Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/03/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>At 8:40 PM -0500 01.3.19, Emanuel Lowi wrote: > >Some wiser person than me may be able to explain why switching to painted >brass parts >should make such a huge difference. I can tell you that what was once a >very ordinary >well-used M6 now has the heft and silky precision operation of a classic M4. Hi, Emanuel Very interesting. This indicates that a camera is really a musical instrument. A violin with no name on it has transformed into a Stradivarius. My understanding has been that the sensual sound/feel of older Ms results from use of brass "inner" parts (Leica admits it) and material of the shutter curtain (I have experienced a large difference in sound/feel when I had the curtain of my M4 exchanged). But why not outer parts... Resonators are nonetheless important. Well, it may take a couple of decades of aging to enjoy that feeling, though (much shorter than Stradivarius !?). >I also converted the innards by installing an M3 rangefinder unit. All >things being >equal otherwise, I can say that the M3 finder is a big help for viewing >and framing >with my 50mm and 90mm lenses. But I also find that the M3 viewfinder is >slightly less >bright than the former M6 unit. I am beginning to wonder whether the increased >brightness of today's M6 is the cause of the infamous flare problem (note >that most >remedies for the problem involve dimming the finder image with tape etc.). Perhaps, current viewfinder optics have better coating? I feel the one on my M4 is also a bit dimmer than that on my M6. >I no longer believe >that today's M6 is fundamentally inferior to yesterday's M2/3/4. My current concern is whether adjustment techniques (at Solms and Portugal) are maintained as good as in those days. None of my three M6's have been as smooth as my M4 and M5 when I depress the shutter release buttons. This has not changed after a couple of services by Leica Germany. These M6's have worked well enough in taking pictures, though. Cheers, - -- Mikiro @ Strasbourg http://arbos.silva.net