p.1 #3 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
I owned a M6 TTL Millennium and the paint is a deep glossy black. When LHS and Leica were working on bringing the camera to the market in the late 1990s, Leica realized that in the thirty years since the last black paint M4, they no longer had any paint on hand or a recipe of how to mix it. The result was an all new black lacquer that was used for the MP series.
p.1 #4 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
Matte black M11 paint for me. The matte black M10 marked way too easily and looked quite ugly and ashy so I wasn't a fan of that. The M9 mono (and M246? Paint wasn't the same for both models IIRC) was nice in a gunmetal sense.
Black paint is always classy and probably my 2nd choice. For special editions, off the top of my head, hammertone is very charming.
p.1 #5 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
Silver chrome – preferably as a P.
Fortunately (or unfortunately), it’s so durable that you rarely see silver Ms with brassing. Mine, even after 13 years, is still almost free of scratches.
p.1 #10 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
Silver chrome as it's the closest look to classic Leica M(3). I don't find black body to be stealthy (my Q2 catching attentions often) so might as well a silver one...
p.1 #13 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
Surely all of them and it depends what you're wearing. 😆
I sort of wanted to say silver but I really like the matte black. I do like the photos of the BP too (but never seen one up close). I keep telling myself a Safari and a chrome lens is all I want but I can never get round to the black plastic bezel of the screen and how disjointed it looks from the back.
What I don't get is why they are not all options on all bodies. Given how the M cameras are just luxury products, that market is all about personalisation and this is such an easy thing to do on a hand assembly.
Want a BP monochrome? Or maybe a Safari D? Should all be easily doable. They just need a removable bottom cover on the batteries...or a bottom plate.
p.1 #14 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
I have all but green and love them all. Black paint on my MP - gorgeous. Matte black on my M11M perfect stealth. Silver on my (soon to receive) M11P for that classy retro look.
p.1 #15 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
Used to like the black chrome, but prefer the silver chrome with the black lenses now (inverse to the black/silver). If I didn't OCD clean my camera daily, then I would definitely get the BP. I do like the titanium finishes too, my favorite being the Leica M 60.
p.1 #17 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Matte Black includes both the older black chrome and the newer matte black paint finishes.
Green refers to Safari or Reporter editions.
Honestly you could do a poll just on the different black finishes. I don't see all these blacks as even remotely the same color. My black ratings from best to less best:
Leica Q-P matte black on aluminum – thick soft texture – my favorite of all time and would be incredible on a brass M body and brass lens
Leica M with black chrome on brass – thin texture with a subtle soft touch feel – second favorite
Leica gloss black on brass – never owned/handled one, so don't know what the finish feels like – looks amazing only when perfectly new or when it looks like it's been abused with brassing and chipping at the edges
Leica M6 2022 matte black on brass – thinner/smoother feel than the same paint on the M11 aluminum and wears faster to show brassing
Leica M11 matte black on aluminum – my least favorite as the thicker finish feels like itchy wool or like an old t-shirt that got more irritating as it got older rather than softer
I'm probably crazy, too, because I swear the underlying material makes a huge difference in the feel of the finish. Literally everything feels better over brass than aluminum, IMO.
p.1 #19 · Which paint finish do you prefer for your Leica M?
I have matte black, anthracite (M-E 240), and silver chrome (M3) Leica M cameras.
If the (used) price is right, I take any of them in a heartbeat.
Black paint cameras and lenses are way out of my comfort-level price-wise.
