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Buying a Leica M6 (Advice needed)
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Buceph wrote:
Sorry to be changing the discussion away from Leicas but how do you find using a body with no meter to be?
I’ve been thinking of picking up an old, cheap Soviet era Leica knock-off (a Zorki or Fed) just to keep on me at all times. The lack of meter on them has been holding me back. I’ve been trying to keep exposure values in my head from my shots, but with the DSLR it’s just a few buttons to change the ISO and that always seems to put me off because I can be anywhere from 200 to 1600 ISO in just a few seconds. I’ve shot a bit of film, and have always stuck at 400ISO but still find myself a good bit out on a fair few shots, I’d get maybe half the roll within a stop or two. Is it just a matter of taking the plunge and learning the hard way?
Well, 2 easy enough ways really, the sunny 16 way, and associated metering charts based on it, and that of a small incident light meter. Both work quite well with negative film, and the latter quite well with slide, if you are shooting that.
The sunny 16/ metering charts work very well for shooting outdoors, are easy enough to work with and start to give you an understanding of light. The incident light meter route is quite handy too, and most times, when you see the lighting change, simply take a meter reading and dial it in. With both, you would be surprised at the narrow band of exposure settings you will be using outdoors, which hopefully should show that exposure is nothing to be intimidated about.
I felt the same way as you, worried a meterless would be one step too far, coming from all singing, all dancing digital slrs. After taking the cautious approach and opting for a camera with a meter (an M6), and using it for a while, I realised there was nothing to fear from a camera without a meter, and quickly enough found myself with a succession of meterless cameras.
My advice – don’t worry, just take the plunge, you’ll be fine.
In any case, if you want to discuss meterless cameras and technique in more depth, we can take it to another thread, where I am sure others will chime in as well, and we won’t derail the original posters thread :)
Not sure if you’ve taken the plunge already but if not here’s my tuppence worth… despite the heavy price tag the equipment holds it’s value well so you don’t have too much to loose by investing in it if you buy used, the lenses make a big difference and can be astronomical but the 40mm Summicron is often overlooked and a real bargain (under €400) it’s an amazing lens, pin sharp, small and perfect, can’t recommend it highly enough for either film or digital. Also, the Leica CL is a great place to start for a rangefinder body, it’s cheaper than the M series bodies but still beautifully built, much more pocketable and it has a light meter.
The cameras are beautiful pieces of industrial design in themselves but the character of the images comes from the lenses so try get a good one to start with if you can.
I have an M6 and I love it. Logic would certainly dictate they are not worth the money but there is something incredibly satisfying about a machine so perfectly designed and constructed. I enjoy the actual process of using it more than any other camera I have owned and that includes a Mamiya 7, a Rolleiflex, a Hexar AF (all of which I have sold on or .. in the case of the Hexar … am about to sell on).
Something like a Mamiya 7 (or those Fuji yokes that were mentioned) will certainly give you more resolution/detail and so on but they are also a pain in the ass to lug around the place. I ended up getting rid of all my Medium format gear and now have a 5×4 for the giant resolution and the Leica for everything else (which unfortunately right now is not much at all). I have a 50mm Summicron and it’s great.
However, I bought mine just before the recession took hold and I can’t imagine spending over 1K on a camera now. Which brings me to the obvious question. You are unemployed and are contemplating dropping over a thousand on a camera. Are you insane?!
Good point from scr33 about the Leica CL. There’s one for sale in the ads section right now I think ….
damien.murphy wrote:
An M2 is a more flexible option if you’re shooting 35mm, and not too bad for 50mm either, but then there’s no reason not to have both :) I’d take a look at rangefinderforum.com in the classifieds, which is almost always a good, decent place to buy online.
Thanks Damien. When I win the lotto I’ll buy an M3 and an M2. I’ll get you an M9-P for you helping me with my camera quest too :lol:
I’ve signed up to the rangefinderforum. Great spot to learn about the pros, cons and character of each rangefinder.
The Fine Print wrote:
Decisions decisions, hey? I’m glad I’m sorted for gear….good luck.
I know… It has been a steep learning curve for me and thanks for all your help with your posts. One thing that you mentioned that I have put a lot of thought into… You were saying that you had a SLR on your coffee table not getting much use. Since I made this thread I have bought a lovely 35 film camera. It’s a joy to use BUT I haven’t finished the first roll of film yet. A few shots left until I finish it off and then will get it developed. I can’t see me using that camera on a daily basis!
I will keep the film camera. I intend becoming a member of The Gallery of Photography in Temple Bar and doing some intro courses into film and using their darkroom facilities and experiencing all the joys of film.
I came to the conclusion that I love rangefinders. It is important to carry a camera whenever possible to capture that “shot of a lifetime”. If I still owned my Canon DSLR I wouldn’t bring it with me as much as my current micro four thirds setup. I have purchased a good quality M Mount adapter and will begin buying some nice M glass and get used to the MF.
Then… I sell that setup and with that money and savings buy an Leica M8 :D The final decision has been made and there is no going back now :lol:
scr33n wrote:
Despite the heavy price tag the equipment holds it’s value well so you don’t have too much to loose by investing in it if you buy used, the lenses make a big difference and can be astronomical but the 40mm Summicron is often overlooked and a real bargain (under €400) it’s an amazing lens, pin sharp, small and perfect, can’t recommend it highly enough for either film or digital.
The cameras are beautiful pieces of industrial design in themselves but the character of the images comes from the lenses so try get a good one to start with if you can.
Yes that’s one thing I will be taking my time with. Buying good quality glass to get the most out of my photos. The 40mm Summicron is certainly a lens I am considering to get in the coming future. It’s nice knowing when purchasing a camera or lens that it will retain it’s value well.
hugh wrote:
However, I bought mine just before the recession took hold and I can’t imagine spending over 1K on a camera now. Which brings me to the obvious question. You are unemployed and are contemplating dropping over a thousand on a camera. Are you insane?!
I am indeed insane Hugh :mrgreen: People have their hobbies or responsibilities that they spend a lot of money on. I haven’t got kids, don’t drive a car, very seldom drink… I’m not a gearhead/camera collector fanatic. You are right, it is a lot of money but I have put some serious thought into it and like Scr33n said they hold their value. It is a camera I have always wanted and admired the image quality of. I am not getting myself into debt. Just working on making a dream reality :wink:
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