The new guy is curious...outside of cosmetic concerns, is there an appreciable differencnce between chrome and black M6 bodies? (viewfinder flare, edge brassing etc.)

-- Brooks (Bvonarx@home.com), June 22, 2001

Answers

The short answer is: NO

Buy whatever one you prefer. I have found the chrome cameras, while more likely to be noticed, are less likely to be taken seriously. People write them off as quaint old cameras while with the black bodies people seem to think "serious camera".

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), June 22, 2001.

In the archives of this bulletin board there is a thread on this subject which might interest you:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=004qIv

-- Xavier Colmant (xcolmant@powerir.com), June 22, 2001.

I had a black chrome M4-P and now have a chrome M6. I chose chrome because the black seemed to 'polish' and go shiny where it rubbed on the strap or case. My chrome M6 has noe signs of wear at all. On the black M6 the red dot seems to stand out more - I don't know whether this is of any significance. I haven't noticed any difference in recognition by people.

-- Anthony Brookes (gdz00@lineone.net), June 22, 2001.

I must admit that I am still a beginner, only have an M6TTL and three lenses for half a year, but spent so much time asking myself the same question that I thought you might be interested in hearing my answers. Optically, there is no difference between black and chrome. Today, too (at least since October 2000 in Germany) no price differences either. Weight difference has often or always been mentioned before somewhere.

The biggest difference for me is one of looks, and this is six-fold: (a) Everybody knows this one -- it's the matter of classicity, historicalness, nostalgia -- and that's your own personal choice! That's THAT. (b) Everything here is of course (I imagine) at least for a single camera or the first camera. These were my considerations for getting my new M6 and lenses in black. For my next and second camera -- an M3 or M4 or backup M6 (don't know about any M7 yet) -- this may likely turn out to be chrome, for the simple reason that I can then note more quickly (as many people here do already) which one has which film inside. (c) Black is less easier to be seen by some objects. For example on the border between Greek and Turkish Nicosia in Cypress, where photography is *absolutely* forbidden. Assaults in such a situation can, unfortunately, occur anywhere, so read "Assaulted for Leica" in this forum. (d) Black itself is less critical when reflection can occur, for example on a sunny day from glass window panes etc. That is why most good tripods today are also always black. (e) This may be very personal -- at least for my own eyes -- but the white or yellow time values and aperture/distance data on a black shutter speed dial and on black lenses always seem to be more visible than the black or red data on chrome. (f) Finally, you may end up having to consider the combo situation. Black on black etc. That also depends on what you buy first (body or lens), what you buy second, and then what the vintage-used-buy some day happens to look like. For more feelings on the combos black-on-chrome and vice versa see also Jay and Andy in the posting "Taking the Leica plunge (finally)!" Do not forget that (at least for brand new purchases today) all of the following M-lenses are only offered in black: 2.0/28 (ASPH), 2.8/28, Tri-Elmar, Noctilux, 1.4/75, 2.0/90 (ASPH) and 3.4/135, whether you like that or not! That again is an example for today, yesterday maybe it was different, tomorrow it may be too.

Hope that wasn't too much, hope you love what you get.

Mike

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), June 22, 2001.

I donīt know why, but chrome leicas are very atractive to women; so another thing to think about, if you want to be unobtrusive to women go for the black; if not, a black lens on a chrome body is beautiful.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), June 22, 2001.

My experience is only on Leica R, but I guess that the following comment can be extended to the Leica rangefinders. When I bought mine I asked the dealer which one (black or chrome) was more wear resistant (they handle dozen of bodies and have good experience about these details). Without a hitch of doubt he told me that the chrome ones, so I bought chrome (I would have bought the pink one if the pink were the most wear resistant, I don't bother about cosmetics at all but thanks God that pink ones do not exist!). After a year , so far so good, the camera is like the first day and it goes everywhere with me, trekking, canoeing and scientific expeditions in remote areas. However, I really believe that it is not where you take your camera but how you treat it. Friends of mine only take pictures indoors or in the city and their cameras look like old army bugles. My humble advice, use your camera in any conditions if you have to but look after it. If you regularly put it on the ground, benches or rocks it will end scratched regardless chrome, black or even the tough pink version. I hope this helps.

-- Javier (j_perezbarberia@hotmail.com), June 22, 2001.

Thanks to all for your input, but especially RWatson! Chrome it is!

-- Brooks (bvonarx@home.com), June 22, 2001.

Brooks:

Go for the retro chrome look! I have a M6 TTL and two M3s, all chrome cameras. They look nice, and very different from the black P&S cameras hanging from the average photographer's neck!............

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), June 22, 2001.

Sorry guys, but I can't help but wonder why people are paying big money to have their chrome Leica painted black.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), June 22, 2001.

I doubt that I'll have (or would spend) the $500 to have it done anytime soon. But the black paint IIIG is really beautiful. And it woudl be really neat to have a black M2.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), June 22, 2001.

A square of black tape looks really odd over the red Leica logo on a chrome M6. It just disappears on a black one. Lose the headlight, buy black.

-- Robert Schneider (rolopix@yahoo.com), June 22, 2001.

I think the answer is to get one of each ;>)

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), June 22, 2001.

I've never had a chrome leica body, but back in the days of Nikons I noticed that when using 'chrome' (e.g silver plastic) FA bodies people were more open to being photographed - when the black darth vader N8008 came out I got more "No! No! No toma foto,seņor!!" (with hands waving in the lens, etc.)

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), June 22, 2001.

Camera is like suit, dark color suit more serious, light color casual. I prefer chrome ones

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), June 22, 2001.

I prefer chrome, mostly because I like old cameras (Zeiss Ikon Contax, M2 & M3). However, 1 practical advantage of the chome finish if you shoot mostly in warmer climes is that it doesn't get as hot in the sun (I assume black would have the advantage in cold weather).

-- Christopher Chen (furcafe@cris.com), June 23, 2001.

If you buy a black M6, you will find chrome is better; and if you buy a chome M6 you will find black is better :-)

-- Chi H (chihuang@yahoo.com), June 24, 2001.

Chi said: > If you buy a black M6, you will find chrome is better; and if you buy a chome M6 you will find black is better :-)

Reading from the posts above it might be the reverse: If you buy a chrome M chrome is better; and if you buy a black M, black is better :-) :-)

-- Xavier Colmant (xcolmant@powerir.com), June 25, 2001.

I bought the black because if it gets worn or scratched I can manage to paint it back black with an airbrush. But if it was chrome, I wouldn't have a clue how to DIY.

I would have preferred real, solid unpainted titanium. It it was scratched, I could use some steel wool........

(Yip who owns a titanium bicycle !).

-- Yip (koklok@krdl.org.sg), June 25, 2001.

I have a M6 Panda. Wish I had a chrome one because its classic. I'm going to have DAG change the parts out to chrome including a M3 advance lever. I wish they made the "new" Tri Elmar in Chrome but I'm glad to hear people think a black lens on a chrome camera is atractive, I so want to please everybody (sic). Got to have the motor too and those Italian Half cases by Luigi in Ostitch, yummy. I love Leica cameras. It's shallow I know but it says you've arrived. Oh yah! Baylor of SoCal.

-- Baylor Eldric Maggenti (baylormaggenti@aol.com), June 24, 2002.