M6 A La Carte

[Bill Blackwell Images]

I though the Leica M "artists" among you might like to see this...

Complete with the MP finder upgrade!<div></div>

[Bill Blackwell Images]

Another view...<div></div>

[leo_m_leo_m]

Hello Bill,

 

There's obviously a new top-plate, but the shutter speed dial is not a full-metal one, like on the MP. The lens-release botton is also the same as the normal M6...

By the way, what's the "à la carte" price, excluding viewfinder upgrade?...

 

Regards,

Leo

[SolaresLarrave]

Nice M6 body with a shutter dial from the M6TTL and the frameline selection lever and film advance lever cannibalized from an M3.

 

And, of course, Panda-ized model.

 

Am I right?

[SolaresLarrave]

Ooops! I didn't notice the MP top plate.

 

Looks nice... but I'd like mine in brown leather. Can you make it?

[jerry_lehrer]

Bill,

 

A "Parts Bin" camera. It can't be a MP top plate with TWO flash sockets.

 

Or you are better at Photoshop than most of the other guys!

 

BTW, what is the covering of the body?

 

Jerry

[leo_m_leo_m]

The shutter speed dial is not M6TTL, but M6 "classic". Sorry, but this is evidence.

 

What intrigues me moste is (exept the price, of course) the body covering. At a first glance, this is VULCANIT!!! I heard somewhere that this vulkanit is not the same that it used to be at Leica golden age. Sort of a "fake-vulkanit", wich appears to be rather a banal leatherette... Bill, can you confirm this?

[dan_brown14]

That's really nice! I like the 'Panda' look.

[frederick_muller]

Odd ... my M6 has one flash socket and yours has two, like an M4? Is yours an older one?

[jerry_lehrer]

Fred,

 

It is not "odd". No M6 ever had two flash sockets, but all M4 models did.

 

Jerry

[Bill Blackwell Images]

No, it's not Photoshop! It started off as a black M6 classic. I recovered the body myself with Aki-Asahi's "Pebble Emboss." Sometime later I sent it to DAG for the finder upgrade and decided to have a new M4 top plate put on it. The shutter speed dial, frame counter window, and flash socket are from the M6 (the second socket was added of course); the rest of the parts are (black chrome) from DAG. The only thing I've changed from the original pictures posted is the RW lever (see below) to match the style of frame preview selector. As to what it cost me... I can't tell you because I haven't received the bill yet. However, I can tell you it will be in the neighborhood of $500-600 (everything included).<div></div>

[dan d. chang]

Bill why bother to do so?

[Bill Blackwell Images]

"Why bother to do so?"

 

Because I can! I have always enjoyed Leica cameras and this is something I've wanted to do since the very first time I saw an M6.

[elijah_free]

Good for you Bill! Very beautiful indeed.

[jerry_lehrer]

Bill,

 

TTBOMK, all M4 top plates have two holes for flash sockets. That and the 'no serial number' is the dead giveaway that it is a replacemenr M4

top plate.

 

Not that it matters, but is the flashbulb socket functional?

 

Jerry

[Rob F.]

The only thing I can't figure out is where the shutter speed dial came from. It has the same direction of rotation as a classic pre-TTL Leica, but not the knurled edge. Instead, it has the milled edge of a TTL or M7 dial, and looks to be as tall. Because of the classic direction of rotation, it can't be a TTL dial. And I think it's too small for a TTL, as well.

 

What's up with that?

[Bill Blackwell Images]

Jerry: Yes, all M4s had two flash sockets - one for flash bulbs and the other for electronic flash. The flash bulb socket is functional here for another electronic flash.

 

Rob: I never claimed it to be anything but a classic M6. The shutter speed dial was an original part - it's a standard classic M6 dial.

[ben z]

Das Frankenleica! It's...it's...aliiiiiiiiive!

[stanley_cheung]

Hello Bill Blackwell,

Me too, I've wanted since the very 1st time I saw an M6 as well!!

1/ M3 film advance level! (A must for leica M). 2/ an internal film advance level brake, so the level doesn't hurt the speed dial like M3 and M2 did. 3/ M4 film rewinding crank (all metal parts). 4/ M3, M2 style film rewind level. 5/ M3, M2 style frameline selection level. 6/ foucsing patch white-out fix (i put a piece of 3M polarized filter behind the middle window... this filter used for mobile phone screen normally, but it does work). 6/ leica logo in black! (Black matches better the chrome or black lens).

I would like to replace the cover with a real leather later from cameraleather.com...

fot the moment it cost me around $150 (camera not included).<div></div>

[jerry_lehrer]

Stan,

 

Very nice! Who did the work on the LEVERS? Also, I note that you use

a 35mm lenshood on your screwmount 50mm lens.

 

Jerry

[stanley_cheung]

Thanks a lot Jerry,

I purchased the levels via eBay and made the ring wrenches by myself to switch the levels.

and yes, I have the normal 50mm vented hood too, but prefer the 35mm square hood for better flare resistance.

best regards

Stan<div></div>

[howard_roarke]

It looks like a panda...

[dan flanders]

For 50mm lenses Leica has lately furnished the same hood as for 35mm lenses. Actually they are not as effective as on the 35's, but the rectangular hoods are so much more effective than the circular 12585 and its clones that it is still a plus. Before rectangular shades became available I used to put a rectangular mask in the shade to get rid of the extraneous light above, below, and to the sides of the format. It was effective but I have found the 12526 and similar to be adequate for most uses. Of course the 'barn-door' is the most effective shade Leitz has ever furnished, despite its first prize for ugly!