Leica M6

I recently had an opportunity to aquire a Leica M6 classic in a pretty good condition along with a couple of lenses – a Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.5 MC II and a Leica Summicon 50mm f/2 V5. I had to sell my Sony gear for this but I couldn’t resist as the M6 is probably my grail film camera. It’s fully mechanical save for the light meter. It’s heavy and built like a tank.

I haven’t shot enough with it to really make a proper review but so far from the 1st 2 rolls I shot with it, it truly lives up to my expectations. There is a slight learning curve as this M6 has no shutter lock, and I am so used to advancing the film after every shot, so there were several accidental shutter presses while taking the camera out of my bag. Something I should be more conscious of moving forward – not to advance the film until I am ready to take the next shot . Another thing I need to keep in mind, there is no IBIS. LOL!

The 1st roll, which I usually consider as garbage roll, was shot with a roll of Kodak Ultramax 400 and mostly with the Voigtlander 35mm while the 2nd roll was with the Kodak BW400CN (expired) and Leica 50mm Summicron. The Voigtlander gives a distinct bloomy and dreamy look while retaining sharpness. The 50mm Cron on the other hand is really sharp and contrasty. Here are some of the shots from the 1st 2 rolls. I hope to get more comfortable with the system and improve my shots.

Kodak Ultramax 400 + Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.4 MC II