Your First Leica?

Let's have some fun shall we. Why did you first choose Leica.?

What first hooked you? I'll start. My first serious camera was a

Canon F1. At first, I paid a UofM student to develop my B&W

negs and make 5X7 prints. As a natural part of getting into

photography, I started to collect books on the subject.

Monographs by famous photographers. Aperture magazine, etc..

It was then that I noticed a thread that linked many of works that

appealed to me. They were shot with a Leica camera, which I

had never heard of, let alone ever seen. Eventually the evidence

became overwhelming. I decided to seek one out. The price

horrified me. Not until later could I afford one, even a used one.

In time I decided to bite the bullet, and I purchased a M4. New! I

vividly recall taking that camera out of the box. A flood of history

came out with it. All those wonderful images I had admired. I

remember saying to myself "no more excuses". Now it was all

up to me. A challenging sense of creative responsibility was

heaped directly on my shoulders that day. No more excuses.

Sincerely, --Marc Williams

Many years ago my father owned a business called Fizroy

Photography.He used to do most of the Giant Enlargements for West-End

Cinamas in London.Many hand- coloured.He was one of the many people

who first got involved in colour photoghaphy.De vere and others often

gave him free equipment.Among those was Nikon who gave him a Nikon

Photomic.He had little regard for those who were unable to work out

their own appts.spd and passed those cameras to me,to play with.I

used to wander around with these first auto cameras being a 13 year

old pest.My first photograph experience was taking a photo of Vera

Lynn(THERE BE BLUEBIRDS OVER THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER)opening her

brothers new shop in Blackfen,Sidcup,Kent.A group of pro

photographers stepping back while a 13 year old marched forward with

the most advanced camera of the age.Which was not avialable in the UK

OR ANYWHERE.Vera looked in disbelieve and i took her photo.I am not

that old,buy the way, late mistake.

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As time passed on i got interested in actually taking the photos

myself instead of the camera,hence Leicas.

I started with a Praktika MTL5, which after many faithful years

failed. That made me look for another camera, and I bought two

(used): A Contax RTS and a Canonet 17 QL III. The first showed me how

important good lenses (Zeiss) are and latter made me go deeper into

rangefinders. So I took the plunge after I got a real nice offer for

an M2 and a Summaron 35/2.8.

Allen,

What an excellent story. A 13 year old with a big honking new

Nikon. Man, what a cool Dad. Was he a good photographer?

Sounds like he was a purest. Sincerely, --Marc

As a newer Leica user(I'm 29, using Leica for about 10 years), my

first Leica was a 1934 Leica model III w/50 f2 Summar lens.That was

it--I got hooked. A IIIf, IIIc, M1, M3 and a M6TTL soon joined the

III. Even though the Summar was a bit soft, the glass was

mint,coated, and no fogging, I was stupid to trade it for a not so

mint Summitar. Live and learn.

I still wonder about my first Leica. In 1974 I bought a IIIc w/50

Elmar at a local camera shop for about $100.00 - pretty big money at

the time. I had just started my first job in photography (shooting

for AV training films) using an Nikon F2 kit. Bought the IIIc as a

'personal camera'. A few months after I had it our receptionist, who

was going on vacation for a month to India asked if she could borrow

a camera. Couldn't let her have the work cameras, but gave her the

Leica as we'd known each other long enough to trust her. She never

came back. We didn't know how to contact her family, but since she

left over $1500.00 in vacation pay and commissions, we've always

wondered if she came to no good or just dropped out of life. To this

day I wonder if she's okay or ended up in some back alley in god

knows where.

Last September. A year before I was swearing I could not see the point

of such a basic camera. By then, my outfit was: EOS 3, ESO 50, EOS

650, EF 28-70/2.8L, EF 100/2, Sigma 17-35EX, EF 70-200/4.

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And that day, I saw it. Like new. It actually was looking at me from

its display in the window. It was built in 1997 and the Summicron 50

as well. I went into the shop, asked to have a look at it. The price

was right, steep, but as much as I expected. I had the money there in

the bank. I left the shop, went for a walk in the nearby, called a few

friends just to hear that I was crasy to think about it, I only got

encouragements to buy it now, went back to the shop and that was it. I

was in awe, start the same evening with street photography.

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Decembr 31st, I traded all my Canon gear for an Elamrit 90 and a

Elamrit 21 asph. In the mean time I had bought a Summicron 28.

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Since, then, hapiness, better photography, more fun, no more questionning.

When I was about 13, an elderly friend of my father's with no family

of his own, left me his Leicas: IIIa, IIIfBD, 35/3.5 Summaron, 50/3.5

Elmar (late coated), 50/2 Collapsible Summicron, 90/4 Elmar (late)

and 135/4.5 Hektor(late). I still have them, they were CLA'd about 4

years ago.

More or less the same story as Stephane above. Had a full kit of EOS

cameras and primes/zooms. Tried a friend's Leica back in August 2001

and really liked it. Easy to handle/ carry/ etc. However it took me

until end of October before I found a nice 2nd hand model. Bought it

the same day with a 50 mm. One month later I sold the complete EOS

kit and got myself a 35 mm & 90 mm. Also got a small bag et voilà!

<p>

No regrets, only pleasure eventhough it's just a camera in the end.

When I was 13 I borrowed my parents Kodak Duaflex and with some help

from my uncle, started shooting and developing. Got hooked and at 15

had saved enough to buy a Minolta A2 (second hand) from the shop of

B. Hoferichter (Lakeshore, Toronto). When it finally broke the next

year, I purchased my first "new" camera a Zorki 4. Within the next

year, I had actually managed to sell some photos, and purchased an

enlarger timer and my first Leica, a used M3 for $265 (also from Mr.

Hoferichter's shop). It had a dual range Summicron complete with

the "eyes" and was my constant companion until the year I turned 26

and purchased a brand new M4-P.The year was 1982 and is memorable for

me as it was the year I got married. To my great joy, both my

marriage and the camera have stood well the test of time.

A $50 summitar that I used on a Canon 7. The Canon 7 with 35/1.5 was

my first RF (still have and use both, and the summitar). My first

Leica camera was a IIIf - Nikkor 28/3.5 - Leitz 28 BL finder,

purchased from Mr. Chris Williams, of this forum.

I became interested in photography about 30+ years ago when I took my

hard-earned cash, about $25.00, and purchased my first camera; a

brand new Minolta rangefinder. That camera served me well for over

10 years until getting into SLRs and buying a Fuji 35 mm. It was not

until the late 80�s that I gave up the Fuji and devoted my interests

to the Nikon line with a FE2, great camera. Since that time, I have

gone the way of MF with Hasselblad, Noblex, then again to 35 mm with

the heavy F5 and all the AF-S lenses. About 3 years ago, I opted for

the Leica M system and have never regretted my decision. The optics

are superb and the kit is quite light in comparison to the MF/F5

systems which served me well for many years. I never really became

comfortable with the F5 and all it�s automation.

<p>

I, for one, will most likely embrace the digital revolution but only

when I can continue to use my Leica lenses.

My father had a Leica, my grandfather had a Leica. In 1969 I

bought two (a IIf and a IIc, with lenses) because they were cheap

($100 for both), old, beat up and cheap; I wanted another

camera to use besides my Nikon F. And because my father and

grandfather had one. That's about it really. I have one now

because I like it and it takes good pictures.

<p>

Godfrey

BTW, in 1969 I was 15. I'd had my Nikon for about a year at that

point. I paid for all my cameras myself although my uncle helped

out by getting me a good price for the Nikon.

<p>

Godfrey

Once upon a time, long, long ago I had a praktica so that was my

first camera. Then I moved to Minolta X700 with 35-70 and 80-200 and

I loved it. It has been from -27C to +35C, from sea level to 6960mtr

and dropped from 2mtrs high on concrete and always worked. I even

recently added a 50m/1.4 to it. Just after that I could get my hands

on an R4s with 50/2 for a very pleasant price. I loved the pictures

from it at first sight. I shot a role with the Leica (50 at f2 and

f8) and the minolta (also 50 at f2 and f8) of the same subjects and

settings and there was a realy clear difference in contrast,

sharpness and distortion of the pictures. So I added an elmarit 35

and 135 and telyt 250 to it and it is now my primairy set. I still

use the Minolta with the 50/1.4 for very low light conditions (street

fotography at night).

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Reinier

Allen,

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You've only been a pest since 13? Sorry, couldn't resist 8^). I've

always been a pest, but not until you dis' me first.

<p>

I won't go into my history w/cameras since 10 years old (mainly

Nikon), but with my photography, which I'm still learning with some

of your help.

<p>

My uncle used/uses(?) Leicas among Canon and Hassy. He did weddings

among other events on the side - main line was cancer research. He

and his family traveled all over the world and USA and sometimes I

went along. Travel photography for him is to document the family

(poses). It's completely different from my style of photography when

I travel.

<p>

Anyway, I got my First Leica (M3 + 50 'lux) shortly after I got a

real engineering job that paid real money. I didn't really start to

improve my results and good/bad ratio until a few years later (M

learning curve).

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BTW, following a past thread: I keep ALL of my pic's; even the bad

ones. Even the tossed accidents (darn, hit the button) have a blank

spot telling me one is missing in the file. Talk about anal.

<p>

So, here I stand M in hand...happily addicted.

I borrowed my first Leica in 1981 - before subsequently buying it. My

first film was a disaster - I didn't know I had to pull out the

Summar lens !

Marc,

<p>

I went to a U of M too. What was yours? Mine was Michigan. Go Blue!

Well as long as you're still willing to admit being a Wolverine after

last season...I bought my M4 second-hand from Quarry Photo on State

St. next door to Follett's, across from the LSA building, back in '74

when I was a sophomore. Don't think either store is there anymore,

but some say I am still just as sophomoric:>)

Nope, those stores were gone when I was in grad school there in the

early- and mid-90s. There was a decent pro shop further down State a

few blocks past Stadium (I lived on White St. at Stadium--we paid for

our parties by selling parking in the yard for home games).

<p>

I prefer not to think about the bowl game again UT-Knoxville . . .

My first leica was a Leicaflex :)

Mark 2

Alfie

Jeeze....before allthese Ann Arbor guys break into a chorus of Hail to

the Victor Valiant: I bought my first Leica when I was a very junior

english instructor at Northwestern, the league doormat, in 1968.

That was a bad year to try to teach college kids; but there were

interesting things to photograph on the streets of Chicago. I quickly

discovered that the Nikon F I had purchased after seeing the film

"Blow up" was too slow to focus. You could easily lose the shot, or a

Chicago cop could wail on you with his nightstick (they were testy

that year). I went to one of the big camera stores in the Loop,

Helix or Central (my memories of 1968 have big gaps) and paid $275

for a double stroke glass pressure plate M3 with collapsible

Summicron. The problem with speed went away, though my lack of visual

talent remained. Then I married a beautiful art historian. I stupidly

sold the M3 at a loss to get a 300 for the Nikon so she could

document the sculptural programs of various cathedrals. Of course

there were always better slides than we could make, taken by local

photographers usinmg scaffolding, for sale at the cathedral

My first Leica was a IIIc that I obtained in Germany in 1945. That lasted until we were able to buy a used M4 in 1973. My wife is just

as much into Leica photography as I am. We added a 35 chron and a 90TE, then we bought an early M6. We have an M7 on order

from Rich Pinto - - - that means I will no longer have to beg my wife for permission to use the M6 < grin > - - - or, maybe she will take

possession of the M7 and leave me with the M6.

Mike,

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Did you shoot any of the pretty ladies at UM?

<p>

For the rest of you, it's a trick question...there aren't any...they

all go to MSU...just kidding 8^)=

<p>

The parties are better at state too.

<p>

Kinda like A&M vs. Texas (accepted to these, but $$$ for out of

state).