Leica M6

Overview

Leica M6

Solms, Germany

The M6 is the camera I load with Portra 400 and leave loaded. It's the Leica I reach for when I want a meter and don't want to think about it. The TTL meter is accurate enough to trust in most situations, and the 0.72x finder covers 28mm through 135mm with frame lines.

I've had this one for six years. It came from a photographer in Miami who was switching to digital. The meter was reading about a stop over. Turned out to be a corroded battery contact. Twenty minutes of work.

The M6 is not as romantically appealing as the M3. The finder is smaller. The body is newer and feels slightly less substantial. But it's the camera I use most often, and that counts for something.

History

The M6 was Leica's first M camera with a built-in TTL meter. It replaced the M4-P and addressed the one complaint most photographers had about the M series: no meter. The meter uses two LEDs in the finder -- one for over, one for under. Center the needle and you're in the zone.

The 0.72x finder became the standard magnification for M cameras. It's a compromise: large enough to use comfortably with 50mm lenses, wide enough to show 28mm frame lines. The M3's 0.91x finder is better for 50mm and longer. The M6's 0.72x is more versatile.

Leica also made the M6 in 0.58x and 0.85x magnifications. The 0.58x is for eyeglass wearers. The 0.85x is for people who shoot 75mm and longer and want a larger image. The 0.72x is what most people should buy.

The M6 TTL, introduced in 1998, added flash TTL metering. It's a slightly different camera internally. Both are good. The original M6 is usually cheaper and just as capable for available-light shooting.

Worth owning?

The M6 is the Leica I'd recommend to someone who wants to shoot Leica M lenses and wants a meter. It's more practical than the M3, more affordable than the M7 or M-A, and the meter is good enough for most situations.

The 0.72x finder is not as impressive as the M3's 0.91x, but it covers more focal lengths. If you shoot 35mm lenses, the M6 is the better choice. If you shoot only 50mm and longer, the M3 is worth considering.

Prices have risen significantly. A clean M6 in good condition runs $1,500 to $2,500 now. The TTL version is slightly more. Both are worth it if you're going to use the camera seriously.

CLA notes

The M6 CLA is similar to the M3 but with the added step of checking and calibrating the meter. I use a known-accurate incident meter to verify the TTL reading. The meter cell is not adjustable -- if it's reading wrong after cleaning the contacts, the cell needs replacement.

The shutter mechanism is essentially the same as the M3 and M4. Same lubricants, same procedure. The slow-speed governor is the most common point of failure on unserviced cameras.

In Florida, I always replace the light seals. The foam around the back door and the mirror box (on M cameras with mirrors -- the M6 doesn't have one, but the door seals still degrade) needs to be replaced with fresh material.