Leica M6 - I'm shooting the holy grail of 35mm cameras!

[@albertsmith9315]

I've had my Leica M6 for over 30 years now. It's never been serviced and still operates perfectly. It cost $2000 USD in 1990, which was a lot, but if you figure the cost versus the longevity it's pretty economical if you really use it. I teamed my Leica up with my Nikon F3 for big projects, but often I'd just grab the M6 and 35mm Summicron for a capable tool for just walking around photography. The limitations that you lived with are the pedestrian shutter speed range. The highest speed of 1/1000th means that you might not be able to open the aperture as wide as you'd like because of over exposure. The close focus is pretty long too which can be a hindrance. Flash is also not going to allow for synchro sun use because of the sync speed of 1/50th (not 1/60th as stated in video). But if you play to the strengths of the camera, the M6 is a fine tool. I keep trying to find its analog in digital, but nothing approaches the simplicity of it. The instruction manual supplied with the camera is ridiculously short. After you get the film in there's not much else. Shutter speed, f-stop and focusing. Learn to zone focus and you can be faster yet, and the Leica lenses all have great DOF scales for this. Sadly. In my area film is getting prohibitive to use, both acquiring and processing, so my M6 isn't getting the use it deserves. I keep it for the memories of 30 years and a dozen countries that we shot in.

[@tomscameras]

Thanks for your long insight! I agree that the Leica is a fine tool, always was. And yes I also hope that film stock will be more accessible again. Currently prices are often insane, and availability of certain film types is also pretty bad.

[@ericjhaber]

How do you find the m6 and f3 compare to each other?

[@albertsmith9315]

@@ericjhaber Basically you play to the strengths of whatever tool you're using. Rangefinder cameras work best for moderate focal lengths, I'd usually have a 35mm lens mounted with a 50mm and 90mm in the bag. Shorter than 35mm and longer that 90mm ( and 90mm isn't fun) the M6 starts to be less than ideal. The F3 was a terrific camera, in production for close to a decade. The body alone was not too big, but mine always had the MD4 motor drive attached, which nearly doubled the size. The motor had 8 AA batteries which took over for the tiny button cell in the camera. You could shoot for a year off of the drive and in cold weather, it was way over powered. The F3 also had a major advantage over the Leica (and even many lower tier Nikons) in that it has a 100% finder. I shot slide film, no cropping, you had to get it right. The Leica was not great in this regard. The frame lines were just an approximation and it was only after the film came back that you'd see how approximate. The SLR also handled very wide and very long lenses well. I'd usually have my long lenses on the Nikon with the Leica and 35mm on my chest. I traveled the world many times and always had both. Some days I'd only have the Leica, leaving the Nikon in the hotel, other times reverse that. Pick your tool and make it work. Today, I use the same basic method with a full frame Nikon DSLR and a Fujifilm model taking the place of the small rangefinder type camera.

[@ericjhaber]

@@albertsmith9315 Thank you for the thoughtful response!

[@TXGRunner]

The entire time you were standing next to water without a strap I was on egg shells. In 2016, I bought a "like new" M6 TTL for US$2500 for my spouse, who used it regularly until it was damaged when the tote bag it was in fell off a table. Fortunately, only the rewind knob was damaged and I was able to get a new official Leica spare for US$100 and an official Leica service shop in Bangkok fixed it for ~US$200. Of course, now my spouse will not use it -- too valuable -- and instead carries a prewar Leica II with a Canon 50mm lens. The Leica II is also much smaller, so that's another reason. That Summicron is also a very nice lens. I bet replacing that setup would be more than 4000€. Good video. Very nice camera.

[@tomscameras]

Of course, we take some care when filming that you don't see - usually I want to show all the details of the camera when we produce the video, so that's why on that day the camera is not in a half case, for example. And then yes I am aware to take extra care to not scratch or drop it. Also when we place the camera on some surface for a product shot, there's often a tiny piece of tissue or something below. You won't see it in the shots. I really make sure nothing is scratched in any way. Last not least I carry every equipment in a camera bag at all times except when I take it out for a video scene. When I'm using a camera regularly for myself, I always use a half case and then very often also a camera bag. And yes the one thing I really personally hate is camera straps. Don't ask me why. They totally annoy me ...

[@andrewc56]

The lens appears to be a Summicron, not a Summilux as stated throughout the video. Summicrons are f/2 lenses, Summiluxes are typically f/1.4.

[@tomscameras]

Oh you are absolutely right. That’s a stupid “typo” I made there!

[@donaldcongdon9095]

Beautiful as always Thomas! Leica rangefinders are always special.

[@tomscameras]

Thanks a lot Donald! And yes, that is very true!

[@stephenlumsden280]

Good overview which encourages me to stick with my contax ii or another rangefinder with only a 50mm viewfinder. I got a kmz turret viewfinder a while back and using an 85 or 135mm is now a pleasure. I had always assumed leica may have magnified the 85mm view in some way in their viewfinder.

[@tomscameras]

Yes if you don’t mind to use external finders, then these really improve the user experience! The Contax II has a very precise rangefinder by the way thanks to its long effective base length. I personally find it a bit uncomfortable because of the low eye relief and the small eyepiece that you have to peek through. But for a 1936 design it is nothing short of amazing!

[@MARKLINMAN1]

I JUST bought my first leica, an M6 of course, from 1985 in MINT UNUSED Condition, CLA'D this month. I love shooting with it. My next Leica will be the Q SERIES once they announce a Q3.

[@tomscameras]

Congratulations to your new old M6. It's a gorgeous classic camera and I wish you a lot of fun with it! And yes, let's see what Leica will do with the Q series in the future - although the Q2 is already a super-capable camera! (I always wish they would add a Q2 style body for the L mount, as an alternative to the somewhat bulky SL bodies.)

[@Narsuitus]

My first Leica was an M1 that i used on a microscope while in college. My first 35mm rangefinder was an Argus C3 with 35/50/100mm lenses. Before my M6, I used a Canon 35mm rangefinder with a fixed 40mm lens, a Contax G1 35mm rangefinder with 21/28/45/90mm lenses, and two Fuji medium format rangefinders. I primarily use my M6 with 21/35/90mm lenses for shooting stage plays, classical music concerts, golf tournaments, audio recording studios, photo journalism, street, and high-venue social events. Other than the high price of the body and lenses, here are the things that bother me with my M6: Removeable camera back instead of hinged back makes it difficult to load and unload film. Viewfinder often partially blocked by lens and lens hood. Small shutter speed dial of my classic M6 is hard to read and hard to turn. Access to hot shoe is difficult when hot shoe is occupied by my 21mm accessory viewfinder. Does not handle super wide-angle lenses well. Does not handle telephoto lenses well. Does not handle tight portraits well. Does not handle macro and closeups well. Does not handle true zoom lenses well. Lack of a self-timer does not bother me because I rarely use the feature. The limited flash sync speeds do not bother me because I rarely use flash with my M6. The tripod connection not being located in line with the optical center of the lens does not bother me because I rarely mount my M6 on a tripod.

[@tomscameras]

Thanks for your very detailed feedback! I do agree with most of your points, and I still prefer shooting SLR cameras overall. Even though it’s of course always a matter of taste if certain issues matter to you or not. (Like if it’s suitable for macro photos.) Overall, I do value the Leica M series for being an exceptional classic analog camera even though I love others just as well (or even more). And I hope Leica will continue making them for s long time - cause all other 35mm system camera manufacturers stopped several years ago!

[@shred3005]

When I was a teenager and in my 20s this is the camera I dreamed of. A black M6 or silver one would be nice too. But all I could afford was the Praktica SLR parents gave me and later I could afford a Pentax which was great but the Leica M6 dream remains unfulfilled. Maybe when I retire I can take some of that retirement payout to invest in an M6 to enjoy 😊

[@tomscameras]

That's the thing with the Leica (and I will mention it in the next videos as well): Even if you really, clearly, absolutely do NOT need it, there's always something in the back of your head that makes you lust for it :)

[@TXLorenzo]

Thanks, but I will stick with my Olympus OM2n, LOL. Can't believe Leica still has that wonky bottom film loading.

[@tomscameras]

Yes, Leica has it's quirks :)

[@kevingardner4229]

Another interesting video. It looked difficult to put the film in, I have an Olympus OM10, which I have not used for many years, and I once shot 36 photos without the film winding on at all because I had not put it in properly. Luckily I was able to go back and shoot all the photographs again. perhaps when you compare the Leica to the Olympus it will inspire me to try the OM10 again, I use the lenses from my Olympus days with my Fuji cameras and have a lot of fun with them.

[@tomscameras]

Oh yes: Loading film is quite unusual on the M6. I will show how it works in one of my next videos! In general there is always the trick that you turn the rewind knob or rewind crank a bit until you feel some tension. Then when you advance to the next frame, you can see if the rewind knob also turns. That is a good indicator for correct film loading!

[@d30gaijin]

Very nice discussion on the Leica M6. I've had my 1984 vintage M6 for over 25 years now and would never think of selling it. There is nothing equivalent I could replace it with. It wears a 3rd gen 35mm f/2 Summicron, never saw a reason to use any other lens on it (although I do have a 5th gen 50mm f/2 Summicron too). I have other cameras for that. I've had it so long I know exactly what it can and can't do.

[@tomscameras]

When you have enjoyed a camera for such a long time, you'll never want to part with it! I absolutely love most older-generation Leica lenses. Once I could try the first 35 Summilux, but there I was not so sure: It really has very low contrast wide open. So I'd also always prefer the 35 Summicron there.

[@photomukund]

I am unable to comprehend whether the camera or the film gave such nice contrasts and light details in your sample pictures. In general, how do you know whether the camera is the reason or the film, when technical details are almost perfect in the output?

[@tomscameras]

The best way to get a feeling for these things is that you shoot several different films with just one camera. Or the other way around: shoot different cameras with the same film type! In my case, I shot the Leica M6 alongside two other cameras using the same film type, and sometimes even the same motive with several cameras.

[@photomukund]

@@tomscameras Thanks. Yes, that could be the way.

[@manugeee]

Moin moin, ^^ I do understand the magic, that a Leica M camera is famous for. And the fact that I can still send it to repair with guarantee is really really great. But… of course there has te be a „but“ ;-) … when Obama getting weak and trying to buy one, I always stumble across the 1/1000th. This is a dealbreaker for me due to the fact that there are lots of other well made film cameras, that are faster. I am still impressed of the 1/4000th of the Nikon FM2. Nevertheless this is again a well done video. 😁👍 no hyping and no unfair criticism. Just an honest view on this beauty. 😇

[@lensaero]

The 1/1000th can be limiting, but then again I can hand hold @1/15th on a rangefinder but not my SLR's with the mirror bounce. I find it really useful to carry a two or three stop ND filter for those sunny days when you want a shorter depth of field. The Nikon FM2 is a wonderful camera.

[@tomscameras]

Thanks for your comment. Yes the 1/1000 sec can be limiting. It depends on how you look at it: in 1954, the Leica M3 was state of the art with this shutter type and ISO 25 or 50 films were common. Also, back then photographers maybe didn’t shoot with open aperture on purpose but more because they really needed the extra light! But from todays perspective, the 1/1000 can be limiting, yes. Especially for a camera that is so expensive to buy. Having said all that, I find that I shoot my OM-1 much more often than my Nikon FM2. I guess that I somehow adopt to the older style of photography (less use of wide-open aperture) when I shoot analog? Also I shoot b&w film so I always have a yellow or orange filter. That also reduces the need for speeds faster than 1/1000 sec. The FM2 nonetheless is something like the “definite” mechanical 35mm camera!

[@BennyCFD]

Maybe it might be as good as a Canon P.........................................

[@tomscameras]

I actually got a Canon rangefinder, but it's not the P. Still will make for a great comparison!

[@baladino]

Isn’t the holy grail the Leica MP ?

[@tomscameras]

To me personally, it would be the M-A ... and, yes, the M2! But looking at Leica's relaunch of the M6, I think that the M6 is the one that most seem to rate highest overall?

[@marcp.1752]

Fine video as always, Tom. But like being said before, the M6 is being totally, for real truly _overhyped_ by YT'bers all around the world. It isn't the best build quality, and also not the best Film Leica. But it does have a build-into lightmeter, therefore many ppl are using it. But i've seen people only having it for posing around, no social envy, i own enough gear. 🙂

[@lensaero]

Have you used one?

[@marcp.1752]

@@lensaero yes, but not Leica one yet. I know rangefinders very well, i'm using them for ~35 years, Yashica, Minolta, and other brands.

[@lensaero]

@@marcp.1752 So you haven’t actually shot with a Leica yet, I know this is the internet and it’s ok to have an opinion on anything but I would respectfully suggest you shoot one and then comment - you might be surprised (or not!). Leica made a lot of M6’s, the vast majority are in the hands of people who use them - a lot. I’m in my 60s and have been shooting film since I was a kid, I also own a lot of other rangefinders (35mm to 6x9, 1930s folders to the Mamiya 7ii) they all make great images but there’s nothing like a Leica. The build quality is excellent and the user experience is great, it becomes part of you and gets out of the way of the creative process. The cost of entry is high, too high, but a lot of people use this as a reason to dismiss them as an image making machine which is ridiculous. It’s not the perfect camera for every scenario but what it does, it does very very well. However, I’m with you on the red dot snobbery thing, I ignore it, it’s a tool for making pictures - just happens to be a very good one.

[@marcp.1752]

FYI, i have shoot for testing purposes the M2, M3 & M6. Leica isn't always the best. For instance, the Zeiss Distagon 35/1.4 ZM is better than the Leica Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH FLE, whileas costing much less. And with better sharpness and microcontrast. I shoot with Carl Zeiss Lenses, mostly Contax, since 1990. FYI, the OVF (Viewfinder) of the M6 isn't the best, compared to the latest M-A. The Film back dial is plastic, instead of metal, like some other Leicas. If i would buy a Leica someday, only without the Red Dot, because this screams Hipster & Poser to me, all the time...especially when way young folks into their 20's or simply they haven't being around, when that camera was new. Futherway, one doesn't need a Leica, to have a camera, that doesn't get into your way. There are many fine 35mm SLRs out there, i have 2 or 3 fave brands, but of course, not all are 1:1 comparable, and there is literally no "best" camera for anyone out there - it's because, everybody does have different personal preferences. For instance, some people prefer an all mech. body, whileas others do like a electronic-controlled shutter, don't mind if there's no shutterspeed or exp comp dial onto the body, or motordriven film transport, etc. As i said, no social envy. I have enough gear, >=40 SLRs, ~15 DSLRs, and 5 ILCs, and enough lenses, too. A fine day.

[@lensaero]

@@marcp.1752 I'm sorry you feel that way, I was in no way trying to disrespect you so I apologise if you felt I did. I thought it was an interesting discussion and was trying to understand where your opinion came from, now I know, Thank you - and you.

[@franciscranfield2051]

Put a strap on the camera - why would you carry a Leica in such a precarious way!!!

[@tomscameras]

You're right. But don't worry: It was all the time in a camera bag. Only for filming purposes I took it out and handled it without the strap!