Would you buy a m60 in 2024?

[Olaf_ZG]

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For current prices you could also buy a new m11d plus 35mm. But, esthetics are really different. Would you buy the m60 set if you had the spare cash?

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[benqui]

Sorry to say, but yes! To me it is one of the most craziest M cameras ever! Really a beauty and the first digital Leica camera without a screen. What a great idea! The only thing is that you pay a lot of money for a digital camera where you do not know how long it can be repaired.

[Olaf_ZG]

10 minutes ago, benqui said:

Sorry to say, but yes! To me it is one of the most craziest M cameras ever! Really a beauty and the first digital Leica camera without a screen. What a great idea! The only thing is that you pay a lot of money for a digital camera where you do not know how long it can be repaired.

The same one has with any older M. But then, the risk is real, but I guess it is not huge…

[NigelG]

Having had 2 Edition 60 Ms (recently sold one body through Ivor at Red Dot to a forum member and kept a prototype edition) I would say yes - as long as you're happy using a "naked" M body. 

B/O examples are much cheaper (and I prefer 50 Lux/28Lux shooting (though I have the 35Lux to hand).

I don't have the s/steel "thumbs-up" that was originally available from Match Technical and I emailed Tim Isaac to source one but there were no more available.

I think they might improve handling but a Gordy long handstrap secured to the tripod mount works as well.

The original case has too short a strap for cross-body use...and is thus nicely made but ultimately a bit annoying. Very much a "case" of a non-M-photographer signing-off a design.

(FYI I sold a mint screenless black paint M-D 262 to buy my first M60 as I couldn't bear to get the black paint chipped - so I'm very much an outlier to the "Patina is Everything"/"Black Paint fetish/"A true Leica-ist uses a black paint body as it shows how much I've shot to the world"...so feel free to ignore my heretical thoughts 😉).

 

 

[darylgo]

Buy it, enjoy it, sell it when you don't want it any longer.....it will be a good experience.    

[setuporg]

The Edition 60 is what got me into Leica.  Could not afford it at launch, eyed M-D in store, not the same.  My first Leica was the M10 at launch. I was able to secure one of the last M60’s in 2018, and got a Luigi half case and then ordered a full case from him as well.  I’ve also found an amazing wrist strap that goes perfectly with it.  I have it almost always with the original Steelilux with its ventilated shade.  I also got a titanium 50/2 APO and a Konica Hexar Limited 50/1.2 that look and balance nicely.  After a short stint with M11D that failed I am back with the Edition 60.  I plan to shoot it forever.  There’s nothing like it.

Edited November 28, 2024 by setuporg

[pippy]

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As much as I totally embrace the concept with both hands (I use an M-D Typ-262) my decision back when I had the opportunity to buy an M-60 with the 'Steelilux' was - and remains to this day - 'No' due to (as I believe I've mentioned once or twice before...😸...) the lack of strap-lugs.

As Nigel says in post #4;

1 hour ago, NigelG said:

...Very much a "case" of a non-M-photographer signing-off a design...

 

Philip.

[jakontil]

Looks amazing, love the M60.. i had one but not sure if i would get back to it.. hard to pair with any colored lens except titanium which came closest imho.. 

[setuporg]

Having no strap lugs is amazing for a wrist strap.

[roydonian]

13 hours ago, NigelG said:

The original case has too short a strap for cross-body use...and is thus nicely made but ultimately a bit annoying. Very much a "case" of a non-M-photographer signing-off a design.

As the current owner of what was once your camera, I totally agree - that case strap is much too short. I normally carry my camera with the strap positioned cross-body, but in Venice a few weeks ago found that after four or five days the basic around-the-neck position was creating significant pain at the back of my my near-82-year-old neck. So for the rest of my holiday I ended up carrying the camera in my Billingham, and getting it out whenever it was needed, then stowing it away again. This tactic had an unfortunate result - within days the camera lost its accessory show cover. which as you know was always a disgracefully sloppy fit. Leica Mayfair has ordered a replacement for me, and once it arrives I'll have to devise a better way of keeping it safely in place. I'll also get Luigi Crescenzi to make me a case with a longer strap.

 

 

[pippy]

5 hours ago, setuporg said:

Having no strap lugs is amazing for a wrist strap.

"Having no strap lugs one is forced to use a wrist strap" would be closer to the truth......😸......

Actually I quite often use a wrist-strap with my M-D; it gets attached to one of the strap lugs. Much more convenient than having to screw it into the tripod bush...

🙂

Philip.

[pippy]

9 minutes ago, roydonian said:

...within days the camera lost its accessory show cover. which as you know was always a disgracefully sloppy fit. Leica Mayfair has ordered a replacement for me, and once it arrives I'll have to devise a better way of keeping it safely in place...

This might sound awfully low-tech but placing a small roll of blu-tack between the shoe and the cover would work a treat.

Philip.

[NigelG]

24 minutes ago, roydonian said:

As the current owner of what was once your camera, I totally agree - that case strap is much too short. I normally carry my camera with the strap positioned cross-body, but in Venice a few weeks ago found that after four or five days the basic around-the-neck position was creating significant pain at the back of my my near-82-year-old neck. So for the rest of my holiday I ended up carrying the camera in my Billingham, and getting it out whenever it was needed, then stowing it away again. This tactic had an unfortunate result - within days the camera lost its accessory show cover. which as you know was always a disgracefully sloppy fit. Leica Mayfair has ordered a replacement for me, and once it arrives I'll have to devise a better way of keeping it safely in place. I'll also get Luigi Crescenzi to make me a case with a longer strap.

 

 

From memory Luigi had some black cases for the Edition 60 with longer straps. I didn’t buy one as I didn’t like the “bump” and really wanted him/someone to make a case to match the original shape but with a longer strap.

I have seen a copy where the owner had the strap cut a couple of inches from the case and split rings sewn into the refashioned ends by a strap-maker to the allow a custom length strap

[roydonian]

2 hours ago, pippy said:

placing a small roll of blu-tack between the shoe and the cover would work a treat

I hate to think what the long-term effect of blu-tack would be on the accessory shoe's electrical contacts. It may be OK for short-term purposes, but it deteriorates with age. I've had a few blu-tack related problems as I clear out my late wife's home office.

[jgeenen]

A single layer of adhesive tape (e.g. duck tape) taped to the underside of the cover works as well. It just makes the profile of the cover slightly thicker which increases the grip more than enough (I do not own the M60 but it is a similar issue with all modern M cameras where the spring tension is too weak and the spring material not „springy“ enough). 

[pippy]

21 minutes ago, roydonian said:

I hate to think what the long-term effect of blu-tack would be on the accessory shoe's electrical contacts.

Might there be sufficient space at the edges of the shoe / cover where no contacts would be affected?

Philip.

[roydonian]

51 minutes ago, jgeenen said:

A single layer of adhesive tape (e.g. duck tape) taped to the underside of the cover works as well. It just makes the profile of the cover slightly thicker which increases the grip more than enough

I'd done something similar, but using a small patch made of surgical tape. It seemed to work OK, but cover and camera parted company about six weeks later without my noticing.

Edited November 29, 2024 by roydonian

[Olaf_ZG]

Thanks for all your feedback. Though the camera looks tempting, it might not be wise to use 15k€ to buy it. At the other hand, 15k in the bank will also devaluate, but for sure I wouldn’t enjoy that as much as a camera…

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[Olaf_ZG]

@roydonianI usually carry my camera over my shoulder, not cross body. I guess this is doable with the original case?

[roydonian]

My aged shoulders would probably make it easy for the strap and camera to slip off. Also it might make the camera an easy target for a bag snatcher. So my camera bag and camera are usually carried with the strap across my body.