Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/01/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> > Thank you Stefan! This only confirms what I=B4ve already been told off-l= ine. > And it really pleases me since the Titanium M6 I=B4m about to buy thereb= y > is on par with my old M3s! > > In other words the Titanium M6 is as close to the real sturdy and classi= c > Leica one can get today. Brass is what it takes! Is there anyone who > doesn=B4t agree? I can not agree with this as my experiences with brass tops are so so. They are easily dented even by forces that would not cause any damgage to the camera internally. My Nikons both look some kind of ugly and the one time I really dropped one the dent in the top was the reason to have it serviced (the dent was in the way of the double exposure lever on my FM2. Everything else worked fine. I was on a trip for my study and had to use the camera for another 7 rolls of macro-photography: no problems. After they put a new top on the camera Nikon adjusted nearly everything on the body though). My conclusion is: Brass is easily dented in comparision with other materials (massive Titanium for example, why doesn't Leica use that as other manufaturers do?). If brass has to "swallow the bump" it is so severly deformed that it has to be replaced and you have the camera to be serviced anyhow (it will at least look a little surrealistic wit a fraction of it's resale value left). The use of casted zinc may be a wise one in terms of functionality and cosmetics. It just can't be titanized that easy. But who really cares about that besides the collectors? > Anyway, wouldn=B4t it be strange if almost US$500 extra only got you > a different, however pretty, surface? Well, I think that is exactly what it is. With massive titanium you have more dent-resistance and other manufacturers use it for that reason even without letting it show up on the exterior (Nikon F3-Press). But with titanized brass I can't find any advantage in functionality at all. IMHO you just pay for a nicer look, that's all (If I were you I knew better occasions to throw my money in but if you really like that look I will be the last one to argue). But what are your experiences with the zinc-top ladies and gentleman? Does it protect the investment in an adequate manner? Anyone who's M6 is dented over and over or who had it cracked by a real bad bump? best regards Stefan - -- Stefan Kahlert, Medizinische Poliklnik der Universitaet Bonn uzs13b@uni-bonn.de