Black or silver? Silver or black? I seemed to have had an early preference for silver until I bought my Nikon F4 back in 1986 and then it’s been all black since then, although mostly because there wasn’t any choice.
The contention seemed to be that silver was more elegant and classier – perhaps because of the contrast with black inserts – and that a black finish was more workmanlike because it looked to be the choice by professionals. Did the black paint wear any better? Not really, but now that patinaed look of brass showing through the scuffs and scratches of a well-worn Leica M or Nikon F is highly desirable… perhaps even more so than mint examples especially if there’s provenance involved.
