Your way to Leica!

[street photography by dimi]

I would like to know what was your way to Leica! What cameras or camera brands you were using before buying a Leica. What was the reasons of switching to Leica. I think that a lot of current Leica user were using Nikon in the past. Also I think that only a few photographers start photography with a Leica!

 

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By the way my way to Leica M6 was:

 

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Practica B100, Minolta X700, Nikon N8008S, FM2, F4S and Minox 35GT. I switched to Leica because it is small, simple and has very good lenses.

 

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I am waiting for your ways to Leica!

 

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<a href="http://www.photoart.gr/kioseoglou/index.html">Street Photography by Dimitris Kioseoglou</a>

[inigo_uriz]

I dont have a Leica because I can´t afford it now.

I am working to buy one.

Actually I use a voigtländer Bessa-R.

Those three reasons you have said are sufficient.

Wich film have you used to take those picures?

[inigo_uriz]

I dont have a Leica because I can´t afford it now.

I am working to buy one.

Actually I use a voigtländer Bessa-R.

Those three reasons you have said are sufficient.

Wich film have you used to take those picures?.

[michael_darnton1]

My first functioning (I had a German Peggy VF camera as a toy before

that--I understand they're collector's things now) camera was a

Beauty Canter hand-me-down (sort of a M3 copy) from my brother (a

photographer, too) in the fifth grade. I was using 2-1/4x3-1/4 press

cameras (his hand-me-down again, and two other borrowed ones) in

about the sixth grade through 11th, then a Nikkormat FS, which I only

had for a year or so. Then he negotiated a IIIf for me after my

senior year of high school, and that was the start of it. I've always

found VF cameras more sympathetic to me than SLRs.

[paul_chefurka]

My first serious photos in 1968 were done with a rangefinder

Canonet. The first pictures I remember being really impressed by

were done with a Canon LTM. From then on it was all downhill with

Pentax SLRs - first an SV, then Spotmatics and MX's. Finally an M4

in the mid-70's. Back to SLRs in the 80's and 90's with Nikons

(Nikkormats, FTn's, F3 and FE2. I regained my senses about 4 years

ago, and now shoot M6's. My F3/MD4 stays in service for long tele

stuff (with a new Leica shoulder stock).

[bobtodrick]

Started with (I can't believe I'm admitting this) a Zenit E plus a

couple of Bushnell lenses. Luckily I had to upgrade when I dropped it

off of a church balconey. This was in 1973 and I replaced it with a

Nikon F2 and a couple of Nikon primes. Wow, what a difference.

Afterwords I fleshed out the Nikon outfit and added a Mamiya 645

system in 1978. By then I had discovered Leica and bought a used M4

to use as my 'personal'camera. In 1986 I decided to give up pro

photography and concentrate on my personal work. Sold the Nikon and

Mamiya, bought more rangefinder gear and two years ago added

R...

[Niels - NHSN]

Richo 500G -> Nikon FE -> Nikon F801s -> Nikon F90x & Mamiya TLR -> A

few months ago; Sold the latter 3, the Mamiya- and AF-lenses, keept

the FE + a few primes and bought a used M4 + Summicron 50.<br>

Things just got too complex, I began to feel alienated by the auto

everything and the Mamiya was too heavy so I never brought it with

me.<br>

Now the Nikon FE sits in the closet as back-up, and the Leica has

brought the simple joy of photography back into my life again. I hope

that I don't get the urge to buy more lenses, I am actually glad the

lenses are so expensive ;-)

[jackflesher]

P&S's NOT included, Minolta SRT101 >>> Hasselblad 500C >>> Nikon FE

>>> Nikon F3's >>> Nikon 8008 >>> Nikon F4's >>> Mamiya Super 23 >>>

Pentax 645 >>> Plaubel Pro-shift 6x9 >>> Mamiya 645 >>> Mamiya RZ67

>>> Mamiya 7's >>> Linhoff 4x5 >>> Nikon F100 & F5 >>> Nikon 990 >>>

Leica M6. Still own and use the Linhoff forward...

[bas1]

I started out with a Pratika, then upgraded to a pentax slr, which in

turn I had to sell cause I needed the money. Being in college I

believed beer to be more important at the time. Then I got a Canon

Eos 100 with 28-80 zoom and 75-300 zoom. Liked it a lot, but the

quality of the pixs was just not there. Then I upgraded to Nikon F100

and the AFS lensen. This absolutely sold me on the importance of good

quality lenses. The results are stunning even at big enlargements.

What a difference to the Canon (although the Canon lens I had was not

in the same league as the Nikon lenses I currently own).

 

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However calling that stuff bulky and heavy is an understatement. I

hardly ever take it along. Thats why I've gone to the M6 with a

summicron 50mm. It gives me the high quality I love and the

portabilty I need. High quality lenses don't need to be heavy. I'm

still not used to the focussing though. With backlight situations I

find it impossible to see the focussing area at all, and its hard to

keep fast moving keeps in focus if you perfer to shoot with minimal

DOF, as I do.

[mbloxsom]

I started with a Nikon N50, nice mid-range amateur camera at the time

but awful (for me) when I needed to move to manual settings. Got a

Nikon FM10 (small manual camera) and, for better enlargements, a

Pentax 6x7. These cameras taught me how little I knew about

exposures, so I got a light meter and (gear lust here) a Nikon F100.

Finally got a used Leica M2, for no reason I can personally defend.

Now I carry the Leica by choice but supplement it with the Nikon FM10

when I want the option of shooting something in either black & white

or color. And I carry the F100 for "I don't want to think about this

but still want to shoot" days. I try to keep those down.

[jlee]

The first 35mm camera I ever remember using was a little Konica C35

rangefinder with an excellent 35mm Hexanon F2(?) lens. I was eleven

on a church trip to the mountains during a rare snowfall and I

treasure those pictures today. From there I rotated through Cannon

AE-1, Yashica FX Super, Cannon T70, Minolta X700, Nikon N90, F4S

and ,after the F4 kit was stolen, to the Leica M6(classic). I never

forgot the magic of that first rangefinder sans zoom lenses and

complicated automation and longed to concentrate again on the images

instead of the technical settings. Still use the N90 especially when

fill flash is necessary but with the M6 I don't have to spend my

energy choosing between aperture, shutter or Program exposure modes,

Matrix, spot or center metering, dynamic or focus lock, slow sync,

rear sync or rear-slow sync flash, single, slow or high speed

advance, etc. The last few months I have tried to concentrate

on "making do" with just the M6 for almost everything and recently

enjoyed the freedom it afforded on a cruise to the Bahamas with just

one little camera and lens. Feel like I'm learning to see all over

again and throughly enjoying it.

[mark13]

Yashica Electro 35 GSN Rangefinder

Olympus OM-2

Olympus Pen FT

Leica CL

Mamiya C330

Minox LX

Leica M5

 

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I drive Fords, live in an average priced house and only have 1 suit.

I do however have the finest cameras made, Leica and Minox.

[bert_keuken]

Minolta X-700, Canon T90, Leica M4, Leica M6.

 

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I switched because I found out I didn't need nor want the loads of functions the T90 offered. And because I ran out of power in the middle of the woods. Try finding someone selling AA-cells there...

 

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Bert

[luther_berry]

My first "real" camera was a Kodak rangefinder (Colt?) with fixed

lens (1 yr). Then came a Minolta SR7 (3 yrs) which was replaced by a

Nikon F2 Photomic (5 yrs). Added a pair of Nikon F3HP's (20 yrs).

Just this year replaced most of the Nikon stuff with a Leica R8 and

the following Leica R primes: 50/1.4, 90/2.0, 180/2.8 APO, and

280/4.0 APO with 1.4X APO and 2X APO extenders.

As you can see, I like SLR's and long lenses. Except for prints of

my family, I shoot only Kodachrome 64 slides of wildlife and scenics.

Project the slides onto a 72" screen with Leica projector. WOW!! LB

[marke_gilbert]

Wow, interesting posts! Canon A-1, Eos 10s, Eos A2E, Eos 1NRS, Nikon

F5 (still have), added Canon 7, Canon 7s, Leica M4-p (sold stupidly),

Leica M6 TTL. Cant imagine parting with either the F5, or the Leica.

[peter_hughes1]

<center>

<img src="http://www.ravenvision.com/images/melaneeface.jpg">

</center>

 

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My first 'real' camera was a Konica FP w/50mm f/1.4 Hexanon, which I

got ca. 1965. If I listed all the cameras I've owned since then I'd

be here all day. Suffice it to say that the last system I owned was

an EOS 1v w/7 primes. I sold that and went to an Olympus E-10 because

I thought the future for me was going to be exclusively digital.

After several months of getting pretty, fun images with no beauty, I

ditched the E-10 and bought a 90mm f/2 Summicron-M to dress up an old

user M3 I was fooling around with. One roll convinced me I had done

the right thing. Today I traded some old MF Nikon gear (which I

couldn't focus accurately anymore anyway) for a 50mm f/2 Summicron-M.

My Pentax 645 went toward a Hassy 500C/M and 80mm f/2.8 Planar, one

of the all-time great camera/lens combinations. My photos with these

Eurpoean beauties are in a completely new league from what I was

getting with the EOS and the P645, let alone with the E-10. Maybe

it's the glass, maybe it's the camera, or maybe it's the way I can

bond with these cameras as opposed to those made in Japan, which I

feel are high-tech marvels with little if any soul.

 

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http://www.ravenvision.com/peterhughes.htm

[tom_bryant]

Interesting thread. Letssee now...

Box brownie -> Regula (a cheap, obscure, German camera) -> various

Exaktas -> Nikon SP -> Alpa 6c ->Leica M3 (first time. Never sell your

Leicas!)-> Minolta srt101 -> Canon F1 -> Leica M3 -> Leica M4.

 

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I still have the Canons and Leicas. I even have an old Exakta, as it

appeals to my left handed nature, though I haven't used it in years.

[art_karr]

Do you really want to know this.

 

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Minolta SRT 101 (4), Nikon F, Leica IIIf, Rflex, Mamiya TLR

(2)Blad CM, Deardorff, Linhof, Mamiya Universal, Nikon F2,

Nikon FM, Nikon FE2, Leica M3, Leica M6 [there is more but the

server only has so much space :)].

 

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I have had a series of failures lately. The shutter in the M3 died,

my favorite camera. The rewind on the FE2 [my second favorite

camera] literally exploded in the middle of the mountains [took

30 min to find the parts in the pine needles]. The Rflex shutter

failed. I will soon have more cameras in for repairs than some

people have cameras. I think that I will have to look at some

newer equipment.

 

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Art

[badris]

Started with an Olympus OM-10, Nikon F, then a Contax RTS II,

Nikon F2A, and then to an F3hp+MD4 and an F5, both of which I

still use now.

 

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Got into Leica M's as a big skeptic. Found a single stroke M3

with a 50/2 for cheap, bought it, and loved the images made on

it, but sold it for a pretty nice profit 3 weeks later.

 

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Regretted every minute of my life after that.

 

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Now I use an M2 with 21, 35, 50 and 90mm lenses. I am a happy

man :-)

 

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Badris.

http://homepage.mac.com/badris

[furcafe]

Point & shoots + Kyocera Contax G2 + Zeiss Ikon Contax II & IIa.

I still use all of these along w/my M3 & M2.

[andy_piper2]

Used Nikons 1974-2000 with some experimentation along the way (F 1974-

1983, F2/FE 1983-85, FM2 1985-2000). Learned photography, took good

pictures. Kept waiting for a compact, LIGHT, motor-incorporated body

(A pro-version metal N2000 would have been nice). Tried AF bodies with

MF lenses - got tired of push-button controls.

 

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Tried Contax Aria for 6 months - in process also tried Contax G bodies

for wide angles. Loved the CZ sharpness, RF viewing, small size,

relative quiet, low shake, real dials and knobs. Hated the excessive

contrast and ruddy color in slides (Velvia) from both G and SLR lines.

 

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Made the mistake of trying M4-2 with 21 2.8 and 90 'cron. Found out

the camera fired when I pushed the button, not at some random point in

time later. What a concept! Long rich tonal scale with Velvia, instead

of "color Kodalith". ("Whazzis? Shadow detail and highlight detail in

the same picture?!" What a concept!) No pink clouds! - is this the

same film??

 

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Traded big pile of CY/CZ stuff for camera and two lenses. Didn't even

know about 35 preasph 'cron (Joy 1!) or tiny 90 TeleElmarit (Joy 2!)

 

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(an aside - CZ-G lenses really are as sharp or sharper than pre/APO-

ASPH Leica lenses, especially 21-28, 45/50. But to quote Bill Pierce

(digitaljournalist.org) "Don't confuse 'sharp' with 'good', or you'll

find yourself shaving with an ice cream cone and licking razor

blades.")

 

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And here we are.

[haim_toeg]

Agfa Isola (6x6, 80mm 1:6.3) hand me down from my father, Regula 35mm

fixed lens, Praktica something or another, Olympus OM-10, Nikon FE2,

Nikon F3, Bronica ETRS, Nikon F90, Leica CL, Mamiya RZ67, Mamiya 7II,

XPAN, Leica M6.

[kaiblanke]

I started with a porst 110 pocket camera, soon followed by a Practica

MTL5, which broke down last year, and a Yashica T4. I wanted to stay

manual and was hooked on the CZ lenses, so I bought an old Contax RTS

& a Rollei 35 s, also started with cheap rangefinders (canonet and

such) and came along an affordable M2 ... who can resist ?

Andy: I cannot see your point with the CZ lenses, the ones I have are

definitely not to complain about, but you have to take care of exact

exposure. Shutter lag is also no problem with the RTS ;-).

Still have the RTS, 35s, T4 and M2 and wouldn't part with it, each

camera has its own field to use. Can't say Leica is better or worse,

just different.

[victor_randin]

Thanks for the question, Dimitris. It was interesting for me to

recollect and to see below what cameras I had (maybe something is

forgot):

 

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Leica III (+) Kino-Exakta (-) Zenith S (-) Praktika FX (-) Contax D (-

) Start (-) Exakta Varex IIA (-) Contax A (-) Leica A (-) Contax F (-)

Leica B (-) Nikon F (+) Leica IIIA (-) Leica IIIB (-) Leica IIICK (-)

Leica IIIF RD (+) Contax II (-) Contax IIIa (-) Contax III (-) Contax

IIa (-) 2 Leicas M3 DS (-) Nikon F2S (-) Rollei�s 35T, S (-) Minox EL

(-) Leica M3 SS (+) Leica M2 ST (-) Leica M3 SS (-) Nikon F2A (+) 2

Leicas IIIG (-) a lot of SLR�s : Canon�s, Nikon�s, Pentax�s ,

Olympus, Minolta (all minus) 2 Rollei 35SE (+) Nikon F3 (-) Leica M3

SS (+) Leicaflex std (-) Leicaflex SL (+ but no need in it) Leica M4P

(+) Leicaflex SL2 (-) Nikon F3 HP (+) Leica CL (-) Leica IIF BD (+)

Leica std (+),

 

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(+): is now with me;

 

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(-): isn�t,

 

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another story is for MF/LF-cameras .

[nesrani]

It's embarassing to think back really. So much money spent on gear.

 

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I started with an M4-P in the mid eighties. Then a hasselblad. Then

gave up snapping. When I restarted I tried the Contax G2, then the

Leica R6 and am now using the M6. Which suits me fine. I think my

next camera will be digital.

 

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R.