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The new M6 TTL


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Looking for stories/experiences on using the new TTL version of the M6. Anything about the shutter speed dial, extra lights in the viewfinder, etc. Not going to write a check tomorrow, but ya never know.

Backups? We don’t need no stinking ba #.’  _ ,    J

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  • 3 months later...

I have used an M6 TTL .85 since April this year. Previously I had

used an M6 (.72 viewfinder) for about 5 years.

 

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Observations, minor and major (actually only minor).

 

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Ergonomics: My hands are small, and I swear that I can tell the

difference of 2mm in the height of the camera. It feels and handles

differently, gripped in my right hand. On balance (ha ha), it feels

more secure in my grip than the older body. I tend to carry around my

camera in my right hand rather than have it around my neck, and the

old camera would cause my palm to cramp after a while. The bigger

body seems to be more comfortable to hold. YMMV.

 

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Viewfinder: I could swear, initially, that the viewfinder was darker.

This may be a peripheral vision thing, as the new camera is black,

and my old one was chrome, and the old camera probably reflected some

peripheral highlights into my viewing eye causing an impression of

brightness. I speculate. More likely, it is the increased

magnification of the new finder. LUGers have reported the same

phenomenon, and debated it, inconclusively, as they usually do :-)

 

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Focusing light/dot. The new camera has a bright red spot between the

two familiar old arrow leds.

 

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I was very skeptical of this addition before getting the camera, but

it is a great improvement, in practice. The old system was less

positive, as you sought to balance the meter out, judging relative

brightness of the two opposed triangles. The new meter is much more

positive. Exposure just 'snaps' in, when the red dot lights up, and

this is a time saver. The overall picture taking routine is speeded

up and is more fluid.

 

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I'm not a flash user, so I can't comment on the TTL, save to say that

it seems that

 

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1) partial spot metering is not best suited for flash exposure

2) 1/50 synch limits of course, daylight synch.

3) Basically this feature is designed to add a low light fill-flash

capability, or so it seems.

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I don't own an M6 TTL, but I've tried one out. FWIW here's my

impressions:

 

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It looks and feels larger than the M6. This is a step in the WRONG

DIRECTION. I'm still always tempted to grab my IIIf instead of my M6

because of its size. It seems silly to have made the M cameras larger,

just for the sake of adding an obsolete flash technology.

 

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The shutter speed dial is backward from every other camera I own, and

every other camera that I've ever used. Because of this, I found the

M6 TTL to be confusing, and slower to use. Maybe some folks will find

this to be and improvement, but I think its silly.

 

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I couldn't find anything about the M6 TTL that would make me want to

upgrade. In fact, if I had to replace my M6 for some reason, I would

most likely get another M6 (non-TTL), or maybe an M4.

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Oh yes, the shutter speed dial. Its easier to grip and turn, and

offers less resistance. But the fact that it revolves the other way

is no intuitive use with the meter, especially not if you are using

an older M6 body as well. You are always going the wrong way on one

or the other body. They should have left it as it was, but I vote yes

for the larger size.

 

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I agree with Joe, the M6, new or old is too large; quite a bit bigger

than old manual compact SLRs such as the Nikon FM/FM2 or Olympus OMs,

as measured from baseplate to top plate. The screwmount Leicas are

more grippable for the same reason.

 

<p>

 

On balance, I agree with Joe on the TTL feature as well. Who really

needed it?

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  • 2 months later...

I have been using the M6 TTL for the last three months and have found

it to be very notional to use. I did not have the earlier version of

the M6 so I do not have the problem with the shutter speed dial

turning in the other direction. I did borrow the earlier version for

a test and have found the new readout of the exposure in the view

finder much easier to use with the dot in the center. The "off"

position on the dial is a god send since I know I would have the

problem of running the battery down. Currently the only lens I am

using with it is the new 35mm f/2 ASPH Summicron and I can not say

enough about how happy I am with it. The contrast is the traditional

Summicron look and the lens is tack sharp. I would trade the body

for an earlier m6 long before I would let go of this lens!

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  • 4 months later...

The "Off" position isn't really much of a godsend. The M6 and M6 TTL

are pretty much identical when it comes to turning off the meter. On

both, the meter turns off when you release the shutter. On those rare

occasions when you put the camera away with the shutter tensioned, you

can set the shutter speed to "B" which, appropriately, turns off the

meter.

 

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So, what's the point of the "Off" position? I suppose it makes some

potential buyers feel better. After all, a Hexar has an "Off"

position, a G1/G2 has an "Off" position, automatic SLRs have an "Off"

position.

 

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It will also probably mislead a lot of people into thinking they need

to turn the camera "off" every time that they put it away. This will

make the M6 TTL slower to use.

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I have drained the battery once by putting my M6 back side down in the

camera bag. The shutter release was pressed (but not released) by the

camera bag insert and the shutter tensioned and not in 'B'.

 

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A Lock is more desired to lock the shutter and meter and not using the

'B' or 'OFF' to just turn off the meter. I consider this is the

desgin flaw in Leica M6.

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  • 4 months later...

I have a TTL .85x and I'm very pleased with it. However it was not my

first choice. I tried to get a M6 HM but couldn't find one.

Apparently Leica only made about 5,000 or so. I could of purchased a

brand new M6 non TTL for $200 less than the newer model but in the

end decided to go with the M6 TTL. I find the appearance of the non

TTL M6 slightly more seductive but hey at the end of the day it's how

the camera performs that counts. In this regard the newer TTL has

some advantages as far as I can see. The exposure metering apparently

is more senstive than the non TTL and I like the extra dot in the

middle of the two triangles, which reduces reduces to just the dot

when the exposure is right. The larger speed dial and the more

logical way it turns are an improvement in my opinion. However I

never used an older M6 'classic' for any length of time and I have

sympathy for those that after many years of turning a shuuter speed

dial one way would have to get used to turning it the other way.

The dial and aperture ring now just turn in the direction of the

pointed part of the triangle which points to the center of the

screen, i.e. if the right triangle is glowing then the shutter speed

and aperture ring are turned to the left. Sounds like no big deal,

but it is very easy to use.

I don't have any problems with the extra 2mm of height in the new

body and my hands are very small, about the size of an average female.

Mind you 2mm is not very much but it is noticeable appearance wise

and the TTL model definately looks more square at the top than the

M6 'classic'. I don't know whether I made the right the right choice

as regards the 0.85x viewfinder but that's another issue.

There is an excellent review on the new TTL at www.lhsa.org/ located

in the Viewfinder section under 'featured articles from Viewfinder,

volume 32 No.1, 1999' entitled "M6TTL-User Report by Tom Abrahams".

Would I buy another TTL in preference to a non TTL version? The

answer would have to be 'yes'.

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John, thanks for clarifying what "B" does on the M6 TTL. It makes

sense, because the TTL flash still needs to work on the "B" setting,

so the meter has to be on.

 

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That still doesn't make the "Off" position a "feature". Its

just something that the designers were forced to add, because they had

to modify how "B" worked.

 

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As a point of curiosity, what shutter speed fires when the dial is set

to "Off"? Is is "B"?

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  • 8 months later...
  • 5 months later...

Hi Tony! Good question. I have a TTL since a year and a half ago and

am very happy about it. I like the dial direction and the fact that

to turn it off I just have to think of closing the lid on my bottle of

Tequila. I don't hate the OFF (as most non-TTL-classicists do) and I

usually never turn to OFF anyways (except when I shove it into the

bag). Don't know if I could ever get used to having to deal with two

different dial directions on two different Ms. I've spent a lot of

time looking at everything that all M2s, M3s, and M4s have. I like the

fact that some of these have a self-timer. If I buy a second M, I'm

getting more and more sure that it will be a second TTL (this time in

chrome instead of black). That's all.

 

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If you spend as long to find out what you will always love -- as I do

-- then you'll end up being as happy as I am (I think).

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