LEICA M6 – A BEAUTY IN BLACK
What more can be said about this camera – the infamous Leica M6 classic. Like all or most leica cameras it is a beauty to behold, and much like all Leica cameras beauty meets function. I am not going to write a spec or detail analysis of this camera, as I don’t have that knowledge to give – I am not a camera expert, just a guy who likes taking photos and have my own specific reasons for the cameras that I use.
I have several cameras of choice with the Leica M6 being my main film camera – I had the Nikon fm3a and canon ae-1 as well as the Hasselblad X-pan and Leica M3. Xpan is a great camera and one I highly recommend to anyone interested in film photography – however I prefer the Leica M6 for size and lenses. There is a reason most street photographers and photojournalist use Leicas – they are faster, more discreet and have better lenses than any camera on the market.
So what is special about the Leica M6? For me its the spot meter and fast film loading, after using the Leica M3 for a while I found that the spot meter makes a huge difference. I like the comfort of knowing that I may suck as a photographer but at least my exposures are going to be correct. I can guess quite accurately, but the M6 just gives me that extra insurance. On top of that I like the film loading process of the M6 compared to the M3. You just pop the film in and close the cover. Done.
The rangefinder experience:
I find myself gravitating towards Leica rangefinders more and more. I love the concept of being able to look in the viewfinder and seeing more of the frame than what you can actually photo. I can sit and wait with my eye on the viewfinder when I see someone coming into the frame, set-up the shot and take it without ever having to lift my eyes. I can’t do this on DSLRs of course, as there I only see what is in the frame and have to lift my eyes to see the full set-up. It may sound like such a small thing, but for me it’s one of the main reasons I prefer the rangefinder.
Another factor is the manual focusing – I don’t care how good your autofocus is it can’t beat the speed of manual focusing in a range and snapping off shots. Just look at what Bruce Gilden does with his Leica and you will know exactly what I mean. (youtube: Bruce gilden, mark cohen and so on).
Size – how can you beat the size and discretion of the Leica bodies? Or in this case the Leica M6. This is a tiny camera that fits easily into the palm of my hands at least.
Well, there really is not much more to say about the Leica M6 that hasn’t already been said – It’s a great camera that takes amazing pictures. Buy it if you can get your hands on one – just don’t buy it on Ebay as the price will be too expensive.
