I live in Rochester,NY and had worked for Kodak for over 40 years. They are hiring to ramp up film production. Last year they had one shift producing film. Now they are running shifts 24/7. I shoot both film and digital. My digital is a Leica Q2 Monochrom.
Thanks for the video. It is good to hear that the Leica M6 is back in production. I shoot a Leica M6 film and Leica M10 digital with 21mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, and 90mm f/2 lenses. Great cameras and great lenses.
If you have never owned a Leica, then you don’t know, what you don’t know. It’s more than a camera, it’s an instrument that helps create art. However, as a retired commercial photographer, who only shot film, I believe it’s the photographer not the camera that makes the magic happen, with a little help from my M6 ! Thanks great video. I am now a subscriber ! Rick…..📷
A $5000 camera is not going to 'save' film photography when you can pick up any of millions of still-working, more capable, film cameras for less than $100. Film cameras are already easily accessible, film itself is not.
As much as I would love to have an m6, my hope is that other companies will release new film cameras. There have been a few smaller film camera releases, but nothing I would call premium. I'm also really hoping that film production kicks back up and prices go down. I adore film but I just can't stomach the cost of it
I haven't shot film in ten years, but recently pulled out my M3 (with 35mm bugeyes) to see if it still took good pix. It does. I've had it 53 years, since my senior year in high school. $250. Perhaps my most prized possession. I could never afford another one.
The Leica M range is great when you get used to it. For my professional work flow I need digital cameras, because I can't wait for getting film processed and scanned. It would take me at least 30 minutes from releasing the shutter till I've scanned the film. I kept analog photography as long as possible. Today I shoot with Leica M-P 240 and Q, and have no intentions to use film again. This said, your review is great and keep on rolling.
Likewise - for the vast majority of my professional work I use digital. But for personal, I love working on film (M6 and otherwise, though M6 is my personal favorite). Thanks for checking the video out!
Given the amount of film shooters on RUclips that shoot with these, it's no wonder that Leica have gone " hang on, we're missing out on sales here". It's all to do with money, not legacy etc. It's business sense.
Nice essay. I appreciated it. Delivered well, and in a nice environment. 🙂 The M is the most desirable camera on the market right now. If I could, I'd buy an M-A Titanium and a shit-tonne of film. However, I do not appreciate the music. It's not that I dislike the music per se, it's just that using music in vlogs is mostly annoying. If you do it well, though, that's a bonus point. BTW, the idea that film slows down the process is definitely not a selling point! The M may not be a speed demon when it comes to AF or frame rate, but it is a very, very responsive camera, and was designed to be so.
Dude, you’re incredibly well spoken. How is it in this day and age someone with your passion for photography and gift for the spoken word isn’t being followed by a throng of avid followers…. It’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Loved your intro BTW… Looking forward to seeing what else you got coming.
Nice video. I am an amateur photographer. I use an M6 film and we must be sure the “calibration” is correct for proper focusing. This usually takes an expert to do. Just a reminder to those who are not aware of this. This is not cheap and not many technicians have the right specialized equipment. Be careful who does this work. Thank you. RS. Canada
I remember how crystal pepsi, dunkaroos, and the Mexican pizza came back. A day later after this announcement, it still feels surreal that Leica brought this camera back. I have mines and used it heavily since the first day I got it. I feel a greater sense of purpose in my work no other camera has given me and is part of my style. The same way Jimi trusts his fender, James with his les Paul, Kanye and J Dilla using a MPC is why we picked up a m6.
100% the M6 is a totally different animal than any other camera. If I had to choose any camera forever & always it would be the M6. I love mine so much. It just hits different. in fact, it slaps. and the photos...there's something to the sexy little snap of the shutter that somehow makes them come out looking even better.
A very good documentary and I thank you for this ! I have a suspicion that film is making a big comeback. Reason for this, is the vast amount of people world - wide , who take dozens of pics a day on their cellphones. Most of these are happy snappers , but a large number of them are curious about photography and have progressed to DSLR cameras , and still continue to do so in increasing numbers ! It is only normal that a certain percentage of these people have become interested in film photography history and are now starting to experiment and learn how to manage this. This puts a whole new consumer trend in motion and the manufacturers of both films and cameras will have to respond in order to remain relevant. I would not be at all surprised to see the likes of historical top film camera companies such as Nikon , Canon , Pentax etc . joining the fray as the trend grows from digital to film . Digital cameras will not be replaced , with film ; rather they will complement each other.
Agree 100%. I use both and for different purposes. I love both for different reasons. There's room for both in the world, and while I suspect film is always going to remain somewhat niche at this point, just because of its cost and technical difficulty (compared with phones/DSLR/mirroless etc), there is an appetite and business rationale for both. The business rationale is the most important reason this is happening again.
They already make the MP and the MA so they already make film cameras. Yeah it’s £4500, if you want an M6 just get a nice older used one for £2000. I don’t think they can say the design of the m6 lasts the test of time, it looks like a camera designed in the 80s; they reissued it on that exact design. If they’d have put a meter in the MA and released that then it would make a lot more sense to me. This is just my opinion though.
Totally fair. In my excitement I completely lost track of MP. I’m definitely happy to have mine from 90s, not for the new price tag. But either way, still a smart move from Leica to capitalize on the supply constraint for M6 and re-release
Same design, but not same camera. The top and bottom plates are brass instead of zinc, the paint is the same as the M11, so it will not brass. It has updated frame lines and rangefinder and the same meter as the M11. So same design, but modernized with the newest tech and techniques they’ve created since its original production.
First of all what you are talking about in this video is simply excellent. There is a thought to it, it makes one thing clear and easy and understand and think about. Really good and really enjoyable to listen. Second of all, and this is where in my opinion all of the gear reviewing or gear talking youtubers make a cardinal mistake is that, if you are talking about the gear, make it been seen much more or entirely more than yourself in the video. Because it’s about the gear, and not about you. By saying this I don’t mean to troll and say anything negative about you or your appearance. I am a dude, and looking at another dude during the whole video it isn’t really a thing, and as another dude I’m sure you get the grasp of that. You are talking about this amazing camera in this video, let it been seen thruout the video. That will also make audience comeback more and more to your video.
Surely, Leica is a Mercedes-Benz of the camera world, but no, it has no broad appeal, not at $5,200 price tag. I don't believe a film rangefinder should cost this much. Leica is a fine boutique item, and this is where it will remain.
for sure. I've never used the M-A but I just apply the same principles as I'd use on it to the M6 so that I'm not constantly checking the meter (pretty much just sunny 16 and I seem to mostly be fine!). Good luck :)
I hope it prompts other makers to resurrect their old cameras, but I don't think Leica's move is as profound as you suggest. Leica is responding to the market, but it's not been hard to get into film; or even acquire a decent, decades-lasting M6 (if you have the $$$). I shoot a 41-y-o ME Super owned from new, two Nikon F3s and and FE2 w/ three f/1.4 lenses, all got for for less then the cost of a single Leica lens. I process films myself. It's extremely satisfying. As for MP, it's a Marketing Ploy and anyone who falls for it is missing the point of photography. At the end of the day, the 'Leica experience' is part joy of shooting film on a Leica and part just joy of shooting film*. Both of these are readily available with or without a new M6 and, I can tell you, there is quite a bit of joy to be had shooting an F3. Or even an Olympus Trip. (Leica will, however, sell new M6s by the shedload, I've no doubt; and good luck to them. Maybe Nikon will fire up F3 production again...) Would I like to own a Leica? Yes, I'd like to try it; and the M6 is the one I'd go for, used or new. Can I justify it? No, not really. Ultimately, would it make my photos better or me a better photographer? Unlikely. Practise relies only on you knowing your gear and your art, not what the gear is. * And, for some, a sprinkling of oneupmanship.
I agree with a lot of what you're saying. There are plenty of great cameras available on the market secondhand, and at a lot of different price points. I also own an Olympus OM-10 and use that regularly. It's great and a pleasure to use (though admittedly not as much as the M6, but that's largely to do with how loud the shutter on the Olympus is). As to the impact, that's the wait and see. The real point I'm making here is that Leica sees this is a business opportunity because they have such a strong brand. I think the impact will take a minute to see, but given that they're the first manufacturer in quite some time to put a big marketing campaign out globally about a film camera, it's worth watching to see how the other manufacturers (body + film stocks) respond (or not) in kind.
I remember going back home to Canada for a family gathering in 2010, I was casually taking photos of my family with my camera that I bought in 1985, this was normal for me. My brother said incredulously "Is that a film camera??" I said yes and he replied "You better enjoy film now because soon you want be able to buy film." I said "I don't think so, film is not going away, I'm not worried." Now it's 2022, look where we are. Also, I've said for years (surely not only me), that if Leica were wise, since they have the knowhow and capability, and if they had the will they could capitalise on the film boom by making a new film camera like the M6 again, it would sell like hotcakes. Seems they are very business savvy and have recognised and answered the market and the need to produce cameras that are not only digital. I predict the order application waiting list for the (new) M6 purchases will be a very long one...
@Phillip Banes Leica MP especially black paint always out of stock in the us.. waiting list just unbearable, even before the launch of this new M6. And yeah they sell like hotcakes. Demand is higher than ever, while supply can’t match it yet.
@Phillip Banes It's a premium product, but not a luxury product. I have never been close to rich and I've owned at least a dozen Leicas. Film, digital, Barnack, M. My only mistake was selling them. Oh, man, was I silly.
Original Leica M6 shooter here also. Biggest von - not mentioned in the video - is the unavoidable rangefinder patch flare. The new M6 has the MP rangefinder which avoids this issue. Let's not forget that Leica only makes a limited number of the new M6 of 500 pieces suitable mostly for collectors.
" Let's not forget that Leica only makes a limited number of the new M6 of 500 pieces" No, It is NOT a limited production camera as some have suggested. It is a standard production camera just as it was when released in the early 1980's. Whether the MP will remain in production is a good question...
@@buskman3286 500 pieces is not a standard production run. It's a limited edition at this point to keep pricing high fitting the luxury brand marketing.
All of what you said makes sense, but sorry not one mention to the ridiculously high price tag of this new camera? I get it, hand crafted, the Leica brand etc, but I sense that more than 90% of the people who shoot film won’t be able to afford this camera. In the context of the current global economical situation Leica’s move is not to be seen as something that will affect the film photography landscape, but rather the willingness to put out a luxury product which only professionals or very rich people with the hitch to have the latest gadget will be able to afford.
The thing nobody is talking about is the relationship between the parts ban and the M6 reissue. It’s all about fixing supply chain issues. Bringing back the M6 is a great marketing ploy, but it’s only an MP made in a way that deals with the outfall of COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If Leica still refuses to sell parts to repair shops, that’s very bad news because “used Leicas are their entry-level cameras,” so they say.
Intro soundtrack, to the point! Makes a welcome change from Kenny G leica intros.. new M6, I have to say I have mixed feelings. Maybe I updated version of the M7 would have been more appropriate for you up start, young bloods. Personally I have my analog covered very well. The ultimate M. Type127.
Yes, Leica film cameras can last for decades but not without repairs along the way. Parts do break or wear out. The first thing to go on my M6 were the frame lines . . . and only after a few years of use. Another part prone to breaking is the film rewind knob/mechanism. Any number of other parts can/will break/wear out with use. No different than any other camera, including the very best. Still, the M6 is an excellent camera, no question. But having had one for many years, and having used a good number of other quality cameras over the years, and long having been an astute student of human behavior, I believe that the rarefied status afforded the M6 may be more indicative of a cult-like fetish than of an objective, rational appraisal. I love my M6 but I am not blinded by it and see it for what it is - that is, a well made mechanical instrument with utilitarian purpose. Nothing more, nothing less.
All cameras are disposable. Leica, Phase One, Pentax, whatever. All of them. But, at the same time, they must be well made and, hopefully, satisfying to use.
@@jhenning87 It's an exaggeration, but it isn't nonsense. A parallax finder will influence the way you shoot, even if just a little bit. It's not necessarily better, but it can be more appropriate.
@@bernardlesperance742 Agreed. But, unlike cars or houses or paintings, we don't need to look after our cameras. They are replaceable and should be treated as such.
If Leica knew what's what, they'd remanufacture the parts needed to fix light meters etc in ALL their prior metered models. People are obviously more than willing to pay for servicing. And a BIG reason for buying into Leica is the camera-for-life ethos. It would do Leica's reputation for service & reliability the world of good. Leica basically has the film rangefinder market cornered so it should comprehensively service all of their film cameras regardless of age and/or function. Film shooters are waiting for this. And before the naysayers start in with the usual excuses about money/sourcing materials etc., let me point out that relatively small startups are manufacturing and selling 3D printed light meters (and they work!) so if complete newcomers can do it.... History doesn't remember the companies that said they COULDN'T do X, Y or Z; it's the companies that figured out how to fulfill a demand that we celebrate today.
I have to say, the 'You can see outside the frame lines' thing is really overblown. I understand why it's said but it's not like when using a (D)SLR or mirrorless camera you can't simply scan around your subject or, God forbid, look up from the viewfinder, or worst still, use a Fuji X100 or X-PRO camera, which offers advantages unheard of the the Leica world. I'm not bashing Leica's, they are exquisite machines. I have an R7 (I'm poor) and I don't expect to ever part with it.
Just fyi: The original M6 does not have a brass top plate, but one made of zink. In early M6s these top plates are prone to zink bubbling and zink “rot”. On the old M6 the rangefinder can flare sometimes. The new M6 is improved in those areas compared to the old one. I think you‘re largely right. It is good that we have another new film camera.
Absolutely true and thanks for pointing it out. It’s a nice upgrade compared to the original that will go along way towards less maintenance needed on the new crop
Yes, this new M6 is using 95% of it's parts from the MP which is still being produced (body, finder, metering, top plate...etc) Paint and leather are coming from the M11. . Leica has basically started production of the an M6 style advance lever, rewind crank, and shutter speed dial. It's not coming in at much cost for Leica at all to do this. Leica is not bringing back film cameras, they have never stopped. The MP replaced the M6 in 2003 and is still being produced today.
If Leica diversified their product line to include watches with hand assembled mechanical movements, I doubt if they’d be able to produce one for less than half a million bucks.
I shot film for probably 40 years before going completely digital with Leica and Fuji. Though I've tried to go back to film on numerous occasions I see absolutely no value in it. There are plenty of downsides and only a few upsides. So, for me, shooting on film is dead.
Made by hand is so over rated( Etsy has many vendors who hand make items). Every 2nd manufacturer of sunglasses 😎 nowadays claim they they are hand made, every micro brand of watches market that their watches are hand made!! Just because something is hand made does not make items great. However these companies know how to market to gullible people who get carried away. In the mind of the buyer there is a false impression of a superior and exclusive product when it is not. Who cares if these are hand made or not. Modern technology can make anything better than by hand. Lol this is not 16th century. This is a mechanical camera and as such should not cost more than $750 to a $1000. If Leica claims that they cannot be made by machines and charge exorbitant amount then they are lying😮.
I guess you only like things mass produced. Keep that same ethos the next time you want to eat a nice meal. Instead of going to your favorite restaurant just stay home and nuke a machine made TV dinner, because it would so 16th century to have something made by a human.
There always has been an analog M available. All the time. The only reason the bring out the same camera as an M6 again is internet search and hashtags. Just like with the Canon AE-1, users guided by Yt and Ig almost never dare to deviate from recommendations...🙄
Long live film. Digital cameras and your computing environment cost more than film. I like the term "intentional photography". For me, I used to use NIkon. I'll keep an open mind. Next step - processing labs. Then - custom printers - burn and dodge on textured paper. Crossing my fingers.
I hope they do something about their extortionate film prices here in Europe and particularly the UK. The film is retailing for $8.95 in the US and the equivalent of $14.50 in the UK, even though due to stupidity of the UK geovernment recently, the British £ is literally equal to a $ US these days. Nonetheless it is good news.
Leica film cameras never went away as the crazy 2nd hand market prices have shown. Leica had to concenterate on the new fad ' the digital camera ' to survive. With the oncoming of another wave of Copmuter Generated Imagery called Computational Photography, where a photograph can be digitally constructed at the computer using software only, the end of digital cameras of any sort is in insight. One thing that can not be cheated so easily is the recreation of a negative, or transparency for that matter. So we may see a distinction between calling film and digital/AI generated imagery ' photography ', in he new future. I think Leica are smart to keep a foothold in the analgue market, their prices notwithsatnding. The other company that might follow suit is probably Nikon. I hope so anyway. I also want Fuji and Sony dead. Particularly Fuji who has made such a mjor part in trying to kill off analogue photography. Meanwhile I keep on using my M2, M3 and M6. Long live analogue photography.
Fak mee , it’s Kodachrome what made the difference Not the M6 a cam that shoots only a 1000 of a second. I shoot M over 20 years now and love it for its weight and portability but I know well it’s cons too
i don't think this camera will have any impact on the industry. the brand and numbers sold is too small. my opinion why this is back in production is because there is a demand for manual Leica film cameras, but the MP is too high a price for the majority of users. the M6 gets you into Leica film photography at a more affordable price.
@@FANTAZ3RO well, i eat my words. i have not seen the pricing. i assumed it wouldn't be priced with the MP seeing how the MP feels significantly tighter than my m6
What is wrong with Lieca m4? You can almost get used two m4 for the price of one used m6. Get m4 , chrome and Matt black. M4 and M6 almost identical. No inbody meter? Big deal. Made in Canada, big deal! So what.
It's not a big deal. All your talking points are off the mark and you miss the point completely. But fret not. You're not alone in this mistake as Leica's marketing campaign is feeding this hyperbole - while Leica openly admits to all of my arguments below - verbatim, e.g. in an interview with Hugh from Three Blind Men and an Elephant on RUclips. 1. Leica has been manufacturing the Leica MP for almost 20 years to this day. You could buy a brand new analog, fully mechanical M with a meter for the past 20 years. I bought a brand new Leica MP in 2020. The Leica MP (and MA) are still in production and will stay in production. 2. The new "M6" has nothing in common with the previous, original Leica M6 other than design language, the red dot and the M6 engraving. The new M6 has a new top plate design, but shares ~85% of the parts and manufacturing process of the MP that has been in production for nearly 20 years now. The new "M6" has the same shutter, the same take up spool, the same film transport mechanism, the same light meter, the same viewfinder, the same rangefinder etc. as the MP. In other words: this new M6 is just a slightly cheaper variant/version/flavor of the existing MP. It's a cheaper MP with a different top plate and the M6 engraving and a red dot. 3. Leica is not putting a new product into production, they're adding a variant to an existing product into production which will have to share the same existing manufacturing capacities with the other variants - e.g. the MP and MA in their four different versions (silver MA, silver MP, black MA, black MP). Leica is not increasing manufacturing capacities. The same technicians putting MPs together by hand will put together the MP "M6" variant, using the same machines in the same location, working the same hours/shifts. What does that mean? If you want the "M6" variant of the MP, you will have to queue up with everyone else wanting to buy an MP or MA. When I bought my MP in 2020, I had been on a wait list for a couple of months. I only got it faster than a year of waiting because the pandemic kicked in and the buyer on the wait list eligible to receiving his bailed on the purchase, so I got a call if I wanted it, being next on the wait list of my local Leica store. The new "M6" is already back-ordered. If anyone wants one, they'll be on a wait list and will likely remain on a wait list for many months. Leica produces the MP, MA and MP "M6" in homeopathic amounts at glacial speeds. 4. The price of the new "M6" is only $500 lower than the price for the MP. It's a meaningless price difference for accessibility. Both the actual MP and the MP "M6" cost more or less the same in terms of magnitude of investment. 5. Leica is not producing film cameras to turn a profit, they're doing it because they can and because it benefits the brand, not their bottom line. You don't have to be a genius to get to that conclusion - contrary to what you say in your video - because of the extremely low numbers of analog M bodies their manufacturing can actually output in a given year. Leica's head of global marketing states that Leica does not manufacture analog M bodies for profit, you can listen to him state this in his interview with Hugh at Three Blind Men and an Elephant. So, to summarize. This is not a big deal. It's just a cosmetic variant of the Leica MP that has been available new from Leica for the last two decades. Nothing changes.
Yawn. Leicas back in the day were used by some of the greats but now they are just rich people's overpriced toys. Let me know when Nikon or Canon or Pentax start remaking their classic film cameras. That would be far more important to your average film shooters...
If your demographic are high school students the music overlay is the way to go. Otherwise please lose it. I much prefer videos like this with no music at all. I agree with everything you said and you said it well but please lose the music. Let’s teach the new generation to not require constant stimulation as well as delayed gratification (by shooting film). Thanks.
I live in Rochester,NY and had worked for Kodak for over 40 years. They are hiring to ramp up film production. Last year they had one shift producing film. Now they are running shifts 24/7. I shoot both film and digital. My digital is a Leica Q2 Monochrom.
This is music to my ears!
are there any words about the prices possibly dropping down or we are going to be paying that current retail for good
?
@@geraldkokra6316 Not that I’ve heard. The places I buy from locally are the same prices as B&H for example. Ultramax is not in stock.
I also sadly expect price to raise overtime because of the cost of the material. That’s sad.
@@geraldkokra6316 Prices won't go down. Once the prices go up companies rarely drop them to previous levels.
Thanks for the video. It is good to hear that the Leica M6 is back in production.
I shoot a Leica M6 film and Leica M10 digital with 21mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, and 90mm f/2 lenses. Great cameras and great lenses.
If you have never owned a Leica, then you don’t know, what you don’t know. It’s more than a camera, it’s an instrument that helps create art. However, as a retired commercial photographer, who only shot film, I believe it’s the photographer not the camera that makes the magic happen, with a little help from my M6 ! Thanks great video. I am now a subscriber ! Rick…..📷
💯 a camera is just a tool. And better tools make our jobs easier! Lots of great cameras out there
A $5000 camera is not going to 'save' film photography when you can pick up any of millions of still-working, more capable, film cameras for less than $100. Film cameras are already easily accessible, film itself is not.
As much as I would love to have an m6, my hope is that other companies will release new film cameras. There have been a few smaller film camera releases, but nothing I would call premium. I'm also really hoping that film production kicks back up and prices go down. I adore film but I just can't stomach the cost of it
I haven't shot film in ten years, but recently pulled out my M3 (with 35mm bugeyes) to see if it still took good pix. It does. I've had it 53 years, since my senior year in high school. $250. Perhaps my most prized possession. I could never afford another one.
The Leica M range is great when you get used to it. For my professional work flow I need digital cameras, because I can't wait for getting film processed and scanned. It would take me at least 30 minutes from releasing the shutter till I've scanned the film. I kept analog photography as long as possible. Today I shoot with Leica M-P 240 and Q, and have no intentions to use film again. This said, your review is great and keep on rolling.
Likewise - for the vast majority of my professional work I use digital. But for personal, I love working on film (M6 and otherwise, though M6 is my personal favorite). Thanks for checking the video out!
Given the amount of film shooters on RUclips that shoot with these, it's no wonder that Leica have gone " hang on, we're missing out on sales here". It's all to do with money, not legacy etc. It's business sense.
exactly
Nice essay. I appreciated it. Delivered well, and in a nice environment. 🙂 The M is the most desirable camera on the market right now. If I could, I'd buy an M-A Titanium and a shit-tonne of film.
However, I do not appreciate the music. It's not that I dislike the music per se, it's just that using music in vlogs is mostly annoying. If you do it well, though, that's a bonus point.
BTW, the idea that film slows down the process is definitely not a selling point! The M may not be a speed demon when it comes to AF or frame rate, but it is a very, very responsive camera, and was designed to be so.
Dude, you’re incredibly well spoken. How is it in this day and age someone with your passion for photography and gift for the spoken word isn’t being followed by a throng of avid followers…. It’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Loved your intro BTW… Looking forward to seeing what else you got coming.
ah, thanks so much! new to RUclips but the goal is to get 1 up per week. More to come!! 🙏🏻
Nice video. I am an amateur photographer. I use an M6 film and we must be sure the “calibration” is correct for proper focusing. This usually takes an expert to do. Just a reminder to those who are not aware of this. This is not cheap and not many technicians have the right specialized equipment. Be careful who does this work. Thank you. RS. Canada
I remember how crystal pepsi, dunkaroos, and the Mexican pizza came back. A day later after this announcement, it still feels surreal that Leica brought this camera back. I have mines and used it heavily since the first day I got it. I feel a greater sense of purpose in my work no other camera has given me and is part of my style. The same way Jimi trusts his fender, James with his les Paul, Kanye and J Dilla using a MPC is why we picked up a m6.
100% the M6 is a totally different animal than any other camera. If I had to choose any camera forever & always it would be the M6. I love mine so much. It just hits different. in fact, it slaps. and the photos...there's something to the sexy little snap of the shutter that somehow makes them come out looking even better.
Off topic but the Mexican pizza is just as good as I remember it. I'm excited for this news and the future of photography.
good video, good music, good shots, good blar, blar
ah thanks so much haha
Sorry. 6k for a film camera body does not sound like a good investment. Find an older camera for half the price. There are plenty out there.
A very good documentary and I thank you for this ! I have a suspicion that film is making a big comeback. Reason for this, is the vast amount of people world - wide , who take dozens of pics a day on their cellphones. Most of these are happy snappers , but a large number of them are curious about photography and have progressed to DSLR cameras , and still continue to do so in increasing numbers ! It is only normal that a certain percentage of these people have become interested in film photography history and are now starting to experiment and learn how to manage this. This puts a whole new consumer trend in motion and the manufacturers of both films and cameras will have to respond in order to remain relevant. I would not be at all surprised to see the likes of historical top film camera companies such as Nikon , Canon , Pentax etc . joining the fray as the trend grows from digital to film . Digital cameras will not be replaced , with film ; rather they will complement each other.
Agree 100%. I use both and for different purposes. I love both for different reasons. There's room for both in the world, and while I suspect film is always going to remain somewhat niche at this point, just because of its cost and technical difficulty (compared with phones/DSLR/mirroless etc), there is an appetite and business rationale for both. The business rationale is the most important reason this is happening again.
@@ryandavid Agreed ! Big business will never turn its nose up at an opportunity !
They already make the MP and the MA so they already make film cameras. Yeah it’s £4500, if you want an M6 just get a nice older used one for £2000. I don’t think they can say the design of the m6 lasts the test of time, it looks like a camera designed in the 80s; they reissued it on that exact design. If they’d have put a meter in the MA and released that then it would make a lot more sense to me. This is just my opinion though.
Totally fair. In my excitement I completely lost track of MP. I’m definitely happy to have mine from 90s, not for the new price tag. But either way, still a smart move from Leica to capitalize on the supply constraint for M6 and re-release
Yeah well but they are also loosing like 90% of their potential M6 customers by making it 5K
Same design, but not same camera. The top and bottom plates are brass instead of zinc, the paint is the same as the M11, so it will not brass. It has updated frame lines and rangefinder and the same meter as the M11. So same design, but modernized with the newest tech and techniques they’ve created since its original production.
@@HansRutenbrecher Why would they sell it for less?
@@CRAusmus M11 use metrix metering (using its sensor), new M6 use MP metering system.
First of all what you are talking about in this video is simply excellent. There is a thought to it, it makes one thing clear and easy and understand and think about. Really good and really enjoyable to listen. Second of all, and this is where in my opinion all of the gear reviewing or gear talking youtubers make a cardinal mistake is that, if you are talking about the gear, make it been seen much more or entirely more than yourself in the video. Because it’s about the gear, and not about you. By saying this I don’t mean to troll and say anything negative about you or your appearance. I am a dude, and looking at another dude during the whole video it isn’t really a thing, and as another dude I’m sure you get the grasp of that. You are talking about this amazing camera in this video, let it been seen thruout the video. That will also make audience comeback more and more to your video.
Great video! Keep up the good work 👏 🙏
Thanks!
Lovely video man. Really feel your points ✌🏻
I think it’s better to say fully mechanical instead of fully manual. It was confusing because ‘manual’ could also mean exposure mode.
Surely, Leica is a Mercedes-Benz of the camera world, but no, it has no broad appeal, not at $5,200 price tag. I don't believe a film rangefinder should cost this much. Leica is a fine boutique item, and this is where it will remain.
Just wondering, what lens(es) did you use to take the photos in the beginning?
All 28mm
@@ryandavid Yeah, I thought it looked wider than 35 but not wide enough to be 24/25. 28 is such a useful focal length for street.
M6 pretty exciting however I need to get my hands on a MA too and see how that feels. Totally manual without a meter is a big draw for me
for sure. I've never used the M-A but I just apply the same principles as I'd use on it to the M6 so that I'm not constantly checking the meter (pretty much just sunny 16 and I seem to mostly be fine!). Good luck :)
Nice video. Thank You
Thanks!
I hope it prompts other makers to resurrect their old cameras, but I don't think Leica's move is as profound as you suggest. Leica is responding to the market, but it's not been hard to get into film; or even acquire a decent, decades-lasting M6 (if you have the $$$). I shoot a 41-y-o ME Super owned from new, two Nikon F3s and and FE2 w/ three f/1.4 lenses, all got for for less then the cost of a single Leica lens. I process films myself. It's extremely satisfying.
As for MP, it's a Marketing Ploy and anyone who falls for it is missing the point of photography.
At the end of the day, the 'Leica experience' is part joy of shooting film on a Leica and part just joy of shooting film*. Both of these are readily available with or without a new M6 and, I can tell you, there is quite a bit of joy to be had shooting an F3. Or even an Olympus Trip. (Leica will, however, sell new M6s by the shedload, I've no doubt; and good luck to them. Maybe Nikon will fire up F3 production again...) Would I like to own a Leica? Yes, I'd like to try it; and the M6 is the one I'd go for, used or new. Can I justify it? No, not really. Ultimately, would it make my photos better or me a better photographer? Unlikely. Practise relies only on you knowing your gear and your art, not what the gear is.
* And, for some, a sprinkling of oneupmanship.
I agree with a lot of what you're saying. There are plenty of great cameras available on the market secondhand, and at a lot of different price points. I also own an Olympus OM-10 and use that regularly. It's great and a pleasure to use (though admittedly not as much as the M6, but that's largely to do with how loud the shutter on the Olympus is). As to the impact, that's the wait and see. The real point I'm making here is that Leica sees this is a business opportunity because they have such a strong brand. I think the impact will take a minute to see, but given that they're the first manufacturer in quite some time to put a big marketing campaign out globally about a film camera, it's worth watching to see how the other manufacturers (body + film stocks) respond (or not) in kind.
An F3?? Hell no! An F or F2!!
I remember going back home to Canada for a family gathering in 2010, I was casually taking photos of my family with my camera that I bought in 1985, this was normal for me. My brother said incredulously "Is that a film camera??" I said yes and he replied "You better enjoy film now because soon you want be able to buy film." I said "I don't think so, film is not going away, I'm not worried." Now it's 2022, look where we are.
Also, I've said for years (surely not only me), that if Leica were wise, since they have the knowhow and capability, and if they had the will they could capitalise on the film boom by making a new film camera like the M6 again, it would sell like hotcakes. Seems they are very business savvy and have recognised and answered the market and the need to produce cameras that are not only digital.
I predict the order application waiting list for the (new) M6 purchases will be a very long one...
Totally! Even at the price tag (but what Leica isn’t premium priced?!) they’ll sell like crazy
@Phillip Banes Leica MP especially black paint always out of stock in the us.. waiting list just unbearable, even before the launch of this new M6. And yeah they sell like hotcakes. Demand is higher than ever, while supply can’t match it yet.
@Phillip Banes Agree (at USD 5'000 a piece...)
@Phillip Banes Let them buy whatever they want to buy mate, it’s their decision dumb or not. Why bother?
@Phillip Banes It's a premium product, but not a luxury product. I have never been close to rich and I've owned at least a dozen Leicas. Film, digital, Barnack, M. My only mistake was selling them. Oh, man, was I silly.
Original Leica M6 shooter here also. Biggest von - not mentioned in the video - is the unavoidable rangefinder patch flare. The new M6 has the MP rangefinder which avoids this issue. Let's not forget that Leica only makes a limited number of the new M6 of 500 pieces suitable mostly for collectors.
" Let's not forget that Leica only makes a limited number of the new M6 of 500 pieces"
No, It is NOT a limited production camera as some have suggested. It is a standard production camera just as it was when released in the early 1980's. Whether the MP will remain in production is a good question...
@@buskman3286 500 pieces is not a standard production run. It's a limited edition at this point to keep pricing high fitting the luxury brand marketing.
@@hakurou2170 how do you define a 500 pieces production run? Leica did these kind of runs often in the past - limited editions.
@@MB-or8js who said that dude? No one said that. Only rumored, now they make it clear that Leica M6 regular production run not limited edition.
@@hakurou2170 wrong. 500 pieces are made.
Think I’ll stick with my M2
Thanks for the video introducing the new Leica M6. What is that music in the intro? Which artist/band is this? That sounds awesome.
It’s called “Retribution” by NEFFEX
@@ryandavid Thank you!
All of what you said makes sense, but sorry not one mention to the ridiculously high price tag of this new camera? I get it, hand crafted, the Leica brand etc, but I sense that more than 90% of the people who shoot film won’t be able to afford this camera. In the context of the current global economical situation Leica’s move is not to be seen as something that will affect the film photography landscape, but rather the willingness to put out a luxury product which only professionals or very rich people with the hitch to have the latest gadget will be able to afford.
The thing nobody is talking about is the relationship between the parts ban and the M6 reissue. It’s all about fixing supply chain issues. Bringing back the M6 is a great marketing ploy, but it’s only an MP made in a way that deals with the outfall of COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If Leica still refuses to sell parts to repair shops, that’s very bad news because “used Leicas are their entry-level cameras,” so they say.
very good point
Intro soundtrack, to the point! Makes a welcome change from Kenny G leica intros.. new M6, I have to say I have mixed feelings. Maybe I updated version of the M7 would have been more appropriate for you up start, young bloods. Personally I have my analog covered very well. The ultimate M.
Type127.
Yes, Leica film cameras can last for decades but not without repairs along the way. Parts do break or wear out. The first thing to go on my M6 were the frame lines . . . and only after a few years of use. Another part prone to breaking is the film rewind knob/mechanism. Any number of other parts can/will break/wear out with use. No different than any other camera, including the very best. Still, the M6 is an excellent camera, no question. But having had one for many years, and having used a good number of other quality cameras over the years, and long having been an astute student of human behavior, I believe that the rarefied status afforded the M6 may be more indicative of a cult-like fetish than of an objective, rational appraisal. I love my M6 but I am not blinded by it and see it for what it is - that is, a well made mechanical instrument with utilitarian purpose. Nothing more, nothing less.
Couldn’t agree more. The rangefinder being some way of “seeing the world differently” is absolute nonsense.
All cameras are disposable. Leica, Phase One, Pentax, whatever. All of them. But, at the same time, they must be well made and, hopefully, satisfying to use.
@@jhenning87 It's an exaggeration, but it isn't nonsense. A parallax finder will influence the way you shoot, even if just a little bit. It's not necessarily better, but it can be more appropriate.
@@Biosynchro Well, actually, all human-made things are disposable if you want to look at it that way. Nothing lasts forever.
@@bernardlesperance742 Agreed. But, unlike cars or houses or paintings, we don't need to look after our cameras. They are replaceable and should be treated as such.
opening music was way too loud for this voice later on.
If Leica knew what's what, they'd remanufacture the parts needed to fix light meters etc in ALL their prior metered models. People are obviously more than willing to pay for servicing. And a BIG reason for buying into Leica is the camera-for-life ethos. It would do Leica's reputation for service & reliability the world of good. Leica basically has the film rangefinder market cornered so it should comprehensively service all of their film cameras regardless of age and/or function. Film shooters are waiting for this.
And before the naysayers start in with the usual excuses about money/sourcing materials etc., let me point out that relatively small startups are manufacturing and selling 3D printed light meters (and they work!) so if complete newcomers can do it.... History doesn't remember the companies that said they COULDN'T do X, Y or Z; it's the companies that figured out how to fulfill a demand that we celebrate today.
Intro track is sick
It certainly made ME sick. Ghetto jungle vomit.🙉
I have to say, the 'You can see outside the frame lines' thing is really overblown. I understand why it's said but it's not like when using a (D)SLR or mirrorless camera you can't simply scan around your subject or, God forbid, look up from the viewfinder, or worst still, use a Fuji X100 or X-PRO camera, which offers advantages unheard of the the Leica world. I'm not bashing Leica's, they are exquisite machines. I have an R7 (I'm poor) and I don't expect to ever part with it.
Just fyi: The original M6 does not have a brass top plate, but one made of zink. In early M6s these top plates are prone to zink bubbling and zink “rot”. On the old M6 the rangefinder can flare sometimes. The new M6 is improved in those areas compared to the old one.
I think you‘re largely right. It is good that we have another new film camera.
Correct, the older M6 have that bubbling problem, I’m surprised this is not talked about more given how much they go for on the used market.
Absolutely true and thanks for pointing it out. It’s a nice upgrade compared to the original that will go along way towards less maintenance needed on the new crop
Yes, this new M6 is using 95% of it's parts from the MP which is still being produced (body, finder, metering, top plate...etc) Paint and leather are coming from the M11. . Leica has basically started production of the an M6 style advance lever, rewind crank, and shutter speed dial. It's not coming in at much cost for Leica at all to do this. Leica is not bringing back film cameras, they have never stopped. The MP replaced the M6 in 2003 and is still being produced today.
If Leica diversified their product line to include watches with hand assembled mechanical movements, I doubt if they’d be able to produce one for less than half a million bucks.
hahah funny you say that...they do have a watch (It's $14K! ouch)
I shot film for probably 40 years before going completely digital with Leica and Fuji. Though I've tried to go back to film on numerous occasions I see absolutely no value in it. There are plenty of downsides and only a few upsides. So, for me, shooting on film is dead.
Honestly wish i could afford one or at least try it,
I just don’t care about it man! I don’t know why but I don’t!
Made by hand is so over rated( Etsy has many vendors who hand make items). Every 2nd manufacturer of sunglasses 😎 nowadays claim they they are hand made, every micro brand of watches market that their watches are hand made!!
Just because something is hand made does not make items great. However these companies know how to market to gullible people who get carried away. In the mind of the buyer there is a false impression of a superior and exclusive product when it is not.
Who cares if these are hand made or not. Modern technology can make anything better than by hand. Lol this is not 16th century.
This is a mechanical camera and as such should not cost more than $750 to a $1000.
If Leica claims that they cannot be made by machines and charge exorbitant amount then they are lying😮.
I guess you only like things mass produced. Keep that same ethos the next time you want to eat a nice meal. Instead of going to your favorite restaurant just stay home and nuke a machine made TV dinner, because it would so 16th century to have something made by a human.
Amen
There always has been an analog M available. All the time. The only reason the bring out the same camera as an M6 again is internet search and hashtags. Just like with the Canon AE-1, users guided by Yt and Ig almost never dare to deviate from recommendations...🙄
Long live film. Digital cameras and your computing environment cost more than film. I like the term "intentional photography". For me, I used to use NIkon. I'll keep an open mind.
Next step - processing labs. Then - custom printers - burn and dodge on textured paper.
Crossing my fingers.
I hope they do something about their extortionate film prices here in Europe and particularly the UK. The film is retailing for $8.95 in the US and the equivalent of $14.50 in the UK, even though due to stupidity of the UK geovernment recently, the British £ is literally equal to a $ US these days. Nonetheless it is good news.
Australia has entered the chat.
(A roll of Portra 800 costs $35 here).
M3 best
Leica film cameras never went away as the crazy 2nd hand market prices have shown. Leica had to concenterate on the new fad ' the digital camera ' to survive. With the oncoming of another wave of Copmuter Generated Imagery called Computational Photography, where a photograph can be digitally constructed at the computer using software only, the end of digital cameras of any sort is in insight. One thing that can not be cheated so easily is the recreation of a negative, or transparency for that matter. So we may see a distinction between calling film and digital/AI generated imagery ' photography ', in he new future. I think Leica are smart to keep a foothold in the analgue market, their prices notwithsatnding. The other company that might follow suit is probably Nikon. I hope so anyway. I also want Fuji and Sony dead. Particularly Fuji who has made such a mjor part in trying to kill off analogue photography. Meanwhile I keep on using my M2, M3 and M6. Long live analogue photography.
yeah if nikon relaunch their F4s..i'm first to buy with upgraded matrix metering coupled with solid magnesium alloy body build like a tank
Fak mee , it’s Kodachrome what made the difference Not the M6 a cam that shoots only a 1000 of a second.
I shoot M over 20 years now and love it for its weight and portability but I know well it’s cons too
PLEASE - Somebody - make new Olympus XAs!
i don't think this camera will have any impact on the industry. the brand and numbers sold is too small. my opinion why this is back in production is because there is a demand for manual Leica film cameras, but the MP is too high a price for the majority of users. the M6 gets you into Leica film photography at a more affordable price.
Have you seen the pricing? The M6 costs exact the same as the MP
@@FANTAZ3RO well, i eat my words. i have not seen the pricing. i assumed it wouldn't be priced with the MP seeing how the MP feels significantly tighter than my m6
What is wrong with Lieca m4? You can almost get used two m4 for the price of one used m6. Get m4 , chrome and Matt black. M4 and M6 almost identical. No inbody meter? Big deal. Made in Canada, big deal! So what.
It's not a big deal. All your talking points are off the mark and you miss the point completely. But fret not. You're not alone in this mistake as Leica's marketing campaign is feeding this hyperbole - while Leica openly admits to all of my arguments below - verbatim, e.g. in an interview with Hugh from Three Blind Men and an Elephant on RUclips.
1. Leica has been manufacturing the Leica MP for almost 20 years to this day. You could buy a brand new analog, fully mechanical M with a meter for the past 20 years. I bought a brand new Leica MP in 2020. The Leica MP (and MA) are still in production and will stay in production.
2. The new "M6" has nothing in common with the previous, original Leica M6 other than design language, the red dot and the M6 engraving. The new M6 has a new top plate design, but shares ~85% of the parts and manufacturing process of the MP that has been in production for nearly 20 years now. The new "M6" has the same shutter, the same take up spool, the same film transport mechanism, the same light meter, the same viewfinder, the same rangefinder etc. as the MP. In other words: this new M6 is just a slightly cheaper variant/version/flavor of the existing MP. It's a cheaper MP with a different top plate and the M6 engraving and a red dot.
3. Leica is not putting a new product into production, they're adding a variant to an existing product into production which will have to share the same existing manufacturing capacities with the other variants - e.g. the MP and MA in their four different versions (silver MA, silver MP, black MA, black MP). Leica is not increasing manufacturing capacities. The same technicians putting MPs together by hand will put together the MP "M6" variant, using the same machines in the same location, working the same hours/shifts. What does that mean? If you want the "M6" variant of the MP, you will have to queue up with everyone else wanting to buy an MP or MA. When I bought my MP in 2020, I had been on a wait list for a couple of months. I only got it faster than a year of waiting because the pandemic kicked in and the buyer on the wait list eligible to receiving his bailed on the purchase, so I got a call if I wanted it, being next on the wait list of my local Leica store.
The new "M6" is already back-ordered. If anyone wants one, they'll be on a wait list and will likely remain on a wait list for many months. Leica produces the MP, MA and MP "M6" in homeopathic amounts at glacial speeds.
4. The price of the new "M6" is only $500 lower than the price for the MP. It's a meaningless price difference for accessibility. Both the actual MP and the MP "M6" cost more or less the same in terms of magnitude of investment.
5. Leica is not producing film cameras to turn a profit, they're doing it because they can and because it benefits the brand, not their bottom line. You don't have to be a genius to get to that conclusion - contrary to what you say in your video - because of the extremely low numbers of analog M bodies their manufacturing can actually output in a given year. Leica's head of global marketing states that Leica does not manufacture analog M bodies for profit, you can listen to him state this in his interview with Hugh at Three Blind Men and an Elephant.
So, to summarize. This is not a big deal. It's just a cosmetic variant of the Leica MP that has been available new from Leica for the last two decades. Nothing changes.
glacial speeds?
Yawn. Leicas back in the day were used by some of the greats but now they are just rich people's overpriced toys. Let me know when Nikon or Canon or Pentax start remaking their classic film cameras. That would be far more important to your average film shooters...
Plenty of rubbish photographers have used them too.😂
Oh yeahhhhhhhh 💯
We want names
If your demographic are high school students the music overlay is the way to go. Otherwise please lose it. I much prefer videos like this with no music at all. I agree with everything you said and you said it well but please lose the music. Let’s teach the new generation to not require constant stimulation as well as delayed gratification (by shooting film). Thanks.
Amen. Lose the Ghetto noise.
Digital is dead, long live film: D. one camera to rule them all the Hasselblad, bring it Leicarits !! :D
now THAT is a topic for another video !
Linhof is the King of Cameras 🏆
Now let’s hope Kodak jump on the hype..
Yes that’s the hope for sure 🤞🏼
Consumerism