[Leica] M6 Myths

[TonynyX44@aol.com]

Thought the following might interest those who haven't seen it:

The Leica rangefinder is surrounded by an aura of mechanical precision an=
d=0Aoptical perfection - qualities reflected in its high price. Confirmed=
 Leica=0Auser Paul Ross questions the myths and concludes that you can't =
believe all=0Ayou hear...
You get used to this if you work in the press pack long enough. There you=
 are=0Astanding in a crowd of other pros, each of them draped with the la=
test in=0Aauto-everything. Suddenly one grizzled veteran peers suspicious=
ly at the thing=0Aaround your neck. Gradually a far away look comes into =
his eyes, "Ah, Leica"=0Ahe breathes "A real camera... Capa... Bresson... =
Magnum..." 
Everyone agrees that the only proper Leicas are the rangefinders but ther=
e are=0Amore myths about these than you can shake a stick at. A lot of Le=
ica lore is=0Aput around by people who have little or no experience of us=
ing one and if=0Ahardened pros have misty eyed views of the thing why not=
 everyone else? 

So what is the truth behind the beast? 

Myth 1: Leica started the 35mm format.
Well no. Actually the first 35mm camera was the "Homeos" (1913) a year be=
fore=0AOskar Barnack's "UR" prototype. And it was 1925 before the first p=
roduction=0ALeica hit the market. However Leica must take credit for bein=
g the first to=0Adevelop a camera where you could change the lens without=
 resorting to a=0Ascrewdriver and a set of spanners. 
Myth 2: Well all right then the modern Leica is superbly developed.
Hardly. The present day M6 is roughly a M3 of 40 years ago with the addit=
ion=0Aof a simple light meter. If any Leica bore tries to claim an unbrok=
en chain of=0Adevelopment excellence then just lean over and whisper the =
phrase "M5" in=0Atheir ear. There can be few camera manufacturers who hav=
e been forced to=0Aresuscitate an obsolete model (the M4) to save their r=
eputation. 
Myth 3: OK, so anyone can make a mistake. But rangefinder focusing knocks=
 any=0ASLR into a cocked hat.
Firstly the rangefinder is a complicated mechanical system of levers, piv=
ots,=0Aprisms and mirrors which can go out of adjustment far more easily =
than the=0Asimpler SLRs. 
Secondly the rangefinder has a fixed sensitivity regardless of the lens. =
This=0Asimple compromise means that it is far too sensitive for wide lens=
es and not=0Asensitive enough for telephotos. 

And accuracy? Try this; mount a M6 on a tripod and focus precisely on a m=
ark=0Aon a wall about 2 metres away. Now move the tripod 6mm away from th=
e wall=0A(this is the depth of field of a 75mm lens at f1.4). See any dif=
ference in the=0Aviewfinder image? I'm dammed if I can. It is a bit hit a=
nd miss getting the=0Afocusing right with longer lenses wide open. 

Myth 4: The viewfinder is wonderfully clear compared to all the flashing=
=0Alights in a modern SLR.
As the view is the same whichever lens you put on the M6 viewfinder needs=
 a=0Aprofusion of intrusive frame marks half of which are irrelevant. A g=
reat chunk=0Aof the bottom right corner of the viewfinder is blocked by t=
he lenshood. Once=0Asomeone asked me how I visualised a particular photog=
raph. "Like this" I=0Areplied covering the appropriate part of the print =
with my hand. 
Myth 5: They are the best camera for photojournalism.
Thirty years ago there was little or no competition in the professional c=
amera=0Amarket and the Leica was rightly King. Nowadays new technology an=
d stiffer=0Acompetition between manufacturers mean that there is a far wi=
der choice of=0Agood equipment. 
The problem is that when you buy a Leica you are not just buying a camera=
 you=0Aare buying a culture, and a collectible one at that. Design, quali=
ty and price=0Aare not set by professionals who have to earn their living=
 with them but by=0Athe collectors - the glass case brigade. In recent ye=
ars Leica seems to have=0Aabandoned technical development instead playing=
 shamelessly to the collectors=0Amarket with limited edition versions mad=
e of exotic materials. 

Myth 6: Leica lenses are best.
Well =A31000 or more will buy you a good lens from anyone. There really s=
eems=0Alittle practical difference between Leitz optics and good Canon or=
 Nikon ones.=0AThis is particularly true if you are working fast and wide=
 open when the=0Asmallest focusing error squanders any optical excellence=
. 
Myth 7: Leicas are really rugged.
In the years that I have been using M6s I have had a crop of failures and=
 a=0Afew horror stories. They appear no better or worse than most expensi=
ve=0Aequipment. The M6 electrics are poorly sealed and particularly prone=
 to dirt=0Acontaminating the electrical contacts. This can cause the mete=
ring to be=0Awildly out. 
A couple of years ago I was the proud owner of a brand new M6 which faile=
d=0Aafter about 20 rolls when a minor shutter spring broke. Later on a ru=
sh job I=0Afound that the rewind lever had fallen off unnoticed - try ext=
racting the film=0Awithout one when the despatch rider is nervously tappi=
ng the throttle beside=0Ayou. One famous photographer recently told me th=
at she had to send her M6 back=0Aseven times before light leaks were fixe=
d. She ended up calling them 'Leitz=0Aleaks'.