Leica M6 Qn

[Derrick]

A relative was kind enough to loan me a M6 body and 2 lenses. Could have borrowed the whole set of lenses but too scary to carry home at one go. Anyway, would like to know what are the 2 levers on the front of the body (one largish one below the viewfinder window and one small one with a R below the shutter release).

Been playing around with the camera and more or less making comparisons with the Bessa R2. The leica lenses fit nicely onto the R2 and the CV lenses fit nicely onto the M6. Film loading wasn't as hard as what i have read, seems quite straight forward actually. One thing i still cannot get over, is the quietness of the M6 shutter. The R2 sounds so horrible and loud in comparison. Viewfinder on the R2 is much nicer to see though though.

Hope i dun get too addicted to it ....

[Red Dawn]

Quote: Originally posted by Derrick A relative was kind enough to loan me a M6 body and 2 lenses. Could have borrowed the whole set of lenses but too scary to carry home at one go. Anyway, would like to know what are the 2 levers on the front of the body (one largish one below the viewfinder window and one small one with a R below the shutter release). Been playing around with the camera and more or less making comparisons with the Bessa R2. The leica lenses fit nicely onto the R2 and the CV lenses fit nicely onto the M6. Film loading wasn't as hard as what i have read, seems quite straight forward actually. One thing i still cannot get over, is the quietness of the M6 shutter. The R2 sounds so horrible and loud in comparison. Viewfinder on the R2 is much nicer to see though though. Hope i dun get too addicted to it ....

Derrick....too late. u've made a fatal move trying it.........

the lever underneath the viewfinder changes the framelines displayed in the viewfinder, and is engaged automatically when u change lenses (does this happen automatically with the R2?)

try it - u can see that even if u have, for example, a 35mm lens attached, with the lever, you can see the framelines for the other lenses - the framelines are paired 28 / 90mm, 50 / 75mm, 35/135.

That way, u can decide if u want to switch lenses by viewing the scene through another frameline. Which means u can tell wat a 50mm lens will cover before you even switch to it, unlike SLRs.

the other lever, with a R, is for when you want to rewind the film. Push that lever to the left (with lens facing away from you), and then turn the rewind crank to rewind the film.

And yes, the film loading is actually very easy once u get the hang of it. Even more sure proof than my EOS 1v, i feel! Sometimes with the 1v i pulled the leader too long or short and the camera will refuse to wind the film, making it necessary to open the back again to adjust. With the M6, once you pull out the leader as the diagram showed (VERY important), close the back and replace the baseplate, the film is basically set and ready to go.

[Red Dawn]

Quote: Originally posted by Derrick One thing i still cannot get over, is the quietness of the M6 shutter.

oh btw in case u're really considering, you may want to take a look at the M7.

The M6 at least makes some noise. Not so the M7. Because it's electronically timed and controlled in this new incarnation, the shutter is virtually silent.

[Kit]

Yeah, I was playing around with an M7 with my friend standing beside me. Release the shutter and asked my friend "Did you hear that?" He said "Hear what?"

[Red Dawn]

Quote: Originally posted by Kit Yeah, I was playing around with an M7 with my friend standing beside me. Release the shutter and asked my friend "Did you hear that?" He said "Hear what?"

kit, flirting with the i see......

[Kit]

Quote: Originally posted by Red Dawn kit, flirting with i see......

Hehe..... don't think so. It was new then so I had to have a look.

[Derrick]

Quote: Originally posted by Red Dawn the lever underneath the viewfinder changes the framelines displayed in the viewfinder, and is engaged automatically when u change lenses (does this happen automatically with the R2?)

Thx for the replies.

The R2 does not change the framelines automatically. There is a switch at the top of the camera to set the framelines to either 75, 35/90, or 50.

It certainly is very addictive to the point where while i'm handling it i'm constantly thinking.... "one day i have to own one of these.... just buy a second hand body and start off with one lens". Maybe one day my grand uncle will sell some of his stuff to me at not such an exorbitant price. He hardly uses his cameras nowadays. He has something like 8 leica camera bodies (M and R series) and around 26 leica lenses. Left me dumbstruck when i requested a look around the dry cabinet.

[Red Dawn]

Quote: Originally posted by Derrick It certainly is very addictive to the point where while i'm handling it i'm constantly thinking.... "one day i have to own one of these.... just buy a second hand body and start off with one lens". Maybe one day my grand uncle will sell some of his stuff to me at not such an exorbitant price. He hardly uses his cameras nowadays. He has something like 8 leica camera bodies (M and R series) and around 26 leica lenses. Left me dumbstruck when i requested a look around the dry cabinet.

Hi

can i get to know your uncle as well?

Originally Posted by Derrick He hardly uses his cameras nowadays. He has something like 8 leica camera bodies (M and R series) and around 26 leica lenses. Left me dumbstruck when i requested a look around the dry cabinet.

Not sure if we r taking abt the same uncle?? I know of one uncle (not mine, too bad), around 80 years old now? He easily has 20-30 Leica M cameras and countless lenses. (he collects Hassy and Rolleiflex as well.) He hardly used them and his photo is at best so-so standard (not even of P&S quality sometimes.) The strange thing is that he is still buying/trading cameras and lenses. Whatever for? I believe he himself also don't know the answer

I reckon the irony is that great picture taking tools as Leica M ended up as collector items and collecting dusk. Those really like to use RF ends up using crappy stuff like zorki or cosina (sorry, can't help it. kok me .)