Asking users of both, Leica M5 and M6, for input

[Christiaan Phleger]

Oh and I did figure out the F3 metering, and in many slide shooting scenarios I did find the A auto setting with the slightly narrower 80/20 metering pattern to be very effective for getting a good exposure, in particular with longer lenses. Which was a deal when shooting slide, there were no sliders on the editing program to compensate for user induced exposure errors.

 

[Hassasin]

I'll have to check, but I am reasonably sure that an M5 has to be cocked to meter, as well. It is only when cocked that the arm swings into position.

True

 

[GregY]

I'll have to check, but I am reasonably sure that an M5 has to be cocked to meter, as well. It is only when cocked that the arm swings into position.

That is true!....same w the CL. So i guess it comes down to spot meter/ vs centre weight averaging

 

[chuckroast]

It is this point about the M5 meter, I think it was really designed to be a slide film shooter. I recall moving from an OM-3/4 to a Nikon F3 and I sure missed the in-camera spot meter for slides. If I was to only or mostly shoot slides on M these days I would consider an M5

I'd not heard this but it sounds credible given the vintage of the camera. But, I will say that, after using a spot meter in LF and MF monochrome shooting for years, the first time I used an M5, I felt right at home.

 

[GregY]

It is this point about the M5 meter, I think it was really designed to be a slide film shooter. I recall moving from an OM-3/4 to a Nikon F3 and I sure missed the in-camera spot meter for slides. If I was to only or mostly shoot slides on M these days I would consider an M5

I'm not so sure the Leica engineering staff had that it mind....although the spot meter, or any internal meter helps with transparencies.
I'd guess it was more attempting to shoehorn a meter into an already small camera.....

 

[GregY]

I'd not heard this but it sounds credible given the vintage of the camera. But, I will say that, after using a spot meter in LF and MF monochrome shooting for years, the first time I used an M5, I felt right at home.

True, in my case though years of LF photography has led me to put an in-camera meter far lower on my list of priorities.

 

[chuckroast]

True, in my case though years of LF photography has led me to put an in-camera meter far lower on my list of priorities.

Yes, me as well. But there's something to said for a day with one camera, one lens, no other stuff hanging off you. It's freeing. The M5 with either the 35mm f/2 ASPH Summicron or 21mm f/4 Color-Skopar does that for me.

 

[GregY]

Yes, me as well. But there's something to said for a day with one camera, one lens, no other stuff hanging off you. It's freeing. The M5 with either the 35mm f/2 ASPH Summicron or 21mm f/4 Color-Skopar does that for me.

Yes....my CL fills that spot admirably, although my honeymoon iiig along w a digisix .....has been used more lately and may yet be my next euro trip rig.

 

[chuckroast]

Yes....my CL fills that spot, although my honeymoon iiig along w a digisix .....has been used more often and may yet be my next euro trip rig.

I took a IIIf and a couple lenses to Rome last year with a meter of course. It's the perfect form factor for unencumbered travel.

 

[marhalloweenvt]

I own both M5 and M6 and honestly, I find myself loving M5 more than M6 and always bring my M5 everywhere and M6 always sits on the shelf.
Maybe because I have a big hand and handling M6 is quite difficult for me. M5 is an odd design one and it makes M5 quite unique (sometime ugly) but with me, it's quite pleasure to owining M5. Its pathfinder is brighter and bigger than my M6 (classic not TTL) and shutter dial is easy to rotate without removing my eyes of viewfinder.
I always put a sumicron 50 DR on it and doesn't have any issue until now.

 

[RezaLoghme]

My sole Leica M is M5, great and love it. But, I've acquired few Voigtlander lenses, Nokton 35/50/75 and APO Skopar 90. I'm more than impressed with built and image quality. Precise mechanics make them all butter smooth. While I'll use them on Fuji H2 as well, where they have permanent spot now too, I am considering M6 for film work as well.

Up until now my only other M I was gunning for was M4. However, with 75 in in the line up (and likely one of the 28 from Voigtlander as well at some point) it would not hurt to have frames align. I can do decent guess with 75 (which triggers 50 frames) by flipping to 90 frames and eye balling the coverage, and use full finder for the 28.

If I'm not mistaken M6 does all of them though (28/35/50/75/90/135, I know double sets), which is leading me to think of M6 instead of M4.

Main questions I have:

• the finders of M5 and M6: how do they compare in user experience ? I'm beyond pleased with M5 finder, but assume M6 does differ to whatever degree, based on framed 28 coverage
• Is rangefinder patch in M6 better (if it can be) from M5 ?
• Is meter on M6 of same overall design as on M5 ? I think M5 has it just right for overall accuracy and convenience. I have seen M6 metering shown by diodes, so that is different and I prefer analog needle style of M5. If I buy M6, I get stuck with its meter anyways, just curious how that works out by comparison to M5.
• Are all black M6 painted or were there any done in gun metal like the M5 ?

There are Titanum coloured M6 if you look them up

 

[Pieter12]

My sole Leica M is M5, great and love it. But, I've acquired few Voigtlander lenses, Nokton 35/50/75 and APO Skopar 90. I'm more than impressed with built and image quality. Precise mechanics make them all butter smooth. While I'll use them on Fuji H2 as well, where they have permanent spot now too, I am considering M6 for film work as well.

Up until now my only other M I was gunning for was M4. However, with 75 in in the line up (and likely one of the 28 from Voigtlander as well at some point) it would not hurt to have frames align. I can do decent guess with 75 (which triggers 50 frames) by flipping to 90 frames and eye balling the coverage, and use full finder for the 28.

If I'm not mistaken M6 does all of them though (28/35/50/75/90/135, I know double sets), which is leading me to think of M6 instead of M4.

Main questions I have:

• the finders of M5 and M6: how do they compare in user experience ? I'm beyond pleased with M5 finder, but assume M6 does differ to whatever degree, based on framed 28 coverage
• Is rangefinder patch in M6 better (if it can be) from M5 ?
• Is meter on M6 of same overall design as on M5 ? I think M5 has it just right for overall accuracy and convenience. I have seen M6 metering shown by diodes, so that is different and I prefer analog needle style of M5. If I buy M6, I get stuck with its meter anyways, just curious how that works out by comparison to M5.
• Are all black M6 painted or were there any done in gun metal like the M5 ?

I haven't seen a gunmetal M5. The black ones are black chrome. I think all the black M6s are painted. The metering system on the M6 is different from the M5. The M5 is more of a spot meter, the cell is on an arm that swings up into position when the shutter is cocked. The M6 has a fixed cell that is aimed at a white spot on the shutter curtain, so fewer moving parts and a larger metering area. I like the M5 metering better, especially the match-needle system with the shutter-speed display in the finder. The M6 uses two arrows that both light up identically when the exposure is correct.

 

[GregY]

I haven't seen a gunmetal M5. The black ones are black chrome. I think all the black M6s are painted. The metering system on the M6 is different from the M5. The M5 is more of a spot meter, the cell is on an arm that swings up into position when the shutter is cocked. The M6 has a fixed cell that is aimed at a white spot on the shutter curtain, so fewer moving parts and a larger metering area. I like the M5 metering better, especially the match-needle system with the shutter-speed display in the finder. The M6 uses two arrows that both light up identically when the exposure is correct.

There are decades worth of black chrome M6..... only a few limited editions were black paint.

 

[Pieter12]

There are decades worth of black chrome M6..... only a few limited editions were black paint.

I guess the 2022 reissue is just black paint.

 

[GregY]

I guess the 2022 reissue is just black paint.

yes but apparently like the M11 finish and unlike the MP paint

 

[RezaLoghme]

What paint is it then