Sold Everything For A Leica

[mexipike]

Man, how did a simple forum post about an awesome new camera turn into certain posters giving this guy life advice?

I don't think he asked for that.

I bought a Leica M3 with money from working two jobs. I loved that camera. It got stolen in a cantina in Veracruz, Mexico. Oh well. I figured out how to buy a Leica M6 later. I'm glad you got a sweet camera OP!

 

[Soeren]

Hmm I wouldnt have done that for a snotty little Leica. An ALPA, Hasselblad or Linhof 6X9 outfit though is another matter.....

 

[Ian Grant]

The OP obviously knows what he's doing, it's his choice and a good one.

Ian

 

[CropDusterMan]

If I was the OP, after all this bullshit, I'd never come back to SMUG...I mean APUG.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Hmm I wouldnt have done that for a snotty little Leica. An ALPA, Hasselblad or Linhof 6X9 outfit though is another matter.....

 

[mikyor1]

I spent 7k of tuition loan to buy my first digital SLR 5d and a couple lenses, started shootin weddings as a 18 year old, now im 27 and a CPA and do wedding photography. Why tell him not to spend on things he wants, if hes studying engineering, id say a leica would be the most beautiful peice of gear a engineer interested in photo would want.

 

[Andre Noble]

Would you have me say anything else? More power to you on those studies. Hunker down and study; this is your time. You want to be a scared broke cranky old man some day? It happens so easy. GL

Damn, you're the dad I wish I had when I was at Med school. I had way too much fun enjoying life and flunked out. That was 25 years ago. Your advice is solid. Get that degree. Play later.

 

[OptiKen]

Congratulations, Ellis.
You will love the camera and it's an investment that probably won't lose any money.

 

[Huss]

Since then i have started university to study Engineering and last month sold pretty much all of my equipment and bought a Leica M6 + Voigtlander 35mm 1.4.



Shooting some ilford FP4 i found in a bulk loader in the darkroom at the minute, labelled as 1976 so i shot it at 50 and seems pretty great to me! example below
View attachment 151429

Congrats and enjoy! The pic does look good as shot, and you nailed a scene that has a pretty tricky exposure.

Best of luck
Huss

 

[chip j]

Govt' loans so students can buy Rolls-Royces? Well, the Ms, after the M5 are no Rolls like the cameras before them: obviously this guy doesn't need a loan to study to be a technocrat.

 

[FujiLove]

I'm just overjoyed to see that someone under fifty and not working in the teeth-straightening industry has bought and is using a real Leica film camera. I'm sure that the OP is mature enough to not be upset by a few arrogant, presumptive and predictable comments about his finances.

Enjoy that wonderful camera, make great photographs with it and continue to share your experiences with us here.

 

[Huss]

I'm just overjoyed to see that someone under fifty and not working in the teeth-straightening industry has bought and is using a real Leica film camera. I'm sure that the OP is mature enough to not be upset by a few arrogant, presumptive and predictable comments about his finances.

Enjoy that wonderful camera, make great photographs with it and continue to share your experiences with us here.

No kidding! I wish I was as smart as him and sold everything to get a Leica instead of buying the junk I had at that time.
And I am all about encouraging kids to get into film. Ellis is well on his way.

 

[blockend]

I'm sure that the OP is mature enough to not be upset by a few arrogant, presumptive and predictable comments about his finances.

Hopefully he's smart enough to spot all varieties of monkey business.

 

[darkosaric]

No kidding! I wish I was as smart as him and sold everything to get a Leica instead of buying the junk I had at that time.

Me too. For start I got Minolta HI matic F, it was great, but automatic camera, no manual settings possible. Then I got couple of FSU cameras (FED, Zorki...): lenses great, cameras are terrible, just horror. Then I got Yashica lynks - good, but not great, viewfinder was very dim and hard to focus. Then I got some Rollei, but no rangefinder, only viewfinder. Then some point and shoot plastic fantastic (Mju I was the best) - but auto focus was failing me in critical moments. Then XA - great cameras, but not manual setting possible.

Then I got Leica M6 - and that was it. Better than Leica in rangefinder world does not exist.

 

[Pioneer]

I wonder how this has worked out for the OP??

 

[one90guy]

Got my education in sunny South Vietnam and started my long road of photography with a Yashica TL-Super. Worked construction, drove a truck long haul, and played hard. Retired at 58, no degree, and at this moment am sitting in my RV in the Texas Hill country. I did try college but it just was not for me, I do think now days a degree would probably serve you better.

David

 

[ColColt]

A degree in Electrical Engineering helped me immensely but it was no piece of cake getting it. Uncle Sam help pay for part of it so, I figured I may as well at least try...glad I did. I'm even more glad I retired three years ago.

 

[frank]

My advice to the OP is to take lots of pictures of his girlfriends along the way. As for buying a Leica, one can save a lot of money by skipping those intermediary/interim cameras if one is headed for a Leica eventually.

 

[Pioneer]

I have to agree Frank. I love my K1000 for sure but after that I should have bought an M3. I would have been wayyy ahead of the game.

 

[darkosaric]

+1 for Franks advice.
Countless rangefinders that were not expensive, but in sum they cost me me almost as a Leica M6 that brought me peace (Minolta hi matic, Yashica lynx, XA, XA2, RC35, Lomo, Zorki, Fed, QL28, Agfa, Mju ... ... ...).

 

[blockend]

+1 for Franks advice.
Countless rangefinders that were not expensive, but in sum they cost me me almost as a Leica M6 that brought me peace (Minolta hi matic, Yashica lynx, XA, XA2, RC35, Lomo, Zorki, Fed, QL28, Agfa, Mju ... ... ...).

On the other hand my first camera, a Chinon CX, showed almost no discernible difference in quality to the ones that followed, Olympus, Nikon, Canon, Leica. The problem was in my head, not in the camera. Therapy is expensive, and camera therapy is no exception.

 

[darkosaric]

On the other hand my first camera, a Chinon CX, showed almost no discernible difference in quality to the ones that followed, Olympus, Nikon, Canon, Leica. The problem was in my head, not in the camera. Therapy is expensive, and camera therapy is no exception.

True, my first range finder was Minolta HI matic F. Zuiko lens was excellent, and at that time I did not cared that it is fully automatic, without any control. But later I wanted to change f stop, then I needed more control, then I wanted more user friendly interface.
It is not only about picture quality - what I find great in Leica is that you have exactlly all you need - no more and no less (nice feel and therapy included ).

 

[blockend]

True, my first range finder was Minolta HI matic F. Zuiko lens was excellent, and at that time I did not cared that it is fully automatic, without any control. But later I wanted to change f stop, then I needed more control, then I wanted more user friendly interface.
It is not only about picture quality - what I find great in Leica is that you have exactlly all you need - no more and no less (nice feel and therapy included ).

So long as the cost of a camera doesn't eat into your film budget, buy whatever makes you feel good. The problem is a lot of photographers think they need Camera X to take a picture, which is clearly nonsense. Daido Moriyama is one of the most prolific producers of photographic books working today, and he used whatever compact point and shoot his friends gave him. His budget was 100% film and print based.

 

[darkosaric]

Yes, now money goes only on films, papers and chemicals. Already sold a lot of redundant/not needed stuff, still selling some. The goal is on the end to have only one SLR system (nikon with 50/105/200mm), one rangefinder system (leica with 50/90) and Diana F.

 

[baachitraka]

@darkosaric: A print from a medium format negative may change all that. Nevertheless, 28, 50, 100 and 200mm are nice always to have.