Attraction of leica?

[low light]

Hi, just wondering what people find so attractive about leicas? I'm

certainly not bashing leica users by the way.

[arthuryeo]

For starters, try these

<li>http://www.leicapages.com/

<li>http://www.imx.nl/

<li>Google "leica bokeh"

<br><br>

And, try borrowing <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00C4vx">this book</a> from the library. It will help you to understand why.

<br><br>

Is it a Harley Davidson or a fine Steinway or both?

[al_kaplan1]

Attraction? They're so damned inexpensive! When I first bought into the system over 40 years ago everybody was dumping them to buy new SLR's, the wave of the future! Then I discovered that they were actually halfway decent cameras with great lenses. The rarely break or require service. I'm STILL using stuff I bought back in the 1960's and 1970's. My eyes, brain, hands all know exactly where the controls are and what to do with them without thinking. I gradually switched from thread mount to M bodies in the late 1960's. I still have and use one M2 purchased in the late 60's, another M2 I bought in 1971. When you buy a used body for $100, use it daily for about 35 years, well that attracts me! Less than a penny a day and they've made money the whole time. Why waste money on expensive cameras?

[alex_p._schorsch]

I bought an MP because I wanted a hardy and simple manual film camera with great optics and that was lightweight. I have gone digital and wanted an unobtrusive second camera that I could travel with and that would bring me to the grave. Kind of like: This is a totally manual camera and maybe the best made camera in photographic history and isn't that quaint, it actually uses those little film cartridges, never seen one of those before (this is like 20 years from now and my MP will still be going strong). It's a camera I will take out of the closet to show to my grandchildren and give them a little lesson about aperture and shutter speed. In photography sometimes, less is more. I find it therapeutic to just go out and take photos with such a simple outfit.It makes me feel good that I can get such good results without any automation. It makes me feel that I can make it on my own, I don't need any help, with the simplest controls I can master my craft as the true photographers of yore. I feel that my Leica is like a good watch. It feels classy. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Yes, I am secretly a voodoo practitioner who has taken over Henri Cartier Bresson's spirit. I become possessed, don my MP with a Summicron and capture those "Decisive Moments". Cheers, Alex. P.S. I just don't have enough time on my hands as I would like to stalk the decisive moment. That's life.

[douglas k.]

Apparently, the attraction lies in owning a very expensive camera which makes the owner feel a part of some exclusive club, even though the owner may not understand the difference between an f-stop and a bus stop.

[eliot_rosen1]

Speak for yourself Douglas. Most people on this forum probably know a heck of a lot more about Leicas and their use than you. Why don't you peddle it on some forum where someone cares that you hate Leicas and their owners.

[Troll]

I'm with Douglas.

[frank granovski]

Re: "Apparently, the attraction lies in owning a very expensive camera which makes the owner feel a part of some exclusive club, even though the owner may not understand the difference between an f-stop and a bus stop."

 

That's correct. However, my used Nikon FM2T was a lot more expensive than my used Leica CL. Even my wife's used Contax G2 was $400 more expensive than my used Leica CL. My Yashica Electro GSNs were quite cheap, but they are devine. ;*)

[andy m.]

Good for you.

[john_boyle3]

Can't comment on the current Leica cameras and lenses, but my M2, M4 and Leicaflex SL are extremely well built and the lenses are superb. They're a pleasure to use and are very reliable. The rangefinder focussing is very accurate and is easier to use with wide angle lenses or in low light levels. Most of us that use Leicas like the feel of the camera and, I assume, are pleased with the resultant photos.

[shambrick007]

cuz you can trade em for crack inna pinch.. or meth..

[al_kaplan1]

Shhh! Sheldon, we shouldn't be giving away our secrets about how we get in the right frame of mind for finding all those decisive moments from amongst the multitude of indecisive ones ;-)

[frank granovski]

...or pooky.

[al_kaplan1]

Frank, I was thinking exactly the same thing! Ever notice that just about every language on the planet has a word starting with a puh or poo sound, all meaning the same thing? Without a doubt that must have been at the very root of human language, going back to when our earliest hominid ancestors still dragged their knuckles on the ground when they walked.

[pensacolaphoto]

I have tried out SLR systems and I loved them at the time. Now I like to use rangefinder cameras. It is as simple as this. They are usually smaller and use smaller and lighter lenses than the corresponding SLR systems. I have only one M3 and one CL body, so combined this is not a very expensive system. Professional level digital systems cost more. I also enjoy the top notch craftmanship of mechanical cameras [not just Leica's], but the Leica M is simply one of the best built camera around. Let each photographer enjoy her/his preferred system in peace.

[pensacolaphoto]

Oh, I forgot to mention that Leica users speak and write purrfect Englissshh.

[douglas k.]

"Most people on this forum probably know a heck of a lot more about Leicas and their use than you."

<p>

Sorry, Eliot -- I'm not that interested in knowing about cameras...I am mainly interested in <i>pictures</i>.

[toby_boudreaux]

I just got into photography about a year ago, and manual rangefinders seemed simpler and forced me to learn the basics. Sure, one day I might want to know about exposure compensation and bracketing and 18 point spot metering and autofocus, but as is, I like being either amazed at what happens when I click the shutter, or, more often as-of-late, being amazed that I KNEW what was gonna happen. Now I can focus on film, on processing, on learning to print...

 

...and of course on what to shoot.

 

I didn't need a manual with my Bessa, nor do I with my M6. With a typical SLR, I need to curl up for a weekend to learn which little button does what for me.

 

I'm a programmer and spend all my time with my head up a computer's *ss so I like going back to analog every time I step out of the office.

[ben z]

" Hi, just wondering what people find so attractive about leicas?"

 

Different people have different reasons. My technical reasons are they take up less space in my travel luggage and are easier for me to carry around in a small bag while riding in trains, trolleys, tour busses etc. yet have the full manual controls that a p&s doesn't and have fast lenses available for low-light shooting as well as a finder that is easier to focus in very low light than any SLR I've ever seen. My non-technical reasons are that I'm happiest with the few dials of the Leica than the buttons and displays and menus of the latest whizzbang cameras, and I find that I get better shots when I'm comfortable with my equipment than when I'm annoyed by it. Also I belong to the LHSA and I enjoy the camaraderie and the social events. However I also own other cameras that I also enjoy using, and I have interests outside of photography too. It's just a hobby for me and I don't take the bashers seriously, those people have a problem.

[icuneko]

<...you hate Leicas and their owners.>

 

 

One can still hate Leicas but not their owners. Kind of like hating the sin, but still loving the sinner, if I may wax a bit theological. Or is that theoleicacal?

 

 

Plus I nominate Al's "indecisve moments" as a highlight of this forum. It seems to apply to about 85% of my photos! Nicely put, Al. Not knowing the difference between "an f-stop and a bus stop" ranks up

there too.

[scott_mcloughlin]

That Leica's cost so much is NOT part of their attraction. It's a bummer. Many Leica folks also shoot Cosina Voightlander bodies and lenses, due to their relatively good quality, good performance and lower cost. Many folks buy used gear (I do). I have two M6TTLs (I do use flash), two Leica lenses (28/2, 90/2.8) and three CV lenses (35/2.5-P, Nokton 50 and 21/4). Leica shooters dial in their own level of economy.

 

I'll also say that while the majority of my shooting is with Leicas, I also have a reasonable D70 DSLR kit and a Nikon FM3a manual kit with a reasonable set of AIS lenses. My g'friend has an N80, so their's also a Nikon AF film system in the house.

 

So why the majority of shooting with Leicas? Hard to put a finger on it. The VF is very bright and clear. Focusing is precise and easy. The bodies are smallish, and the lenses are all pretty small. In the smallest Domke satchel, I can put 2 bodies, one with a 28/2 the other with the Nokton 50. The 90/2.8 goes in the middle pouch along with a small meter. SF24 flash fits in one pocket, film in the other. Smaller pockets on the bag cover hold a few filters, pen and lens cloth fit in the rear big pocket. When I want to shoot wide, 21/4 with metal hood fits in a small neoprene pouch cliped to the bag's strap attachment link.

 

This entire kit is SMALL. The satchel is unobtrusive and distributes all the weight vertically, so it feels less heavy than it would in a larger bag. Inside this small satchel is a universe of pictures, from short tele to ultra wide. I often shoot both bodies simultaneously, switching easily between two focal lengths (typically 28 and 50).

 

Beyond small, the Leica gives full manual control. I imagine the vast majority of Leica shooters well know f stops from shutter speeds. The lenses come with good useful scales for zone focusing or using the lenses DOF at larger apertures. The simple ergonomics make for shutter/aperture adjustments quite easy with the camera eye level. The metering is very simple as well. Largish semi-spot. It meters what you point it at. Better know your middle grays to use it properly.

 

Basically, the camera does what you tell it to do. None of this "matrix metering failed me" kind of boo hoo hoo. You shoot the picture, the camera is but an extension of the shooter.

 

Then there's quality of construction. Most of the stuff is manually put together, so their can be occasional kinks with new gear. But generally, the stuff just works and works great. The damping on the lenses is typically perfect. The shutter is rated for 400,000 exposures! The lenses (including most older lenses from the last 50 years that are still widely available) relatively speaking range from sharp to brutally sharp. Even bad bokeh in most Leica or CV lenses is pretty darned good compared to most (not all) Nikon lenses of equivalent focal lengths. I'm not much of a color shooter, but color rendition is considered rivaled only by the Zeiss lenses.

 

Then there are primes. Of course, you can (and I do) shoot primes on SLR gear, but with the popularity of zooms on SLRs, it must be mentioned. Leica M's are for shooting prime lenses. When you shoot with a prime or two, you start to really "think" in that focal length. You start to automatically find yourself at the right spot to shoot a picture with a given focal length. In the end, many find it really enhances their compositional skill vs. "zooming to frame" style of shooting. I guess some would call it a "pre-visualization skill," seeing the composition before you put camera to eye. No, a Leica M would suck for shooting sports, but for many other types of shooting, shooting primes really helps develop the eye-camera-picture relationship. Many Leica shooters even only shoot one focal length exclusively (I don't), typically a 35, 50 or sometimes a 28mm lens. Photographically, they choose to just "live" that focal length.

 

I like my SLR gear just fine, but so far, I just like my Leica kit more. In film gear, I'd actually say my FM3a kit is a surprising ly close 2nd. Small body, nice lenses, good viewfinder, full manual control, good quality. My D70 small, dark viewfinder knocks it down in rank. It's mostly the quality of the Nikon flash system and the SB800 that warrants most of it's shooting time.

 

Snag a Bessa R2a or R3a and one or two prime lenses. Try the CV 21/4, 40/1.4 and the 75/2.5 on a Bessa R3a with it's 1:1 viewfinder (brighter than Leica's VF IMHO). It's a pretty economical entry into RF shooting, spectacular lenses in the scheme of things, and a tiny portable shooting kit that should work wonders for either color or B&W shooting. Try it, you might like it. Most who make the plunge certainly do.

 

Scott

[capocheny]

Anthony,

 

To be blunt... your question is akin to asking people why they find pinstripe suits so

attractive. Some folks love pinstripe suits and others hate them. Some prefer black suits

and others like lime-green!

 

To answer your question directly... this is ALL about personal likes/dislikes for different

people.

 

Now, if you're asking this because YOU'RE thinking of getting one and the question is

being posed to elicit other people's feelings about their Leicas to help you decide, then, I'd

have to say that nobody is going to be able to "literally" explain/demonstrate/show you

what's so attractive about a Leica camera. Yes, it's simply a black box to hold a piece of

film... just like any other camera! But, shoot with one for a few days and find out for

yourself. :)

 

Who knows? You may absolutely hate using it!

 

You should try and take one out for a few days... then you'll really "know."

 

Douglas,

 

"Sorry, Eliot -- I'm not that interested in knowing about cameras...I am mainly interested

in pictures."

 

I have to agree with Eliot after reading some of your postings. You seem to focus a lot on

making inane comments about Leicas and their users....

 

If you're really, mainly interested in pictures (and not cameras, as you insist)... then I

suggest you cease and desist posting some of your comments and show us what you can

REALLY do with WHATEVER camera you choose to use!

 

SHOW US THE MONEY!!!!!

 

Oscar,

 

"It means you can blame a seventy year-old invention for a poorly exposed out-of-focus

pic that exhibits excellent bokeh."

 

For some wonky shooters, if it isn't the camera, it's "GOT" to be either the filter or type of

film being used! :) Or, eventually, it's going to be the color of shoes/pants/shirt/socks/

outerwear/underwear worn when the shot was taken! :) LMAO...

 

Cheerios

[stephen_w.]

I try to buy gear better than my capability. I built a full suspension mountain bike that I can never take full advantage of. I built a high-end stereo system that, spending more, would be useless. I bought Leica (was introduced to by my uncle) because if I do my part well I get great results. Being compact is a bonus, because I travel so much. I love fast, compact glass.

 

Every camera is partially hand assembled (what machine can do it?), so the Swiss watch analogy is false.

[arthuryeo]

<i>>>Hi, just wondering what people find so attractive about leicas? I'm certainly not bashing leica users by the way.</i>

<br><br>

Now, going back to the original question, Anthony ... as we were saying ... eh ... *cough* ...

<br><br>

now that you've read all these scuffling and poignant remarks, I hope you understand why people like Leicas and that you've certainly come to the right place to ask this question. :-P

[claudia__]

my IIIf fits in my purse and is really cute.