Gotta love those serious leica shooters

[StoneNYC]

http://masters-of-photography.com/S/salgado/salgado.html

http://masters-of-photography.com/K/koudelka/koudelka.html

http://masters-of-photography.com/W/winogrand/winogrand.html

Ok, so essentially every other decade there is someone who knows how to shoot a Leica haha

I'm mostly referring to the majority of Leica OWNERS who can't stop talking about MTF charts but couldn't take a good picture to save their life, and you can't dissagree that there are most likely many more owners than there are good photographers who use Leica, some I've seen talk on the forums who actually admitted after years of owning one that they've only shot a roll a year through them, and most were horrible shots.

This doesn't matter none of it does... Just go shoot!!

Just put two rolls through my Canon AE-1 that I've had for 20 years, on a first date I had with a lovely girl. Nice waterfalls and some nudes (at her bequest).

It's been a good day, let's just carry on...

 

[canuhead]

Alex Webb.

Trent Parke.

Ragnar Axelsson.


etc

 

[removed account4]

most people who cook with all clad cookware and wusthof+henkel knives
they get all the cooking magazines, watch the shows, schmooze with others when the chefs do the book circuit

are a bunch of wannabe hacks
they just have their cookware in a rack and look at their knives in the block, but they can't even coarse chop an onion.

 

[StoneNYC]

I can coarse chop an onion with my wüsthof knives

But I'm not a fancy chef for sure...

I still don't know if you're agreeing with me or just making an abstract comment that has nothing to do with the thread...

 

[frank]

Why so much bitterness? Indication of lack of mother's love?

 

[removed account4]

I can coarse chop an onion with my wüsthof knives

But I'm not a fancy chef for sure...

I still don't know if you're agreeing with me or just making an abstract comment that has nothing to do with the thread...

your comment about "most leica shooters can't"
you know most leica shooters as much as i know allclad+henkel+wusthof users.

generalizations are usually wrong ...

 

[StoneNYC]

your comment about "most leica shooters can't"
you know most leica shooters as much as i know allclad+henkel+wusthof users.

generalizations are usually wrong ...

Gotcha, fair point.

 

[eddie]

I'm also not wrong in this case, because what I said is my perspective on the images I've seen from Leica shooters... As I said I've only seen one photographer ever who was a REALLY good Leica shooter

This is my opinion on what I have seen...

Show me more excellent Leica shots and I'll reconsider

The Leica doesn't actually take the shots. Someone behind it does. Show me excellent shots taken with any camera. They are few and far between.
Excellent photographers can take excellent photographs with any camera. Those who attribute excellent photos to the camera/lens manufacturer are missing the point....

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

So much attention paid to the least important piece of the whole photography puzzle.

A camera is a tool. Like anybody who likes to do woodworking, painting, cooking, or painting, we like good tools. Why should photography be any different? I love the Leica for its simplicity. It gets out of the way of making pictures and they are well made. I also love my EOS-3 because it helps me focus with my worsening eye sight and saving my ass in spontaneous photography, which I can't do very well with the Leica. But they remain tools. No reason to get worked up about them, as long as they work well for what we do.

 

[lxdude]

Alex Webb.

Trent Parke.

Ragnar Axelsson.


etc

People here seem to like someone they call HCB...

 

[StoneNYC]

So much attention paid to the least important piece of the whole photography puzzle.

A camera is a tool. Like anybody who likes to do woodworking, painting, cooking, or painting, we like good tools. Why should photography be any different? I love the Leica for its simplicity. It gets out of the way of making pictures and they are well made. I also love my EOS-3 because it helps me focus with my worsening eye sight and saving my ass in spontaneous photography, which I can't do very well with the Leica. But they remain tools. No reason to get worked up about them, as long as they work well for what we do.

So tempted to make a joke about Leica and the word "tool" hehe

I agree though, I think the Leica is an excellent camera, I just think a lot of hot shot people with money buy them just to have one without the ability to use then to their fullest capabilities. Probably an affect of the kind of mindset it takes to make that kind of cash is a lot different than the kind of mind to make an artistic image, we think differently, and it takes a special type to be both good at making imagery that is captivating AND the ability to make lots of money...

 

[frank]

But, why fuss with what other people decide to do with their money or their time?

 

[MattKing]

Just put two rolls through my Canon AE-1 that I've had for 20 years, on a first date I had with a lovely girl. Nice waterfalls and some nudes (at her bequest).

It's been a good day, let's just carry on...

She died, and you have already had the Will admitted to probate?!?

 

[Dinesh]

I love the Leica for its simplicity..

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

 

[StoneNYC]

She died, and you have already had the Will admitted to probate?!?

Damn auto correct!!! Lol

Ironically, my previous long term relationship just ended and the date was sort of a "I'm ok, I can date" kind of thing, so at first I was like... Wait how does he know my relationship just died? Lol she's alive, just wanted less relationship and more sex, and I needed both, can't live on the sex part forever.

And so it goes...

 

[Kc2edh]

So much attention paid to the least important piece of the whole photography puzzle.

A camera is a tool. Like anybody who likes to do woodworking, painting, cooking, or painting, we like good tools.

I probably shouldn't join in here, as I've never even seen a Leica in person, but I completely agree with this. I've sold more pictures taken with a Yashica-12 than I have with a Rolleiflex, just because I carry the Yashica through ice, rain, sand, swamps, and salty spray while the Rolleiflex ends up waiting for nice weather. Next to each other, the pictures are indistinguishable. Might be because Yashica has better lenses than you expect, but it's really just because I'm the same photographer no matter which camera I carry. I either take a great picture or I don't, and the camera is just one small tool in the process.

 

[darkosaric]

Ok, so essentially every other decade there is someone who knows how to shoot a Leica haha

I'm mostly referring to the majority of Leica OWNERS who can't stop talking about MTF charts but couldn't take a good picture to save their life, and you can't dissagree that there are most likely many more owners than there are good photographers who use Leica, some I've seen talk on the forums who actually admitted after years of owning one that they've only shot a roll a year through them, and most were horrible shots.

I know, I know .

When I was at Paris photo last year, I was walking with my portfolio (and M6 in my bag ) - I never saw so many Leicas M9 and M240 in my life.

It looked to me that every other person has digital Leica with new summilux. Not even one had portfolio with him, and nobody gave me a link to his web site. Many non Leica shooters did .

 

[removed account4]

But, why fuss with what other people decide to do with their money or their time?

the reason is because it is easy

 

[Xmas]

almost all new Leicas are D cameras today so this dialogue is OT rather should be on DPug?

 

[removed account4]

almost all new Leicas are D cameras today so this dialogue is OT rather should be on DPug?

nope
because this thread is really about forgetting to take the lenscap off of a RF

 

[darkosaric]

There will be a firmware update that will add warning in the viewfinder "lens cap on"

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

So tempted to make a joke about Leica and the word "tool" hehe

I agree though, I think the Leica is an excellent camera, I just think a lot of hot shot people with money buy them just to have one without the ability to use then to their fullest capabilities. Probably an affect of the kind of mindset it takes to make that kind of cash is a lot different than the kind of mind to make an artistic image, we think differently, and it takes a special type to be both good at making imagery that is captivating AND the ability to make lots of money...

I agree that Leica is a brand that is highly desirable, and many buy them for collecting, bragging rights, or feel-good. I do know many photographers whom I have a lot of respect for that use a Leica to very good effect. Some of them are here on APUG, even, albeit to a very limited degree. Unlike us they are out there using them, and not arguing whether they look cool or not.

Oh, and I don't think all photographers are in it for the money. I certainly am not. I pretty much know I will never be famous or great, and therefore don't chase making money with my photography. I don't care about that. I care about the practice of photography, the discipline of trying to see great things in life worth documenting, and then attempting to capture it in a way where I can hopefully affect other people positively or emotionally. The better I become at that the more satisfied I will be as a person, and I believe this satisfaction can't be purchased. It is earned, and therein lies the satisfaction of going through life and feeling as though I have accomplished something good. Even if it's just very minor or even barely noticeable.

That's why I feel sorry for those who buy all of the cool brand things just to look cool. There is no lasting substance to that. You have to find a meaningful way to enjoy them, or else what's the point?

 

[Jim Jones]

In 1953 I progressed from a Mercury II to a Minolta, then to a Nicca, and finally to a Leica IIIf. I've used Leicas since then except for photographs that demanded the versatility of a SLR. At first I bought the Leica because several experts said it was the best. I've stuck with Leica because they've been proven right. Status be damned. After 44 years my M4 looks awful. It is still capable of awesome photos, even if I'm not.

 

[lxdude]

After 44 years my M4 looks awful.

A well-used Leica is the best looking Leica.

 

[cliveh]

If you don't have a lens cap you can never make that mistake.