Rolo Posted August 5, 2009 Share #1 Posted August 5, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) From the Guardian, 20/07/2009 Fans of Leica's famous 35mm rangefinders might argue until the last frame in the last silver halide film in existence is exposed, but of all the variants of this magnificent German camera, produced in one guise or another since 1925, the M6 is the one I like best. Along with my 27-year-old Canon A1 35mm SLR, this is the camera I have enjoyed using most. Small, solid, crafted with the precision of a Swiss wristwatch, wholly reliable and – best of all – silent: here is a camera you can carry in a jacket pocket into the depths of some fearful religious shrine and still take worthwhile pictures without anyone noticing (except the all-seeing God, or gods, of course). What makes the M6 special is its build quality: it's a mechanical camera with modern through-the-lens metering, a foolproof viewfinder and a flawless lens. Manufactured until 1998, it was made at Leica's modest Wetzlar factory some 40 miles north of Frankfurt, and from 1986 at its equally self-effacing new works in nearby Solms. Factory tours are well worth taking; they're a joy for anyone who still respects industrial craft. Leicas are not built by robots. Like all Leica rangefinder cameras, the M6 needs to be learned before you can even begin to get the best from it. But the best from a classic Leica is very good indeed; you can enlarge prints as you might never have dared to before. It has been designed not for a few years' service with a hard-pressed photojournalist, or as a jewel-like accessory for a quickly forgotten celebrity, but for life. Maybe even well beyond. In fact, any well-looked-after M6 will easily outlive its owner. The M6 is a derivation of the Leica M3 (1954-66), the first of a new range of Leica rangefinders equipped with quick-change bayonet lenses. This made the M3 – and its successors, including today's M7 (2002) and digital M8 (2006) – a favourite among photojournalists. The M3 was a direct descendant of the pre-war Leicas invented and designed by the brilliant German mechanic Oskar Barnack (1879-1936), an employee of the Leitz Optische Werke, Wetzlar. It was Barnack who first came up with the idea of a compact, hand-held camera using 35mm cine film rather than glass plates. His Ur-Leica, the prototype, went on display in 1914. Production was delayed by the first world war, and only got going in 1925. As for the quietly handsome M6, it is truly a mechanical extension of hand and eye. M-range Leicas have been much loved and respected by hardworking professional photographers over the decades. The list is long, but includes the likes of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Leni Riefenstahl, Robert Doisneau, Diane Arbus, René Burri, Elliott Erwitt and Sebastião Salgado. Leica has faced up to the digital world with its M8, a camera blessed with the spirit of Oskar Barnack, and looking very much like its 35mm M7 sibling, offering all the benefits of digital photography without having to look like a hand-held trainer. The M7 and M8 will be sold alongside one another as long as film lasts, or Leica decides on another slow change in specification and model number. The one thing a Leica camera will never be is cheap. But it's designed to last. Save for it while using the best you can afford at the time. And, as long as you tape over its distinctive red logo, its old-fashioned appearance will be unlikely to attract thieves – even in the meanest of the world's streets. Because of its silent action and little or no need for flash – you can dare to walk with your Leica in hand. And who knows – the images you capture might just rival those of Bresson, Capa and all. by Jonathan Glancey Classics of everyday design No 63: The Leica M6 | Art and design | guardian.co.uk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 5, 2009 Posted August 5, 2009 Hi Rolo, Take a look here Classics - The M6. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
NZDavid Posted August 5, 2009 Share #2 Posted August 5, 2009 A good descriptive piece that sums up the Leica mystique. Only you do need pretty deep pockets (literally and figuratively). And I have never been sure how or if taping over the red logo deters thieves. Could you possibly post a link to your article? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickp13 Posted August 5, 2009 Share #3 Posted August 5, 2009 rolo thanks for posting that one. i started with an m8, but later added an m3 for better understanding of what this brand means. precision, mystique, magic - none are really out of place in describing these cameras. cheers rick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted August 5, 2009 Share #4 Posted August 5, 2009 I disagree - I like my M7 and A1 (also exactly 27 years old in Sept.) :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted August 5, 2009 Share #5 Posted August 5, 2009 Rolo, A nicely argued post. I wnder whether you or other posters will have a view on my question. I am in the mood for pure indulgence -- a treat. Now, before the whole forum yells, "A black paint MP," let me say that this isn't (I don't think) on the cards, for several reasons. (a) Price (the biggest factor). ( Lack of a 0.58 finder variant in black rather than chrome (I use a 0.58 M6ttl and M7 and have *never* looked through the viewfinder of a standard .72. If I did and found that my eye relief with a 35/2 was better -- or not as bad as feared -- then I might still be tempted.). © Ostentation (or my suspicion of it). Anyway, to somewhat contradict what I have just written, I have seen a titanium M6 at a very reasonable price and am quite tempted. It looks nice, it's beautifully made and covered, and I guess it would make a nice addition to mount a 50/2 on. So: sensible or stupid? Ostentation or reasonable treat? (Please leave aside arguments about relative value, discretionary spending, utility etc -- let's just say that after a period of exceptionally hard work I want a treat -- and this would cost me about half what a used MP would.) Views anyone -- they would be much appreciated.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted August 5, 2009 Share #6 Posted August 5, 2009 Article here: Classics of everyday design No 63: The Leica M6 | Art and design | guardian.co.uk (And interestingly -- see my query above -- it is illustrated with a titanium M6TTL!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted August 5, 2009 Author Share #7 Posted August 5, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Well, I only posted this for information and because I spotted it. I'm an MP and M7 user and recently purchased a new M8 with the express intention of selling the two film cameras to fund it. However, can't yet bring myself to do it. In fact, I've decided not to sell both and to keep one for the time being until it becomes clear which one should go. HeHe... but that's not clear either. The M7 is by far the better picture making tool, no doubt IMHO, but the MP is so nice to own in a digital age. Maybe, ...... just maybe, I've got it wrong and the film cameras should be kept and the newcomer questioned. Sure it will all become clear in the coming months .... :rolleyes: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_newell Posted August 5, 2009 Share #8 Posted August 5, 2009 I've owned every M, and several copies of most, other than the M1 and MD/MDa. My favorite is the M6, and especially the 0.85x classic. However, I recently did sell two to finance the M8. I rented one first for T&E. The files just killed the best I could get out of my Coolscan V, so the deed was done. YMMV, but that was my path. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StS Posted August 5, 2009 Share #9 Posted August 5, 2009 Some time ago I saw an used MP on the internet page of a local dealer. I went to the shop to buy but saw an used M6 in the cabinet for half the price. Both cameras were in excellent condition. To my taste the MP is one of the best looking cameras ever built, however I went home with the M6 and haven't regretted this choice yet. Stefan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted August 5, 2009 Share #10 Posted August 5, 2009 Well, I only posted this for information and because I spotted it. Rolo, I assumed it was your article. Surely it would be fair to acknowledge the poor old journalist rather than just copying and pasting his work with no attribution? Or at the very least providing the link. Mod Comment: This slight oversight has now been corrected at Rolo's request - Andy B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickp13 Posted August 5, 2009 Share #11 Posted August 5, 2009 alun it sounds like your decision is 99.9% made, but if you still need .1% encouragement, then i'd say "follow your heart and buy the titanium M6". that doesn't rule out the possibility that, at some future date, you will have: a) a burning desire to get an MP the free cash to do so c) a perfect MP available somewhere all at the same time. good luck rick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
budrichard Posted August 5, 2009 Share #12 Posted August 5, 2009 All other perceptions aside, in terms of bang for the money, if you want an M with a built in meter, than the M6 Classic represents the best value. I have one of the mentioned .85 finder models as it of course takes pictures as good as any other M with an accurate TTL metering system. I now use two M7's for thier AUTO mode but if I could only have an M6 Classic, it would not affect my photography that much.-Dick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted August 6, 2009 Share #13 Posted August 6, 2009 Rick -- I admire (and will try to emulate) your optimism!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted August 7, 2009 Share #14 Posted August 7, 2009 Rolo, I assumed it was your article. Surely it would be fair to acknowledge the poor old journalist rather than just copying and pasting his work with no attribution? Or at the very least providing the link. Mod Comment: This slight oversight has now been corrected at Rolo's request - Andy B Goodo. As a journo myself, it's nice to have your work acknowledged. Glancey's piece from The Guardian is well-written and thoughtful. I agree, the M6 is still a superb performer. It stayed unchanged for about 15 years (?) making it one of Leica's most successful Ms ever. But which M is best is a matter of taste and details; IMHO Leica got it right first time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzo Posted August 29, 2009 Share #15 Posted August 29, 2009 " I have seen a titanium M6 at a very reasonable price and am quite tempted." Alun, If it's as you state, go for it. IMHO, not much difference (except price) between an M6 and an MP. .. They are both great cameras. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted August 29, 2009 Share #16 Posted August 29, 2009 Azzo -- Thanks, fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your view), I changed my mind, and it sold (albeit to another dealer where it is back on sale at GBP 300.00 more. It was just a dream, really, but a pleasant one. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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