Absolute M Beginners: How to take the first step into Leica M ownership

When you want to get serious about Leica M rangefinders, where do you begin? My neighbour “RP” recently came into an inheritance from his grandfather which sparked his interest in Leica. Mine came from a long-ago connection to a story about one of the first press photographers in the UK to use a Leica. Both of us want to do something about this itch, so how do we proceed?

Focus on film Leica M cameras

RP and I have had several conversations about photography and cameras. He recently came into some money from his grandfather who wanted him to buy something he would enjoy.

RP’s grandfather shot film and enjoyed the craft aspect of shooting, developing and printing. In the conversations I have had with RP, he wants to honour his grandfather by buying a film camera. But also a camera RP’s grandfather always dreamed of owning, namely a Leica. RP acknowledges he needs to use some money for financial “housekeeping” but that still leaves him with $7,500 to spend on a camera and a lens. 

My dream is different. I have had a curiosity about Leica since I worked with someone whose grandfather was one of the very first press photographers in the UK to shoot with a Leica. That curiosity has been embedded in my brain for 40-plus years. It’s taken a long time to get close to making a Leica M a reality. I have a similar amount to RP to spend, but I’m not allowed to use chemicals to develop or print in my carefully controlled condominium building. So, for me, the choice of Leica M would be digital.

I suggest to RP that the best course of action would be to visit Dan Tamarkin who runs Tamarkin Camera. Dan took over his father’s Leica dealership and auction house many years ago, so knows what he’s talking about.

He also runs a well-regarded annual auction for vintage camera equipment, much of which is Leica and photographic walks for anyone who wants to come along and share the experience. You can come along with a camera phone or an SL3 — it’s all about the joy of images rather than the kit you own.

Turning to Tamarkin

Tamarkin Camera is located in a converted factory building that once housed a bicycle factory and, many years later, a German typesetting company where my wife worked for a few years. The building feels “mechanical” as if you can still smell the machine oil that must have seeped into the wooden floors and brick walls.

Dan is a good listener. He quickly picks up on what RP might be interested in and begins to ask the questions that need to be answered to present a small set of options. Would RP want a camera with a built-in light meter, or was he happy having a separate light meter? The light meter is an interesting challenge as he recalls seeing his grandfather use one, and I still have my father’s old Sangamo Western light meter somewhere. 

So, RP goes first

What sort of photography does RP like to do? To which the reply is “street and casual family portraits”. Nothing too serious or professional. What does he currently use, and what does he like and dislike about it?

It’s an older Canon DSLR with a slow zoom which he doesn’t like. He thinks he shoots somewhere around 35-50 mm but has never really taken too much notice. The whole camera and zoom lens apparently feel plasticky with confusing controls.

He really wants something that feels “mechanical”. I sit and listen as Dan and RP talk about the different options for M cameras. Dan produces three Leica M cameras from a well-stocked display cabinet and proceeds to explain their differences. 

Leica M6 0.72

We start with a Leica M6 0.72 “Classic”. And it has a built-in light meter. To RP, it feels like a real camera. He seemingly has no issue with rangefinder “patch” focusing, despite being indoors under artificial light. I want to know what he thinks of the lens – a 35mm Summicron? He feels the field of view is comfortable and close to what he normally believes he shoots.

We’ll get back to lenses in a while. Dan tells RP that this is the basis of the reissued M6 that Leica brought back in 2022. So, if you like it, you can have a brand-new version, straight out the box. But it’s about double what an original M6 would cost you.

Leica M6 TTL

Dan and RP move on to the M6 TTL with the 0.85 magnification for the optical viewfinder. To RP, this feels much more modern and seems to be in better condition. Dan confirms that all his M cameras are “Cleaned, Lubricated, and Adjusted” before a customer buys. This feels to RP that the greater magnification is a real benefit.

Leica M7

The third M is radically different, as it requires a battery to do what the M6 can’t do. That’s to use Aperture Priority. It’s an M7, the pinnacle of Leica’s film M development. Set the aperture on the lens and the camera figures out the exposure. It’s quite a step into the future.

But also, slightly plasticky and not as robust feeling as the M6’s. RP is not convinced that this is what he wants. The M6TTL seems the more pure, more essential camera, and it’s in the better condition. He’s also swayed by the fact that the M7 has never been as popular as its M6 Classic and M6TTL predecessors.

Is focusing and framing with a rangefinder an issue?

We’ve yet to discuss using a Rangefinder. RP seems to have taken to the idea unquestionably. The real conclusion will be how those first few test shots on film turn out…

Now to focus on digital Leica M cameras

It’s now my turn to explore and maybe make decisions on what works for me. RP walks around the Tamarkin Camera showroom looking over the museum and gallery, and selection of second-hand Leicas as Dan and I talk.

As I’m going to be all in on digital, Dan offers three entirely different cameras for me to look at: an M240, a rare M262, and an M10. I find the physical differences difficult to discern on first look. So will need his expert explanation as to what the real differences are, and what that means to me, the user. 

Leica M240

Dan describes the M240 as a “workhorse” that was launched in 2012, so a little over 10 years old. It has a 24-megapixel full frame sensor, which Dan feels is more than enough to print up to A3 size. It replaced the M9, the first full-frame digital M, which had a reputation for producing beautiful filmlike images but also having corrosion issues with the sensor. Caveat emptor — although many now come with evidence that the sensor has been replaced by Leica.

If you have ever wondered what all the fuss about Leica was based on, then picking up an M240 immediately begins to answer that question. It’s compact and reminds me of my Olympus OM2 from the early 80s. The M240 also has “heft.” It feels dense and substantial.

Simplicity

The controls are as far from a typical modern digital camera, carbuncled with buttons, as you can get. It’s a minimalist with shutter speed on the top plate and an “on-off” switch, a video function button, and the aperture ring and focus on the lens. At the back is a screen with a set of six buttons on the left-hand side of the camera, which includes ISO. 

It also has something called “Live View” which allows you to focus from the rear screen in real time. This was a first, since the M9 with its CMOS sensor did not support live view. Without thinking too hard about it that feels counter to the spirit of using an optical viewfinder and rangefinder focusing patch to achieve sharp focus.

It feels so intuitive to just grab the controls and get shooting. I only miss the wind-on (film advance) lever, which causes a chuckle from Dan. Despite missing that, the shutter is incredibly quiet. There’s also an oddball feature that I’ve not seen on any modern camera, and that’s a detachable baseplate. You must remove it to change the battery or memory card. And talking of batteries, Dan warns me that batteries for this model are currently scarcer than rocking horse manure.

Leica M262

Let’s move on to the M262. Dan briefly explains that this is a much-misunderstood camera. It is based on the M240, but what makes it different is that it lacks is the Live View and video. It is also missing a series of menu options that the M240 has. And it’s lighter.

The 262 is a gem because it feels more focused on taking the photograph and not faffing about with options, buttons, settings and other distractions. This could be the one. It’s affordable, gets out of its own way, and does what you want it to.

Leica M10

The final camera is an apparent leap forward, but in reality, is it? The M10 is newer, launched in 2017 vs. 2015 for the 262. It’s a good bit pricier than the 262, but has a significantly better ISO range, up to 50,000 vs 6400.

A quieter shutter is a valuable refinement if you are shooting smaller indoor events, say a quartet in action. The optical-viewfinder magnification 0.73x vs 0.68x is also slightly better. But the M10 is also a little heavier at 660g vs. 600g for the 262, and slightly slimmer in depth. If rear screen resolution is important to you, then the M10 screen is better. And the M10 also has Wi-Fi connectivity.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

What quickly becomes apparent is that the similarities are much greater than the differences. You can go from M240 to M10 without much thought, if any, and start shooting. Of course, your lenses would work across all three cameras, so it comes down to how much you value the “niceties” of the M10 vs the more minimalist approaches of the M240 and M262. And, obviously, what your budget allows you to buy.

If I were picking today, rather than taking these cameras out for a test drive, I would probably pick the M 262. It seems to get out of the way and allow you to just focus on shooting (pun intended). 

We will let you know the outcome for me and RP later after our test drives.

What might you expect to pay for these camera bodies?

Prices are correct at the time of writing

Camera	£	€	$
Leica M6 0.72	3,500	2,850	3,000
Leica M6 TTL 0.72	4,000	3,000	3,500
Leica M7	3,600	3,000	3,750
Leica M240	3,100	3,000	2,500
Leica M262	3,200	3,000	2,750
Leica M10	4,750	4,250	4,750

Now what about lenses?

This applies to both RP and me. The standard suggestion is “pick one” whether it’s a 35mm or a 50mm and just get used to one lens. But which one? 

This is a topic that has been covered extensively on Macfilos, particularly with Jörg-Peter Rau’s “M-Files” series of articles. We will return to this for me and RP at a later date, and Dan will have advice and options for us, as well as a fun and interesting Leica conversation!

Thank you to Dan Tamarkin for his patience with rangefinder novices in explaining the detailed differences and which ones are significant for the user. 

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More on getting to grips with the Leica M

Dan Tamarkin on M Cameras:	Dan Tamarkin on M Lenses:
More from Dan Tamarkin on Macfilos	The history of Leica M cameras
Leica M6 on Macfilos	First impressions of the Leica M 240
Leica M10 on Macfilos	Leica M262 on Macfilos
Learning how to use a Leica M	What to consider when buying a used Leica

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