Leica M6 + Leicavit trade in for a MP BP

[RMeier]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hello everyone!
I got a Leica M6 last year. Since I've had the camera I've been thinking about exchanging it for a Leica MP in Black Paint... the MP has always been a dream of mine...  Now I'm thinking about the possibilities of an exchange... 
What do you think, would that be a good trade:
My Leica M6 (with service CLA) including original box and a Leicavit M14008 new in original box for a Leica MP Black Paint.

I'm just trying to weigh up whether an exchange would be an option for me or whether I would have to pay more money. 
Would you do the swap? I associate the MP with a childhood dream.
Many thanks for your opinion

 

Reto

[TomB_tx]

Dreams are seldom logical. You have to decide if you won't be happy with the M6. Happiness often has a price, and only you can decide if it is worth it.

[Anbaric]

Leaving aside the cash value, your difficulty may be in finding anyone who wants to do that specific trade. The Leicavit is a pretty niche device that's only used by a small minority of Leica users, while people who already have the MP may not be interested in swapping to the M6 and (assuming yours is an old model) losing the low-flare finder, brass top plate, fully serviceable meter and retro wind/rewind they have at the moment. Whether you'll be happier is another question. Your pictures won't look any different, unless the idiosyncracies of one camera or the other (RF flare with the M6, slower rewind with the MP, slower film adanced without the Leicavit) cause you to miss a shot. But as above, this is probably an emotional rather than a logical decision.

[Sandokan]

If your M6 has a 0.85x viewfinder it may tempt me but is it a TTL?

[otto.f]

I never liked the M-A and the MP. The plastic thumbgrip on the M4, M6 and M7 is much more convenient and the M3 grip is/was only there a bit comfortable: the metal thumbgrips on the latest film M's are quite sharp, that's not my version of the happiness of a warm gun. I don't like the rewind crank either, the M4 , M6 and M7 type is much more practical and less time-consuming.

With owning Leica M's since 1990 I can say that there are so many little details on Leica M's that can make it or break it that it is risky to focus on one feature, which seems to be the BP here in your dream. After having enjoyed my M4 in the nineties for ~10 years I decided to treat myself with an M6. I sold it not long after because the zinc top-plate killed the pleasure for me, it gave me a feeling of vulnerability compared to the M4.

Edited January 12, 2024 by otto.f

[otto.f]

5 hours ago, Anbaric said:

brass top plate,

I think OP has the zinc top cover, because he has the old version, not the recent re-release.

[Jewl]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I believe from a value standpoint it is quite unrealistic that someone really wants to trade in an MP by an M6! If both were new (2022 M6 Model) then at least from a value perspective it makes sense. But the MP typically is sold way higher (same age) than the M6 (my perception). 

If you really want an MP (if you directly compare it to the M6 from a feature perspective, this is definitely not a logical/rational decision as both are actually quite similar except of minor aesthetic or convenience features such as the advance lever), I'd suggest to sell the M6 and fund the MP with what you made! 

[Mute-on]

Have a look here for an indication of relative retail values for M6, Leicavit and MP. I’d say you would be pretty close on value exchange. 
 

https://www.fotopia.com.hk/#!

[Anbaric]

3 hours ago, otto.f said:

I think OP has the zinc top cover, because he has the old version, not the recent re-release.

Yes, I meant that the current MP owner would 'lose' the brass top plate and other distinctive features of the MP by exchanging for an old M6. Mostly they'd be downgrading, except for the wind/rewind where some of us (as you say above) prefer the 'modern' style. Personally, I'm not bothered by the zinc (unless there's corrosion), but the M6 RF patch does have a tendency to flare out in certain conditions (reduced in the MP) while not all potential M6 Classic and M6-TTL meter faults can be fixed due to a lack of circuit boards (this may change in the future, but replacements are likely to be expensive).

Edited January 12, 2024 by Anbaric