very solid, strong, light.

difficult on loading film.

I could not load the film as fast as I want. The film loading are really terrible if you are in hurry. rangefinder isn't that good compare to my Rolleiflex or my large format graflex visar camera.

Everything else are very very good built. I love this camera and the lightmeter work perfect for me with zonesystem.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F3HP, F2MN, F4s,Leica R4s, Rolleiflex 3.5Tessar, pentax645, hasselblab

Image quality, handling,
build quality, lenses,
mechanical shutter, great finder.

Price, film loading (till you get the hang of it), no macro or telephoto and no fast action photography. Flash sync too slow.

I've had mine for almost a year and I am very happy with it. True, it's not for everybody and yes, it's terribly expensive. The camera does have it's quirks, but if you can learn to live with them you have a small, lightweight, and sturdy camera that can take some amazingly sharp pictures. One has to remember what this camera is used for--simple, basic photography where forethought is required. If you shoot sports or action, then this is not the camera for you. I love the color, contrast and sharpness the Leica lenses provide. I also like the ability to take sharp pictures at slow shutter speeds, handheld. There really is a difference in the image quality from my other cameras. Borrow or rent one if you can, shoot a roll and see for yourself.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

N90s, EOS 3, FM2, 8008s.

This is not a camera you judge on strenth. The strenth is the purity in design and workmanship.

There are no weaknesses.If you are looking for a full featured, auto everything that cost under $500.00 and now try to compare this camera to a Leica you will come up with less features on the Leica. If you think the lack of these features along with price of the Leica are weaknesses, than you are probably the same person who thinks a polyester suit is a better value than a super 120 wool suit. The camera and the wool suit are not for you.

Read strenth and weaknesses. If you still don't get it you never will.

Customer Service

Leica in New Jersey is very good.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F5

Small, discreet, easy to use, great line of lenses, minimal controls are exactly where you'd want them, works fine in even the harshest conditions

The usual, such as the fact that film loading takes a roll or two to learn,price is high (unless you shop around), and flash sync speed (if you use flash) is a little slow at 1/50

One should know what they're buying and why. If one is trying to produce great images, then it doesn't hurt to have an easy-to-use, dependable, and ergonomically satisfying piece of equipment in one's hands, all of which the M6 is. That being said, one still has to get involved when using this camera: think of what tones one wants to expose for, pre-set focus to save time, etc.
I have to take exception with many of the common complaints and criticisms of this camera. First, I find it far easier to focus than any SLR, and I can be more accurate with the Leica than relying on the autofocus feature of any Nikon or Canon. I wear glasses, but find no problem whatsoever using the .85 viewfinder. In low light/low contrast conditions the advantage is even greater. Even with longer length lenses (90mm and 135mm APO), the framing one sees though the viewfinder not only makes composition a breeze, but focus remains a snap. One's eye adjusts amazingly quickly to the the framing guides, and focusing becomes reflexive. (The lens preview button allows you to see what the image would be with a different lens, or can be used even with no lens on the camera; you can then mount the appropriate lens.) For action shots, one can always use a faster film and hyperfocals, but admittedly this is not the first camera one would choose for sports photography.
Lack of AE capability isn't an issue, since most people choosing this type of camera prefer to adjust exposure to self-chosen areas of the image, rather than accept what some camera's metering system provides.
The problems with film loading are quickly overcome, and it seems the mechanism does succeed in making a uniformly flat surface on the film, thereby enhancing the camera's ability to focus across the image.
While this review is about the M6 body, the M lenses have to be mentioned. After years of using the best Nikon glass, I was astounded by the color rendition and contrast provided by the M-series. Yes, this is subjective, but as evidenced from using the camera in low light conditions particularly, I have to believe the refractive indices and dispersion of the Leica glass are friendlier to imagemaking than even the best Nikon. The subtleties and discrete gradations of color and contrast across the image are remarkable, and detail is as sharp as one can find in this format.
Finally, the size of the M6 (as with all RF's)allows greater access to the subject than any loaded SLR. Sure, people still know you're there, but 99% of the people you'll photograph are far less intimidated by an M6 with a 90mm than an F4 with a 80-200mm S. You still have to frame and compose the shot, but your chances of getting something memorable are greatly enhanced if you have the M6 in your hand. (And if you shop around, you'll pay far less for an M6 than an F5, and only a touch more than an F100.)

Customer Service

Here's an example: I foolishly let a lens slip and needed to repair the mounting ring...Leica service LOANED me a 90mm f/2 APO, a model I subsequently bought. One could call this clever marketing, but it is also great service.

Similar Products Used:

mostly slr's such as F4, F100, EOS line

Strong body
Focus on non-moving objects
relatively small

downright criminal price
similarly rip-off priced optics
scratches easily
brasses easily
with certain glass, gets heavy
repairs outside of warranty cost and arm an leg.
Nikel and dime you for every little accessory (which, since it is leica stuff, is not nikel and dimes and will leave you broke real quick)

This is not a review for die-hard leica fans. The bottom line on this camera is that it is a dinosaur. The R&D cost on all Leica m series cameras was written off 25 years ago, not withstanding the latest half-a$$ed attempt at modernizing this camera by stuffing a completely unnecessary ttl-flashdiode in it and making it look funny. That means when you buy one at their ridiculous prices, you are just giving away your money to pad profits and create new advertising. DONT FALL FOR IT. This camera is not worth the cost by any means. What do you get for the price?? State of the art for 1955, thats what. Ok, lets see some of the touted pluses of the leica system. 1. Viewfinder- are yopu really going to tell me that a 1cm finder opening is better than that on a nik. f5 or f100? I dont think so. 2. speed of shutter. Youve got to be kidding.. if you fall for this I have some prime beachfront property in Fargo to sell you. 3. focusing in low contrast conditions. Baloney!! Half the d*** time the focusing window whites out so you can't see $@!&. Its slower than hell. and if anything is moving, forget it. the lenses are good, but can you tell the difference between them and contax or nikon high-end stuff? sincerely doubt it.
Look, there are some poeple who spent a lot of money on a m-system, and they have to justify the cost. Truth be told, value is in the mind of the user and some people would put no limit on the price they would pay for this stuff. But if you are reading these reviews trying to decide to go with one of these or not, IMHO look elsewhere. You will save lots of money, get just as good results with careful selection, and have far more features available to you. This was the best camera in the world in the 1950's, for sure. But today there are much better values and much better photographic machines. bottom line, skip this one. check out contax and nkon insted.

Customer Service

considering that what you pay for the camera, not so good.

Similar Products Used:

nikon, contax, olympus

Nice Range Finder
Silent
Lightweight
Nice to use
Durable
Built in meter

Lousy body covering
Black chrome is ugly needs black paint finish
No Leica script engraving
no AE
no regular swing back
lousy shutter 75 year old technology

Very nice camera but needs to be upgraded

Customer Service

Who needs it!

Similar Products Used:

Contax IIIA
Contax G1

Solid as a rock build, smooth as silk operation

harder to focus with longer focal length lenses. Better to stick to the wide angles, i reckon

Build quality to die for, excellent lens backup, though a bit fiddly to operate, but what the heck.

Customer Service

not used yet

Similar Products Used:

None

feel much better than plastic cameras.
Leica Lenses.
Work without Battery.

High price tag.
Finder Flare.
Heavy.

Please do not compare the M6 with modern electronics cameras, it's different. This camera let you enjoy photo taking, and learn somethings new....

Similar Products Used:

Rollei 35, SE, LED, Minox, Leica R5, R6.2

Quick, quiet and dependable

Slow synch speed

Reviewers on this site seem to either love it or hate it. It's a camera that brings out both those responses.

Let's address a few of the most common complaints.

Film loading: Yes, it's different. I've never had a problem with it. Here's a tip: Cut the tongue on the film a little longer (this loading system was designed when factory loads had a longer tongue.) I buy film in quantity, and spend an hour or so cutting longer tongues before the film goes in the freezer.

Focusing: Again, it's different, if you're used to SLRs. SLR users typically focus back and forward from the point of best focus several times to find the exact focus. That's not necessary with a Leica: Line up the split images, and it's in focus. Move the focus back to infinity when you take the camera away from your eye and you always know which direction to focus for the next shot. No hunting. No SLR will focus in dim light as easily as the Leica. Autofocus? If I want to make a lot of noise to call attention to myself, I'll just have somebody dial the cell phone every couple of minutes.

Legendary quiet and light weight are a myth: True. The legendary silence of the Leica was in comparison with the old Nikon F, which sounded like a car crash. Many modern SLRs --in manual focus mode-- are as quiet as the Leica. It is heavy: It's made out of metal. I think the weight is an advantage when hand-holding slow shutter speeds.

Inaccurate framing: What were you smoking? It's as accurate as my old Nikon with its legendary 100% viewfinder. Compare it with most modern SLRs that admit in their specs to 85% framing accuracy.

No good for macro work, or with long lenses: True. Buy an SLR, if that's your main area of interest.

No depth of field preview: Can you really judge the depth of field accurately on the focusing screen of an SLR? I never could.

Price: My brother wears a gold Rolex and takes pictures with a plastic point&shoot. I have a fifteen-dollar watch and a couple of Leicas. Which one of us doesn't understand the value of things? Your answer may determine whether you want a Leica.

It's a cult camera: There is a Leica cult, but it's not a good reason to own (or not own) a Leica.

Customer Service

Excellent. Would you expect less at this purchase price?

Similar Products Used:

M2, M3, M4-2, various Nikons and Pentaxes

What can I add to the already prodigious body of reviews? It's small, never breaks down, handles easily, and the lenses produce images that have to be compared with lenses of other manufacturers before one can understand what all the fuss is about. It's not just that they're sharp. For example, the out-of-focus points of light in the background are not polygonal as with an SLR, but round and jewel like. So what? Well, is a photograph to look at or what? Everything you can see in an image is part of the image. There is nothing like a Leica.

The rangefinder window develops flare in certain backlit situations sometimes making it impossible to focus. In a camera famous for being the best in available light, this is more than an annoyance, it's a sin.

If you hoist a Canon A3 or Nikon F100 to your eye and push the button, it does everything for you, and it clacks and whirrs to boot. You have to focus and set the M6, but once zeroed in, there is virtually no delay from the time you push the shutter release till the Leica goes "click." There's no mirror blackout. You see the image at the moment you shoot. And you really can shoot three feet away from people without their knowing it. Really. Any camera is only a machine, a tool. No tool is right for every job. If you want a camera that won't stop working, that's quiet, easy to carry all the time and not much trouble to carry with 35mm and 90mm lenses (and even a spare body), and if you don't mind having to do your own focusing and setting, and if you can put up with the best lenses on Earth, you won't be satisfied with anything less than a Leica. If you need something that impresses the uninitiates, something that does all the stuff for you, buy one of the other excellent cameras. More pros use Nikons than all other 35's combined. But Kertesz and Cartier-Bresson used Leicas. Is it only for professionals? No. Anyone who appreciates quality is a candidate for a Leica. I bought my first M3 when I was 17, and it ruined me for all other cameras. I own a couple of Nikons, and I've used Canons. I'm spoiled by the image quality of the Leica.

Customer Service

After more than two years of carrying it with me everywhere, I've had absolutely no trouble with it.

Similar Products Used:

Leica M3. The viewfinder is larger, and there is never any flare, but there is no light meter. The M3 seems smoother, but I can detect no difference in quality. I carry the M6 in preference to the M3 because it's so much faster to shoot with an in-camera meter.