Natural Brassing on Leica M10-R Black Paint : Myth or Reality?

[SnapJimmy]

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Hello fellow members! I've used an M10-R Black Paint for 3 years (about 10,000 shots) and an M6 LHSA Black Paint since 2015 (around 1,000 shots). Despite regular use, both cameras still show no signs of brassing. I previously owned an M9-P for 8 years and an M-D 262 for 4 years—again, significant use with minimal wear.

I typically keep my cameras in leather cases and take good care of them, but I've also noticed that the M10-R’s lacquer seems much thicker than on models like the M6 Millennium or LHSA, which could explain its durability.

From my experience, natural brassing is incredibly slow to develop unless a camera is banged or scratched. Do I simply need to use them much longer, or does “pure” natural brassing really exist? I’d love to hear your experiences and thoughts on how genuine brassing happens over time.

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Edited November 3 by SnapJimmy

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[Quarterpounder]

Your camera is in a case.

What do you mean by "natural" brassing? That. the paint disappears without mechanical impact?

[visoflex]

You really need to be in a war zone, and have the cameras almost permanently around your neck as if wearing male jewellery. 😊

[SnapJimmy]

36 minutes ago, Quarterpounder said:

Your camera is in a case.

What do you mean by "natural" brassing? That. the paint disappears without mechanical impact?

 

Thank you for your reply! Yes, you're correct that my cameras are in cases, but the top plates are entirely exposed, and I haven't seen any wear even there. By “natural brassing,” I mean the kind of brassing that develops over time from regular use—mainly from handling, touching, and everyday contact, rather than from any deliberate abrasion, accidental impacts, mishabdling or the use of harsh methods like sandpaper or chemicals. When you see brassed Leicas online most of them are artificially done.

[SnapJimmy]

44 minutes ago, visoflex said:

You really need to be in a war zone, and have the cameras almost permanently around your neck as if wearing male jewellery. 😊

That’s an interesting point. I’ve noticed that many brassed Leica owners imply their cameras developed this wear naturally, though I suspect that in most cases, the brassing might have been intentionally accelerated or achieved using artificial methods. Of course, everyone has their own approach and preferences, but I’m curious about genuine experiences with natural wear, especially since it seems so slow to develop under normal use.

Thanks for engaging with the topic—I really appreciate the insights!

[Quarterpounder]

I am still not getting the point - do you want your camera to brass, or not to?

[Al Brown]

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My M10-P Reporter brasses naturally. It sees daily use. Depicted here is the extent a camera brassed in 2 years from daily use (see images).
My M10-R Black Paint is much slower to brass naturally. NO M10-R WILL BRASS NATURALLY IN 3 YEARS SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION.

Some people decide to brass their black paint cameras artificially for various reasons - either for aesthetic reasons or to look battle scared. There is a gaslighting army here on this forum that will try to publicly shame you and convince you that if you artificially brass the camera you bought with your own money you are dumb and that it is absolutely shameful and wrong to do such things to YOUR camera because these men do not like it. Just learn to disregard and ignore such self-congratulatory behaviour of their wannabe echo chamber, that pains them the most.
 

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Edited November 3 by Al Brown

[SnapJimmy]

52 minutes ago, Quarterpounder said:

I am still not getting the point - do you want your camera to brass, or not to?

My point is that Leica Black Paint cameras won’t brass if treated thoughtfully, especially considering they are $10,000+ belongings. After all, most people would handle that amount of money with care and wouldn’t just throw it around.

Edited November 3 by SnapJimmy

[SnapJimmy]

45 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

My M10-P Reporter brasses naturally. It sees daily use. Depicted here is the extent a camera brassed in 2 years from daily use (see images).
My M10-R Black Paint is much slower to brass naturally. NO M10-R WILL BRASS NATURALLY IN 3 YEARS SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION.

Some people decide to brass their black paint cameras artificially for various reasons - either for aesthetic reasons or to look battle scared. There is a gaslighting army here on this forum who will try to publicly shame you and convince you that if you artificially brass the camera you bought with your own money you are dumb and that it is absolutely shameful and wrong to do such things to YOUR camera because these men do not like it. Just learn to disregard and ignore such self-congratulatory behaviour of their wannabe echo chamber, that pains them the most.
 

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Thank you for referance photos! You raise a strong point about how Leica Paint cameras age differently, especially when treated with care. The M10-P Reporter’s natural brassing shows the character of daily use, while the M10-R’s thicker lacquer clearly makes that process far slower. It’s true that everyone has their own preferences when it comes to camera aesthetics. Whether one chooses to let brassing happen naturally or speeds it up artificially, it remains a personal decision. At the end of the day, it’s about enjoying your camera and respecting others’ choices, even if opinions differ.

[Quarterpounder]

55 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

 

Hi Al, I would not call is "gaslighting". It is just somewhat "unusual" that a very tiny minority of the world's population lives in so wonderful comfortable circumstances, that they decide to make an object which costs as much as the annual average wage in many countries in the world  look shabby and used, just because "shiny" is not good enough anymore.

I could go one step further and assume that users who have to add patina artificially might probably live rather uneventful, desk-bound lives, as they are not up to any photo-related activities that could lead to natural brassing of their cameras. Does that remind me of the proverbial "spray on mud" for urban SUVs? Maybe. But is it a sad thing - the Excel jockey and his fake-scratched toy.

OP's camera looks nice and shiny and i hope for him that he will be able to enjoy its pristine look for many years.

Edited November 3 by Quarterpounder

[Al Brown]

That is just your opinion. You like your cameras as the Wetzlar creates them, but others do not. Respect that. Surely there is a person out there you are so vividly describing, but from the several users I personally know that have brassed their black paint cameras (me included) your assumptions about Excel desk worms could not be further from the truth.

[SnapJimmy]

15 minutes ago, Quarterpounder said:

Hi Al, I would not call is "gaslighting". It is just somewhat "unusual" that a very tiny minority of the world's population lives in so wonderful comfortable circumstances, that they decide to make an object which costs as much as the annual average wage in many countries in the world  look shabby and used, just because "shiny" is not good enough anymore.

I could go one step further and assume that users who have to add patina artificially might probably live rather uneventful, desk-bound lives, as they are not up to any photo-related activities that could lead to natural brassing of their cameras. Does that remind me of the proverbial "spray on mud" for urban SUVs? Maybe. But is it a sad thing - the Excel jockey and his fake-scratched toy.

OP's camera looks nice and shiny and i hope for him that he will be able to enjoy its pristine look for many years.

Great point—it's true that we are very privileged to even shoot with Leicas, given how costly they are. Thanks for sharing your thoughtful perspective.

[SnapJimmy]

I am jealous of you Al, I wanted to get my hands on M10-P Reporter but I was not fortunate enough when it was released.

Edited November 3 by SnapJimmy

[Quarterpounder]

10 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

That is just your opinion. You like your cameras as the Wetzlar creates them, but others do not. Respect that. Surely there is a person out there you are so vividly describing, but from the several users I personally know that have brassed their black paint cameras (me included) your assumptions about Excel desk worms could not be further from the truth.

Of course it was meant to be exaggerating.

But let's take all this one step further - although the photographer is also subject to natural "brassing", why not also artificially add some "interesting" details such as scars, which make the photographer look more weathered to people wonder what he might have seen in his life?

[SnapJimmy]

I really like this taking one step further thing. I genuinely enjoy your exaggeration. lol Thanks!

[Anbaric]

1 hour ago, Quarterpounder said:

Of course it was meant to be exaggerating.

But let's take all this one step further - although the photographer is also subject to natural "brassing", why not also artificially add some "interesting" details such as scars, which make the photographer look more weathered to people wonder what he might have seen in his life?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dueling_scar

'Sometimes, students who did not fence would scar themselves with razors in imitation, and some would pull apart their healing cuts to exacerbate the scars, although this was generally frowned upon. Others paid doctors to slice their cheeks. [citation needed]'

[Quarterpounder]

If anyone wants to pay me for brassing their Leicas, here i am!

[Al Brown]

No need to fork out any money to contractors, anybody can do it for pennies wearing a true Leicaman™ accessory - Sandpaper Gloves with VariGrit attachments.

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1 hour ago, Quarterpounder said:

to people wonder what he might have seen in his life?

He probably saw the tree approaching when he decide to try his Porsche in Sport Mode for the first time.

The worst thing and at the same time the best thing is to get the first scratch out of the way, then the camera properly becomes a camera because there's now no point in keeping it as an ornament. The only thing to worry about then is banging your forehead on the café table as you bend down to tie your Gucci's.

[Anbaric]

3 hours ago, Al Brown said:

Some people decide to brass their black paint cameras artificially for various reasons - either for aesthetic reasons or to look battle scared. There is a gaslighting army here on this forum that will try to publicly shame you and convince you that if you artificially brass the camera you bought with your own money you are dumb and that it is absolutely shameful and wrong to do such things to YOUR camera because these men do not like it. Just learn to disregard and ignore such self-congratulatory behaviour of their wannabe echo chamber, that pains them the most.

I think a more typical reaction is mild amusement. But Leica know their market. From the the M10-R Black Paint press release:

'With its black paint finish, the new Leica M10-R perfectly embodies the classic Leica look: over  the  years,  glimpses  of  brass  will  gradually  start  to  show  on  the  corners  and  edges – resulting in a unique patina that emphasises the camera’s individual character. This is a camera that not only captures moments in time, but also tells a story of its own.'

The coating on the M10-P Reporter, on the other hand, supposedly 'offers superior resistance to scratches and signs of wear'.