Is the Titanium version of the M6 more bondable against use and wear?

-- Mitchell Li (mitchli@pacbell.net), May 28, 2002

Answers

The collective wisdom is that the titanium plating (only the surface is titaium) does make the camera more resitant to scratches and wear. But who really knows. People who buy the titanium M6 are not likely to test its wear resistance characteristics by frequent or hard usage.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), May 28, 2002.

Wouldn't the brass topped cameras be the most wear resistant? M4 and LHSA M6?

-- Phil Stiles (Stiles@metrocast.net), May 28, 2002.

Mitchell, The titanium finish is obtained by bombardment of the brass top plate with titanium. It is actually a few angstroms thick. It is unlike the chrome and black chrome finish which is applied to the surface. The titanium is more durable. I have had one in use for seven plus years and it shows only a few faint bright marks. Because it is a brass based topplate, it subject to dings and dents. I have a couple of small dings and dents.

-- Henry Chu (heninden@yahoo.com), May 28, 2002.

Henry what shape those dings take, does the titanium mask bends, brakes, or separate?

or just follows the brass ding shape?

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), May 28, 2002.

The titanium covering renders the surface more resistant to the normal wear, acids from fingers, and superficial scratches; but it is too thin to prevent dings and dents. The latter would require that the entire thickness of the metal was composed of titanium. The resistance to dings and dents reflects that of the underlying metal (which in this case is brass). Thus, the titanium plating provides cosmetic protection but not additional protection to the internal components.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), May 29, 2002.

Eliot is right about the lack of protection from dings and dents. The ones I have are the ones similar to those seen on the M2's, 3's, and 4's. It's the brass that is soft and yields to the trauma. The finish seems to hold up better than, let's say, a black chrome M6 where the black rubs off and a silver finish can be seen.

-- Henry Chu (heninden@yahoo.com), May 29, 2002.

How comes this is just a coating and not titanium throughout? its not as if the body shell is that hard to mould?

-- Karl Yik (karl.yik@dk.com), May 29, 2002.

Titanium is a pretty difficult metal to machine, requiring special, high cost tooling. The top plates of the current M6TTL/M7 are machined from a single billet of brass on a CNC machine. It's probably not a cost that Leica wants to invest in, IMO.

-- Skip Williams (skipwilliams@pobox.com), May 29, 2002.

I am using all (100%)Titanium (shell) hand-waist watch and frame for my eye glasses. They are all in odd shapes which I think are no less easy to make than a would-be solid top/bottom plates of a Leica M camera. I probaly paid only a little more (may be double or $100 more) for each over the non-Titanium material products. All Titanium camera shell, if used, could be perfect meterial. Not only for its tough and light weight but also its dull to look and fun to touch traits.

-- kenny chiu (gokudo31@hotmail.com), May 29, 2002.

How comes this is just a coating and not titanium throughout?

See the long, detailed answer in the FAQ at: nemeng.com/leica /043b.shtml

-- Andrew Nemeth (azn@nemeng.com), May 29, 2002.