M6 re-issue advice for a novice

[tony740607]

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A week ago I started a post regarding what 50mm vintage lens I should get for a M10M I was planning to buy (as a B&W complement to my Q).
A week later I have ordered a re-issue of the M6 and the 35mm steel rim. I anyway wanted to buy an M6 in 2-3 years but after having the M10M. So now I have a bit of upskilling to do 🙂 and I would appreciate your advice about some questions of mine and other advice of course (I was shooting film (non-Leica) but that was 20 years ago). 

- Why is there no rear screen? (just kidding)
- I want mainly to shoot B&W film and HP5 is the most recommended one. Any other recommendations and comments about B&W film?
- What colour film would you recommend?
- Anyone having experience with the steel rim on a film camera? (I have seen everything on YT about this lens :-)).

My type of picture taking is various. I mostly photograph when on business trips in cities or in my own city of Gothenburg, Sweden. The Pride parade will take place here in couple of weeks so for that I might go for one roll of B&W and one colour.

Thanks!

[Carlos cruz]

I was and still am in trix camp, I like kodak grain better, and I find trix to better cope with pushed development.

As to colour films I mainly use kodak movie stock, since you can’t find slides anymore and portra prices are ready to enter housing market . 
 

[Sandokan]

Hej Tony. How much rangefinder experience do you have? shooting stationary objects with a RF takes a little training but moving objects is less easy. I pre-focus on a spot and let the subject get to that plane and let depth of field take care for a little leeway, which you dont have on digital. 

You will remember that faster films have more grain and are less sharp than slower films. I am a fan of Agfa films as well as Ilford Delta and Kodak slide film such as Ektachrom. Just try several different types at the parade. 

Here are some YT resources who have interesting reviews of films and developers (which also has a big impact to your final image). 

https://www.youtube.com/@TheNakedPhotographer

https://www.youtube.com/@AndrewGoodCamera

 

[lexffm]

Hi Tony, it‘s me again. I can recommended also the Ilford FP4+ (ISO 125). The Kodak Tmax 100 und also the Tmax 400 are great. Also I try the Kodak Double X. It is similar to the Kodak Tri-X. In color also Kodak Extar or Kodak Porta‘s with the half of the recommended ISO settings for example 400@200.

[LocalHero1953]

Choice of film is such a personal thing, depending on grain, acutance, contrast, price and, for colour, saturation etc.

In recent years I have tried HP5, Delta 400 and Tri X, but I now have a bulk roll of Double X to work through. In 4x5 I have just HP5.

For colour I have been trying Portra 160, 400 and 800 but find I prefer Portra 160 for 35mm, especially in summer months. For 4x5 I use Portra 400 (easier to shoot at small apertures) and I also have some Provia 100F, because the transparencies look so gorgeous.

[250swb]

I like fine grain films so for general use  FP4, and Delta 100 but for a faster film I'd use Delta 400. I think if you are getting back into film stick to a fast and a slow and get a feel for them and the developer you use, but have fun.

[tony740607]

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6 hours ago, Sandokan said:

Hej Tony. How much rangefinder experience do you have? shooting stationary objects with a RF takes a little training but moving objects is less easy. I pre-focus on a spot and let the subject get to that plane and let depth of field take care for a little leeway, which you dont have on digital. 

You will remember that faster films have more grain and are less sharp than slower films. I am a fan of Agfa films as well as Ilford Delta and Kodak slide film such as Ektachrom. Just try several different types at the parade. 

Here are some YT resources who have interesting reviews of films and developers (which also has a big impact to your final image). 

https://www.youtube.com/@TheNakedPhotographer

https://www.youtube.com/@AndrewGoodCamera

 

Hi, I have quite much experience from rangefinder. Mainly from M9, M240 and M246 for several years. I also use pre-focus quite often on a spot. I know when I have been shooting a lot I will get more skilled and could follow an object better but then I was off photographing again for a month or two and then it was difficult  again. I have seen several videos about zone focusing and I think this is something that I will try to use more, but that I will use more on my Q or future M10M. For analogue I will take it slow and really select my objects and pre-focus on a spot or don´t photograph so much moving objects (but who knows).

 

Thanks for the links!

[Don Flynn]

I would try assorted B/W films and see which suits your needs. I'm an old TriX shooter but have been using HP5 lately and like it. I also plan on trying Kentmere 400 to see what it looks like. I just got back into shooting film after years of not touching my film gear and while I think I'll end up back to using TriX I'm trying different things  

[sometimesmaybe]

On 6/1/2025 at 3:27 PM, tony740607 said:

My type of picture taking is various. I mostly photograph when on business trips in cities or in my own city of Gothenburg, Sweden. The Pride parade will take place here in couple of weeks so for that I might go for one roll of B&W and one colour

this hard. no way to know until you shoot some for yourself. 

in terms of BNW film (for the given speed) T grain film like T-Max 400 and Delta 400 have a finer grain. the grain is more pronounce on Tri-X 400 and HP5. entirely a matter of personal taste.

your options re colour film are more limited - it's basically Kodak (plus the some very limited colour emulsions from fuji, Orwo, Adox and Harman). In terms of Kodak, both Gold 200 and ColorPlus 200 are good beginner options. 

 

[Fotoklaus]

B&W- Films could be developed to a certain look. So in general a T-Grain or Delta might have finder grain and the other way round.

My standard is Tmax 400 in D76 1:1. Gives everything from black to white with my meter adjusted to 400 ISO Box- Speed. Very good sharpness.

The stock D76 dilution stays stable for over 6 month, no bad surprises as i had with other developers.

HP5, FP4, Tri-X, Delta 100, Delta 400, Tmax 100, Tmax 400 will all work perfectly in D76. There are no wonder developers around. Tri-X and D76 was the standard combination of press photographers for decades.

Use a precise thermometer, use a stop watch, stick to the tipping rythm, read the manfuacturer´s data sheets.

Change only one parameter each time to know what changes what.

Use fresh fixer, T-Grain or Delta films need more time to be fixed than standard films (FP4, HP5, TRi-X).

B&W- Processes are not standardized as it is with C41/ E6- Films, so the same film developed differently might look totally different.

 

Here is a good paper to start with:

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Processing-your-first-black-and-white-film.pdf

[skahde]

With B+W film a faster film is easier to work with if you don't need the highest resolution possible. TMY2 (TMAX400) looks too "perfect" and too much like what I get from my digital B+W, I prefer Delta 400 for a bit more character. Tri-X got too expensive for what it is in my book and HP5+ has nothing Delta 400 can't bring to the table with higher resolution and better sharpness. So there you go, my personal reasoning favours Delta 400. 

With Colour it's Portra 160 for me with no doubt at all. I'd never try to save money on film. Your time and effeort is worth the best materials you can afford. 

Edited June 3 by skahde

[BenMathes]

Tony! Welcome to the world of M6! I shoot TriX 400, Ektar 100, and Portra 160 or 400

i use APO lenses for color, and basic Summilux for B&W 

you will love the process, the experience, the beauty of film after doing digital

my sweet wife shoots my Q2 Reporter- superb camera! It’s just not an M6….

have fun!!!

[tony740607]

On 6/4/2025 at 1:35 AM, BenMathes said:

Tony! Welcome to the world of M6! I shoot TriX 400, Ektar 100, and Portra 160 or 400

i use APO lenses for color, and basic Summilux for B&W 

you will love the process, the experience, the beauty of film after doing digital

my sweet wife shoots my Q2 Reporter- superb camera! It’s just not an M6….

have fun!!!

Thank you! I bought the Portra 160 to start with and then the HP+ 400. But I will try the Ektar 100 as well. I like the looks of it.

I wish my wife starts to use my Leica Q :-)

[espelt]

I also use a lot of HP5. In the summer, or when there's a lot of sun, I really like Ferrania P30 or Ferrania Orto 80. I love the look. Unfortunately, the films aren't always available, so I always buy a few packs whenever possible. The top shelf in our freezer is always reserved for film. FP4 is also very good. You can't really go wrong with the classics. Except for the development... Here, I recommend the varieties that are sold as syrups and have an indefinite shelf life: Rodinal, HC-110. For beginners, to get to know the camera, or simply to experiment, Fomapan is also a good solution and can be purchased very inexpensively. A nice overview of different films and what they can look like with each developer can be found here. Often with precise information on development times, dilution, etc. It's like a big recipe book: https://filmdev.org

Have fun!

[TomB_tx]

I like PAN F Plus (ISO 50) developed in Rodinal, but I like slower films in general for the tones and lack of grain. In the 1960s Kodak Panatomic-X was my favorite, and PAN F is the closest I can find today. Now back then I also shot a lot of Tri-X, often rated at 1200 developed in Acufine when I was doing sports and event work without flash, but for general photo use I prefer slower film. Of course, back then we tried to minimize grain...

[TheBestSLIsALeicaflex]

So many things affect a film image -- e.g., quality of light, exposure settings, lens, type of film, developer, how it is developed, how printed/scanned, ect.  As you see, type of film is just one factor.  Totally off topic, but B&W developing is easy, and home developing will open up a new world; different developers, different looks, how it is developed, different looks ect.

I tend to shoot "cheap" films bulk loaded, because they're really good and comparatively inexpensive -- Orwo, Fomapan, Kentmere.  Kentmere has the more modern, Ilford type of look.  Clean and sharp.  Think they're owned by Ilford.  Foma is more of a classic look, contrasty and some grain.  Orwo is in-between.  Since I live in the land of the sun, shoot mostly iso 100 and have developed a lot of exposure muscle memory with this speed, though I shoot Sunny 16.  Fomapan my fave, probably shot over 1200 rolls of it in 135 and 120 over the last 15 years.  No one right answer, everyone has their own faves.

I would suggest a bit experiment to begin with to find the film you like, or at least learn some of the differences between films, and then stick with a film for a while to learn it.  

Really, no bad B&W films out there.  Of course, then there's also tri-x ...

Edited June 10 by TheBestSLIsALeicaflex

[Hell]

I got my M6 two years ago, so I was in your shoes. You are in for a treat!

Kodak Ultramax 400 is fantastic colour film. Of course go wild with all those different film stocks, but then do settle on one for an extended period to learn exposure, and what happens in tricky lighting conditions with film.

And remember to take off the lens cap!

[Don Flynn]

7 hours ago, Hell said:

I got my M6 two years ago, so I was in your shoes. You are in for a treat!

Kodak Ultramax 400 is fantastic colour film. Of course go wild with all those different film stocks, but then do settle on one for an extended period to learn exposure, and what happens in tricky lighting conditions with film.

And remember to take off the lens cap!

The nice thing about the M6 is if you do that the LED's will flash letting you know the caps on. I've been using my M5 while DAG has my M6 and have left the lens cap on a couple times 😁

[rmueller]

Hi,

I posted many images here shot with the 35mm steel rim and either SilberSalz35 film stock (which is Kodak Vision3) or Kodak Gold 200.

My preference for B&W is TriX and color I shoot mainly Kodak Gold 200 these days. 
I really love the rendering of the 35mm steel rim at 1.4 and I am up for a 50mm lux classic later this year.

Regards,

Ralf

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