Leica M6 non-TTL vs M6 TTL???

Hello,

 

as I'm interested to buy an used Leica M6, I ended up having the choice

between a M6 non-TTL 0.72x and a M6 TTL 0.85x. Which one will be the best

choice considering I'm going to use more 35 & 50 summicron lenses on them

(eventually the 90 also) and the fact that I�m wearing glasses most of the

time... Both are around the same price.

 

Thanks!

The .72 is useable with the 35mm frame, although it will be tight when wearing glasses. The .85 would be about impossible to use with glasses and the 35mm frame.

That's a no brainer. Since you're wearing glasses, and since seeing the 35mm frame in the .85 viewfinder is a bit of a chore without glasses, the M6 with standard .72 finder is by far the better choice.

 

And besides, the ttl is too tall and the shutter dial is backwards. Yuk!

 

PJW

Michel, to me the choice of TTL and the classic is really irrelevant. The only advantage in the TTL is the flash function and regardless of which flash you use, you don't get all the features of a dedicated TTL flash as the Nikons or Minoltas. Also, the classic M6 uses the flash in "auto" would serve more than enough for any function.

I would say your choice of the VF should take preference. If you use the 35 and 50, the .72 VF should be your first body. After that eventually if you get a 90mm, the .72 is still compatible.

Michel, you wear glasses. In an ideal world, you'd get a body with 0.58 magnification. Since your choices are only 0.85 and 0.72, go for the M6 non-TTL.

 

One word of warning: I've read several times that the meters in the "plain vanilla" M6 are too old. In other words, if the camera you're buying is a bit old (say, a 1984 issue), think about bargaining the price down so you can send it to a repairman for a new meter.

I've got both the ttl and non ttl M6's and prefer the non ttl version by far. I picked it up used and paid about $1400 about 5 years ago. Prices have obviously come down quite a bit since then on then. I don't know what the talk about "bad" meters in the older ones is all about. I routinely check the meters in both of them against one another and against two different hand-held meters and the discrepency is well within specs (the non-ttl version is a 1988 vintage and the ttl version is a 2000).

 

The .72 viewfinder will definitely suit your needs better given the eyeglasses situation and your choice of lenses. Having originally switched from using Nikons and fairly long lenses (135mm and longer), I was expecting to use my 135mm Leica lens quite a bit when I first got it. Truth be told, it rarely sees the light of day because the M6 just seems to lend itself to shorter focal lengths.

 

good luck

Michel, Leica turned the shutter dial around on the M6TTL so that it turns in the same direction as the exposure indicators in the viewfinder - it makes a lot of ergonomic sense. Since you are presumably new to Leica you shouldn't have a problem with this. The M7 dial turns in the same direction, as will presumably the M8, if/when it arrives. The shutter dial is also larger than that on the M6 and can be turned with the right forefinger without taking your eye from the viewfinder. It's just really easy to use.

 

Since your magnification is clearly 0.72, I would wait for an M6TTL at that magnification if you can.

The meters are too old? My M6 classic #2288xxx is right on the nose. I don't think there's any known aging process in the type of cell used in the M6. It does have a potentiometer in the circuit, and those can become pesky and unreliable if they develop dirt or corrosion/oxidation on the contact surfaces. It's just the same as the volume control becoming noisy on an old radio or TV. Leica says they replaced the potentiometer in the M7 with digital circuitry. But that's another story. M6 TTL's have potentiometers too.

Prejudices always surface whenever someone asks a question about M6 vs M6TTL. The fact is, they are both excellent cameras and as most respondents have said the .72 finder is the thing to go for. Wearing glasses, you'd be at a disadvantage using a .85 body with a 35mm lens. <br><br>

 

Somebody suggested that you wait to find a .72 TTL, to get the best of both worlds: not a bad idea, since there should be plenty on the market at reasonable prices. The TTL wins over the non-TTL in a few areas, IMHO, namely: <br><br>

 

* Easier-to-read light balance, with three LEDs instead of two <br>

* More sensitive meter, by 1 or 2 ev <br>

* More ergonomic shutter-speed dial<br>

* More modern electronics - might be easier to fix if it goes wrong. <br><br>

The TTL flash metering, which gives the M6TTL its name, can be a mixed blessing. It definitely makes flash easier, especially fill-in flash, but it means that flash won't work if the camera battery is dead. The extra 2mm of body height of the M6TTL is no big deal, especially if you use a Motor-M or a RapidWinder.

"Michel, Leica turned the shutter dial around on the M6TTL so that it turns in the same direction as the exposure indicators in the viewfinder "

 

Peter, I used to think that until I bought a Bessa T as my "carry a camera with me even if you dont plan to use it" camera and its shutter speed dial turns the same as the non-TTL. So in order to make sense of the exposure indicators across both my Bessa T and M6 TTL I still think about the dial turning in the direction of the exposure indicators...

 

...the difference is just whether I think about it being the back or the front edge of the dial!

 

regards

Craig / Beijing

Wait a few days and buy a 0.72 TTL.

Michel, all precedent answers are perfect ... but I permanently wear glasses and choosed a 0,85 because I did want the 90 Apo Asph and with it, it's very helpful. I also use 50 and 35 Asph; yes with the 35 I'm obliged to look for the frame lines, to move the eye ... but it's "possible".

With your name, may be you speak French? Would be more easy for me ;-)

Alain

Alain, je parles français.

Isn't it odd that the real potential benefit of the TTL over the non-TTL camera is not a priority with most people? The TTL is designed for more convenient flash photography. If you plan to use flash a lot of the time, the TTL would be the choice. It looks like most Leica rangefinder users don't often use flash so emphasis is placed on the rotation shutter speed dial. You can adapt to a shutter speed dial turning either direction and the small dial on the "classic" is pretty easy to turn with one finger anyway. That's not a big deal. The viewfinder magnification is probably the big difference in these cameras. The .72 finder will be easier to use if you wear glasses and use a 35mm lens but, again, you can adapt to using a .85 finder with a 35mm lens even wearing eyeglasses. I wear glasses and, although I don't own one now, I have used a 28mm with an M4-P and never really considered it that big of a deal to see the complete framelines in the viewfinder. You can adapt to that, too.

 

As for the meter, it may be a marginal benefit to have newer circuitry in the TTL. I can't think of a situation where it would make much difference, however.

 

So, play with both cameras and see which one feels best to you.

Excuse me, my English is so bad!

Michel, demandez vous avant tout quelle optique vous voulez en 1°: seul le 0,72 est "universel", mais forcément imparfait pour un 90 ou 135. Ce serait le moins mauvais choix si vous envisagez, comme moi, d'aller de 35 à 90mm ... mais le 90 à courtes distances nécessite volontiers un viseur 0,85 pour une MAP aisée (et encore!). C'était L'objectif que je voulais absolument d'où mon choix de viseur HM. Il est parfaitement exact que je suis gené avec le 35, d'autant que je porte des lunettes en permanence; du coup, je vise un peu au "feelin g", "à la louche" ... et ce sacré 35 me semble encore plus large qu'il n'est!

Seul forum Leica en Français, http://www.summilux.net ... venez nous voir!

 

Alain

Michel: I have M3, M6 0.72 and M6 0.85. I used M3 for many years and prefer the magnification of it hence the 0.85. I wear thick glasses and the 35 framelines are not useable for general use in the M6 0.85. I purchased this for use with the 50, 90 and 135's. The 0.72 has framelines for the 28 on up, and the framelines for 28 are not useable with glasses. The 35 framelines are useable, but I can not see the entire framelines without moving my eye. I can see about 90% normally. I prefer the 0.85 for viewing and focusing accuracy, but the 0.72 wins for the 28 and 35 most of the time. Both of my M6's are late production non-TTL. I have not found a problem with the meters in either camera. I would go for the non-TTL 0.72 given the lenses that you list. Try to bargain the price down on the non-TTL as mentioned above. Both are good cameras.