I've heard more than one person here make a point to mention whether they own a Leitz or a Leica M6. What's the diff? I am actually in a unique postion. I bought my first M6 second hand from a dealer here in Denver. It never even crossed my mind at the time but it was not, in fact, a Leica, it was a Leitz (black with the Leitz red dot on the front). A year or so later, enamored with the first, I then followed up with a Chrome Leica M6 TTL.

They feel the same, behave the same (more or less, with the exception of the TTL - but a flash has never come within 10 feet of either, so the point is moot). So, can someone enlighten me?

I had the opportunity to tour the Leica Factory in Solms a couple of years ago. I remember the short history lesson that the tour guide gave of Leitz/Leica, but don't remember him mentioning any difference between M6's in the Leitz/Leica flavors.

So, what's the deal?

-- Bob (bobflores@attbi.com), May 28, 2002

Answers

Leitz/Leica company history is very complex. Suffice it to say that at about the time they left the old Wetzlar plant and moved to Solms, they changed the name.

There are many differences between, say a LEITZ Leica M4 built in 1968 and a LEICA M6 built in 1996, that have to do with 28 years of (very slow) product development. Meter, brass vs. zinc tops, finder flare, number of frame lines, etc. etc. Also a huge number of similarities.

They are probably almost no significant differences between a 1986 LEITZ Leica M6 and a 1989 LEICA M6 except the engraving and other cosmetic details, or pure chance - and the city they purport to come from.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), May 29, 2002.

Check this link for details on early vs. late M6 cameras. http://www.cameraquest.com/m6dif.htm

-- spider (spiders@swbell.net), May 29, 2002.

Yeah, I had seen this site before. I didn't find anything significantly different. Minor cosmetics, but nothing that I'd "write home about".

-- Bob (bobflores@attbi.com), May 29, 2002.

After having my Leitz M6 CLA'd by Leica USA last fall, I can not even brag about the little red Leitz sticker, since they removed it and replaced it with a Leica red sticker. So I thought, what if I want to sell it? Wouldn't it be better to have the Leitz sticker than the Leica? So I e-mailed Leica AG, and they no longer have an Red Dot Leitz stickers left.

-- Glenn Travis (leicaddict@hotmail.com), May 29, 2002.

Yeah, but it still has "Leitz" engraved along the rear edge of the top plate, where it counts, right, Glenn?

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), May 30, 2002.