Re: [Leica] .85X M6

[TTAbrahams <TTAbrahams@aol.com>]

Jon, I have had my M6HM or 0,85 for about a month now. I did take it to Rome
for two weeks ( just back a couple of days ago). I have waited for this model
since they told me at Leica that they could not put a M3 finder in my first M6
and retain the metering (1986) and then they said that they could not make me
a black,non-engraved M6J for a reasonable price. They sometimes take a long
time to react. Well enough griping, I shoot about 40 rolls with the 0,85 in
Rome and London ( about 50 % of the film used). With the 50 and 90 it is a
gods end. You can actually see what is happening in the frame with the 90 and
the 50 is big enough to give you a good eyeful and still retain the M-facility
of being able to see whats going on outside the frame. I did run some rolls
through it with the 75 prior to going and it works very well, it feels like
you are shooting with a 50 Nocti or -Lux. 
 With the 35 you are basically getting everything you can see through the
viewfinder and probably a bit more as you cant see the lines ( at least not
with glasses). 
 My judgement is that it is a very worthwhile M camera, I would not not
recommend it as your first M6, it doesn't work that well with the 35. I will
use it as my 2nd body, a regular M6 with the 35 on it and the HM/0,85 with the
50 or 75/90 combination is a rather complete camera package ( its what I call
a 90% package, you can do 90 % of most photography with that set of 2 bodies
and 3 lense and the extra 9% would be a 21 Asph ( the remaining 1% needs
really specialized stuff)..
 The only marginal problem I had with 0,85 was that the rangefinder patch
occasionally " flared out" on me.i,e it went white and difficult to see. This
was not a big problem, it happend when the light was strong sidelight ( left
hand side) and in all the cases I only had to shift the camera a fraction to
get the patch back.
 For all the complains about Leica, the camera functioned flawlessly, very
smooth release and no sense of looseness or faulty functions.
 If you have been using the regular M6 it takes a bit of thinking to correct
for the meter on the M6HM. The meter pattern for the 35 takes in a larger
porton of the viewfinder than on the regular M6 ( a function of the
viewfinder) and after 10 years of shooting with the regular M6 I have
established subconscious parameters for my metering, particularly with the 35
( my preferred lens). Occasionally with the HM I kept thinking that I had
screwed up as I was mentally metering with the smaller acceptance angle of the
regular M6 and strong sidelights or specular highlights that I thought were
outside the "meter pattern" interfered with the values. This is not a
criticism, just a matter of getting used to it. I did find that I used the 90
more than usual with the HM, composition is easier and judging from the first
batch of 40-45 rolls of black and white rolls that I have run, focussing
accuracy is improved with the bigger frame.
 In short I like it and congratulate Leica on a good design, and yes I have
taped over the red dot!!!
 Tom A