What's an M6 doing in my Minolta drawer?

Frankly Unsharp · Dec 7, 2014

Answer: nothing much, since it's in the middle of the night and it's raining outside
I bought the black camera body + the also black Tele-Elmarit M 1:2.8/90mm (the former owner claimed that the lens had been serviced recently), yes, and a lens shade, of course. It all summed up to nearly 1500 .
My intention was to compare the build quality of a Leica with that of a camera from the Minolta SR-series. That's why it ended up in a drawer together with 5 x SR-1, an SR-7 and my first Minolta, SRT 100b (I guess the "b" stands for "budget", but in my opinion it means "better".)
Sorry guys, all results point in the same direction: Especially the older SR-cameras have a better build quality than the M6, they look much better and have that lovely "pling"-sound when You pull the trigger!
Ok, You can throw the rotten eggs now...Oh,yes, I can see the first one coming....
Thank You!

Les Sarile · Dec 7, 2014

Obviously Leica thought highly of Minolta as they collaborated on a few bodies. Not to mention Minolta glass were no slouch and they were one of the few that made their own.

Pioneer · Dec 7, 2014

Minolta cameras and lenses are top notch.

The film advance, shutter cocking lever on my SRT-102 is far smoother than anything I have used with a Leica brand on it, and they are very good. The shutter release is not quite as smooth as my M3 or MA, but so close it hardly registers in my mind. However, that lovely "pling" sound is certainly louder.

Sirius Glass · Dec 7, 2014

I had many Minoltas: SR-7, SRT-101, SRT-102, and X-700. Great bodies and even better lenses.

250swb · Dec 8, 2014

It's pretty sad you have to spend 1500 Euro as an excuse to post another Leica bashing thread on the internet. I think you could have got away with trawling around for some like minded views and made the whole thing up without spending a penny.

But you are absolutely correct, Minolta made (nearly said 'make' there by mistake) some terrific cameras, excellent lenses, and even some great scanners, all with top build quality. But I guess we will have to wait for a photographer to come along and test them before we know if the fundamental difference between a rangefinder M6 or an SLR Minolta is really in the build quality or are they an inherently different machine with a different purpose which overrides build quality?

Of course when talking about build quality the concerns for having the best is partly based on reliability. And when my Minolta goes wrong I know that no matter how old it is, even one made in the 1930's, I can send it back to Minolta HQ for a full overhaul and further warranty on the camera. I doubt you can do that with a Leica.

Steve

miha · Dec 8, 2014

250swb said:
But you are absolutely correct, Minolta made (nearly said 'make' there by mistake) some terrific cameras, excellent lenses, and even some great scanners, all with top build quality.

No necessarily a mistake. Konica Minolta apparently newer left the lens-making business:

http://www.konicaminolta.jp/opt/products/reflex/index.html (the text says they are producing MFT lenses)

Rhodes · Dec 8, 2014

I'm also a Minolta guy, possibly do to my father having some when I was little. He had the A5 rangefinder and the SRT-101 (I think). Latter he had the X-300s and it was my first slr that I used and still use it sometimes. My only AF is Minolta and if I did not got a Olympus a few months ago, I would go to a X-700.

darkosaric · Dec 8, 2014

I made excellent 30x40cm prints from Minolta Himatic F, minolta lenses are great.

Frankly Unsharp · Dec 8, 2014

250swb said:
It's pretty sad you have to spend 1500 Euro as an excuse to post another Leica bashing thread on the internet. I think you could have got away with trawling around for some like minded views and made the whole thing up without spending a penny.

But you are absolutely correct, Minolta made (nearly said 'make' there by mistake) some terrific cameras, excellent lenses, and even some great er, all marketwith top build quality. But I guess we will have to wait for a photographer to come along and test them before we know if the fundamental difference between a rangefinder M6 or an SLR Minolta is really in the build quality or are they an inherently different machine with a different purpose which overrides build quality?

Of course when talking about build quality the concerns for having the best is partly based on reliability. And when my Minolta goes wrong I know that no matter how old it is, even one made in the 1930's, I can send it back to Minolta HQ for a full overhaul and further warranty on the camera. I doubt you can do that with a Leica.

Steve[/QUOTE

How many generations should a camera last? Based on the amount of old (read:analog) cameras that have been put to sale by the generation which was supposed to hold on to these aging gems, I would say that there is gap of at least one generation to whom it's OK to have a camera for less than five years, and then throw it away as some new and fantastic model hits the market. Maybe we should join them, and fill our garbage cans with these strange machines, because soon there will be nobody left who knows how to fix them ....or...?

georg16nik · Dec 8, 2014

Frankly No said:
...soon there will be nobody left who knows how to fix them ....or...?

There is nothing much to be fixed in the majority of pre-1960's purely mechanical still cameras.

In the recent decade Sony assimilated Minolta while Leica became a good example how replacing silver halides with semiconductors might turn fatal for them.

The chance to fix current digital camera from any mfg, in 10 years, is guaranteed zero.

miha · Dec 8, 2014

SNIP:

georg16nik said:
In the recent decade Sony assimilated Minolta while Leica became a good example how replacing silver halides with semiconductors might turn fatal for them.

Can you please elaborate?

georg16nik · Dec 8, 2014

miha said:
SNIP:

Can you please elaborate?

Most certainly.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dierktopp/14401797238/in/photostream/
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica...ange-white-spots-m9-sensor-7.html#post2825494
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica.../307974-strange-white-spots-m9-sensor-40.html
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145845
http://www.leicaplace.com/showthread.php?t=735&
http://www.imx.nl/photo/blog-2/the-dark-side-of-digital.html

miha · Dec 8, 2014

Thanks, but this only shows that a fraction of their digital cameras experienced problems. Not unique to Leica. Your original posts reads as though Leica Camera should stay away from digital in the first place.

frank · Dec 8, 2014

OP: how many M6's would you like to trade one for one for Minolta SLR's?

darkosaric · Dec 8, 2014

Recently I spoke with M9 owner who told me that he stopped using film because digital is more reliable on his trips to Africa (too hot for films and M6 he says). Well, if he gets this problem from Georgs links - I guess he will return back to M6 .

darkosaric · Dec 8, 2014

frank said:
OP: how many M6's would you like to trade one for one for Minolta SLR's?

I can give him one Minolta for one M6. First spoken!

georg16nik · Dec 8, 2014

miha said:
Thanks, but this only shows that a fraction of their digital cameras experienced problems. Not unique to Leica. Your original posts reads as though Leica Camera should stay away from digital in the first place.

it might be a fraction in some other reality, the issue is big, since all sensors on these models use the same filter, which is very very thin to allow some reverse compatibility with non-telecentric lenses.

and yes you've red my post correctly, Leica should've focused on promoting film and making mechanical cameras.

miha · Dec 8, 2014

They do make mechanical cameras, don't they? But they wouldn't survived without digital.

Pioneer · Dec 8, 2014

miha said:
They do make mechanical cameras, don't they? But they wouldn't survived without digital.

True statement.

Digital supports analog. Not the other way around.

georg16nik · Dec 8, 2014

miha said:
They do make mechanical cameras, don't they? But they wouldn't survived without digital.

They sure do but hardly promote them much.

darkosaric said:
... Well, if he gets this problem from Georgs links - I guess he will return back to M6 .

When, not if.
All D M's except the last ones uses the same front filter, the corrosion is a mater of time to develop, its a simple chemical reaction.
Only Leica dared to put such thin filter so that people can be happy with legacy symmetrical lenses performance on M's.
Thicker filters cause poorer edge definition with symmetrical lenses. The thin ones Leica went with just don't degrade performance that much.

Pioneer · Dec 8, 2014

That may not be totally true Georg. The potential defective may exist on all sensors (Leica hasn't officially confirmed that yet) but may not actually present with corrosion. No one really knows yet.

My Monochrom is just fine after one year. My M9 was fine after its 3rd annual cleaning last year. It may be just fine this year, I haven't heard anything yet.

That is part of the problem. So far no one knows if the corrosion WILL occur no matter what.

Frankly Unsharp · Dec 8, 2014

frank said:
OP: how many M6's would you like to trade one for one for Minolta SLR's?

It depends on which model of SR-1 we are talking about, the first version from 1959 was the same as that of my father. For him it took several months of work to pay for the camera, for me it took a few clicks on my PC to get a similar one.
Or perhaps a black SR-1, said to be rare, but mine is going for a CLA + more.
I think we have to take one of the SRT's, maybe 303 (in US it was called Super). Let me know about your choice !!!
(and You can chose how many Minoltas You get for one M6)

RMD · Dec 8, 2014

Steve...

Minolta HQ ? That went a long time ago.

As the owner of six Minolta slrs I am very conscious of the fact that getting
them serviced/repaired is very very difficult.

This is particularly true of the models with electronics. This is probably down to non-availability
of spare parts,and whilst the Camera Repair Workshop in Milton Keynes still provides excellent service,
Runtime in Bremen Germany is probably the last surviving facility to even look at the Dynax 9.

naaldvoerder · Dec 8, 2014

But what a piece of kit, the Dynax 9!!!

John Koehrer · Dec 8, 2014

Frankly No said:
Especially the older SR-cameras have a better build quality than the M6, they look much better and have that lovely "pling"-sound when You pull the trigger!

I'd pay a bit more not to get that "pling" sound...........:0

What's an M6 doing in my Minolta drawer?

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