OT- M7 color choice

I realize the choice of color for M body is purely personal taste. Is

there another other reason beside this for preferring black over

chrome? I�m in the process of acquiring a new M7 back-up body and

wondering what you would buy? I know this is somewhat OT and the

final photo has nothing to do with the body color. Also, I am not

looking for resale value just working tool. Your thoughts & comments

 

Tks,

Only if you plan to match your lenses.

 

Remember black lenses are somewhat lighter than chrome because the barrel is aluminum instead of brass.

You answered the question for yourself. It's totally personal.

 

However, I (personally) seem to think that a Black or Silver lens looks equally nice on a Chrome body, but silver lenses look a little odd on an all black body.

 

That said, all of my rangefinders have always been black, except for my M6. Just personal taste though.

 

As long as the pictures aren't silver or black, you'll be fine.

All my rangefinders have been silver chrome; it's just personal taste and also that I think silver and black lenses look nicer on a silver body. I've been told that silver is better when shooting in a very hot location since it reflects heat, whereas the black absorbs it.

1) I think black lenses on silver body should look nice, don't think

the same of silver lenses on black body;

 

2) indeed, a black body on your chest (out of the bag) in strong

sunlight should get hotter than a silver body;

 

3) when and if I will purchase a second Leica body for my black

M6TTL, I will think about a silver one in order to recognize

immediately from one another when they are loaded with

different films.

 

Regards,

 

Giorgio

http://www.infinito.it/utenti/maremmaphoto

Chrome wears well with use; black just starts to look beaten up and grubby - if any of that matters to you.

 

Giorgio's point is a sensible one: get the finish you've not got already so you know instantly which is which, and if you have different films loaded you don't need to start squinting at the serial number.

If you get softies from Tom Abrahamsson (www.rapidwinder.com) you can have different colors on the bodies. There are at least eight colors available.

 

Some lenses come only in black, so if you're a 75/1.4 or 50/1.0 fan it could be a factor in your decision.

I always like black because it is less obtrusive, especially when I put black tape over the Leica logo and the red dot. It just looks like a non-descript, black camera. Most people think it's a digital or some sort of "old camera". If you want it to stand out and look fancier as jewelry, then the silver finish is more attractive, IMO.

 

I doubt whether the finish color makes much difference regarding heat conductivity in the real world. How many of us leave our camera right in the sun to bake? They're both metal, which is a pretty good heat absorber in its own right. And the lens is typically what presents a greater cross-section to the sun in most high-heat situations. I agree with that argument for white lenses with their large, horizontal surface area.

 

Someone mentioned having two bodies for different films. I wouldn't do that as then you "have" to put one time of film in each body pretty much all the time to make the association of camera-to-film a reflex. My tactic is to have different color softies to indicate film type. I've probably got 10 different colors from Tom, which presents me with lots of choices (Hmmm. Let's see: black, chrome, gold, red, copper, blue, green, purple, and black w/"Photo Village". OK, I don't have a titanium, so that's 9.)

 

I also don't care about the lens and body color coordination issue. I buy black lenses unless they're vintage. The weight difference in modern lenses for chrome is intolerable IMO.

chrome is chrome, black is paint

SFAIK, the .58 is available only in black. Which v/f do you prefer?

 

Michael.

I like chrome better. Unless there's a black one I REALLY like.

 

For some reason, I think people associate black cameras with professional, "serious" photography. I get better response from strangers when I ask if I can photograph them with a chrome camera around my neck--especially if it's a non-obtrusive Leica rangefinder. Maybe a black camera is like Darth Vader and a chrome camera is more friendly.

I'd buy black, unless there was a Titanium version available. ;)

Regardless of esthetic considerations, I prefer to use a black camera because I don't like the blinding glare of tropical sunshine (it doesn't have to be tropical) that goes with the chrome surfaces. I even recall placing black tape over the chrome edge of the waist-level finder on a 500 C/M!

It might make a difference to you if you intend using a motor, which is available only in black.