How old were you when you got your first Leica?

[sepiareverb]

43. I'd shot Nikons for 35mm for a long, long time, but the Contax G2 got me hooked on compact cameras, and RF optics. Traded a LOT of Nikon stuff for an M7 & 50/2 Starter set which I still have.

 

[nlubis]

It was 34 for me. Leica M3.

 

[lcpr]

please, let's not knock drugs and alcohol...

I'm far from anti drugs/alcohol. It just puts things in perspective.

 

[ironhorse]

I was 54 when I bought my M3.

Joe..... you made me laugh out loud.😀

 

[PatrickCheung]

Quite the variety of ages... cool! Richard... that's a pretty damn impressive first Leica kit... If only I knew about Leica when I was 16...

😛 Joe, you're quite humourous.

After reading all this, I feel very lucky to have my Leica, and that my father would be willing to spare so much to purchase me one. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have even considered getting into photography. He gave me his old EOS 630 to play with when I was 16... I subsequently fell into the habit of taking a camera with me everywhere... and now I'm where I am 🙂

 

[back alley]

I was 54 when I bought my M3.

Joe..... you made me laugh out loud.😀

that's cause we were both born in brooklyn...assuming you were...

 

[Nikon Bob]

I was 50 or so when I got some Leicas. Had to see if I had been missing something. I think I could have lived without in hindsight.

Bob

 

[BobYIL]

16, while I was a freshman way back in 1963.

 

[dogberryjr]

40-something

 

[R.MacDonald]

My first Leica was a IIIa when I was 19. I followed it with an M3 when I was 20, an M2 when I was 25, and an M6 when I was 26. I gave the IIIa away to a friend a few years ago.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

...it's better than blowing it all on drugs and alcohol! 😉

The problem is that after buying a Leica, one usually needs to turn to alcohol in order to stomach the cost!

Phil Forrest

 

[shimokita]

58... I had a choice of cameras while in school... old box cameras and folders in the early days. At graduation I received a used Spotmatic F with 55mm lens... IIIf at age 58 and a MP about six months after that.

Enjoyed each and every camera thru the years... maybe more so when I was out with my dad in the early days and recent years as well...

Casey

 

[mdarnton]

43. I'd shot Nikons for 35mm for a long, long time, but the Contax G2 got me hooked on compact cameras, and RF optics. Traded a LOT of Nikon stuff for an M7 & 50/2 Starter set which I still have.

That's funny: I traded a LOT of Leica stuff away (after nearly 40 years of Leica loyalty) to get my Nikon D300 kit going, and now I'm shooting film in Nikon FGs--what a great little camera! Don't miss the Leicas at all (though I did keep a IIIa).

I guess you never know what's going to happen. . .

 

[stratcat]

38 years old, an M3. I still can't afford Leica glass, though.

 

[pinkarmy]

bought my AF-C1 when i am 24...does it count as a LEICA?😛

 

[kosta_g]

23. (last year😛) An M3 DS. which came with a rigid cron and a 3.5'ron. I've since sold my babies.
Now I live with an M2 and 35cron. I can't afford leica glass...it somehow manages to make it's way into my "collection". I still maintain that I am a user and not a collector.
(...which I repeat to myself 3 times a day)

 

[mooge]

I bought an m2 when I was 17. in retrospect: sorta not worth it, but fun anyways.

 

[colyn]

I was 6 years old when my granddad gave me a Leica IIIa with Summar. Been using Leicas just over 50 years now..

I still have the one he gave me and it still works...

 

[sreed2006]

58 years old. Actually, bought two Leicas at once - an M3 Double Stroke that needed to be repaired to work, and a IIc that had a factory upgrade to a IIf, but it is beyond repair. The deal came with 6 lenses and other assorted items, all of which were well used and many years old.

Reading RFF convinced me that the cameras were worth a try, as I really like nice mechanical objects, and cameras.

 

[ricnak]

I was 45 when I got an M9 for a birthday present. I was looking for a simple digital camera at the time so it was perfect for me.