I know there are at least four finishes, chrome, black, black chrome and black paint. What is the difference between black chrome and black paint? Is black chrome just the regular black like the current black M6?

Thanks,

Chris Lee

-- Chris Lee (Rangefinders@yahoo.com), September 10, 2001

Answers

Yes, black chrome is the same finish as the current black chrome M6. There are four finishes but "black" is either black chrome or black paint. The fourth finish was 31 olive green cameras from 1970.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), September 10, 2001.

You have overlooked a very interesting, handsome and durable finish: TITANIUM! There aren't too many out there and this finish extended only to a very limited number of M-6 cameras, 35mm-f.1.4 Summilux-M (T), 35mmf.1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (T), 50mm-f.1.4 Summilux-M (T) and the 90mm-f.2.8 Elmarit-M (T).

-- Bill Carson (KE7GMx@cs.com), September 10, 2001.

You have overlooked a very interesting, handsome and durable finish: TITANIUM! There aren't too many out there and this finish was used on only a very limited number of M-6 cameras, 35mm-f.1.4 Summilux-M (T), 35mmf.1.4 Summilux-M ASPH (T), 50mm-f.1.4 Summilux-M (T) and the 90mm- f.2.8 Elmarit-M (T).

-- Bill Carson (KE7GMx@cs.com), September 10, 2001.

Chris: I have a "classic" M6 which I purchased aboout 4 years ago. It has a black chrome finish. The silver colored material under the black is beginning to show in spots due to the leather case rubbing on certain spots of the camera. The black paint model is basically the same camera except the finish makes the camera extremely expensive. I don't know the reason for this but they really look beautiful with the black paint finish. I believe I read something about the black paint model wears differently than the black chrome and the material under the black paint will eventually show through making the camera look really well used.I saw a picture of a well used black paint model but am unsure of the M model in the photo.Nice to look at but far too expensive to consider pruchasing.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), September 10, 2001.

Chris: I have a "classic" M6 which I purchased about 4 years ago. It has a black chrome finish. The silver colored material under the black is beginning to show in spots due to the leather case rubbing on certain spots of the camera. The black paint model is basically the same camera except the finish makes the camera extremely expensive. I don't know the reason for this but they really look beautiful with the black paint finish. I believe I read something about the black paint model wears differently than the black chrome and the material under the black paint will eventually show through making the camera look really well used.I saw a picture of a well used black paint model but am unsure of the M model in the photo.Nice to look at but far too expensive to consider purchasing.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), September 10, 2001.

There were no titanium finished M4 cameras.

Cheers,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), September 10, 2001.

Chris

John is correct. There were four finishes for the M4: three were standard finishes, offered to the public at different times during the M4 production (1968-1975): 1) chrome; 2) black paint (aka. black laquer); and 3) black chrome (later on). The fourth finish was olive [greenish brown] paint. made for the West German military, in very small numbers (?20 or so). [There were more olive green M3 and M1 cameras made, some several hundreds or so.] M4 Anniversary cameras were made in black chrome in 1975.

The black chrome M4's (made in both Wetzlar and Midland, Canada) are not quite the same as the black chrome M6's, since the former have chrome plated onto brass, while the later have zinc alloy top plates. The "leatherette" on the M6 is also different from that on the M4.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), September 10, 2001.

I forgot to add: The difference between the "black paint" and "black chrome" finish on the M4 is as follows:

1) In the black paint cameras, the top and bottom plates, and some of the smalller accoutrements, are made in brass and black lacquer paint is applied directly to the brass. These cameras were hand painted at the factory (Wetzlar). Leitz long ago discovered that brass surfaces take and hold paint better than chromed surfaces.

2) In the black chrome cameras, the black pigment particles are anodized, or electrostatically applied to a previously chrome surface.

3) The black paint wears more easily than the black chrome, and when paint wears the underlying golden color of the brass shows through. When black chrome is scratched, the silver chrome color shows through.

4) The black paint cameras have more of a glossy appearance, while the black chrome cameras have more of a flat (or matte) appearance.

5) The same differences characterize the modern "black paint" (glossy) M6 relative to the black chrome (matte) appearance. However, the "black paint" M6's were not hand painted like the original black paint M2, M3, and M4 cameras. Rather, Leica found a way to electrostatically apply black pigment and give a glossy black appearance reminiscent of the earlier cameras. Such is progress (I think).

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), September 10, 2001.

Black paint has a "patina". Anything with a patina is more important and expensive than than things that merely have a "finish."

I think back paint Leicas look nice. At the same time, while Leica is highly expert at making cameras, and the Swiss at making watches, there are others, including American advertising experts, who are the world's experts at making us want things we don't need.

I like black paint Leicas, but I try to resist losing my head over these things.

Still . . .

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), September 10, 2001.