New Info Regarding "No more circuit boards in Wetzlar to repair the M6 Classic"

[R4p70r]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi guys! 

A few months ago I booked the "Leica Weekend at Leitz-Park" and last weekend I spent there for 2 days (from Friday to Saturday), dropped off my M6 Classic at the Leica Customer Care to fix the peeling off leatherette and asked the Leica staff member there about the M6 Classic repairability and MP black chrome. 

I wrote my experience on reddit in a 2-parter post attached with photos: 

Part 1: 2 days at Leitz-Park (more in the comments section) 

Part 2: Continuation: 2 days at Leitz-Park + M6 Classic & MP black chrome info from Leica staff (more in the comments) 

 

Here the excerpt for the relevant part in the part 2 write-up:

Quote

M6 Classic & MP black chrome

There are so many rumours and misinformation (Leica Rumors, l-camera-forum.com & Leica sub-reddit) around the M6 Classic lately and assumptions regarding MP black chrome so I asked all the questions and the Leica Customer Care Service staff member when I dropped off my M6 Classic for fixing the peeling off leatherette.

I wanted to know the answers because I am affected with my M6 Classic and I am also looking for a MP black Chrome for a long time now.Today I received all the information via email (the Leica staff member had to gather them from different departments):

- Zinc rust on the top plate and back panel: There are no original parts as replacements. However Leica produced new top plates for the M6 classic made out of brass.The bigger issue is the back panel. The MP back panel is not compatible with the M6 Classic. There were no further information if Leica will produce new ones like they did with the top plate.

- M6 Classic internal light meter: The MP light meter can’t be implemented in the M6 Classic. Leica is working on a solution! *hooray!*

- Leica MP black chrome: If someone wants a MP black chrome you have to purchase it, send it to Leica Customer Care Service and they will customize the MP however she / he wants it. They couldn’t give me any pricing for the customization.

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by R4p70r

[Al Brown]

24 minutes ago, R4p70r said:

There are so many rumours and misinformation (l-camera-forum.com etc.) around the M6 Classic

What is the vast multitude of rumors and misinformation?  Please do share them here.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[250swb]

2 hours ago, R4p70r said:

Hi guys! 

A few months ago I booked the "Leica Weekend at Leitz-Park" and last weekend I spent there for 2 days (from Friday to Saturday), dropped off my M6 Classic at the Leica Customer Care to fix the peeling off leatherette and asked the Leica staff member there about the M6 Classic repairability and MP black chrome. 

I wrote my experience on reddit in a 2-parter post attached with photos: 

Part 1: 2 days at Leitz-Park (more in the comments section) 

Part 2: Continuation: 2 days at Leitz-Park + M6 Classic & MP black chrome info from Leica staff (more in the comments) 

 

Here the excerpt for the relevant part in the part 2 write-up:

 

TLDR

Is it not possible to just precis this so people don't have to wade through your links, and then if they are interested get into the detail?

[R4p70r]

3 minutes ago, 250swb said:

TLDR

Is it not possible to just precis this so people don't have to wade through your links, and then if they are interested get into the detail?

The details with the relevant information regarding the topic is in the quote box below the two links, as I wrote "Here the excerpt for the relevant part in the part 2 write-up:". 

[R4p70r]

1 hour ago, Al Brown said:

What is the vast multitude of rumors and misinformation?  Please do share them here.

It doesn't mean I accuse you of any wrong-doing or that your are wrong in any way with your post "No more circuit boards in Wetzlar to repair the M6 Classic".

Sorry, if you interpreted it in that way and think that I am arrogant or patronizing. 

What I meant with "There are so many rumours and misinformation (Leica Rumors, l-camera-forum.com & Leica sub-reddit) around the M6 Classic lately [...]" was there is a collection of different assumptions made on the forums/websites. One website/forum cite another website/forum, which is cited again etc. The readers take those stated assumptions as facts.  See some of those comments in the Leica sub-reddit. This is not an accusation: Even some reddit veterans who are quite knowledgable about Leica stuff in that sub-reddit had only assumptions about the M6 repairability and people take them as real. At least now we got the real facts directly from Leica. 

 

 

[Al Brown]

16 minutes ago, R4p70r said:

It doesn't mean I accuse you of any wrong-doing or that your are wrong in any way with your post "No more circuit boards in Wetzlar to repair the M6 Classic".

Sorry, if you interpreted it in that way and think that I am arrogant or patronizing. 

What I meant with "There are so many rumours and misinformation (Leica Rumors, l-camera-forum.com & Leica sub-reddit) around the M6 Classic lately [...]" was there is a collection of different assumptions made on the forums/websites. One website/forum cite another website/forum, which is cited again etc. The readers take those stated assumptions as facts.  See some of those comments in the Leica sub-reddit. This is not an accusation: Even some reddit veterans who are quite knowledgable about Leica stuff in that sub-reddit had only assumptions about the M6 repairability and people take them as real. At least now we got the real facts directly from Leica. 

 

 

But what are all the misinformation and assumptions?

[Anbaric]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

42 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

But what are all the misinformation and assumptions?

The main false assumption/claim was that the MP board would work in the M6 Classic. Leica are now confirming what DAG correctly stated earlier this year - the stock of M6 main boards has now run out and the MP board can't be substituted.

Interesting that Leica are working on a solution! I wonder if they'll re-engineer the M6 board with modern components, as Alan Starkie was intending to do, or if they'll make a board that really is compatible with both the M6 and the MP?

This seems to leave open the question of whether there will also be a solution for the M6-TTL.

[Al Brown]

20 minutes ago, Anbaric said:

The main false assumption/claim was that the MP board would work in the M6 Classic.

Did this claim come from this forum?

[Anbaric]

42 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

Did this claim come from this forum?

That sounds like a rhetorical question. It has certainly been discussed here. One source I've previously referenced was a claim on another forum that Sherry Krauter was fitting MP boards to the M6. I now think this was a misconception, and that she was probably fitting the later version of the M6 Classic board to all versions of the Classic. But I suspect this is not the only source of the rumour.

[Al Brown]

8 hours ago, Anbaric said:

That sounds like a rhetorical question.

Not at all rhetorical. The OP claims that there are "so many misinformation" on this forum and since I started the thread mentioned in the title (correctly quoting several sources including DAG and checking with my sources a tLeica) I just wanted to hear them.
 

[intangiblethings]

Here’s what OP means when he refers to rumors (not necessarily on this exact board but in general).

 

[Al Brown]

8 minutes ago, intangiblethings said:

Here’s what OP means when he refers to rumors (not necessarily on this exact board but in general).

 

But this is not a rumor, it is a hard fact confirmed to me by Leica.
I rather think the whole fuss is about *someone* *somewhere* spreading Chinese whispers regarding MP parts being interchangeable with M6 Classic.

[Anbaric]

Much more interesting than these (now corrected) rumours are the claims here that Leica already have brass top plates for the M6, and are working on a replacement for the unavailable circuit board. Though confirmation of the prices they are likely to charge for providing or replacing these parts may make them rather less interesting...

[Helge]

vor 20 Minuten schrieb Anbaric:

Much more interesting than these (now corrected) rumours are the claims here that Leica already have brass top plates for the M6, and are working on a replacement for the unavailable circuit board. Though confirmation of the prices they are likely to charge for providing or replacing these parts may make them rather less interesting...

Yes, they won’t give the boards away for a bargain; development, production, replacement and programming will cost a lot (considering the very low volume), same for the top plates (except programming 😉)

[Matlock]

43 minutes ago, Helge said:

Yes, they won’t give the boards away for a bargain; development, production, replacement and programming will cost a lot (considering the very low volume), same for the top plates (except programming 😉)

And that is the point. Very Low Volume. It spite of the doom and gloom posts we often find on this forum (and others), the failure rate of M6 electrics is very low.

[Capuccino-Muffin]

Even the early MP board and door are incompatible with the rest of MP cameras, as they were in fact M6 parts.

[Anbaric]

On 7/4/2022 at 1:53 PM, Al Brown said:

I rather think the whole fuss is about *someone* *somewhere* spreading Chinese whispers regarding MP parts being interchangeable with M6 Classic.

There is of course one piece of misinformation that appears to be unique to this forum, which is more or less the reverse of the usual rumour. How an M6 circuit board could be expected to light up a couple of extra LEDs that it was not designed to drive has never been explained, nor will it be this time:

38 minutes ago, Capuccino-Muffin said:

Even the early MP board and door are incompatible with the rest of MP cameras, as they were in fact M6 parts.

 

[Leica001]

New evidence that confirms Black Chrome MP, Silver Chrome MP and Titanium MP. Found this on their site yesterday. 

 

[Homer Dulu]

On 7/3/2022 at 11:02 AM, R4p70r said:

- Zinc rust on the top plate and back panel: There are no original parts as replacements. However Leica produced new top plates for the M6 classic made out of brass.The bigger issue is the back panel. The MP back panel is not compatible with the M6 Classic. There were no further information if Leica will produce new ones like they did with the top plate.

- M6 Classic internal light meter: The MP light meter can’t be implemented in the M6 Classic. Leica is working on a solution! *hooray!*

Wow, looks like both have come to pass - brass replacement top plate (I assume it'll be the one with the new M6) and light meter replacements for older M6s!

Edited October 30, 2022 by Homer Dulu

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Huss]

 M6 Classic internal light meter: The MP light meter can’t be implemented in the M6 Classic. Leica is working on a solution! *hooray!*

The solution will be available on November 2nd.  It is called the new M6.