Leica regret?

McFortner · Jun 22, 2014

I'd love to have a Leica, but it's out of my price range. I went with the Soviet rangefinders instead, of which I have 7. I have two different FED 2 cameras and one each of the 3, 4, 5, 5B, and Zorki 4. The Industar lenses are not bad either. I know they are cameras that were inspired by the Leica, but they do fine for me. And if one breaks, gets lost or is stolen I'm not out a lot of money.

But if a Leica ever shows up in my price range (yah, right....) I'd snap it up fast.

Just my two cents worth. YMMV.

blockend · Jun 22, 2014

pen s said:
Always thought I wanted a Leica M and as a retirement present to myself I finally sprang for a M4-2 and a couple of CV lenses. It was the CV lenses that even made it feaseable to even consider a Leica. However, like many other comments to this thread I'm finding the Leica just a fancy version of my Olympus RC! Sure, long base RF and interchangeable lenses but at what price? My Leica with 21 f4 and 35 f2.5 CV lenses and a 90 f4 Elmar has set me back about $1750 (that includes $200 to Youxin Ye to set right a cosmetically nice camera that had been serviced by a tractor mechanic). My Oly RC was $35, is in near mint condition, and only needed foam replacement.

And........

I'm finding out I really am a SLR type guy. I like the TTL viewing and focusing, close focus ability and, to some extent seeing DOF when I preview it on my plain matte screen. (A 1-10 matte w/grid screen on my OM-1)

I got to admit. The CV lenses are really good and the M4-2 feels great in the hand but, in the applications I use it in I usually scale focus and let DOF cover my behind. That is kind of a waste of that precision RF mechanism.

That's the most succinct appraisal of Leica rangefinders I've read.

Tom1956 · Jun 22, 2014

I just bought a beautiful Nikon F2S a couple of days ago. And it's a beauty that works perfectly. I'm kinda happy--the finest 35mm camera ever made and it cost me only $150.00. Very well engineered. Somebody had the bright idea of loading the film from a door in the back, and putting the PC socket in a place that doesn't poke you in the eye with a flashcord plug. Leicas are dumb. Germans made a lot of really top-notch stuff, but a Leica isn't one of them.

Jim Jones · Jun 22, 2014

Leica does make top-notch cameras. I'm on my third Leica in 61 years. The first two didn't survive accidents. In that time I also used and retired a Canon P and 7S, several Nikon F and Nikkormats, and a few other 35mm cameras. Leica's legendary quality is obvious when they are used side-by-side with other cameras. The design of any camera is necessarily a compromise. The compromises that made Leica great for some purposes turned off some other photographers. It was also that way with Nikon. The compromises that made the original Nikon F complete system so great also made it awkward to use in other ways.

benjiboy · Jun 22, 2014

Jim Jones said:
Leica does make top-notch cameras. I'm on my third Leica in 61 years. The first two didn't survive accidents. In that time I also used and retired a Canon P and 7S, several Nikon F and Nikkormats, and a few other 35mm cameras. Leica's legendary quality is obvious when they are used side-by-side with other cameras. The design of any camera is necessarily a compromise. The compromises that made Leica great for some purposes turned off some other photographers. It was also that way with Nikon. The compromises that made the original Nikon F complete system so great also made it awkward to use in other ways.

I've never desired a Leica, there must be something wrong with me.

Ian Grant · Jun 22, 2014

benjiboy said:
I've never desired a Leica, there must be something wrong with me.

If we all desired the same things life would be very boring.

I've used SLRs & TLRs since the late 1960s commercially and for personal use alongside LF, while I've owned a Leica IIIa since my student days it had little use. However I bought a budget M3 in 1986/7 and have only used my 35mm SLRs when they were really the only option (shooting rock concerts etc where I needed to use fast zoom lenses).

Leica and other rangefinder camera aren't everyone's cup of tea, but to some of us they are great cameras to use and they give us the results we require and suit our ways of working. I only bought M3 after shooting predominantly 5x4 and I found that my success rate of good/excellent images per film was higher than with an SLR, I can shoot and focus more accurately at low light levels, slower speeds are easier hand held, I can see what's outside the image area in the viewfinder great for fast composition.

I was skeptical until I began using mine, then became a happy convert.

Ian

fotch · Jun 22, 2014

Leica is without a doubt the most versatile camera system ever made. Many manufactures followed in the footprints with their camera systems. Example, you can convert a RF camera into an SLR. Nikon is my first choice in camera systems however; I dont recall any accessories to convert my F into a RF.

cliveh · Jun 23, 2014

fotch said:
Leica is without a doubt the most versatile camera system ever made. Many manufactures followed in the footprints with their camera systems. Example, you can convert a RF camera into an SLR. Nikon is my first choice in camera systems however; I dont recall any accessories to convert my F into a RF.

Versatile is perhaps the wrong word. I would suggest a Hasselblad is more versatile than a Leica, but a Leica is probably the most tactile precision instrument for taking photographs.

Tom Kershaw · Jun 23, 2014

Ian Grant said:
However I bought a budget M3 in 1986/7 and have only used my 35mm SLRs when they were really the only option (shooting rock concerts etc where I needed to use fast zoom lenses).

Ian

I prefer to be camera-less when attending concerts but have often thought the shutter sound on my Nikon FM2N would be far too loud, whereas my Mamiya 7ii has a very quiet shutter.

Tom

frank · Jun 23, 2014

Not everyone likes Leicas or Brussels sprouts. No biggie. It does not affect those who do, one little bit.

Shoot what you like. Don't worry about others.

rolleiman · Jul 18, 2014

Shootar401 said:
I picked up a Leica M2 recently with a 50mm Summicron DR. I took it out and shot a few rolls around PA and NYC. Great handling camera, small, typical German overenginering and sharp lens. The only problem is that it just doesn't feel right in my hands like my Rolleiflex does. I can't explain why, but I bought the Leica as an eveyday camera to carry to and from work and take in my bag when I leave the house. But I just miss the Rollei so much that I'm thinking of selling it already and getting a 2nd one.

Anybody else feel the same after picking up a rangefinder after years of using a TLR?

Before I got out of the news photography business, I'd carry a bag full of Nikon gear to an assignment. Now I'm (thankfully) no longer part of the newspaper world, more often than not I wander around with a Rolleiflex in a small canvas shoulder bag that doesn't shout "photographer".

I had been contemplating a small Leica outfit, just to keep with me for the same reason I take my Rollei out, since often the best pictures occur when you're not deliberately setting out to find them, but you come across them on the offchance. I figure that an SLR outfit is not the best kit to cart around for this "on the offchance" scenario.

The Rollei twin lens is generally excellent, but sometimes you just need that slightly longer or wider lens, I imagine a Leica with a couple of lenses would be less weight and more subtle than my current Nikons.

Ko.Fe. · Jul 18, 2014

I used to have TLR in the past and have another one for now. They aren't everyday cameras at all for me.
My M4-2 is so nice and capable, but I don't want to toss it around with me as everyday camera.
I keep trying to find something adequate to M4-2, including famous SLR brands, but regretting after buying and trying, because it isn't Leica.
Currently trying to settle with Rollei, but 35

railwayman3 · Jul 18, 2014

In the late 1980's I was lucky enough to have some cash to buy a new outfit, and looked very seriously at Leicas, including the opportunity to try some (S/H) range-finder cameras.
But I just couldn't get comfortable in using them for some reason, and as I wanted to be able to gradually build-up a comprehensive outfit, the prices of accessories and lenses seemed astronomical. I eventually bought a Pentax outfit (MX and LX) and never regretted it, but maybe if I win the Lottery one day.......

benjiboy · Jul 18, 2014

I have a pre WW11 Zeiss Contax with the 5 cm Zeiss Sonnar, I never wanted a Leica.

chip j · Jul 18, 2014

I've had 2 new M4s, 2 used M3s,and a screwmount for a microscope. Being left-eyed, the viewfinders on the Ms were hard to use. I now have Contax G1 & G2, whose viewfinders are more to the center.

Hatchetman · Jul 18, 2014

My first Leica came today. A III and Summitar. It's a beauty. Highly doubt I will ever have regrets, but it only cost $400. If I spent $10,000 on an M6 and Summicron, then yes, I could theoretically envision having regrets while living under a bridge.

Eric Rose · Jul 18, 2014

The Rolleiflex is magic. Pure and simple.

Arklatexian · Aug 18, 2014

Leica Doesn't Feel Like A Rolleiflex!

As you become deeper and deeper into photography, it has been my experience that it takes time for cameras of different formats to become comfortable in your hands and going from a Rollei where the camera "sits" in your hand to a camera designed to be used at eyelevel would be especially so. I have a friend who has a difficult time holding my Hasselblad becauses he uses Rollei TLRs. In 35mm, I am more comfortable with a rangefinder Leica than with anyone's 35mm SLR. Don't rush to get rid of any type of camera until you practice with it for a while. All have advantages and disadvantages including Rolleis, Leicas, i.e. all cameras and formats.

removed account4 · Aug 18, 2014

Shootar401 said:
I picked up a Leica M2 recently with a 50mm Summicron DR. I took it out and shot a few rolls around PA and NYC. Great handling camera, small, typical German overenginering and sharp lens. The only problem is that it just doesn't feel right in my hands like my Rolleiflex does. I can't explain why, but I bought the Leica as an eveyday camera to carry to and from work and take in my bag when I leave the house. But I just miss the Rollei so much that I'm thinking of selling it already and getting a 2nd one.

Anybody else feel the same after picking up a rangefinder after years of using a TLR?

sometimes it just takes a while to get used to things. and sometimes you just never get used to them.
nothing to regret, its just the way thing are ...

LuckyLuki · Aug 19, 2014

If you really mean the feel of the camera in your hands I can totally understand you considering the rather brick-like shape of the leica models. However using a leather case with a built-in grip totally improves the handling imo. If you google leica-time you will find a website of pricy but also handmade leather cases.

KrankyKraut · Dec 1, 2014

I think the "new" autofocus cameras, whether SLR or compacts, are better at the job of street photography than the Leica. The Leica used to be the best camera for the job way back when. Today, HCB would probably use an autofocus, autoexposure camera, or even an iPhone.

darkosaric · Dec 1, 2014

KrankyKraut said:
Today, HCB would probably use an autofocus, autoexposure camera, or even an iPhone.

Today HBC would use paper and a pencil . He did photograph in the era of autofocus cameras as well - but he continued to use Leica.
Did you tried both and then come to conclusion that autofocus cameras are better at street photography? I did tried both, and I think M3 does it better than my nikon F801s.

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 1, 2014

Took me a year to get used to mine. Now it's second nature and extremely versatile.

Richard S. (rich815) · Dec 1, 2014

KrankyKraut said:
I think the "new" autofocus cameras, whether SLR or compacts, are better at the job of street photography than the Leica. The Leica used to be the best camera for the job way back when. Today, HCB would probably use an autofocus, autoexposure camera, or even an iPhone.

I disagree. With all those things available I still use my M2 or MP way more often for serious street shooting. "Pre" focusing and then f/stop and DOF range are adjusted as needed and since the Leica is practically an extension of my hand I'm adjusting f/stop and/or the focus ring with barely even looking down as I walk around and as scenes or potential photographic subjects unfold before me. I rarely focus using the RF spot subject to subject. I'm also opening or closing the aperture a couple of notches or three as I go from lit areas to shadier areas. (B&W film and it's wide latitude helps for this method of course). So when I shoot it's up to my eye to quickly frame and fire in an instant. No AF is faster than that and certainly not fiddling with my iPhone!

E. von Hoegh · Dec 1, 2014

KrankyKraut said:
I think the "new" autofocus cameras, whether SLR or compacts, are better at the job of street photography than the Leica. The Leica used to be the best camera for the job way back when. Today, HCB would probably use an autofocus, autoexposure camera, or even an iPhone.

I disagree. I spent most of this past summer using a Kiev 4a with either a 35 or 50. I've also used a Contax II, a Leica IIIG, a Canon IIb, a Leica M3, a Nikon F and a Nikkormat.
All of these cameras, I set the exposure while raising it to my face and by the time I've framed the picture the camera is focussed. I can't do this with any of my AF cameras. Especially when it's snowing...

Leica regret?

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