I have used my Leica rangefinder for almost 25 years. You hit the nail on the head with your review. Compared to a digital camera it is somehow at the same time both much futzier (film buying and loading, developing, zone focusing, max 1000 shutter speed, etc etc etc) and much LESS futzier (simple, direct, clear, no menus, no nonsense, etc etc). It is magically smooth, outrageously precise, and it does not age. The one you can buy today is the same as the one i bought 25 years ago which was the same as the one somebody bought 25 years before i bought mine. No need to upgrade … it is pointless … they can’t make anything better than what you already have. Just figure it out, practice, and get better. It just works, year after year, decade after decade, and you document your life with it.
Have been really wanting to pick up a reissue m6 after futzing around with cheaper entry level type film cameras for a while now. "It just works, year after year, decade after decade, and you document your life with it." This just completely sold me.
I have an M5, along with a Nikon FM2, Olympus OM-1 and XA, and a Hasselblad 500cm and this speaks to the joys of film on many levels - the film canister, the advance lever, the wait to see if you got the shot, even the smell of the film. I do develop mine at home and it’s surprisingly easy and fun. Thanks for this; it was so satisfying.
I’ve shot many cameras over many years. Film and digital. I never owned a Leica. I watched this, reflected and walked out of a dealer today with a M6 and a Summarit 35 f2.5. I am inspired anew to take this journey. Thanks to you.
Nothing beats the feeling of opening a tank and peeling the film from the spiral - seeing that the density of the negs is ok and looking forward to what you’ll discover when you start printing……….regardless of whether the M6 is lying on your desk or an Olympus Trip……that magic just never fades………great video H!
@@shred3005 I don't think it's good idea to watch the image appear in the developer. You should leave it image side down for at least first 30 seconds. Just sayin.
Considering adding an M6 now after going full in on a Leica M10 and M11. Been shooting commercially and weddings for 20 years with Nikon. I absolutely loved Leica from day one. I had never used a rangefinder and It actually brought the joy of shooting back. I loved shooting Portra 400 on the Nikon F4s. These days find that I grade most of my digital M images to that look anyway so why not add the real thing. I have to say, even after pretty much shooting with primary autofocus cameras for the last two decades I find the rangefinder experience to be very reliable even with moving subjects at wider apertures. The 28mm Summilux, 50 Summilux an 90mm Summicron have become my go to lenses and dont miss my heavy DSLR bag at all. I can not two M bodies and those three lenses in a small Domke messenger bag. Unreal. It's an amazing system and now understand why people pay a premium to use these cameras and their remarkable lenses.
I'm so much happier since I adopted a "render unto Caesar" approach. Analogue stays analogue, develop and print myself. Digital is fun too. I ♥️ my M6.
OMG this is so what I needed to see. I have missed film shooting for the last 20 years. I'm so very excited to get back into shooting with my new M6 and there is nothing like it. Thank you for such a passionate video of the beauty of film with a Lecia camera. And yes I agree there is nothing better!
The most poetic and significant line in the video “…Just a matter of days before you see the results.” I see what you did there 👌🏼 I’ve only been falling deep into photography for a year. Started and still am with a Sony cropped but the virtues of the m6 and of the other very capable analog cameras out there today appeal to me, very strongly. Thanks!
Yes, but I was reading this week that the late, great Eamonn McCabe when a freelance sports photographer used to develop his pics in the car driving back from the match, so he could get his prints out for sale to the papers and agencies before the others. Developing film is not very difficult, well worth trying. Film exposed at the 1937 Coronation of King George VI was developed within 20 minutes of the end of the service. Cine film was shown in cinemas throughout the UK that night!
My favorite RUclips scholar does it again! Wow! Fascinating. I never had a Leica. But the feeling of anticipation to see what you get when you shoot film is unique. I started with a Konica T-3 in the '70s. Then, with an Olympus OM4 Ti in the '80s. No chimping, no extensive menus, etc. Kudos to Leica bringing that feeling back. Like you said, it's something kinetic. I use an OM-1 system camera now, and it's wonderful. But after seeing this, I think I will send my OM4 in for repairs.
Really interesting viewpoint when compared to my experience as a long time M6 user. You nail it in terms of the simplicity and speed of the shooting process once you figure out hyperfocal shooting. A bit more on metering. I adore it. I don't seem to have any issues with exposure. Knowing it is easier to recover the highlights than the shadows, I point the camera at the darkest part of the scene that I want detail and use that to base my exposure. Determining exposure is almost too easy, as you learn to just keep clicking the shutter dial in the direction of the lit arrow until the other arrow lights up (while at the same time keep looking through the viewfinder). So there are times when I have the correct exposure, but don't know what the shutter speed is without looking at the dial. Sometimes there are cameras you want to pick up and some you don't. I always want to pick up my M6.
Great video. I'd say all of what you said applies to pretty much any analog M body with maybe the exception being the M5 and the M7. I didn't buy into the M6 hype, it's too expensive now for what it is. I bought a brand new MP - a much better value proposition. No regrets. The only M6 I could see myself owning is the version with the 0.58 viewfinder magnification - because it would allow me to see the 28mm frame lines with glasses. The 0.72 magnification on the M6/MP does not allow for that. But also, just to get an M body with a magnification suitable for 28mm frame lines - it does not need to be a Leica. There are alternatives: Minolta CLE, Hexar RF. Or contact lenses... Great video Hugh. In time for the announcement of the limited edition "M6" (really an MP with a M6 skin).
A friend let me handle his M6 a few years ago. I immediately understood. I didn’t run out to buy one (still love using my Contax IIIa). But I do now own an SL2-S with 35mm SL ‘Cron.
Absolutely the finest photographic tool ever made with that little bit of modern technology (a light meter). It encourages a true “artist” to push his skills to the limit where there are no limits. I am much prouder of the images that I have composed with my M6 than with my digital tools. Been using my M6 for 35 years. Great video BTW.
My double stroke 1957 Leica M3 and 1953 Leica IIIf are with me and go with me wherever I go. A v3 Summicron 50mm f2 on the M3 and 1947 50mm f3.5 Elmar and that's it. Tri-X, Rollei Retro 400S and Fomapan 400 are all rated and developed at 800 ISO. I can judge shutter speed and aperture with increased confidence as I've standardised on 800 ISO across the board. It's very liberating to pare everything back to such absolute basics and just concentrate on long form photography projects at one focal length. It's said 'gear doesn't matter' and in one sense that's true but I have to say the Leicas speak against that - I have Topcon and Pentax cameras that are special to me but the rangefinders are the only ones that make me want to make pictures, all day every day. They're precision machines. That's obvious but they have also have an intangible quality I feel on an emotional level. The family has been asked not to let them go when I kick it but to hold on to them so whoever has an interest in photography can do what I do now - keep them loaded with film permanently so that Leica 'snick' continues. I'm an addict with no hope of recovery....
Jeez, I love this episode. And the tragedy of all this is, I love all my mechanical film cameras. I am terrible. Having confessed my sins, the M6 is my favorite! Brings me back down to earth when I am out and about with it. Rituals in place, f/8 or f/11, zone focus accordingly, Kodak TriX 400 film loaded, and adjust shutter speed when required. If I have to make a decision, I overexpose. Film developing with caffenol took a while to get the coffee recipe down pat and or course, no problem scanning. I just enjoy shooting this camera, the simplicity, how it feels in the hand, the shutter squeeze, the sounds. And more importantly the history. Job well done.
I recently bought an M6 classic, the serial number puts it to 1985 in MINT and UNUSED condition, I can’t wait to get out there and practice, I have not shot film in a little over 20 years. This is my first Leica and first range finder, I am BEYOND stoked to have chosen such an incredibly capable as well as ICONIC Camera.
I have started shooting film a year ago. While I now enjoy shooting film, my favorite film camera is the EOS 1V. Even though it's much slower than most mirrorless cameras made recently, the compatibility with my Godox setup and EF lenses, I can make sure every shot I took won't go to waste.
I have had several Leica's and they all broke down, beyond repair or only at absurd costs. Reason: electronics. It can't be my fault, because my Japanese SLRs and fixed focus or point and shoot never had these issues. After some years, I decided to give Leica a try, but only a model with no or hardly electronics. I settled on the MP, with only a coupled light meter that I can ignore.Thank you for the video. For me, you covered the basics. 👍
An erudite, somewhat whimsical, and highly mellifluous presentation. In point of fact, one of the finest M6 reviews I've encountered. The camera is a dream to use, and, personally, many of the older more affordable non-aspherical Leitz lenses have a glow far superior (IMHO) to the state of the art aspherical lenses if you're looking for the classic old world feel from your own darkroom printing. I use the small dial M6 classic and the later M6TTL and both are a joy. They are wonderfully bereft of useless bells and whistles found on modern digital cameras- imaging units.
The M6 is not the camera for me. My days of futzing around in a dark room are long behind me. I will stick to my M10. But somehow, I'm strangely happy that Leica still make film cameras.
This is the best ”review” of an M6 - or in fact; almost any film camera - compared to shooting digital. Loved the part where you loaded the film in the camera. Could hear and feel every move in my mind. But for me the analogue days are over. Been there, done that. Had the M6 and the M4, loved them - but it is not the same without the darkroom. If the end result is seen on a computer anyway, I see no real point in using the analogue cameras anymore. Sad - but thats my conclusion after quite a lot of thoughts on the subject…
Leica analog is beautiful. Hopefully with its renaissance the cost of film will at least stabilise if not drop a little. Would be marvellous also if the Leitz group could perhaps manufacture and sell cost competitive 35mm film to complement their commitment to promoting analog photography.
It's certainly a good job that the young photographers of today don't have all the limitations (which were normal for us of a certain, pre digital) which we had we had when film was the only option.
I am totally set with my original M4, silver chrome M5, silver chrome M8 and silver chrome M9-P. No need for a M6 of any kind. For more flexibility with all kinds of manual focus glass I have the SL (Typ 601).
Great video! The 'feel'. No other camera 'feel's' like a Leica (do I hear an echo?). The weight, the solidity, the feeling of precision engineering quality. The sound. The distinctive sound of the escapement at speeds of 1/30 and less as the mechanism winds down after the first curtain, then after the second curtain fire. Finding that 'one' image on the contact sheet beats the instant gratification of digital any day. Finding 'detail' on the neg that your eye did not see through the viewfinder - not quite as astonishing as an 8x10 neg, but sometimes a nice surprise.. Someone should write a book: '1 Camera to Own Before You Die' 😁
Great video, perfectly stated Mr. Brownstone, nothing better than a Leica in one’s hands. ( Although my X-Pro3 comes very close) Used a M6, M4P and a M2 for decades both Personally and professionally, only gave them up when the newspaper I was working for at the time stopped insuring my Leica system. Hindsight is definitely NOT 20/20!
Well I just picked up a M4 and really glad. First 3 rolls B&W ilford hp5 400. All bad except 1. Exposure for the most part was no good. Used lux app meter and an old light meter which is very accurate when I use my TLRs nope. Then I realized my bw solution was too hot and probably too old. So I put a portra 400 used the sunny16 rule and the light meter, validated with my leica q (testing) and it was better in terms of exposure. Buy not one shot was in focus. I recalibrated the ranger finder. Now I will put a portra 160 and start testing again. I have to say it was a bit frustrating 48 shot and only one I liked enough to post on IG. But still like you mentioned at the end all that magic happening. I will keep at it till I get good.
Started life with a Nikon FM, which I still have along with a box of glass from the late 80s and early 90s. I bought an M6 and Candian Summicron in the early 2000's to understand the hype. You could still get a body and lens for less than $5k. . That lens and camera made some of the finest photos but by then I had a couple of digital cameras and the ordeal of processing and scanning got to be too much. Sold the M, which I still regret mostly because I think the Leica glass is magical; I don't get the same vibe from the Nikkors. The closest I've come is a Zeiss lens on one of my DSLRs but then you're missing the film look. There's definitely substance to the the hype but when I look at the current pricing I'm reminded what someone else wrote: it's a light gathering box and a rather unsophisticated one at that. Excellent content on this channel. It caused me to pull the old Nikon out and make some images today.
I truly am not ever used any Leica whatsoever but the pleasure of having one like M6 and getting habituated with the back old day best focussing available with Leica glasses would be not only challenging but the charisma of having such an aesthetic feel while shooting gives you the pleasure that none other camera is capable of!! You can cross choppy waters with a log of wood but the pleasure differs the kind of adventure as a voyager you are with other means to cross over; the experience of state of the art vehicles will definitely be safer and easier and perhaps more charismatic than the venture into the oldest method but as I said the feel is the ultimate factor which makes you open to choices!! One thing I'd like to know if M6 could be used with filters when it won't be any, I don't know, issue where 1/1000th of a second maximum Shutter Speed could be enough for almost any situation of strong light but the picture quality might take a beating in those cases of using filters and many would try avoiding them in hurried situations in streets!! All having said I apprehend that the day isn't far away when film-look would be available by ultra-modern sensors which would be able to process the light equally the chemical emulsions do on celluloid and I presume you will see it and give adieu to films although the pleasure will be yours for missing the dark room for ever!!
I shoot an m1. Coming over from Fuji to a Barnack and now shooting with an m1. Huge learning curve. But something weird happened: once I learned some focus, my composition actually got better because I wasnt really ocd about if images lined up, or what not, I just felt the distances (I shoot a voigtlander ultron 35mm with a 90 degree focus throw) and shot instinctive. I was able to dedicate more brain space to composition or freestyle my composition, which is what I do a lot in street photography
I would love to see you do a video on using rangefinders and its relationship with eye dominance - I am left eye dominant and really struggle using my right eye with rangefinders - my understanding is that the best way to shoot with leicas is to shoot with both eyes open because it provides a greater sense of environmental awareness.
I really like this video. He does it like a true artisan. The quality is stupendous. It reminded me of the fun I had with my Minoltas in the early 1980s. I cannot afford film shooting now, BUT I am retiring to the outdoors later with my mirrorless, using the Zone System, thereafter spending time “developing” the digital files with DxO raw and film pack. It will be a good day.
In the 80s my dad bought a Konica Autoreflex SLR with a 40mm lens. I learned on it. That fantastic tactile experience of intentionally taking an image. It after using Canon and Sony for pro video for years, I added the Q2 for the minimalist Leica experience. I liked making prints from film, but I’m not brave enough yet to go back to film! 😅
Buy a Leica rangefinder if you can and if it reaches out to you in some way - I did. But there’s no getting past the fact that the Olympus OM-1 is no bigger, probably lighter, dramatically cheaper and functionally superior in several key aspects. There is also the classic rangefinder on steroids and if AF is your preference: the brilliant Contax G2 with its delightful Zeiss lenses.
For shutter speed / focal length ceilings, you’re better off buying ND’s with hard stops so if you needed the flexibility of DOF you can offset whatever exposure you’ve metered with say..ND .9 or 1.2
I like leica m simply because it has amazing lowlight ability when paired with fast glass and i can keep shooting at iso 400 which makes manual exsposure alot more easier even when the sun goes down Also there is alot of third party glass you can get that does not brack the bank and are still really fast
I learned photography on a completely manual Retina rangefinder, and as a result, over the years my need for automation pretty much topped out with Aperture Priority metering on the OM-2. Consequently I find the menu systems and options on digital cameras to be almost completly futzy things that take away the magic of photography. Another thing is that full frame digital cameras are usually larger than their film counterparts. That being said, technically, 35mm film can't really compete with digital images anymore. What I would really like to see (but never will, because I'm a merket of 1) is a digital rangefinder modeled on the Leica III. No menus, just physical controls, with my only concession to modernity being a light meter.
Thx a lot for your interesting thoughts. I personally am not a fan of the M6 and decided to go with a M3 and a M4, luckily already a more than a decade ago when still affordable. Pairing it with a Sekonic L-398A lightmeter really helped me to understand light and exposure. BTW the Minolta 28mm M lens is fun to shoot with, especially for street and urban pictures.
Totally understand.. after 20 years with my wonderful Mp.. I have like you learnt a lot … to the point if I had to sell (never as it goes )I would be more then happy with a m4 - M4p… Actually I would love a M4p Aniv … Don’t believe the Leica snobs …M4p are great and still relatively (😂)cheap ..
with my workflow, I can develop and scan B&W film at home using hc-110 and negative supply scanning kit same day ^_^ when it comes to color I do use a lab and get to experience the novelty of waiting for my photos.
Even coming from a Mamiya 6 (for when I want to shoot film), the M6 had a very steep learning curve for me. It took me a LOT of time, and some amount of frustration, to really be comfortable using it quickly and effortlessly--which is what it excels at. So now I'm a "convert," but it wasn't a foregone conclusion for me.
Hey Hugh, thanks for this video. Though my M240 is nearing a decade, I can’t seem to put it to pasture. However, I still get FOMO when new Ms are release, but upgrading every time that happens, when you don’t really have the budget for it, can be financially debilitating. :-) Instead, I’ve been strongly considering going back to film, preferably with a Leica, that would utilize my M lenses. Besides, I’m getting older and need to maintain my mature, debonair guise, by outfitting myself with “classic gear”, just like wearing a nice, classic chronograph. ;-)
I develope, print in my darkroom, own a variety of 135 and 120 cameras, including rangefinders (and thus a variety of composure limitations and applications). Yes, indeed, I LOVE the experience because of it. Breaking the barrier of that paradox, reaching the point of pure enjoyment and getting the aspired results. Yet, however much I appreciate the Leica craftsmanship and legacy, for me a 'new' M6 in 2022 seems redundant to the point of only ticking the nostalgia box. Perhaps that's the only point of it, then I'll just consider myself not emotionally moved by it. Why would I, I was born in 1971, not 1934 :-)
I would choose the MP or if I wanted a real challenge the M-A. If you want a real pure mechanical experience the M-A is the one. But the M6 is the hipster camera of choice because they’re everywhere and you can get them cheap enough. The other camera some really adore and won’t change it for anything is the M3. Especially those like me who love 50mm. It’s amazing when we talk about M cameras, digital or not, the horror of a person having to put some effort into taking a photo. God forbid. BTW, isn’t that 50 Cron the best? And hey….. 21:29…. LENSPEN carry a LENSPEN! 😂
Again a perfect video! The way you talk about this camera almost wants to make me buy one. On the other hand....been there, done that...film developping...spending hours and hours in a dark room...to find out the next morning that the picture s..cks....and start all over. I wonder how many M6 users are really doing this. It's a piece of art, no doubt about that, but it's just not for me. .....Although.....I still have a Hasselblad 500C/M....would I reconsider using it again...?
Nostalgia, nostalgia, recently I started to scan B&W negatives taken as far back to 70’es taken with various SLRs and with Bessa and finally Zeiss Ikon ZM, I am regretting selling ZM as it has a much better rangefinder/viewfinder and a modern shutter rather then rubberized cloth used by Leica to this day (do not point the camera to the sun or it will burn hole in the shutter). Seeing those negs got me thinking of getting a Leica MP, but I have dropped that idea now. Meantime SL2-s does me fine with SL as well as M lenses, thank you. P.S. I would be first in line for a small M mount body with a EVF and IBIS.
Simple solutions to rangefinder photography: color & b&w? 2 bodies; wider f/stops? back then kodak and Agfa had 25 ISO films.. over & under exposed w/ no meter? hand-held meter or lots of practice before attempting serious subjects; and so-on......
Hugh, I found that with my M11 cameras, I had trouble seeing the 28 mm and 35 mm frame lines with my glasses on. I therefore recently got a +2.0 diopter for one of them and I think it’ll be an acceptable solution when not using the VisoFlex2 (that said, it’s a hassle going between having my glasses on and off). Do you use diopter correctors for your M cameras?
I've never quite understood the obsession over the M6. Then again, I've never used one, so maybe there is something to it. But I'm happy with my M3, so I'll stick with that unless someone can convince me otherwise.
The M6 looks like a phenomenal camera. I understand that Leica is going to be releasing a new M6 soon. The cost of a Leica is out of my budget, but I think they are definitely worth the price. For now it’s just my Leica M3 and Leica M5. Honestly, if I were to invest into a Leica system, it would be digital. The cost of film is becoming expensive, time to develop and scanning is also an issue.
@@jasongold6751hands down digital would be more affordable. If the digital shutter is rated at 150,000 actuations, that would be 4,166 rolls of 36 exposure film, even at 5.00 a roll it would cost 20,833.33 plus developing.
My Leica M3 is 56 years old, mostly professional work and very personal photos .My M6 TTL now 23 yeras old. Almost as smooth as M3! I prefer 50mm lens(i have one) the 50mm Collapsible Summicron f2.0. No matter what you hear or read, there's nothing, like a Leica! Similar, almost, close don't mean nothing. The pure simplicity of a small camera and compact lenses. Easily slipped under a jacket or under a shirt. A roll of film, very seldom do I carry a spare! Develop your BW and get a scanner. Do the wet darkroom. It's easy. All of it! Leica probably has the most, sites and blogs of other photographers! Nikon-Canon have nothing close! Leica Forum, LFI, Red Dot etc.. Oh! Leicas don't allow other cameras in same bag. They will be evicted! You won't need the bag.. Enjoy! Great advice and input! Well done!
I think it was in the eighties that National Geographic switched to 35mm only and dropped larger formats. The results were a disaster. The images became grainy and unsharp, good only for reference, not to be enjoyed as images.
Hi, the price is a problem. If it were ten hundred dollars, I definitely would buy it. There are many genuine people in my situation. Handcrafted, art, etc., can not be an excuse for a $5000 price. It is not logical to use handcrafted, art, etc. as means of threat( I am not going to make a good camera if the price is not $5000). You also have to think about the lenses with it. I also believe Leica company would make more money if it were cheaper. But Leica, with Hassalblade, is in the right direction. I hope they will continue investing in film photography and the technic of development of photography. Thank you.
The materials and hand made nature of the Leica Rangefinder film cameras cannot be produced for much less money as it would then be non viable. Thank goodness Leica still offers photographers the opportunity to shoot traditional analogue and with such beautiful engineering.
Hugh, I don’t know where you obtained this super power, let’s call it “contextual immersion” but I’m back looking for another Leica! And I’m not easily swayed… I think… wait hold that thought.
I really enjoyed my time with analog m leicas, but could never go back. You might chalk it to ineptitude, but even with a gossen meter I was never consistently on exposure...focus with the viewfinder was a pleasure and the feel of the camera was great...I have kept my granfathers iiic with a zeiss ikon lens 50mm lens, if I want to re-experience the tactile experience I can pull it out and fondle it...the repack the tripod in its leather case, the lense hood in its leather case and the leica in its leather case.. And back in the cabinet. I often think of the minox iib/iic when I get nostalgic, but they are even more compromised than the leica...but a similar tactile experience and take up no space.
I had my M6 finder upgraded to the MP about 4 years ago and never looked back. Not only is the finder patch better but the glass has better contrast and is of the optical quality that you would expect from Leica. I also had the 75mm and 135mm frame lines masked to make the viewfinder less cluttered. My M6 only has the 28, 35, 50 and 90mm frame lines visible. The 28 and 35mm frame lines don't intrude very much into the finder so It's the perfect finder to compose photos with. My M6 video: ruclips.net/video/T4laKRGmYTs/видео.html
the hype about the Leica M6 pushes the price in a ridiculous level. I recommend the M3, M2 or M4. The price for a M6 is so high in Germany, that a MP is a better option.
"a matter of days until you see the result" Buying a Leica M6 must be forbidden if you can not develop your B&W film yourself or want to scan the negatives.
@@3BMEP I've found that most labs crank the contrast up to 11 when scanning B&W negatives. Probably the same for any film that they scan. I have my own Nikon Coolscan 9000, and I really had hoped that outside labs would give me good scans and save me the bother of doing my own scans, but they just blast the contrast so high that I just use their scans as a "big contact sheet" that tells me which ones to re-scan myself at moderate contrast, which gives me all the detail back in the shadows and highlights that the super-contrast scans lose. You really want to scan flat and adjust the contrast to taste after. Plus, I can scan as full 16-bit TIFF files (huge) and keep all that information that's lost in a JPEG.
Beware of the electronics in the M6 and in particular the M6TTL which are unreliable and can no longer be repaired in many cases. The camera will still work of course.
It's nice to see the joy of film photography still exists but the person who will buy a $5000 Leica M6 is not going to be making a living with it. At best a hobby to satisfy some desire to feel like a pro but never made it applies here. For Leica fans this will be a great trill 2 m6's for the price of one M 11 and older film lenses will do the trick no need for APO's. It makes perfect sense their are more hobbiets than pro so why not go for the volume .
I owned an m6 and now using a m7. I can see only 2 benefits of the m film camera. Mostly the possibility to mount m lenses which are among the best and using a range finder… Here they are other choices too…For the other things, it is only a light box. If you have a Pentax LX or a Minolta XD x700 a Zeiss a Kodak Retina this is also history and tactile… I believe that Leica saw the price increase from 900 to 2.5k euros for the M6 and they might have thought. Let’s make good money. There is still a market… Why not. But this isn’t photography… Just my thoughts
In my personal opinion, it is only a camera for purists, with good marketing that happened by mistake and for nostalgics. As a result, it is much too expensive for what it offers. It's an old, beautiful, very expensive Bentley and that's about it. You can't take it seriously even for a second.
Almost all arguments are true for other 35mm film camera's. Myself I use the LEICA ANTIDOTE : Nikon F3/T: benefits the SLR features, much cheaper with millions of manual lens options from Nikon, Zeiss, Voigtlander, ...! Leica M6 is over hyped and over priced and under performs !!!
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I have used my Leica rangefinder for almost 25 years. You hit the nail on the head with your review. Compared to a digital camera it is somehow at the same time both much futzier (film buying and loading, developing, zone focusing, max 1000 shutter speed, etc etc etc) and much LESS futzier (simple, direct, clear, no menus, no nonsense, etc etc). It is magically smooth, outrageously precise, and it does not age. The one you can buy today is the same as the one i bought 25 years ago which was the same as the one somebody bought 25 years before i bought mine. No need to upgrade … it is pointless … they can’t make anything better than what you already have. Just figure it out, practice, and get better. It just works, year after year, decade after decade, and you document your life with it.
Have been really wanting to pick up a reissue m6 after futzing around with cheaper entry level type film cameras for a while now. "It just works, year after year, decade after decade, and you document your life with it." This just completely sold me.
I have an M5, along with a Nikon FM2, Olympus OM-1 and XA, and a Hasselblad 500cm and this speaks to the joys of film on many levels - the film canister, the advance lever, the wait to see if you got the shot, even the smell of the film. I do develop mine at home and it’s surprisingly easy and fun. Thanks for this; it was so satisfying.
I’ve shot many cameras over many years. Film and digital. I never owned a Leica. I watched this, reflected and walked out of a dealer today with a M6 and a Summarit 35 f2.5. I am inspired anew to take this journey. Thanks to you.
Nothing beats the feeling of opening a tank and peeling the film from the spiral - seeing that the density of the negs is ok and looking forward to what you’ll discover when you start printing……….regardless of whether the M6 is lying on your desk or an Olympus Trip……that magic just never fades………great video H!
And watching your b&w image appear on the paper in the developer tray is like magic
@@shred3005 I don't think it's good idea to watch the image appear in the developer. You should leave it image side down for at least first 30 seconds. Just sayin.
We appreciate you taking a step back and giving an unbiased and realistic look at such a legendary film camera!
Considering adding an M6 now after going full in on a Leica M10 and M11. Been shooting commercially and weddings for 20 years with Nikon. I absolutely loved Leica from day one. I had never used a rangefinder and It actually brought the joy of shooting back. I loved shooting Portra 400 on the Nikon F4s. These days find that I grade most of my digital M images to that look anyway so why not add the real thing. I have to say, even after pretty much shooting with primary autofocus cameras for the last two decades I find the rangefinder experience to be very reliable even with moving subjects at wider apertures. The 28mm Summilux, 50 Summilux an 90mm Summicron have become my go to lenses and dont miss my heavy DSLR bag at all. I can not two M bodies and those three lenses in a small Domke messenger bag. Unreal. It's an amazing system and now understand why people pay a premium to use these cameras and their remarkable lenses.
I'm so much happier since I adopted a "render unto Caesar" approach. Analogue stays analogue, develop and print myself. Digital is fun too. I ♥️ my M6.
Where do you find parer to print analog unobtanium... My focomat 2C wants to play again..
OMG this is so what I needed to see. I have missed film shooting for the last 20 years. I'm so very excited to get back into shooting with my new M6 and there is nothing like it. Thank you for such a passionate video of the beauty of film with a Lecia camera. And yes I agree there is nothing better!
Well almost. Ha!
The most poetic and significant line in the video “…Just a matter of days before you see the results.” I see what you did there 👌🏼
I’ve only been falling deep into photography for a year. Started and still am with a Sony cropped but the virtues of the m6 and of the other very capable analog cameras out there today appeal to me, very strongly. Thanks!
Yes, but I was reading this week that the late, great Eamonn McCabe when a freelance sports photographer used to develop his pics in the car driving back from the match, so he could get his prints out for sale to the papers and agencies before the others. Developing film is not very difficult, well worth trying. Film exposed at the 1937 Coronation of King George VI was developed within 20 minutes of the end of the service. Cine film was shown in cinemas throughout the UK that night!
Yeah ahah I liked that line too
My favorite RUclips scholar does it again! Wow! Fascinating. I never had a Leica. But the feeling of anticipation to see what you get when you shoot film is unique. I started with a Konica T-3 in the '70s. Then, with an Olympus OM4 Ti in the '80s. No chimping, no extensive menus, etc. Kudos to Leica bringing that feeling back. Like you said, it's something kinetic. I use an OM-1 system camera now, and it's wonderful. But after seeing this, I think I will send my OM4 in for repairs.
Now for me home development is part of the experience. Easy way out is HP5+ in HC-110. I get beautiful negatives with little fuss.
Really interesting viewpoint when compared to my experience as a long time M6 user. You nail it in terms of the simplicity and speed of the shooting process once you figure out hyperfocal shooting. A bit more on metering. I adore it. I don't seem to have any issues with exposure. Knowing it is easier to recover the highlights than the shadows, I point the camera at the darkest part of the scene that I want detail and use that to base my exposure. Determining exposure is almost too easy, as you learn to just keep clicking the shutter dial in the direction of the lit arrow until the other arrow lights up (while at the same time keep looking through the viewfinder). So there are times when I have the correct exposure, but don't know what the shutter speed is without looking at the dial. Sometimes there are cameras you want to pick up and some you don't. I always want to pick up my M6.
The M6 is a great camera and this guy has a great voice.
I just bought a Canon 7 film camera, what a joy
Great video. I'd say all of what you said applies to pretty much any analog M body with maybe the exception being the M5 and the M7.
I didn't buy into the M6 hype, it's too expensive now for what it is. I bought a brand new MP - a much better value proposition. No regrets.
The only M6 I could see myself owning is the version with the 0.58 viewfinder magnification - because it would allow me to see the 28mm frame lines with glasses. The 0.72 magnification on the M6/MP does not allow for that. But also, just to get an M body with a magnification suitable for 28mm frame lines - it does not need to be a Leica. There are alternatives: Minolta CLE, Hexar RF. Or contact lenses...
Great video Hugh. In time for the announcement of the limited edition "M6" (really an MP with a M6 skin).
A friend let me handle his M6 a few years ago. I immediately understood. I didn’t run out to buy one (still love using my Contax IIIa). But I do now own an SL2-S with 35mm SL ‘Cron.
Enjoy!
Absolutely the finest photographic tool ever made with that little bit of modern technology (a light meter). It encourages a true “artist” to push his skills to the limit where there are no limits. I am much prouder of the images that I have composed with my M6 than with my digital tools. Been using my M6 for 35 years. Great video BTW.
My double stroke 1957 Leica M3 and 1953 Leica IIIf are with me and go with me wherever I go. A v3 Summicron 50mm f2 on the M3 and 1947 50mm f3.5 Elmar and that's it. Tri-X, Rollei Retro 400S and Fomapan 400 are all rated and developed at 800 ISO. I can judge shutter speed and aperture with increased confidence as I've standardised on 800 ISO across the board. It's very liberating to pare everything back to such absolute basics and just concentrate on long form photography projects at one focal length.
It's said 'gear doesn't matter' and in one sense that's true but I have to say the Leicas speak against that - I have Topcon and Pentax cameras that are special to me but the rangefinders are the only ones that make me want to make pictures, all day every day. They're precision machines. That's obvious but they have also have an intangible quality I feel on an emotional level. The family has been asked not to let them go when I kick it but to hold on to them so whoever has an interest in photography can do what I do now - keep them loaded with film permanently so that Leica 'snick' continues. I'm an addict with no hope of recovery....
Jeez, I love this episode. And the tragedy of all this is, I love all my mechanical film cameras. I am terrible. Having confessed my sins, the M6 is my favorite! Brings me back down to earth when I am out and about with it. Rituals in place, f/8 or f/11, zone focus accordingly, Kodak TriX 400 film loaded, and adjust shutter speed when required. If I have to make a decision, I overexpose. Film developing with caffenol took a while to get the coffee recipe down pat and or course, no problem scanning. I just enjoy shooting this camera, the simplicity, how it feels in the hand, the shutter squeeze, the sounds. And more importantly the history. Job well done.
I especially liked this video because it really showed your love for the camera and what it can do for you as a photographer, it's a feeling.
😊🖖🏻
I recently bought an M6 classic, the serial number puts it to 1985 in MINT and UNUSED condition, I can’t wait to get out there and practice, I have not shot film in a little over 20 years. This is my first Leica and first range finder, I am BEYOND stoked to have chosen such an incredibly capable as well as ICONIC Camera.
Enjoy!
I have started shooting film a year ago. While I now enjoy shooting film, my favorite film camera is the EOS 1V. Even though it's much slower than most mirrorless cameras made recently, the compatibility with my Godox setup and EF lenses, I can make sure every shot I took won't go to waste.
I have had several Leica's and they all broke down, beyond repair or only at absurd costs. Reason: electronics. It can't be my fault, because my Japanese SLRs and fixed focus or point and shoot never had these issues. After some years, I decided to give Leica a try, but only a model with no or hardly electronics. I settled on the MP, with only a coupled light meter that I can ignore.Thank you for the video. For me, you covered the basics. 👍
Thank you Hugh. This may be your BEST video yet, educational, experiencial, mystical and a bit etherial. Or, maybe, plain wonderful, like the M6!
😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
An erudite, somewhat whimsical, and highly mellifluous presentation. In point of fact, one of the finest M6 reviews I've encountered. The camera is a dream to use, and, personally, many of the older more affordable non-aspherical Leitz lenses have a glow far superior (IMHO) to the state of the art aspherical lenses if you're looking for the classic old world feel from your own darkroom printing. I use the small dial M6 classic and the later M6TTL and both are a joy. They are wonderfully bereft of useless bells and whistles found on modern digital cameras- imaging units.
😉🙏🏻🖖🏻
The M6 is not the camera for me. My days of futzing around in a dark room are long behind me. I will stick to my M10. But somehow, I'm strangely happy that Leica still make film cameras.
I understand. 😎
Thank you, Hugh. Shooting film images using a Leica rangefinder is a uniquely creative experience.
Heading to Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento tomorrow……..only taking my M6 and a bag of film…..so looking forward to no futzing….😀
This is the best ”review” of an M6 - or in fact; almost any film camera - compared to shooting digital. Loved the part where you loaded the film in the camera. Could hear and feel every move in my mind. But for me the analogue days are over. Been there, done that. Had the M6 and the M4, loved them - but it is not the same without the darkroom. If the end result is seen on a computer anyway, I see no real point in using the analogue cameras anymore. Sad - but thats my conclusion after quite a lot of thoughts on the subject…
I understand. 😊
Leica analog is beautiful. Hopefully with its renaissance the cost of film will at least stabilise if not drop a little. Would be marvellous also if the Leitz group could perhaps manufacture and sell cost competitive 35mm film to complement their commitment to promoting analog photography.
You know that’s not going to happen for several, well at least, two reasons.
It's certainly a good job that the young photographers of today don't have all the limitations (which were normal for us of a certain, pre digital) which we had we had when film was the only option.
I am totally set with my original M4, silver chrome M5, silver chrome M8 and silver chrome M9-P. No need for a M6 of any kind.
For more flexibility with all kinds of manual focus glass I have the SL (Typ 601).
Great video!
The 'feel'. No other camera 'feel's' like a Leica (do I hear an echo?). The weight, the solidity, the feeling of precision engineering quality.
The sound. The distinctive sound of the escapement at speeds of 1/30 and less as the mechanism winds down after the first curtain, then after the second curtain fire.
Finding that 'one' image on the contact sheet beats the instant gratification of digital any day. Finding 'detail' on the neg that your eye did not see through the viewfinder - not quite as astonishing as an 8x10 neg, but sometimes a nice surprise..
Someone should write a book: '1 Camera to Own Before You Die' 😁
Great video, perfectly stated Mr. Brownstone, nothing better than a Leica in one’s hands. ( Although my X-Pro3 comes very close) Used a M6, M4P and a M2 for decades both Personally and professionally, only gave them up when the newspaper I was working for at the time stopped insuring my Leica system. Hindsight is definitely NOT 20/20!
Well I just picked up a M4 and really glad. First 3 rolls B&W ilford hp5 400. All bad except 1. Exposure for the most part was no good. Used lux app meter and an old light meter which is very accurate when I use my TLRs nope. Then I realized my bw solution was too hot and probably too old. So I put a portra 400 used the sunny16 rule and the light meter, validated with my leica q (testing) and it was better in terms of exposure. Buy not one shot was in focus. I recalibrated the ranger finder. Now I will put a portra 160 and start testing again. I have to say it was a bit frustrating 48 shot and only one I liked enough to post on IG. But still like you mentioned at the end all that magic happening. I will keep at it till I get good.
Excellent! Keep going!
Started life with a Nikon FM, which I still have along with a box of glass from the late 80s and early 90s. I bought an M6 and Candian Summicron in the early 2000's to understand the hype. You could still get a body and lens for less than $5k. . That lens and camera made some of the finest photos but by then I had a couple of digital cameras and the ordeal of processing and scanning got to be too much. Sold the M, which I still regret mostly because I think the Leica glass is magical; I don't get the same vibe from the Nikkors. The closest I've come is a Zeiss lens on one of my DSLRs but then you're missing the film look. There's definitely substance to the the hype but when I look at the current pricing I'm reminded what someone else wrote: it's a light gathering box and a rather unsophisticated one at that.
Excellent content on this channel. It caused me to pull the old Nikon out and make some images today.
How wonderful, Robert!
I truly am not ever used any Leica whatsoever but the pleasure of having one like M6 and getting habituated with the back old day best focussing available with Leica glasses would be not only challenging but the charisma of having such an aesthetic feel while shooting gives you the pleasure that none other camera is capable of!! You can cross choppy waters with a log of wood but the pleasure differs the kind of adventure as a voyager you are with other means to cross over; the experience of state of the art vehicles will definitely be safer and easier and perhaps more charismatic than the venture into the oldest method but as I said the feel is the ultimate factor which makes you open to choices!! One thing I'd like to know if M6 could be used with filters when it won't be any, I don't know, issue where 1/1000th of a second maximum Shutter Speed could be enough for almost any situation of strong light but the picture quality might take a beating in those cases of using filters and many would try avoiding them in hurried situations in streets!! All having said I apprehend that the day isn't far away when film-look would be available by ultra-modern sensors which would be able to process the light equally the chemical emulsions do on celluloid and I presume you will see it and give adieu to films although the pleasure will be yours for missing the dark room for ever!!
I shoot an m1. Coming over from Fuji to a Barnack and now shooting with an m1. Huge learning curve.
But something weird happened: once I learned some focus, my composition actually got better because I wasnt really ocd about if images lined up, or what not, I just felt the distances (I shoot a voigtlander ultron 35mm with a 90 degree focus throw) and shot instinctive.
I was able to dedicate more brain space to composition or freestyle my composition, which is what I do a lot in street photography
Probably the camera that fits/feels best in my hands. There’s just something about it’s weight and design that’s just about perfect.
I would love to see you do a video on using rangefinders and its relationship with eye dominance - I am left eye dominant and really struggle using my right eye with rangefinders - my understanding is that the best way to shoot with leicas is to shoot with both eyes open because it provides a greater sense of environmental awareness.
I really like this video. He does it like a true artisan. The quality is stupendous. It reminded me of the fun I had with my Minoltas in the early 1980s. I cannot afford film shooting now, BUT I am retiring to the outdoors later with my mirrorless, using the Zone System, thereafter spending time “developing” the digital files with DxO raw and film pack. It will be a good day.
In the 80s my dad bought a Konica Autoreflex SLR with a 40mm lens. I learned on it. That fantastic tactile experience of intentionally taking an image. It after using Canon and Sony for pro video for years, I added the Q2 for the minimalist Leica experience. I liked making prints from film, but I’m not brave enough yet to go back to film! 😅
Buy a Leica rangefinder if you can and if it reaches out to you in some way - I did. But there’s no getting past the fact that the Olympus OM-1 is no bigger, probably lighter, dramatically cheaper and functionally superior in several key aspects. There is also the classic rangefinder on steroids and if AF is your preference: the brilliant Contax G2 with its delightful Zeiss lenses.
I would like to try an M6, but I cant afford one so I will continue to use my Olympus O-M1.
Interesting video. Thank you
RS. Canada
My pleasure. 🖖🏻
For shutter speed / focal length ceilings, you’re better off buying ND’s with hard stops so if you needed the flexibility of DOF you can offset whatever exposure you’ve metered with say..ND .9 or 1.2
I like leica m simply because it has amazing lowlight ability when paired with fast glass and i can keep shooting at iso 400 which makes manual exsposure alot more easier even when the sun goes down
Also there is alot of third party glass you can get that does not brack the bank and are still really fast
I learned photography on a completely manual Retina rangefinder, and as a result, over the years my need for automation pretty much topped out with Aperture Priority metering on the OM-2. Consequently I find the menu systems and options on digital cameras to be almost completly futzy things that take away the magic of photography. Another thing is that full frame digital cameras are usually larger than their film counterparts. That being said, technically, 35mm film can't really compete with digital images anymore. What I would really like to see (but never will, because I'm a merket of 1) is a digital rangefinder modeled on the Leica III. No menus, just physical controls, with my only concession to modernity being a light meter.
Thx a lot for your interesting thoughts. I personally am not a fan of the M6 and decided to go with a M3 and a M4, luckily already a more than a decade ago when still affordable. Pairing it with a Sekonic L-398A lightmeter really helped me to understand light and exposure. BTW the Minolta 28mm M lens is fun to shoot with, especially for street and urban pictures.
Interesting Interwiew with stefan Daniel, Executive at Leica. ruclips.net/video/8oZsWIjiyH0/видео.html The Monochrom is discussed at 20m40s.
Totally understand.. after 20 years with my wonderful Mp.. I have like you
learnt a lot … to the point if I had to sell (never as it goes )I would be more then happy with a m4 - M4p…
Actually I would love a M4p Aniv …
Don’t believe the Leica snobs …M4p are great and still relatively (😂)cheap ..
with my workflow, I can develop and scan B&W film at home using hc-110 and negative supply scanning kit same day ^_^
when it comes to color I do use a lab and get to experience the novelty of waiting for my photos.
Even coming from a Mamiya 6 (for when I want to shoot film), the M6 had a very steep learning curve for me. It took me a LOT of time, and some amount of frustration, to really be comfortable using it quickly and effortlessly--which is what it excels at. So now I'm a "convert," but it wasn't a foregone conclusion for me.
Your comments and explanations are brilliant✨
🙏🏻🖖🏻😊
Hey Hugh, thanks for this video. Though my M240 is nearing a decade, I can’t seem to put it to pasture. However, I still get FOMO when new Ms are release, but upgrading every time that happens, when you don’t really have the budget for it, can be financially debilitating. :-) Instead, I’ve been strongly considering going back to film, preferably with a Leica, that would utilize my M lenses. Besides, I’m getting older and need to maintain my mature, debonair guise, by outfitting myself with “classic gear”, just like wearing a nice, classic chronograph. ;-)
I develope, print in my darkroom, own a variety of 135 and 120 cameras, including rangefinders (and thus a variety of composure limitations and applications). Yes, indeed, I LOVE the experience because of it. Breaking the barrier of that paradox, reaching the point of pure enjoyment and getting the aspired results. Yet, however much I appreciate the Leica craftsmanship and legacy, for me a 'new' M6 in 2022 seems redundant to the point of only ticking the nostalgia box. Perhaps that's the only point of it, then I'll just consider myself not emotionally moved by it. Why would I, I was born in 1971, not 1934 :-)
I had some red oval Leica decals I got from a guy in Manhattan street. Cool. My cheap camera is now worth $5,000.
I would choose the MP or if I wanted a real challenge the M-A. If you want a real pure mechanical experience the M-A is the one. But the M6 is the hipster camera of choice because they’re everywhere and you can get them cheap enough. The other camera some really adore and won’t change it for anything is the M3. Especially those like me who love 50mm. It’s amazing when we talk about M cameras, digital or not, the horror of a person having to put some effort into taking a photo. God forbid.
BTW, isn’t that 50 Cron the best? And hey….. 21:29…. LENSPEN carry a LENSPEN! 😂
Again a perfect video! The way you talk about this camera almost wants to make me buy one. On the other hand....been there, done that...film developping...spending hours and hours in a dark room...to find out the next morning that the picture s..cks....and start all over. I wonder how many M6 users are really doing this. It's a piece of art, no doubt about that, but it's just not for me. .....Although.....I still have a Hasselblad 500C/M....would I reconsider using it again...?
I have one too!
Nostalgia, nostalgia, recently I started to scan B&W negatives taken as far back to 70’es taken with various SLRs and with Bessa and finally Zeiss Ikon ZM, I am regretting selling ZM as it has a much better rangefinder/viewfinder and a modern shutter rather then rubberized cloth used by Leica to this day (do not point the camera to the sun or it will burn hole in the shutter). Seeing those negs got me thinking of getting a Leica MP, but I have dropped that idea now. Meantime SL2-s does me fine with SL as well as M lenses, thank you. P.S. I would be first in line for a small M mount body with a EVF and IBIS.
Simple solutions to rangefinder photography: color & b&w? 2 bodies; wider f/stops? back then kodak and Agfa had 25 ISO films.. over & under exposed w/ no meter? hand-held meter or lots of practice before attempting serious subjects; and so-on......
Hugh, I found that with my M11 cameras, I had trouble seeing the 28 mm and 35 mm frame lines with my glasses on. I therefore recently got a +2.0 diopter for one of them and I think it’ll be an acceptable solution when not using the VisoFlex2 (that said, it’s a hassle going between having my glasses on and off). Do you use diopter correctors for your M cameras?
Way beyond a youtube content creator, you are a literature master for sure
🙏🏻🖖🏻
This video is just a joy to watch
😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
I don't get the exact quote but somehow it was like this in Frank Herberts Dune: Constant optimization leads at the end to nothing.
I love my m6 and also my m10. They are so similar but also so different. Great video! Thank you Hugh
Thank YOU, Martin.
Maybe the day my M5 stops working, I’ll pick up an M6.
I've never quite understood the obsession over the M6. Then again, I've never used one, so maybe there is something to it. But I'm happy with my M3, so I'll stick with that unless someone can convince me otherwise.
The M6 looks like a phenomenal camera. I understand that Leica is going to be releasing a new M6 soon. The cost of a Leica is out of my budget, but I think they are definitely worth the price. For now it’s just my Leica M3 and Leica M5. Honestly, if I were to invest into a Leica system, it would be digital. The cost of film is becoming expensive, time to develop and scanning is also an issue.
A film costs $10~20! Plus processing. HOWMANY FILMS AND WORK TO EQUALCOSTS OF DIGITAL
@@jasongold6751hands down digital would be more affordable. If the digital shutter is rated at 150,000 actuations, that would be 4,166 rolls of 36 exposure film, even at 5.00 a roll it would cost 20,833.33 plus developing.
Thanks!
Thank YOU! 😊🖖🏻
My Leica M3 is 56 years old, mostly professional work and very personal photos .My M6 TTL now 23 yeras old. Almost as smooth as M3! I prefer 50mm lens(i have one) the 50mm Collapsible Summicron f2.0. No matter what you hear or read, there's nothing, like a Leica! Similar, almost, close don't mean nothing. The pure simplicity of a small camera and compact lenses. Easily slipped under a jacket or under a shirt. A roll of film, very seldom do I carry a spare! Develop your BW and get a scanner. Do the wet darkroom. It's easy. All of it! Leica probably has the most, sites and blogs of other photographers! Nikon-Canon have nothing close! Leica Forum, LFI, Red Dot etc.. Oh! Leicas don't allow other cameras in same bag. They will be evicted! You won't need the bag.. Enjoy! Great advice and input! Well done!
I never thought much about fast 50mm lens till I discovered leica now i cant shoot without one now on all my cameras lol
I think it was in the eighties that National Geographic switched to 35mm only and dropped larger formats. The results were a disaster. The images became grainy and unsharp, good only for reference, not to be enjoyed as images.
Hi, the price is a problem. If it were ten hundred dollars, I definitely would buy it. There are many genuine people in my situation. Handcrafted, art, etc., can not be an excuse for a $5000 price. It is not logical to use handcrafted, art, etc. as means of threat( I am not going to make a good camera if the price is not $5000). You also have to think about the lenses with it. I also believe Leica company would make more money if it were cheaper. But Leica, with Hassalblade, is in the right direction. I hope they will continue investing in film photography and the technic of development of photography. Thank you.
The materials and hand made nature of the Leica Rangefinder film cameras cannot be produced for much less money as it would then be non viable. Thank goodness Leica still offers photographers the opportunity to shoot traditional analogue and with such beautiful engineering.
Hugh, I don’t know where you obtained this super power, let’s call it “contextual immersion” but I’m back looking for another Leica! And I’m not easily swayed… I think… wait hold that thought.
😜😉🖖🏻
I really enjoyed my time with analog m leicas, but could never go back. You might chalk it to ineptitude, but even with a gossen meter I was never consistently on exposure...focus with the viewfinder was a pleasure and the feel of the camera was great...I have kept my granfathers iiic with a zeiss ikon lens 50mm lens, if I want to re-experience the tactile experience I can pull it out and fondle it...the repack the tripod in its leather case, the lense hood in its leather case and the leica in its leather case..
And back in the cabinet. I often think of the minox iib/iic when I get nostalgic, but they are even more compromised than the leica...but a similar tactile experience and take up no space.
I had my M6 finder upgraded to the MP about 4 years ago and never looked back. Not only is the finder patch better but the glass has better contrast and is of the optical quality that you would expect from Leica. I also had the 75mm and 135mm frame lines masked to make the viewfinder less cluttered. My M6 only has the 28, 35, 50 and 90mm frame lines visible. The 28 and 35mm frame lines don't intrude very much into the finder so It's the perfect finder to compose photos with. My M6 video: ruclips.net/video/T4laKRGmYTs/видео.html
The most famous line in film photography is this: "Will it turn out?" 😉
the hype about the Leica M6 pushes the price in a ridiculous level. I recommend the M3, M2 or M4.
The price for a M6 is so high in Germany, that a MP is a better option.
😮
Already have an M7 so not getting the new M6, but im sure Leica will sell every single one of them.
Hmmm I wonder if this video was made for the M6 rumors flying around hahaha
Me 2
Leica Rumors suggests that the reissue is going to be limited to 500 units. How does Leica benefit form that?
This is a good reminder why I never want to go back to film
In short: "Yes" :-)
😉
perfectly stated.
This is not all related to the upcoming m6 reissue
"a matter of days until you see the result"
Buying a Leica M6 must be forbidden if you
can not develop your B&W film yourself
or want to scan the negatives.
Futz
With all due respect, Hugh. Not sure what happened during the development of those images, something does not look right.
Agreed. Hold that thought. Done by an outside lab.
@@3BMEP I've found that most labs crank the contrast up to 11 when scanning B&W negatives. Probably the same for any film that they scan. I have my own Nikon Coolscan 9000, and I really had hoped that outside labs would give me good scans and save me the bother of doing my own scans, but they just blast the contrast so high that I just use their scans as a "big contact sheet" that tells me which ones to re-scan myself at moderate contrast, which gives me all the detail back in the shadows and highlights that the super-contrast scans lose. You really want to scan flat and adjust the contrast to taste after. Plus, I can scan as full 16-bit TIFF files (huge) and keep all that information that's lost in a JPEG.
Beware of the electronics in the M6 and in particular the M6TTL which are unreliable and can no longer be repaired in many cases. The camera will still work of course.
How can you listen to this and not want the M6!!!
It's nice to see the joy of film photography still exists but the person who will buy a $5000 Leica M6 is not going to be making a living with it. At best a hobby to satisfy some desire to feel like a pro but never made it applies here. For Leica fans this will be a great trill 2 m6's for the price of one M 11 and older film lenses will do the trick no need for APO's.
It makes perfect sense their are more hobbiets than pro so why not go for the volume .
Maybe you haven't checked lately but the average price now is around 2800$ so just a little bit more then a cla'd M3
I will let you know when I find £5,000 hidden down the back of my sofa.
19:14
…..was it good for you too? 🚬 ….smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, boys…
I'd rather have a Leica CL2 - sigh.
Me too...!
I owned an m6 and now using a m7. I can see only 2 benefits of the m film camera. Mostly the possibility to mount m lenses which are among the best and using a range finder… Here they are other choices too…For the other things, it is only a light box. If you have a Pentax LX or a Minolta XD x700 a Zeiss a Kodak Retina this is also history and tactile… I believe that Leica saw the price increase from 900 to 2.5k euros for the M6 and they might have thought. Let’s make good money. There is still a market… Why not. But this isn’t photography… Just my thoughts
Film oh so needless costly
No.
In my personal opinion, it is only a camera for purists, with good marketing that happened by mistake and for nostalgics. As a result, it is much too expensive for what it offers. It's an old, beautiful, very expensive Bentley and that's about it. You can't take it seriously even for a second.
Almost all arguments are true for other 35mm film camera's. Myself I use the LEICA ANTIDOTE : Nikon F3/T: benefits the SLR features, much cheaper with millions of manual lens options from Nikon, Zeiss, Voigtlander, ...! Leica M6 is over hyped and over priced and under performs !!!