Greetings to all;

Being a relative newby to the Leica M world I'm hoping those of you with more knowledge can answer a question for me. I purchased a Chrome M6 (non-TTL), s/n 1914599 a couple of years ago, embossed in the covering on the right side of the film swing-out door are the words, MADE IN GERMANY, all caps. I never really paid much attention to it until I recently purchased a Black Chrome M6 (non-TTL), s/n 1916721 and noticed it did not have those words embossed on the covering. I'm just curious if there is any significance to one or the other. For example, was one manufactured and assembled in Germany and the other maybe in Canada or Portugal? I'd appreciate any insight from this knowledgable group.

Thanks,

Jim

-- (james.kuhn-1@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov), April 02, 2002

Answers

Even among the M6 classic there are small differences, not surprising because of its long production run. Stephen Gandy maintains the CameraQuest website and has a page devoted to the differences between an early production model and a later one ( http://www.cameraquest.com/m6dif.htm ).

While you're there browse his site, definitly worth your while.

-- Bert Keuken (bkkn@wanadoo.nl), April 02, 2002.

Jim: Welcome to our Forum! I realize that you are new to the scene because you gave the complete serial numbers of your equipment. In the future, NEVER give the full numbers as you will invariably have some idiot claiming that your glass is actually his!! Just give the first three or four digits followed by xxs.

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), April 02, 2002.

Jim. The earliest Leica M6s (made in Wetzlar) were embossed "Made in Germany". A camera with SN 191xxxx should be after the move to Solms and would not normally have this embossed. Are you sure it isn't 171xxxx? As far as where the camera is made or assembled, this embossing has no significance whatever. All M6s should say Germany somewhere on the camera.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), April 02, 2002.