How much is enough? Which Leica?

[Archiver]

Dave, you settled on the M6. But what lens(es) do you have?? 😀

For me, a simple life that included a Leica would be my M9 and only three lenses: 21, 35 and 50. These take care of almost all shooting I like. Were I to strip it down more, it would be a 25/28 and 50. Even further, it would be a fast 35. Video is important to me, so if I had to have an all in one it would probably be the SL and a couple of lenses, or the M240.

As for a simple life, I think of it as being 'stripped back' and minimal but not necessarily cheap or self-depriving. I believe a person can live a simple life while using luxury goods, but not multiples of these goods. So a simple life could be lived with one well maintained German or Italian car, a neatly furnished but minimal home, a wardrobe of well made but multipurpose clothing, and of course, a good camera. The complications arise when there are lots of different choices and superfluous items. One pair of Crockett and Jones or Alden shoes is simple. Five pairs is superfluous. Own what you can use, but little more, if possible.

The occasional small luxury, well-chosen and practical, can give immense satisfaction. My collection of gear is the antithesis of this, but I've arrived at a point where I have so much that I have very few hankerings for anything else. So, in a way, my mountain of gear is as minimal and simple as it can be for me to be happy with it.

And yet, some don't 'need' any of that to be truly happy. Like the bum described above, it's about desired experiences of life, and being able to construct ones life to have them in a streamlined fashion.

 

[JHutchins]

Haven't read most of this thread, but definitely know more than a few people in the ski bum/climbing bum category (though all the kids say dirtbag these days, not bum). Also musicians and perpetual tourists. I live in Juneau and they're drawn here.

Me, maybe I kind of fit? I live on a sailboat in Juneau and definitely haven't room for many things. So I try, on the whole, to have niceish things. Only "niceish" because my imagination is fairly unbounded while my income is fairly tightly bound. So I recognize many, many layers of nice above mine. My daughter is in college now and has two more years left and I'm thinking pretty seriously about becoming my own flavor of dirtbag once she's out. Though I prefer the term "seafaring vagabond." It'd mean quitting my job and relying on my meager savings to survive while sailing, taking pictures, and reading -- the three things I want to spend most of my time on. I have a pretty full kindle and when it dies; well, kindles are cheap so I think I'm covered there. Have the boat so I spend a lot of time thinking about how to maintain my camera habit. I have an M240 now and am seriously thinking about getting either an M10 or a 246 Monochrom as a second camera (or really a first camera and the 240 would be the second) so that, at least while I can afford repairs, I won't have to be without a camera while repairs are being carried out. Though frankly I'm not convinced that any of these are incredibly reliable cameras and I think there will come a time when I can't afford to have repairs made so I expect there will come a time when I'll survive by finding antiquated Fuji X100s on ebay. And I can live with that future too.

I've already reduced my lens collection down to a 21/3.4 Super Angulon, a 35 Summilux pre-ASPH, a 50 rigid Summicron and a 75 Summilux. I could get by with just the 21 and 35 but whatever, I like the others, there's a place for them in the boat, I feel no special need to reduce further.

@Dave, my answers to your questions are as follows -

(1.) Yes.

I have met many Buddhist monks who have very little in the way of possessions or financial assets. They are the happiest people I have ever met. Others who are also content with what little they have are "bums" - Ski Bums, Trout Bums, Surf Bums, Climbing Bums and Photography Bums. I have read stories of Rock Climbing Bums who have lived for years on end in dilapidated vehicles and/or tents with no job. They climb rock daily, do menial temp work to pay for food and other necessities, have no health insurance or investment portfolios - and they are deliriously happy. Same with Ski Bums - they are ski lift operators, ski rescue guys/gals or ski techs who mount bindings on skis, sharpen/wax skis, etc. They live hand to mouth on little money but the payoff is a season lift ticket at the ski area where they work. Every day there is snow on the ground, they are on the mountains, screaming down the runs at 60 MPH or hammering their way through the mogul fields. Same with Trout Bums - they are fishing guides who make not much money, but they are casting flies and catching trout every single day while their clients get to do that two weeks a year. It's all about following your passion and making sacrifices to do so. The payoff isn't money - it's happiness and a quality of life that others only dream of.

(2.) It all depends on who you ask. Bill Gates, Donald Trump or Mark Cuban will give you distinctly different answers from a Buddhist monk, a Trout Bum, a Photography Bum or an aspiring Olympic athlete.

(3.) If I were that guy, I would have a 28mm and a 50mm lens (probably the new version of the 28 Summicron and the 50mm Summilux) and my M camera. Those two lenses would cover 90% plus of my needs.

(4.) Again, it depends on who you ask; a guy who homesteads in a cabin in Alaska will give you a very different answer from a Wall Street investment banker or a Buddhist monk. America's current mainstream culture is all about amassing money, fame, power or a combination of all three. Chasing those pots of gold at the end of the rainbow is in many cases an exercise in futility. Many people discover that when they have at long last achieved all of the "when I finally get _______________, THEN I'll be happy" preconditions, they are STILL unhappy; then what??

After having had the opportunity to observe firsthand other cultures and people, I have come to a realization: On the whole, America's current mainstream culture is counterproductive to happiness, peace of mind and a quality of life that brings with it contentment. Why is that? Because we in America tend to give OTHER PEOPLE the power to decide for us what will make us happy. Giving someone else that power is just asking for unhappiness.

(5.) If I were that guy, it would be my M-P 240. I stuck with film 100% until two years ago when I got my first digital camera, an M240. I love film - particularly Tri-X and the prints I can get from it - but the M-P 240 makes my photographic life so much more easy.

In my experience, when used with Leica M lenses, Leica's24 mp 24x36mm sensor M cameras easily equal or exceed 120 film in terms of printed image quality at a given size. That is an awfully compelling case for acquiring a full frame digital M camera and an M lens or two for it. Regarding the cost of the camera and one lens,

I have had my MP 240 for fifteen months now; last week, I sat down and figured out how much money I have saved in terms of film and processing. I would have spent over $9300 USD to shoot an equal number of images on film in those fifteen months - and that's if I bought chemistry and developed it all myself, which would have taken thousands of hours of developing.

(6.) Again, if I were that guy - I would have my M-P 240 and a 28mm and a 50mm lens, or possibly an M-Monochrom typ 246 with those two lenses.

To wrap up, I will pass along this tidbit of wisdom that a young man bestowed upon me just yesterday: "We're not here for a long time; we're here for a GOOD time." And we're back to that quality of life thing.

JMHO/YMMV. Hope the above helps.

 

[Archiver]

Pure reduction to the basics of life with just enough? This may be a life with few stresses from the complex society around him but one filled with a passion for capturing the beauty of the world he lives in and sharing with other people just to see them smile.

Which Leica would he most likely use? Please note that I have reduced the gear of choice to Leica only for a reason. No need to bring in other brands for this discussion.

What do you think of a one-Leica life and the gear of choice while living on quite modest means? Would he/she shoot film or digital? M2, M3, or newer? M8, M9 or a later digital camera?😕

To answer Dave's original question:

A one Leica life on modest means would probably entail a secondhand body from the M3-M6 era, and one or two secondhand lenses in good condition. Desired lenses would affect the body chosen: 50mm shooters would do well with a M3, 28mm shooters would prefer a M6. Those who want a lighter camera could get a lovely zinc M4-P. My reasoning is that an old film M will cost less than a digital M secondhand, and will be serviceable for a longer period of time.

As for lenses, it's up to shooter preferences again. My preference is for the best balance between small and fast, so I'd go with an earlier Summilux 35, or a secondhand Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4. Going a bit slower but cheaper is the Voigtlander Skopar 35/2.5, tiny and inexpensive.

Wide shooters have a range of lovely lenses like the 21mm Super Angulon, 24mm Elmar and 28mm Elmarit, which come at lower prices than their newer counterparts. If the shooter doesn't mind non-Leica lenses, there's the Voigtlander 21/4 and 25/4 which are very affordable secondhand, and very compact. I love my Voigtlander 25/4 on a film body.

As long as the one-Leica shooter is prepared to do their own development and printing, costs can be reduced even further. Buy black and white film and chems in bulk, store the film in the freezer until needed.

If the one-Leica shooter of modest means wants a digital camera, the X1 and X2 can be had for quite cheap secondhand. The X 113 sports a very fast 35mm equivalent lens, and secondhand X cameras can be found for the same price as a secondhand M6, or thereabouts.

Let's assume our modest hero has a reasonable computer, and harddrive space is getting cheaper all the time, anyway. The X1, X2 and 113 produce relatively small files, so filling a 5TB harddrive will take long enough for money to be saved for a new one later on.

What do I think of such a life? It would be quite liberating, honestly. When I only had one camera (a Canon S45 digital zoom compact) there was never any question about which camera or lens I was going to use. It was just there, and I had to make do with it. Now I have loads of cameras and lenses and it can be a hassle to think of what I'm going to use.

To live with the limitations of an inexpensive single camera would mean picking one that meets as many of my potential shooting needs as possible, so I'd have to go with a digital Leica that shoots video. I'd choose the X113 in this instance, or maybe even the D-Lux (this is cheating because it's a rebranded Panasonic). The D-Lux has the most versatility of all these cameras and fits within the budgetary requirements, although serviceability over time would be an issue.

 

[David Hughes]

Hmmm... ;-)

Hmmm... ;-)

Hmmm, I use this computer for my accounts, the odd letter and photography but the M6 will kill one of them, the simply life kills computerised accounts and the fountain pen is better for letter writing.


So a lot of money being saved and accumulated.


So will you save it as gold coins in a sock under the mattress? Or sacks? We can now start a discussion about the merits of gold Roubles, Dollars and Sovereigns... And then move on to sacking...


Regards, David

 

[Deleted member 65559]

For quite a few decades, my most used lens was a 35mm summicron, with an M2, M4, M6 behind it. There's no question that my current MP eliminates the need for a meter & simplifies things. If I trimmed it down to one camera & lens, i'd find the old black paint M2 I sold and put a 35 summicron on it or my current no goggles 35 Summaron with the beautiful infinity lock. Unfortunately, about the time I got involved in darkroom work, a mentor gave me a Fuji 6x9....& I eventually got a 5x7." For me I would give up photography all together if I did not do my own (wet) printing. In the darkroom, I prefer a large negative every time... so if I simplified, my choice would bypass the beauty of the Leica, and settle on my Rolleiflex T with the 3.5 Tessar. It's slower & I always take less images than with 35... but love working with them in the darkroom.

 

[JeffS7444]

For grins, maybe I'd try an X2 and call it good. Assuming that it worked about as well as my Ricoh GR does, I think it'd work out fine.

 

[creenus]

"Leica Dirtbag" seems incongruous, but I could live with that.

I would say bum, but that's a whole other thing to the Brits 😱

 

[David Hughes]

As we are only allowed one camera, can I assume you'll all swap your smart phones for old fashioned dumb phones?

FWIW, I'd sooner have the Leica few lenses set-up (and did for decades) and an Olympus XA4 for pocketability and the close-up function but that's two film cameras...

Regards, David

 

[steveyork]

Creative people tend to get bored easily. That's some of why photographers are always cycling through new gear, or trying new chemistry. They're looking for new experiences. Traveling is probably a better option, but that involves a time commitment. Having said that, I think there is some truth to the old photographer maxim that beginners obsess about gear, as they get more experience they obsess about composition, until finally they're thinking in terms of light. The truth of the matter, as we all know, is that any camera can take a great picture, and when you are in the field you don't care whether it is spelled with an "L" or not. Usually when I'm thinking too much about gear, it means I'm not taking enough pictures.

 

[sjones]

My M2 and 50mm Summicron DR is enough. I don't have a desire for any other camera/lens combination. And being that the photography world has failed to come up with something more enticing (for me!!!) in the last 60 years, i doubt I'll be changing my mind, at least in terms of 35mm cameras.

I cannot fully dismiss the possibility of exploring medium or large format film in the future, but right now I have no plans for such expansion.

I do not feel the least bit creatively limited by my camera, whereby the shortcomings that I still confront originate from my mind and vision.