[Review & Sample Photos] Leica M6 + Leica Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. | Spring Film Photos Shot at 35mm

Even now that digital cameras have become mainstream, the "Leica M6" continues to attract many photography enthusiasts.

In this article, we review how it feels to use and the appeal of the 35mm focal length, with sample photos shot on a Leica M6 paired with the "Leica Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH."

Whether you are searching for a "Leica M6 review" or "Summicron 35mm sample photos," or you want to start shooting film with an M-series Leica, I hope this article conveys the fun unique to this combination.

Leica M6 | A Representative M-Series Leica Introduced in 1984

The Leica M6 is a rangefinder camera that uses 35mm film, introduced in 1984.

It has a built-in light meter in a compact body typical of M-series Leicas, and you perform the basic shooting operations such as focusing, shutter speed and aperture yourself.

There is no autofocus and no built-in automatic film advance.

Look through the viewfinder, align the double image to focus, check the exposure and release the shutter. Then move on to the next frame with the film advance lever.

Compared with modern cameras it takes more effort, but this very sequence of actions is part of the joy of using the Leica M6.

Precisely because it takes a little time before you shoot, you naturally start thinking about "what to shoot" and "where to place the focus."

Leica Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. | A 35mm That Makes Everyday Shooting Easy

The lens we paired with the M6 this time is the Leica Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH.

It is an M-mount prime lens with a 35mm focal length and a maximum aperture of F2, and as its "ASPH." name indicates, it uses aspherical lens elements.

The 35mm angle of view is wider than 50mm yet not as extremely wide as 28mm, a perfect sense of distance.

You can shoot with a person as the focus, or include the place where they are and the surrounding scenery as well.

A major appeal of 35mm is that one lens can handle a variety of subjects, such as street snapshots, travel, landscapes and portraits.

It is a compact lens, so it balances well with the M6 and suits a style of walking through town with the camera and pointing the lens at moments that catch your eye.

Looking Up at Cherry Blossoms and Blue Sky at 35mm

We shot this during cherry blossom season.

The first thing that caught my eye was a cherry tree stretching up toward the blue sky.

Shooting at 35mm, you can naturally fit into a single frame not just the blossoms but also the thick trunk, the flow of the branches and the blue sky spreading beyond.

It conveys the expansiveness of a wide angle while keeping the main subject at the center from becoming too small.

The 35mm angle of view makes it easy to preserve in one frame the impression of standing there and looking up.

Sample Photo Review | Capturing the Subject and Background Together

Next is a portrait taken among the cherry blossoms.

Rather than cutting out just a large view of a person, 35mm is also well suited to shooting a person together with the scenery around them.

In this sample as well, the person's expression is captured firmly while the cherry blossoms surrounding them are kept in the frame.

Instead of completely erasing the background, it is impressive that you can feel from a single photo "where and in what season it was taken."

The person in focus has a solid presence, and the flowers and background in front of and behind them blend naturally into the frame.

When you want to capture not just the person but the atmosphere of the place as well, the merits of the 35mm focal length become very clear.

Step Back, and It Becomes a Cherry Blossom Landscape

Even with the same cherry blossoms, the impression of a photo changes greatly when the photographer simply steps back a little.

Blossoms filling the branches, people walking beyond them, trees seen in the background.

Not just a single subject, but the atmosphere of the whole place enters the frame.

With 35mm, moving closer makes the subject the star, and stepping back a little lets you show the surrounding environment as well.

Precisely because it is a prime lens and not a zoom, you decide your composition by stepping forward or back yourself.

The fact that such a small movement changes the photo so much is one of the joys of using a prime lens.

Capturing a Person Surrounded by Flowers on Film

In the other portrait sample, the cherry blossoms in the foreground are boldly brought into the frame.

By including not only the person but also the flowers and the people in the background, the photo conveys the atmosphere of that moment even more.

In this sample, it is also impressive that the person's skin, the blossoms and the background light come together in a gentle tone.

The color, contrast and grain of film photos change not only with the film used but also with development and scanning.

For that reason, rather than viewing a particular color tone alone as a characteristic of the lens, it is best enjoyed as a single photo born from the lens, the film, the light and the moment it was taken coming together.

With the Leica M6, the "Time Before the Shot" Is Fun Too

The appeal of the Leica M6 and Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. is not only in the finished photos.

Load the film. Wind it on. Look through the viewfinder. Focus. Check the exposure. Then release the shutter.

There are many operations you perform with your own hands before taking a single shot.

That is exactly why time naturally arises to ask yourself, "Do I really want to capture this moment?"

You start to notice flowers, light and street corner scenes that you would normally walk past.

Instead of rushing to take photos, you walk with the camera and point the lens at whatever catches your eye.

The Leica M6 is a tool for taking photos, but it may also be a camera that slightly changes the speed at which you see familiar scenery.

Leica M6 + Summicron 35mm Is Recommended for Those Who Want to Photograph Everyday Life

The Leica M6 + Leica Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. is not a combination for enjoying flashy features.

People, the city, travel, flowers, and ordinary daily life.

It is a combination for capturing what is in front of you, one frame at a time, at your own sense of distance.

The easy-to-use 35mm angle of view, the compact M-series Leica, and the time spent shooting while advancing the film with your own hands.

The fun unique to this camera and lens lies somewhere other than convenience.

If you are considering buying a Leica M6, or looking for Summicron 35mm sample photos, I hope you will try this combination at least once.

It makes not only taking photos but also heading out with a camera fun.

The Leica M6 and Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. are just such a combination.

View all Leica M6 products here

View all Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH. products here

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