Is my M6 TTL about to break down?

[Olivion]

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Hi all,

I just bought an M6 TTL in near mind/almost unused condition. The camera looks and works perfectly. Now after reading a bit more in this forums, I'm under the impression that any TTL might break down any moment. Is that really the case or are they more durable than it may seem?

Is there anything that I can do to prevent it from breaking? Would putting Silica Gel into the box help, or are there any other counter metrics?

Thanks,
Olivion

[jaapv]

The M6 TTL is quite robust and the forum electronics problem is mainly with the M6 classic, older versions. And the Internet is a microscope for problems. Just enjoy the camera.

[Matlock]

As jaapv says enjoy your camera, I have used mine for 18 years with absolutely no problems. These forums are full of "prophets of doom" and Leica knockers.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Matlock

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm not sure if it was written on any forums. M6 TTL is just like any normally made camera.

Here is what is written about M6 TTL.

But it doesn't mean it could break at any moment. 

[Mark II]

Just go out and shoot.

At the end of the day, every camera will eventually break down. It is the pictures that you get that that will  matter - not the camera.

[otto.f]

What is this thing that people report here quite regularly: sudden anxiety coming up just after the purchase of a Leica, or worries about whatever might happen. Is this a rebound of the higher prices for Leica than for other brands, the “OMG what did I do” effect?

[spydrxx]

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No, social media and forums keep the topics alive, so newbies become obsessive thinking perhaps they made a mistake in their judgement to make the purchase. The phenomenon manifests itself in a variety of ways, not just Leica.

[james.liam]

2 minutes ago, spydrxx said:

No, social media and forums keep the topics alive, so newbies become obsessive thinking perhaps they made a mistake in their judgement to make the purchase. The phenomenon manifests itself in a variety of ways, not just Leica.

Perhaps, but then again they are justified in asking whether to shell out almost US$2000 for a 25+ year-old camera and have now heard the mother boards can't be replaced. 

[Mute-on]

5 minutes ago, james.liam said:

Perhaps, but then again they are justified in asking whether to shell out almost US$2000 for a 25+ year-old camera and have now heard the mother boards can't be replaced. 

Precisely. 

To do otherwise is simply foolhardy. 

[Herr Barnack]

M cameras and lenses are very sturdy and reliable.  Using them for what they were built and intended for (making photographs, not driving in railroad track spikes) will not hurt them. 

About every 8-10 years, send your M6 TTL off to Sherry Krauter, Don Goldberg, Youxin Ye or Wetzlar for a CLA/overhaul and it will be good for another 8-10 years, or until there are no more parts available, which ever comes first.

Don't drop it, don't drown it, don't bake it to death in a hot car in the summer and don't try to fix it yourself.  Other than that, shoot the hell out of it and enjoy it.  If an M camera can survive Garry Winogrand, I think the M cameras that any of the rest of us use are safe:  https://www.cameraquest.com/LeicaM4G.htm

 

[otto.f]

4 hours ago, spydrxx said:

No, social media and forums keep the topics alive, so newbies become obsessive thinking perhaps they made a mistake in their judgement to make the purchase. The phenomenon manifests itself in a variety of ways, not just Leica.

 

4 hours ago, james.liam said:

Perhaps, but then again they are justified in asking whether to shell out almost US$2000 for a 25+ year-old camera and have now heard the mother boards can't be replaced. 

Well, buying via Internet and not from a Leica store might also contribute to a little unrest. 

[AndreasG]

vor einer Stunde schrieb otto.f:

Well, buying via Internet and not from a Leica store might also contribute to a little unrest. 

Why should a Leica Store be in a better position to provide a forecast about the remaining life time of a mother board?

[otto.f]

Mine is, I can tell you that. A Leica store with long experience as a dealer can smell the winds from Wetzlar.

[james.liam]

8 hours ago, AndreasG said:

Why should a Leica Store be in a better position to provide a forecast about the remaining life time of a mother board?

Exactly. Bought a used R9 from a Leica store and the mode selector dial stopped working 2 weeks later. Devices die when they choose to. 

[250swb]

On 10/3/2019 at 9:48 PM, otto.f said:

What is this thing that people report here quite regularly: sudden anxiety coming up just after the purchase of a Leica, or worries about whatever might happen. Is this a rebound of the higher prices for Leica than for other brands, the “OMG what did I do” effect?

It could be about prices, but with a second hand Leica the price is largely factored out unless it's a collectors camera, you pay for the machine and not the logo. But it's the common knee jerk response from Leica forums that says 'you need a CLA' in any situation the responder hasn't any experience in or understands, so making themselves appear sages of Leica lore. This builds into Leica anxiety and paranoia, and why not, the implication is you've just bought a camera and a 'shadow' expert has just told you to spend even more money but on the basis they often know nothing and it's just something to say to appear like someone with common sense beyond the norm. So similarly somebody hears of a problem with an M6 meter, but they don't compartmentalise, rationalise it, or look at it statistically, they just blurt out to everybody else there's a problem with M6 meters. I think it's kind of a mean thing to do.

Edited October 4, 2019 by 250swb

[otto.f]

Perhaps it would be a good idea to add to the FAQ a section FSR, where Frequently Spread Rumours about Leica can be debunked or brought back to realistic proportions