any suggestions or insight (my instinct tells me go with the same you already have)

i think there are some differences between the 2 in material being used.

who knows who can give me an good creative idea?

thanks gang

m

-- Martin (ducsurfer@rcn.com), April 16, 2002

Answers

Oh no, not again!

-- Bert Keuken (bkkn@wanadoo.nl), April 16, 2002.

The real question is what color shoes you will wear with your M7.

;)

-- gregory g. allen (gregorygallen@hotmail.com), April 16, 2002.

get either one, strip the paint off the brass and paint it purple.

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), April 16, 2002.

If you have Chrome lens, they look very good on the Chrome body, the black lens does not look too good on the Chrome body.

-- Mitchell Li (mitchli@pacbell.net), April 16, 2002.

What are you smoking Mitchell? ; ) It's the chrome lenses that look freaky on a black body!

-- Chris Chen (Wash., DC) (furcafe@NOSPAMcris.com), April 16, 2002.

I'm with Chris, i think black lenses actually look better on chrome bodies then chrome lenses

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), April 16, 2002.

Buy a chrome one, reserve each color for a specific film. I keep color in my chrome one, amd black and white in the black camera.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), April 16, 2002.

I prefer the chrome body during the summer, black for winter, titanium for spring, and platinum for fall. You might as well get one for each season. Mix and match. What the hell. Too bad they don't come in colours as well, like Hasselblads.

-- George Huczek (ghuczek@sk.sympatico.ca), April 16, 2002.

Martin, here is advice for you.Have someone else purchase the camera for you. Blindfold yourself prior to opening your camera bag each time you wish to shoot a picture. This way it won't matter to you very much which body you have.

-- Jack Belen (jbelen@aol.com), April 16, 2002.

our of 9 responses 1 that was creative and 2 people started arguing whether black lenses or chrome lenses look better on the chrome body.

I thank micheal for his good suggestion - a pro as one can see he does not lift himself over other Leica enthusiasts somebody that really deserves to carry one.

the other thanks for all the creative suggestions but to them i suggest you should maybe find an other medium. this is about carrig on an art that one must not forgot that this art is bigger than all of us.

so lets leave the disrespecting comment and lets try a little more brain power and read between the lines an other must have to positivly add to this forum.

tibetian saying: "If you do not have to say anything positive - dont say anything at all" (modified it around a little bit to fit the subject the saying goes actually a lot deeper - but that is for you to find out yourself"

thanks forum

Martin

-- Martin (ducsurfer@rcn.com), April 16, 2002.

Martin,

My approach would be this: Black body with b&w film, use it as my stealth Leica in available darkness. Chrome body with colour film, showing it off best I can; I think chrome looks cute *and* stylish, evoking nice smiles to shoot.

-- Thomas Lofqvist (thomas.lofqvist@brevlada.com), April 17, 2002.

Buy both and be done with it.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), April 17, 2002.

Surely what one you buy depends on what viewfinder mag you want?? I think chrome m7 only comes in .72?

-- Karl Yik (karl.yik@dk.com), April 17, 2002.

I've got 2 black - wish I had one chrome so I could tell which was which at a quick glance - different film stock etc, also in your case which one you need to set the shutter speed of! Also, if you get sweaty fingers, the black paint can bubble minutely (did on my old m6ttl .58 after one year (sold it now...)). Let's face it, chrome looks cooler, and (arguably) less like a "real" camera and therefore less threatening.

-- Steve Jones (stephenjjones@btopenworld.com), April 17, 2002.

Who cares?

-- Mitch Alland (malland@mac.com), April 17, 2002.

Dear Martin,

I've been black all the way through. Then a chrome M6 classic came my way. The lightness of being that you get from chrome is pleasant. Chrome has some other advantages. It does not wear the way black wears. All lenses look good with chrome. Contrary to popular belief if you want to go unnoticed it matters not if your camera is black or chrome. The minute it goes eye-level you are pegged. But there was an important point made above. Chrome M7's only come in 0.72. It you want 0.58 or 0.85 you are stuck with black. Unfortunately you cannot have your M7 repainted. The baking process would melt the top and bottom plates.

In this suffering world, topics like this come are theraputic.

Alex

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), April 17, 2002.

Martin,

The responses underscore the fact this relatively silly question has been asked and answered too many times.

-- Bob Haight (rhaigh5748@aol.com), April 17, 2002.

Martin, I think that your question is serious and demands serious answers - even thought the question has been asked and answered before. To summarize the helpful answers already given - I agree that it is an advantage to have a body of each finish will allow you to differentiate them easier, such as to load each with different film - and I agree that the silver chrome finish used by Leica holds up better. I have a black chrome R6 and a silver chrome R7. I also have a black chrome M6 (classic) and a chrome M3. The different finishes on the cameras are very helpful in use. Doug

-- Doug Landrum (dflandrum@earthlink.net), April 17, 2002.

this is about carrig on an art that one must not forgot that this art is bigger than all of us.

Those are some pretty deep statements considering your question is whether or not you should buy a chrome or black camera.

-- Richard (rvle@yahoo.com), April 17, 2002.

I don't understand why folks get upset about this question. Black or Chrome? is a classic Leica forum question. It has to come up periodically or it's no longer a Leica forum.

Others: What kind of bag...? Should I use Skylight/UV filters? Leica strap or...? For my next lens, ...? 'Cron or 'Lux?

But you've got to admit, Black or Chrome? is the quintessential Leica forum question.

My answer - Black, of course. But wait, after I think about it a little bit...

-- Hil (hegomez@aol.com), April 17, 2002.

Black only after 5 PM? Chrome after Memorial Day? (check etiquette guides on seersucker and white linen). Ask Martha.

-- Preston Merchant (merchant@speakeasy.org), April 17, 2002.

green m6 TTL with a black lens, an awsomely "sick" combo !

-- c. carroll (rangefinder01@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002.

My recommendation would be black bodies all around. Much more non- descript. I also put black tape over the red dot and Leica/M6/M7 logos on my bodies. I put different color Abramssohn soft releases on the different bodies to tell them apart (www.rapidwinder.com). It's VERY effective and easy to change for color, B&W, finder mag, etc. I think I've got about 10 different colors, one for each mood. :-) :-( :-o

<<<< RE: Alex: Unfortunately you cannot have your M7 repainted. The baking process would melt the top and bottom plates.

The M7 has milled brass top plates (I don't know about the bottom)? So it's not in the same league with the M6 or M6-TTL where as you mention, you can't subject the Zinc-alloy to the stripping/baking process necessary for repainting.

Skip

-- Skip Williams (skipwilliams@pobox.com), April 22, 2002.