Film M as your primary camera?

[drewbarb]

I have a lot of cameras and I use them all for different purposes; but a Leica M3 with a 50mm lens is in my daily carry bag most of the time. I shoot a lot with my cell phone, frankly, and my primary "real" camera that I use when I'm specifically making photos is a 4x5. I probably shoot a hundred sheets or so each year, and maybe 200 or so rolls of 35mm, most of which goes through the M3.

My other cameras include an Olympus XA, a couple of Nikon SLR's, a back-up M3, a few old 120 folding cameras and a bunch of pinhole cameras; plus a couple of Sony mirrorless cameras I mostly use for work. I tend to pick up one thing or another for a given project or purpose, but I do tend to gravitate to certain cameras most of the time, and the M3 gets use several times a week, where some of my other cameras might not see use for weeks or even months.

I've considered a digital M from time to time, and if I can ever afford one I might add it to my kit. Although if I sold off most of the rest of my gear, I'd probably be able to afford one!

 

[steveyork]

I still shoot anywhere from 100-200 rolls of B&W film a year. As I get back into rangefinders, following a ten year stint with SLRs, I don't see that changing much. I've always liked the more 'hands on' process of film, from bulk loading to developing, and enjoy the B&W capture of film more then digital. If I were more into color, I'd probably made the switch to digital by now (or into MF).

So ingrained in film, I find the OP's question a bit odd; yes, of course, my only cameras are film, shoot it just about every day, and always have a camera when you leave the house.

Addendum --> Mostly use the 35/50 focal lengths. Live in a sunny area, so ended up shooting a lot of Fomapan 100 which not only do I like, but is an inexpensive bulk load. Developed mostly in Rodinal or HC-110, because of their long shelf life, though I go through more then a bottle every 12 months for Rodinal. I do some experiment with different films and developers; that's one area of variety digital cannot match. Right now I'm shooting the M2 with a variety of modern Cosina Voigtlander and older lenses, but over the decades shot almost every film M made with modern Leica optics in the 35-50-90 range. Currently off the Leica bandwagon as far as optics.

 

[Livesteamer]

IIIc with 50mm f3.5 Elmar for everyday use. An M6 with a Summilux 35 or 50 when I need to be more serious and sometimes a Nikon F with the 55mm Micro Nikkor.


Hey, we are all different. Joe

 

[aizan]

Do you use a Leica M (or even a III) film body as your primary camera?

Not currently. It shifts based on what I'm working on. Right now my primary cameras are a Hasselblad 500c/m and iPhone with Moment Anamorphic lens.

Do you carry it regularly/most days?

Yes, when it was my primary camera.

How much film do you shoot with it over a given period of time?

It was 2-4 rolls a week.

What film do you use?

I used Tri-X and Ilford Delta 3200.

What are your most used lenses?

They were the 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor LTM and Canon 28mm f/2.8 LTM.

(Verging on film vs digital) Why do you choose to use a film M rather than a digital M?

A digital Leica M that ticked all of the boxes and that I could justify spending the money on did not exist back then, and I didn't need it to be digital anyway. If I won the lottery, I'd be OK with a Leica M10 (black, with a black dot).

 

[drewbarb]

I use a 50mm lens for more than half of the 35mm film I expose, usually either a DR Summicron or a Zeiss Sonnar-C these days. My next most used lens is probably my 90mm Elmarit-M, then 35mm (Summicron) and then a wide like a 21mm or 25mm. I have a 15mm Voigtlander Heliar, too, but honestly it's just too wide to be tremendously valuable to me.

With my 4x5, I use a 210mm and a 90mm about equally, and a 135mm and 300mm very occasionally.

For film I tend to shoot mostly black and white on a range of film stocks. For 35mm I really love the now discontinued Fuji Neopan 400. I have a lot of this in my freezer, both bulk load rolls and factory loaded cartridges, and that should last me a few more years. I also shoot a fair amount of Ilford HP5 and FP4, and Kodak Tri-X, in 35mm, 120, and 4x5. I've spent the past 20 plus years processing film for other photographers and artists in commercial labs and on my own, so I like to play with other film stocks just to know how they behave (and to play around) so I usually have about 15 different emulsions from Efke, Ilford, Kodak, Agfa and others in my fridge and freezer.

 

[mpaniagua]

Short aswer yeah, Leica M6/M5 are my primary camera. Got lots of cameras, from rangefinder, tlr, technical cameras to 35mm/120 SLR and snap shot cameras and I use them periodically, but most of the time I stick with the M6, mostly with a 35mm summicron/summilux. I suppose I'm used to the combo and stick to it when I wan to be on familiar and safe ground.

Marcelo

 

[skopar steve]

M4-2 is my most carried camera. 35mm Summicron is mounted most of the time. I only shoot B&W film anymore. Generally HP5 but Tmax 400 is a close second. A couple of rolls a week on average.

Digital Leica's are way too expensive for me. For digital I use a Fuji XE-3 and a Nikon D7100.

 

[Doug]

I've only had one film M camera, an M2, for 50+ years, but the last use was 10 years ago, March 3 2010 with a goggled 2.8/35mm Summaron and Fuji NPZ800 film doing some street photos. Most recent usage is a M-D 262 with 3.5/50mm collapsible Heliar and 35 Summilux ASPH.