Is There Life After Leica?

Pioneer

Pioneer

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I asked this question on APUG earlier but it is as much digital as it is analogue.

Ninety percent of my recent photography has been shared between my very nice Leica M-A and my Rollei Automat. I don't see myself ever selling my Leica cameras, but there seem to be such polarizing attitudes toward Leica cameras that I became curious as to whether there are those who have sold their Leica equipment and how they felt about it.

How many of you have moved away from Leica? What caused your move and are you happy with your choice?
 
Well I tried, twice actually... each time I ended up either buying my camera back or getting another one elsewhere. Leica is essential for my shooting now... there won't be no life after leica...
 
Pioneer said:
I asked this question on APUG earlier but it is as much digital as it is analogue.

Ninety percent of my recent photography has been shared between my very nice Leica M-A and my Rollei Automat. I don't see myself ever selling my Leica cameras, but there seem to be such polarizing attitudes toward Leica cameras that I became curious as to whether there are those who have sold their Leica equipment and how they felt about it.

How many of you have moved away from Leica? What caused your move and are you happy with your choice?
Click to expand...

Verily I tell you that there is life after Leica. It is called Leica.
 
I've had (photographic) life before Leica (Olympus OM gear; Oly P&S cameras then Canon SLR and DSLR gear); life with and without Leica (Konica Hexar RF with both Konica and Leica lenses: I bought an M3 and kept the Hexars as well - and my Canon SLRs); and now life with and without Leica - my main cameras now are an M type 240, a Canon 5D and a Fujifilm X Pro-1, along with various variations of film cameras (but mostly my M3 or Hexar RFs).

I could live without Leica, or even without Leica-derived cameras, but I most certainly wouldn't want to. As it happens, my two most used camera/lens combinations are an M240 with Konica UC Hex 35 and a 7DmkII with 100-400MkII - you couldn't get further apart in photographic sensibility, but 25% of it is still Leica and I'd vote the UC Hex adds at least 20% but more 25% (though no doubt self-appointed purists won't agree that's so).

...Mike
 
I tried once. Sold my very first M2 because I couldn't quite get used to using an M. I accidentally won a barnack on ebay and I fell in love with it. I have an M3 which i use ocassionally but my barnacks are my mainstay
 
One day I finally realized my keeper rate per roll is constantly higher with a SLR than with a RF. Those days I felt like I had too much gear anyway so to save the higher keeper rate I sold my Leica and other RF gear. Afterwards my Flickr view rates and number of Explores increased substantially. I think I made a good decision. Even some of my shooting buddies told me my photos became better. I'm not saying I took systematically worse photos with RF cameras but I'm sure using different types of cameras distracts my concentration. Would I like to buy another Leica some day? The gear hoarder in me says definitely yes but the photographer in me says no.
 
Over the last 50 years I've used a lot of different cameras, in different formats. I've also owned Barracks, M2's, M3's, the M4, M5 and M6. I liked rangefinders; but, I could never get comfortable with Leicas. The M's are beautiful, well built cameras. But, they are heavy and were never comfortable to hold without adding a grip of some kind. The Barnacks are the right size; but, hate the squinty finders. So when the Bessa R came out, I bought one of them, and really liked the camera. Ended up shooting a lot with the R, and the Bessa R2A. Both are lighter than Leica M's and more comfortable for me to hold.

I don't shoot much film anymore, so I shoot Panasonic mirrorless cameras when I want something small; EOS FF cameras for video. So, yeah, there is life after Leica. Not because they aren't great cameras, but only because the ergonomics just didn't work for me.
 
There will be significant technical improvements that will support my current photographics needs and make the M mount rangefinder obsolete for me from a technical point of view. In the meantime, I still consider the Leica M8 the best camera I have tried and would like to get the new Monochrom.
 
After Two m6's, an m8 and an m2 I bought a bessa r3a and it did just as well. Saved my money and bought glass. Now I'm shooting an a7 with M glass and I'm happy. I'll pick up another bessa soon enough.
 
If you're a zombie, probably...

For me, the answer is "dunno". I've not been without a Leica since I was 19 (still have it) or an M since I was about 24.

Cheers,

R.
 
M2 since I was 17. Leica II since I was 53... I wouldn't like to arrive in a post Leica era, but I am sure I'd cope. Got the Automat just in case.
 
I recently considered selling my M6. I sold my M2 a few years ago. I decided to keep the M6 for the meantime, because it's small and easy to carry. However, I prefer the ergonomics of the Mamiya 7 (I find it easier to use, with a nicer finder), and in general I like precise framing, especially on 35mm and so prefer SLRs.

Leicas are great cameras, but after having owned this one for about 8 years the original wow-factor has worn off. It's a great tool for particular uses, but other cameras are better for different things.
 
Leica? The thrill is gone. And so is all the gear.

I moved away from small format for quality reasons. Just couldn't get my images to look how I wanted and it must have been me, since others were doing perfectly fine. All I kept was my Hexar, which was a gift from a stranger and selling it would be bad luck!

A year and a half ago I started working as a photographer, writer, videographer. the proceeds of my sales were invested in digital Nikon, since digital Leica would have been too expensive and too risky for a business. Corroding sensors etc, I needed something more reliable.

For my uncommissioned work I went the Medium Format way and am enjoying that a lot.

Recently I picked up a Leica III syn because it was really cheap, but sold it for a profit after 5 weeks.

The thrill is gone forgood I suppose and I'm okay with that.
 
I sold my much loved M2 about 6 month ago - things were just a little tight at the time, and it was a quick/easy sell. Am using Pentax SLRs now, and slowly readjusting to the 'SLR way' of seeing things after using RFs almost exclusively for about 5 years. I know a lot of photographers who interchange so easily between their SLRs and RFs, but for me it's like a new medium. I miss my M2 very much to be totally honest.

There's no Leica 'myth' I aspire to. After using Voigtlander, Contax G and Zeiss rangefinders, I just arrived at Leica because of its reliability and serviceability (the fact that I could make minor repairs and adjustments meant a lot). Sure, I won't deny there's a bit of the enigmatic stuff I 'feel' too, but essentially Leica is just the obvious long-term choice for rangefinders.

Will I keep Leica in business? Probably not. Sure, I'd but a Monochrome in a heartbeat should the funds be available but in my future, there lies another M2 and that's probably it. IMO - it's a RF - SLR thing. Two very different tools.
 
I moved away, and regretted it almost immediately.

After switching from my first camera, a Canon dSLR (400D), I use an M6 for a year and a half before selling it, as I was just starting my full time job and didn't have the time for development and scanning. I replaced it with a Fuji x100.

As much as I tried, I failed to get on with it. I knew I couldn't afford the time for film again, so plotted my way to getting the Monochrom soon after it came out. It took me a while to get used to the sensor, and not over exposing. But now that I am there, I feel the confidence I did while shooting the M6 again.
 
Certainly! Though I will probably always have something from Leica, I have been quietly selling them all off. I am now down to one body and two lenses, specifically an M7, 35/2v4, and 50/2v5 kit. That is all I (ever) really needed anyway. To reduce further ($), I might make one more move and swap for a black/nickel IId, 35/3.5, and 50/3.5 kit. I ventured into the digital M world, but left. Though close to returning a few times, that itch seems to have been scratched.
 
I had a life before Leica and quite a few years with Leica. I've owned and used 3 film M's and 2 digital M's. A few Barnacks here and there. All except my trusty M4 which I took to Iraq have I sold and think nothing of the sale.
Why?
I needed to get a system that was more reliable for paid work and the M8/M9 combo I had just wasn't cutting it.
Now, in 35mm, I'm back to Nikon, like I was before getting into Leica and I'm very happy with my cameras as well as the results.
In addition to there being life after Leica, there is a lot less GAS here too.

Phil Forrest
 
I have a couple of bodies and half a dozen lenses.
I wouldn`t want to sell any of them .
For most of my day to day photography (sports) the Rf is limiting and ,once again, I`m looking towards buying a DSLR.

So ..yes there is life after Leica but I intend to hold on to them and use them as and when I can.
 
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