation concerning the M10 is the lack of the plastic inserts to stop the strap rubbing against the body of the camera.

[marcg]

Silver chrome is a classic look. People will assume that you're using some old film camera you picked up at a charity shop for £5. Goes best with vintage clothes (which you can get from a charity shop) and hanging out at 'hipster' places. Thieves won't even think of bothering you for your worthless junk camera and you can save money on insurance.

 

Black is 'stealthy' and makes you completely invisible to potential targets/subjects on the street, as long as you tape over the red dot that is. Black is 'professional' but you really need to wear at least two black cameras at a time otherwise it just looks like you're trying to look professional. But black cameras are harder to find in dark places - easier to leave it behind on the table of the jazz club especially after a few bourbons.

 

It's a tough choice, I'm just glad I don't have to make it!

 

 

In favor of silver:

- The silver chrome brasses less visibly than black, as damaged black chrome has the tendency to show up as silver, and silver chrome just reveals more silver metal underneath. Personally I find the silver chrome very difficult to visibly wear.

- The demand for silver bodies seems to be lower, so getting one sooner seems more plausible. The demand on m10 bodies right now seems to be high.

- Personally I think silver bodies look good with both silver and black lenses, but black bodies look odd with silver lenses. This is an opinion though, of course. You may find yourself being able to get a good deal on a silver lens from zeiss, leica, or voigtlander, and that choice becomes easier with a silver body (in my opinion).

 

In favor of black:

- More understated design (some call it stealthier)

- Camera will show up less when shooting through windows or reflective material.

 

 

Black cameras are for stealthy people who hide in the shadows. Like Ninjas. I think Ninjas would use a black M10 for sure.

 

Are you a Ninja?

 

Hope this helps....

 

Gordon

 

 

The black/stealth - chrome/obvious theory was not borne out by my 10-year experience carrying both chrome and black M8s, or steel-gray or black M9s. Both got noticed and commented on equally. If anything, the silver(ish) cameras got me marked down as "some old geezer still using film," and thus more "harmless."

 

When I got the first M8, I ordered "whatever color is available soonest." Got silver, eventually got black as well.

 

When I got the M9s, I ordered black since steel-gray just seemed - weird. And as I recall, came only with the M8-style sharkskin covering, which I didn't like especially.

 

This time I chose silver chrome, because it shows less wear than black paint or black chrome, and I don't see anything useful in lowering trade-in value to no purpose.

 

If you want "stealth", then why settle for anything less than fully stealthy?

 

You guys are just shilly-shallying with this.  Stop trying to be style icons. 

 

Go the whole hog - the full monty.

 

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[marcg]

Just don't put it down in the woods.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[bilbrown]

Alas, it's when I'm in La La Land and it it annoys me to no end!

 

But then, there, I also get oohs and aahs over my strap, so go figure... Guess Silver is like botox 

 

 

 

I am also in LA LA land and got a Silver Chrome M10... but I got it to match my only other Chrome M, my M7.

 

All the rest of my M's (M8, MM, M240, M246 - even Q and SL) are black as sin.

 

 

 

I have noticed people actually have been asking about the camera A LOT more. Not certain that is a good thing, but its OK.