The Leica M6 is the camera most people picture when they hear the word rangefinder. Introduced in 1984 and built until 2002, it took the fully mechanical M body and added a compact through-the-lens light meter, without adding batteries to the shutter itself. The result is a camera that meters when you want it and keeps working when the battery dies.
Build and handling
The M6 is a dense brass and metal body wrapped in a slim package that disappears in the hand. There is no motor, no grip, no mode dial. You set shutter speed on the top dial, aperture on the lens, and focus by aligning a bright patch in the finder. Everything is deliberate and quiet. The cloth focal-plane shutter is famously discreet, which is why the M6 is a favourite for street and documentary work where you do not want to announce the frame.
Viewfinder and focusing
The bright-line finder shows frame lines that switch with the lens you mount, and the rangefinder patch in the centre is what you use to focus. Because you focus by overlapping two images rather than judging a ground glass, the M6 is fast and accurate in low light and with wide lenses. The finder comes in 0.72, 0.85 and 0.58 magnifications; 0.72 suits most people and most lenses.
Metering and exposure
The meter is a simple centre-weighted reading shown by two arrows in the finder; you turn the shutter dial or aperture until they balance. There are no automatic modes, so exposure is entirely yours. Two small batteries power only the meter. The M6 TTL variant adds flash metering and a slightly taller top plate.
Lenses
The M6 uses the Leica M bayonet, one of the great lens systems: compact, superbly made, and famous for rendering. A 35mm or 50mm is the natural starting point. Because there is no mirror box, M lenses are small and let you build a light, capable kit.
Strengths and weaknesses
The strengths are obvious: reliability, quiet operation, a class-leading finder and lenses, and a shooting style that keeps you connected to the scene. The weaknesses are the price, the lack of any automation, and a rangefinder that needs occasional adjustment to stay accurately calibrated.
Buying used
Check the rangefinder patch for accuracy at close and far distances, look for a clean, contrasty patch that has not faded, confirm the meter responds and tracks, and test all shutter speeds by ear. Brassing on the edges is normal and does not affect function. A serviced M6 will outlast its owner. Every M6 we sell is cleaned, tested and available at Boston Camera.
