C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →
reissue-modern
In October 2022 Leica revived the M6 nameplate with a new production camera that looks like the original 1984 M6 but uses upgraded internals shared with the contemporary MP. The 2022 M6 keeps the mechanical horizontal-cloth shutter, the TTL center-weighted silicon meter, and the 0.72× rangefinder finder of the original. Internal improvements: brighter LED meter readout in the finder, frame-line illumination similar to the MP, the MP's metal gear train (replacing the original M6's plastic), and modern Leica build standards. Cosmetics: black paint with the original 1980s-style red Leica dot, deliberately matched to the original M6 "small letters" engraving.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
Used market is just emerging since the camera launched 2022. Watch:
About this camera
The original M6's name on a body with the MP's better internals and a brighter finder. Different camera, same idea.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica M |
| Years | 2022–present |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/1000s, mechanical horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/50s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted silicon (improved over original M6) |
| Modes | Manual |
| Finder | 0.72× (only magnification offered as standard) |
| Weight | 593 g |
| Battery | 2× SR44 (meter only) |
Announced October 20, 2022 at celebration of M-system's 70th anniversary. The reissue answered ten years of customer demand: a "real" mechanical M6 that's brand-new, not a $4,000 used body of unknown provenance. Production volumes have been deliberately constrained — waiting lists ran 6–18 months in 2023 and 2024 across most markets. As of 2026 it's stocked but lead times still exist for black-paint vs silver-chrome runs.
The 2022 M6 reissue is the first time Leica has put the M6 name back on a new camera in 22 years. For new film photographers in the 2020s, the choice between a used original M6 ($3,000+ for a clean copy) and a new 2022 M6 reissue ($5,300 with full warranty) is the practical question — and many new buyers chose new. Leica also maintained the MP and M-A in parallel, so the 2022 M6 is positioned as the "M6 experience for new buyers," not a replacement of the MP/M-A.
The reissue is mechanically not identical to the 1984–2002 original. The 2022 body uses MP-era construction, MP-style frame-line illumination, modern brass plating, and a meter readout that's brighter and more accurate. Purists argue this makes it "an MP cosplaying as an M6"; the rest of the market doesn't seem to care.
All Leica M-mount lenses, all eras. Same accessory ecosystem as MP: M-System case, hand grips, Visoflex (digital-only, won't help film), SF24D / SF40 / SF60 flashes. À-la-carte program does not apply to the M6 reissue (unlike the MP).
BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →