Leica regret?

Pioneer · Dec 1, 2014

I have no problem working with my rangefinders, my SLRs or my TLRs.

But, the TLR viewfinder truly is magic. It takes me a little time to get comfortable when I swap back after working with my Rollei for only a week on a project. I can only imagine what it would take to make the transition after using a Rolleiflex for as long as you have.

My advice is to keep it around a bit and work with it from time to time. Your resale value probably won't change so I don't think you will lose anything by doing it. After some time you may find yourself warming up to it. If not, sell it and don't worry because it really isn't the end of the world. I suspect that an experienced TLR photographer can probably shoot most of the same things an experienced rangefinder shooter can, and have a bigger negative to work with.

Sirius Glass · Dec 1, 2014

Leica regret? Absolutely none, I use Hasselblads.

cliveh · 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'm not so sure about that, as autofocus is fast but lacks human decision as to what you focus on and auto exposure doesn't allow depth of field/shutter speed decisions.

Arklatexian · Dec 1, 2014

Have you ever watched a Rollei user pick up a Hasselblad and try to use it and the other way around? It is the same problem. We all get used to the camera we prefer and use and other cameras feel wierd. Just a normal reaction, I guess.....Regards

JamesPage · Dec 1, 2014

In my experience, AF is completely unworkable for street photography. Scale focusing with a Manual focus camera such as a leica is foolproof.

darkosaric · Dec 2, 2014

JamesPage said:
In my experience, AF is completely unworkable for street photography. Scale focusing with a Manual focus camera such as a leica is foolproof.

Welcome to APUG .

gone · Dec 2, 2014

I love my Argoflex TLR. Small, much lighter than a Rolleiflex, and it has a great lens (who knew?) That said, for portraits and some other things, it's not capable of dong what a 35mm SLR can do w/ a fast tele lens. I don't like ragefinders much. It's just too much fun seeing the image come into focus in a viewfinder. In fact, I prefer my scale focus Holga and Diana to a rangefinder camera. There's nothing in their viewfinders except the image.

baachitraka · Dec 2, 2014

I may need an automatic camera with manual focus for street photography.

6x6 is magic, after couple of rolls on the same day it will become very esay on the street.

miha · Dec 2, 2014

No Leica regret for me. But the only thing I got brand new from Leica are a couple of camera straps (the best in the business IMO).

darkosaric · Dec 2, 2014

Just one more thing about HCB: he lived until 2004. So it is not like he died in the 60's. He knew not only about autofocus cameras, but also about digital and somehow he still used Leica.

blockend · Dec 2, 2014

JamesPage said:
In my experience, AF is completely unworkable for street photography. Scale focusing with a Manual focus camera such as a leica is foolproof.

You don't need the complication of a rangefinder for street photography. Any camera with a viewfinder and a distance scale works. A solid grounding in light metering and push film development also help. Maybe a flash too.

VisualDarkness · Dec 2, 2014

JamesPage said:
In my experience, AF is completely unworkable for street photography. Scale focusing with a Manual focus camera such as a leica is foolproof.

One thing with scale focusing and film is that it's often so hard to do during the dark part of the year here in Sweden. Even if I push the film alot I still end up shooting at almost too slow shutter speeds to capture any movement and not to mention the large aperture meaning that the DOF gets extremely thin.

NB23 · Dec 2, 2014

Its all about getting used to whatever.

I,ve owned a F6 and R6.2 for 4 years and they've seen 5 rolls in total while my Leicas have seem 1000+.

darkosaric · Dec 2, 2014

VisualDarkness said:
One thing with scale focusing and film is that it's often so hard to do during the dark part of the year here in Sweden. Even if I push the film alot I still end up shooting at almost too slow shutter speeds to capture any movement and not to mention the large aperture meaning that the DOF gets extremely thin.

This is my problem in Hamburg as well. What I do is that in winter I spend more time in darkroom, printing. Also I go little more in some other directions than my usual style: I use tripod for multiple exposure, or multiple long exposure (usually don't use tripod at all), or some landscape / cityscape in the morning, pictures from ship while traveling in public ferries, mini tripod in closed spaces (bars) ...

VisualDarkness · Dec 2, 2014

darkosaric said:
This is my problem in Hamburg as well. What I do is that in winter I spend more time in darkroom, printing. Also I go little more in some other directions than my usual style: I use tripod for multiple exposure, or multiple long exposure (usually don't use tripod at all), or some landscape / cityscape in the morning, pictures from ship while traveling in public ferries, mini tripod in closed spaces (bars) ...

I haven't started with printing so I just shoot way more digital when it get dark. I get a bit annoyed though when people just answer "use ISO100-400, set the lens at Sunny 16 and use huge DOF for zone focus", it barely works 1-2 hours a day during wintertime here.

blockend · Dec 3, 2014

I was shooting d*g*t*l yesterday, and a full daylight English morning gave an ISO of 1600 for 1/60 at f7. It was a landscape, but I would want to to go higher than one sixtieth for moving people, and f7/8 is probably a lower limit for zone focus at, say, 6ft. Which means a minimum of 3200 to square the street photography circle in a northern hemisphere winter, 6400 would be better. Which may be why so many street shooters use digital now!

Zone focus is definitely usable for film in summer light, but it still errs toward 800 ASA if you want 1/250 and f11. Desert dwellers' mileage may vary.

Richard S. (rich815) · Dec 3, 2014

blockend said:
I was shooting d*g*t*l yesterday, and a full daylight English morning gave an ISO of 1600 for 1/60 at f7. It was a landscape, but I would want to to go higher than one sixtieth for moving people, and f7/8 is probably a lower limit for zone focus at, say, 6ft. Which means a minimum of 3200 to square the street photography circle in a northern hemisphere winter, 6400 would be better. Which may be why so many street shooters use digital now!

Zone focus is definitely usable for film in summer light, but it still errs toward 800 ASA if you want 1/250 and f11. Desert dwellers' mileage may vary.

Yes, the world has gotten darker. How else would you explain all the great street photographs on film before digital came along?

VisualDarkness · Dec 3, 2014

Richard Sintchak (rich815) said:
Yes, the world has gotten darker. How else would you explain all the great street photographs on film before digital came along?

Maybe we found the main reason why Sweden haven't been prominent at street photography for a long long long time?

baachitraka · Dec 3, 2014

One of my friend lives in Sweden and he told me that has to wait for an entire year for the summer to arrive.

VisualDarkness · Dec 3, 2014

baachitraka said:
One of my friend lives in Sweden and he told me that has to wait for an entire year for summer to arrive.

I had one short exam and missed the day today.

blockend · Dec 3, 2014

Richard Sintchak (rich815) said:
Yes, the world has gotten darker. How else would you explain all the great street photographs on film before digital came along?

I thought about this very point recently. The majority of iconic street photography shots were taken in bright sun, or with flash. There are exceptions of course, but if you require depth of field and freeze motion, something has to give. Back in the fifties Ilford HPS (800 ASA) was common. Winogrand and Co frequently pushed TriX to 1000 ASA+ in daylight.

Ko.Fe. · Dec 3, 2014

blockend said:
Which may be why so many street shooters use digital now!

...

Nope, they just lazy.
And street on digital is boring very often.
I quit street on digital few years ago.
With modern ones they take it at ISO 12500 and higher and result looks like in zombie movies. Unrealistic.

Does night (dark) street photography has to be exactly the same as daylight photography?
The answer is No, to me.

I have some work to do in Toronto and taking street pictures after sun is down.
Pushing ISO 400 to 1600 and using RF instead of scale, plus large apertures.
But you could still scale focus on large apertures if you have correct lens and you practice.
John Free is digital free and one of his valuable advices is to practice with focus.
Focusing collar is great help, you could scale focus far, middle and close without looking on the lens.
If you need to focus precise use RF but it has to be with good RF patch (a.k.a Leica M film cameras).

Yes, I have less keepers and it is more challenging, but it is fun.

Hudson Bay windows. by Ko.Fe., on Flickr

Here is nothing wrong with this time of the year for film shooters. At least for me. Now I'm starting printing after 7PM and finish by 11PM, while in summer I have to start at 10PM and finish at 1AM.
Way better instead of summer waiting for it to be dark enough in our bright basement, where I have countertop, sink and enlarger. Same convenience for developing of film, I don't have, don't like changing bags.

blockend · Dec 3, 2014

Ko.Fe. said:
Does night (dark) street photography has to be exactly the same as daylight photography?
The answer is No, to me.

Fair point, but the example you've given looks more like street portraiture than SP. Check out how many serious street shooters use supplementary flash in winter light, with film or digital.

I agree with you on the boring, samey look to a lot of digital shots, which is why I shoot film 60/40. I find most digital cameras over expose for my taste, and routinely shoot at -1/3 to -2 stops. Full auto tends to kill images on both mediums.

Ko.Fe. · Dec 3, 2014

Actually, my example falls into Candid category, not portrait.

I already tried flash, but I have to order the grip for my M4-2, to be able to hold it with flash and be confident.

But, honestly, flash is often making it flat. To me interesting street photography is where light is uneven. So, I'm going to try to balance flash with available low light. It is part of the fun, I'm not serious street photographer, but tourist.

blockend · Dec 3, 2014

Ko.Fe. said:
Actually, my example falls into Candid category, not portrait.

I already tried flash, but I have to order the grip for my M4-2, to be able to hold it with flash and be confident.

But, honestly, flash is often making it flat. To me interesting street photography is where light is uneven. So, I'm going to try to balance flash with available low light. It is part of the fun, I'm not serious street photographer, but tourist.

A lot of street photographers use off camera hand held flash, via a wire or remote. It allows more modelling of the subject. Perhaps the most famous proponent of off camera flash and Leica is Bruce Gilden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkIWW6vwrvM

Leica regret?

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