Brassed and beautiful. One of the great things about Leicas is that when they are used well over the years, brassing takes over the body. The black paint slowly disappears to reveal the warmth of the soft metal below. All of the Leicas that I have continually bought and sold over the years have been production M6 bodies and the top plates are made of a zinc alloy.

No brassing for me unless I buy an MP or an M4 or earlier.

Jim Marshall’s Leica M4:

It’s a very fine line to draw about taking pictures, you know, not invading someone’s privacy.

-Jim Marshall

Elliott Erwitt’s Leica M3:

All the technique in the world doesn’t compensate for the inability to notice.

-Elliot Erwitt