Camera Serial Database

Leica M6

The Leica M6 is a 35mm rangefinder system made by Leica (1984-2002, 2022-).

Optics & imaging

Lens mount
Leica M
Shutter
focal plane cloth curtains, horizontal travel from 1/1000 to 1s and B
ASA/ISO range
6 to 6400 ISO
Exposure meter
CdS selective
Exposure modes
manual

Body & handling

Focusing
manual
Rangefinder
coupled, combined (ERB = 49.9mm)
Viewfinder
Reverse Galilean (0.72× or, only M6J, 0.85×) with automatic or manual selection of parallax corrected framelines Framelines: 0.72× (28-90, 35-135, 50-75), 0.85× (35-135, 50-75, 90)
Motor drive
Winder
TTL Flash
No (Yes M6 TTL)
Shoe
Hotshoe
X sync speed
1/50
Synchronized
X
Battery
2 silver oxide button cells (type SR44) or 1 lithium battery (1/3 N)
Dimensions
138×77×38mm
Weight
560g

Production & identity

Maker
Leica
Camera Type
35mm rangefinder system
Dates
1984-2002, 2022-
Number produced
approx. 175,000
Variants
Silver-black and black

Limited Editions

Extracted from the descriptive text of the source page rather than a structured table — counts and names are approximate.

  • Leica M6 150 Jahre Photographie - 1989 - 75 Jahre Leica Photographie — 1,250 made
  • Leica M6 Colombo '92 (1492 - 1992: 500° Scoperta dell'America - Italia) — 200 made
  • Leica M6 Royal-Foto Austria (1968 - 1993) — 101 made
  • Leica M6J 40 Jahre Leica M (1954 - 1994) — 1,640 made
  • Leica M6 Dragon (gold plated) — 300 made
  • Leica M6 Historica (1975 - 1995) — 150 made
  • Leica M6 Royal Wedding — 200 made
  • Leica M6 Thai Jubilee (50th year of the reign of His Majesty King Bhumiphol Adulyadej) — 700 made
  • Leica M6 Anton Bruckner (1824 - 1896) — 200 made
  • Leica M6 Partners — 500 made
  • Leica M6 Leica Demo Ausrüstung Benelux '96 — 70 made
  • Leica M6 Ein Stuck — 996 made
  • Leica M6 Jaguar XK (1948 - 1998) — 50 made
  • Leica M6 Millennium — only 2,000 made
  • Leica M6 Dragon (viewfinder 0.85x, black painted) — 500 made
  • Leica M6 ICS — 200 made
  • Leica M6 Øresundsbron — 150 made
  • Leica M6 Henri Cartier-Bresson (with Vuitton case) — only 1 made
  • Leica M6 William Klein — only 1 made
  • Leica M6 Swiss Demo (Test the best) — 40 made
  • Leica M6 Zurich Photographic Center — 100 made
  • Leica M6 Royal Photographic Society — 100 made
  • Leica M6 Platinum Optics — 150 made
  • Leica M6 Schmidt Centenary — 151 made
  • Leica M6 Canada — 270 made
  • Leica M6 Year of Rooster — 300 made
  • Leica M6 999 — 999 made

Serial Ranges

YearSerial rangeQuantity
19841657251–1659250
19851665351–1669350
19851674351–1678350
19851678351–1682350
19861687951–1691950
19861701451–1704600
19861704801–1705450
19931938000–1938150
19952176001–2176700
19952177001–2177250
19962278001–2278211
19962278301–2278588
19962281001–2281400
19962283001–2283125
19962283201–2283325
19962283401–2283525
19962283601–2283625
19972300001–2300996
Unknown2001000–2001353
Unknown2002000–2002100