Leica M6: Is It Worth the Hype?
Leica M6: Is It Worth the Hype?
There’s a certain mythos that surrounds Leica. Whispered among film shooters and digital converts alike, the name conjures images of street photography legends, beautifully worn brass, and the distinct click of a precision shutter. And within Leica’s legendary lineup, the Leica M6 might just be the crown jewel. But in a world flooded with perfectly capable 35mm cameras—many at a fraction of the price—is the Leica M6 truly worth the hype?
After years of shooting both digital and film, across genres from remote mountain adventures to the empty main streets of dying Alberta towns, I decided to put the Leica M6 to the test. Here’s what I’ve learned.
A Brief Background: What Makes the Leica M6 Special?
First released in 1984, the Leica M6 was Leica’s answer to the evolving needs of photographers. Unlike earlier M models, the M6 came equipped with a built-in light meter—a move that purists at the time viewed with some skepticism but that modern shooters appreciate for its practicality. The M6 retained the fully mechanical shutter and manual focus design of its predecessors while offering just enough modern utility to make it intuitive for shooters transitioning from digital.
The M6 came in two main variants: the M6 Classic and the later M6 TTL, which offered Through-The-Lens flash metering and a slightly larger top plate to accommodate the revised internals.
More than just specs, the M6 represents Leica’s classic formula: simplicity, durability, and feel. And yes, the feel is a big deal here.
Build Quality & Design
Leica didn’t cut corners when making the M6. From the moment you pick it up, there’s a sense of solidity and purpose. The body is compact and dense, crafted from metal with just enough weight to feel substantial without being cumbersome. The dials are responsive. The rangefinder patch is crisp and bright. And the overall layout is intuitive without sacrificing the tactile joy of mechanical photography.
One of the most compelling aspects of the M6 is how little it gets in your way. There are no menus. No screens. Just aperture, shutter speed, focus—and you. For many, this simplicity is the ultimate creative liberation. The camera becomes invisible, and your subject takes center stage.
Shooting Experience: The Leica “Feel”
This is where things get subjective. The M6, like all Leica rangefinders, doesn’t operate like an SLR. You don’t see through the lens; you compose through a separate viewfinder window and align the rangefinder patch to focus. For some, this takes getting used to. But once it clicks, it’s addictive.
The Leica rangefinder system encourages deliberate shooting. You’re not blasting through rolls—you’re crafting each frame. The quiet shutter, the smooth film advance, the solid shutter dial—they all contribute to a meditative experience.
I’ve used my M6 in -30°C wind in the Alberta backcountry, and I’ve shot it in the lazy golden hour light in abandoned prairie towns. It never missed a beat. The camera is built for reliability, and it shows.
Lenses: A System That Grows With You
Of course, owning a Leica M6 means entering the Leica M-mount ecosystem. That comes with some decisions—and some costs.
I pair my M6 with a Voigtländer 35mm f/1.4 for a relatively affordable, compact, and fast everyday setup. But there’s a wealth of choices. From Leica’s own Summicron and Summilux lenses to third-party gems from Zeiss and Voigtländer, the system is surprisingly flexible.
What’s undeniable is that Leica glass is consistently sharp, beautifully rendered, and compact. There’s a reason so many cinematographers and digital shooters still chase the “Leica look.”
Kodak Gold 200
Light Meter Learning Curve
One thing I’ve really struggled with on the Leica M6 is the built-in light meter. Unlike the more forgiving center-weighted meter on my Nikon FM3A, the M6’s meter is effectively a narrow spot in the center of the frame. It’s easy to forget just how small that metered area is—leading to some seriously off exposures when I’m not careful.
I’ll be honest: a lot of my early rolls were disappointingly inconsistent. Scenes with high contrast or tricky lighting absolutely punished me if I didn’t pay close attention to where I was metering. Coming from the FM3A’s more averaged readings, this felt like a harsh transition.
That said, I’m trying to treat it as part of the learning curve. I’ve started taking extra time to meter off midtones, recompose, and think through exposure compensation more deliberately. It’s forced me to slow down even further—something I actually appreciate in theory, though it can be frustrating in practice. I’m hoping with more experience I’ll get more consistent results, but it’s definitely an area where the M6 has challenged me.
Price & Value: The Elephant in the Room
Let’s address it head-on: the Leica M6 is expensive. On the used market, clean M6 bodies often run from $3,000 to $4,500 USD, depending on condition, edition, and accessories. If you're buying from Leica’s new 2022 reissue, it’s even pricier.
So, is it worth it?
That depends entirely on your values. If you're looking for a utilitarian film camera to document your weekends, there are cheaper options. A Nikon FM2, Canon AE-1, or Pentax Spotmatic can get the job done admirably. If you’re more into photography as a casual creative outlet, the cost of the M6 might not make sense.
But if you value craftsmanship, timeless design, and the unique tactile experience of using something that feels like it was made for a lifetime (or two), then the M6 starts to justify its price. It’s not about specs. It’s about connection. It’s about inspiration.
In my case, shooting the M6 reignited my love for photography. I started seeing light differently again. I slowed down. I enjoyed the process more than the product.
Ilford HP5
The Downsides (Because No Camera Is Perfect)
While the M6 is beautifully built, it’s not flawless. The light meter, for example, is rudimentary—just a simple + / • / – LED readout. It’s center-weighted and can be fooled in tricky lighting. There’s no aperture priority mode, no exposure lock, and no auto exposure. You do everything manually.
The rangefinder system itself can also fall out of alignment over time, especially if the camera has seen a lot of use or trauma. While serviceable, Leica repairs can be expensive and time-consuming. And finally, let’s not forget the M6 doesn’t offer any auto wind, flash syncing is limited, and there’s no built-in flash.
But those aren’t bugs; they’re features—at least to the type of photographer Leica made this camera for.
So... Is It Worth the Hype?
For some, no. For others, absolutely.
The Leica M6 isn’t going to improve your composition or make you a better photographer overnight. But it might change how you approach photography. It might make you care more deeply about each frame. It might, in subtle ways, influence the stories you tell.
If you're someone who appreciates craft, who is willing to invest in a tool that will outlast trends and tech cycles, then yes—the Leica M6 lives up to the hype. Not because it's better on paper, but because it makes the act of photography more personal, more intentional, and maybe even more joyful.
Ilford HP5
Final Thoughts
The Leica M6 is not a rational purchase. It’s an emotional one. And that’s okay. Photography, at its core, is emotional. It’s how we see the world, how we remember it, how we share it. The M6 helps me slow down and see things more clearly, especially the mundane and overlooked spaces I photograph close to home.
Is it worth the hype? For me, yes. But only if you’re in it for the journey, not just the destination.
