Photos coming soon.

The Leica M6 is a fully mechanical 35mm rangefinder film camera introduced in 1984. My copy was made in 1988. I purchased the camera for $1150 USD off Ebay from a Japanese retailer in early 2017, having been unsuccessful in my quest to buy the same model when in Japan the Summer before. I lucked out, as my copy is in excellent condition.

Like other ‘M’ mount cameras in the Leica line up, the M6 features a cloth (rather than metal or plastic) shutter, which makes for very quiet operation. The M6 is built around the classic design of previous Leica rangefinder cameras going back to 1954 with the introduction of the M3. The M6 was only the second model (after the M5) to have a built-in light meter. Approximately 132,000 M6 cameras were produced between 1984 and 1998, making it the second highest production run of any Leica camera after the M3.

Leica cameras are synonymous with beautiful design, craftsmanship and build quality. The M6 is no exception. While it is by far the most expensive film camera I own, the M6 is still the least costly way to experience the Leica rangefinder mystique. Perhaps that is why it is very much sought after to this day. Film photography is enjoying a bit of a resurgence, and the value of my M6 (and prices on Ebay) has more than doubled in the last five years. Not that I’m selling.