Dan Kerin

 Leica M6

Produced from 1984 until 2002 and then re-introduced in 2022, the Leica M6 is one of the most popular and sought-after Leica’s out there. The Leica M6 came at a time when Leica wasn’t doing that great. The Leica M4-2 and Leica M4-P saved Leica from bankruptcy after the disappointing sales of the Leica M5 so the M6 needed to be a success, and a success it was. Having the longest production run of any Leica M and 158,309 being produced the M6 was a hit and got Leica back on its feet again. Unlike earlier and later M cameras, the M6 top and bottom plates are zinc, with a paint finish and without top inscriptions. From shooting with the camera, it is noticeably lighter than the older brass Leica’s such as the M3 and M4. Another major change was the introduction of a built-in light meter. The centre weighted meter is accurate making for easier shooting and being an easier camera for first time film shooters.

Unlike the M5 and CL which had a swing arm spot meter, the M6 has a through the lens light meter. This means you are not limited to what lenses you can use on this camera. Even when shooting in challenging conditions the light meter was accurate. The updated viewfinder supports the same frame lines made popular in the M4-P consisting of 28-90, 35-135 and 50-75. In addition to the much-loved frame lines the Leica M6 also introduced a new LED display to support the new light meter. The display uses two arrows to indicate over/ under exposure and a dot to indicate the correct exposure. As I mostly shoot with the Leica M3 and M4 which don’t have any meter this was a luxury and one that I will miss.

*NOTE – 0.58x finders have 28-90, 35 and 50-70, and 0.85x have 35-135, 50-75 and 90.

 Having used this camera for a few weeks I can say I understand what the hype is about. Having the built-in light meter can be very helpful when lighting conditions are changing or you just want to casually go out and shoot. In addition to this if you are just getting into the Leica M system the M6 is probably the best and safest choice as it offers a large array of frame lines while being simple to use.