I have been using my new black chrome M6 TTL for 6 months now. I carry it daily (Domke F-5XB, or Lowepro Camera Pocket, or with the Leica strap) and have perhaps 40-50 rolls of film through it. It is showing some wear (which is OK by me). There is wear on the top where the film advance strokes, and some wear on the edges on top, and a little on the bottom edges too. Also, the strap lugs show some rubbing.

I'm not complaining, mind you, this camera was purchased to be used (but not abused). It is a dandy little machine for sure (wish I'd started with a Leica years ago).

Question, with all the pristine old Leica's around (ebay, etc.), how are all you doing with wear? Do you baby your M? The owners of those old pristine cameras must have? Did they user ever ready cases? Or, are new Leica finishes just less durable?

Thanks for your thoughts.

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), July 05, 2001

Answers

The title should read "M6" and not "M5".

Tony, could you fix that? Thanks.

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), July 05, 2001.

It's only been in the last 20 years that cameras haven't been routinely kept in their hard leather neveready cases, which gives considerable protection from dings, as well as to the finish. Early Leicas didn't even have strap lugs. I think that the old chrome was probably a lot tougher than the current stuff. You don't say if yours is black or chrome. The black paint and vulcanite on my well used 1932 model II(D) is virtually perfect except for one spot in the accessory shoe, while the leather case looks like it has been in a dog fight.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), July 05, 2001.

I think Bill may be onto something here. When I sold cameras back in the late 1970's, people almost always bought and used the ever ready cases-we probably sold 9 cases for every 10 cameras sold. These cases are bulky, cumbersome, make loading film a pain, but protect the cameras from just about anything. Years ago I dropped my Rolleicord V while in its case about 6 feet on to solid rock while hiking, and the case took the full brunt of the impact. There wasn't even a mark on the camera, nor was its function impaired. I have purchased many older cameras over the years, and without exception, the ones that came with a case were nearly always in close to mint condition. I have the case for my M3 that kept it so nice for 30 years, but I just hate using it. Its heavy as well as being bulky, and destroys the feeling of the camera in my hands. I still use my Rollei ever ready cases, but don't use them with any other camera I shoot with. Do they still even sell ever ready cases for cameras like the Nikon F5 and such?

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), July 06, 2001.

> almost always bought and used the ever ready cases

That's a very good point; back in the old days a never-ready case was always a sure-seller accessory for a new camera or, if need be, they weren't so expensive that it was acceptable to throw it in as a deal-sweetener. Of course one could make a reasonable profit on a camera back then.

In the past 10 years in the camera-dealer business, virtually every M2 or M3 that I was offered was in its case. Those cameras were usually beautiful but sticky. Otoh, to see a later model in a case was a rarity; those cameras were often ugly.

I had a huge box of new-looking never-ready cases in the shop; literally couldn't give 'em away.

Personally I find a never-ready case to be a royal pain, but otoh I've always expected a camera to need only lifting to the eye and exposure set to be ready to shoot.

I buy whatever camera I buy to use. I don't baby them but I don't abuse them either; in my time in news photography I found it no more difficult to slide a camera or lens into its pocket in the bag than for some of the other folks to just toss them into a clanging jumble. I'm sure it's been said many times, but a mechanic that doesn't take reasonable care of his tools isn't a mechanic you'd want working on your car and isn't a mechanic for very long.

The key of course is "reasonable care," and to me this is rather distinct from preserving a collectible.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), July 06, 2001.

I have 2 black M6's, one from '89-'90 and another from around '95, neither have ever been kept regularly in an ER case, nor have they been babied, just given the attention to not being battered around appropriate to $2000 items. One has a tiny dent in the baseplate which was there when I bought it--the store owner dropped it onto a lower shelf--and I figure the discount I got was about $100 per millimeter. Neither has any wear on the black finish that I can see.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), July 06, 2001.

My newest camera is a 13 year old 1988 black M6 classic. I secretly couldn't wait until the first mark or ding appeared so I could get it over with. After years of old M3s and M2s, it was my first "new in the box" Leica. I have probably a thousand rolls of film through it, and it has been around the world 4 or 5 times from Thailand to Saudi Arabia... every climate and environment. I absolutely don't "baby" this camera and it looks pretty good. There are a couple of shiny spots coming through the finish all within a couple of millimeters of the strap lugs, just beyond the chafe protectors. My battery cover is totally brassed around the edges because I stupidly resorted to needle nose pliers to remove it many times. I could honestly advertise this camera as an 8.5 or 9 for cosmetics. Because this camera is a 10 plus as far as mechanics, (never serviced, shutter and rangefinder are perfect!), I will never sell it.

BTW... many of those perfect condition camera that you see advertised are from people that bought a Leica because of all of the positive press, and then found that you had to be a real photographer use it. People with too much money and no forethought are a good source of used gear in very good shape. If someone that could appreciate it had a perfect condition Leica, it would not be for sale. Even if I needed a quick influx of cash, I could more easily sell off my home entertainment equipment or one of my cars before I'd give up this M6.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), July 06, 2001.

I have ER cases for my M2-3-5-6. I keep the cameras in the cases and remove the snout when I go to shoot. The half case makes it easier to use. It is no trouble to remove the body to reload. It is well worth the efforts. All are well used and in mint condition- pride of ownership.

-- C. W, Satterfield (cwsat@istate.net), July 06, 2001.

My philosophy: Don't baby it, use it. Your M is a tool. Use marks (versus abuse marks) are simply a sign that you use your tool -- and as a guy, I respect anybody that uses their tool!

Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), July 06, 2001.

Hi, Dan: My only black camera is a R4. It looks very alike to the way you describe your M6. I use it, don't baby it and don't care by the brassing it is beginning to show on the edges. My M3s are chrome and have lasted for 40+ years thanks to the care they have been taken of by former owners and myself and I think that that is the real reason to care for your cameras: to keep them working well so that you can rely on them at any moment to do what you intend to do with them. For going out shooting in town I just carry them in my hands with nothing else but the strap around my left wrist, exposure pre adjusted to prevailing conditions and the lens focused to infinity so that focusing to needed shorter distances is faster. If I don't intend to do any pictures for a while they would be hanging from my left shoulder to elbow height half covered in front of my arm. Away from town I use them lose in some anonymous kind of a bag with other gizmos. If I'm carrying the camera and one lens alone I use the NR case during transportation and once in the field I use them the same way than in town. At the beach I loosely cover them under my coat or keep them turned against my body and take extra care about sand. High in the mountains the best place is under your coat; otherwise they would get far too cold to use them comfortably. That has proved to be care enough to keep them cliking for this long and hopefully for much longer still. But now that I have come this far I wonder: is this what you were really asking about? After reading your post again I'm not sure you were asking for any advise at all. I'm afraid I over reacted ... Cheers.

- Ivan

-- Ivan Barrientos M (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), July 07, 2001.