Leica Review

Bill Pierce

Bill Pierce

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It seems many of the photo websites have a somewhat extreme view of rangefinder cameras, especially the Leica digital M series. Some folks find them ununderstandable and useless, almost repugnant, while others express a love that goes beyond what you can feel for another human. I’ve said before that Reid Reviews, a pay site, has the most intelligent, balanced and useful information. While the site covers a variety of cameras and equipment in addition to non equipment stories, Sean Reid is a longtime Leica user and brings that knowledge to his writing. I’ve stumbled across another website, this time a non-pay site, that seems to also have a balanced perspective on Leica gear. A good many of you may already know about it. I’ve just started to explore it, but I hope it turns out to be useful. For those who, like me, didn’t know about this site…

The site, Leica Review, can be found at http://leica-review.com/

Their Youtube home is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMbqwh98qO5wWowtQjIK8ig

Let me know what you think.
 
Leica-Review looks like an upscale fashion spread, reflecting the transition of Leica products from practical tools to precious jewels. Those of us who have grown up taking photos with cameras are naturally confused by this, but Leica themselves have done everything they can to bring about this change. What other choice do they have in the age of the smartphone?
 
Bill Pierce said:
It seems many of the photo websites have a somewhat extreme view of rangefinder cameras, especially the Leica digital M series. Some folks find them ununderstandable and useless, almost repugnant, while others express a love that goes beyond what you can feel for another human.
Let me know what you think.
Click to expand...


It`s true , I never see them in the wild as it were.
One member at my local camera club mentioned to me that a former member used Leica but was always ashamed to mention it.

I find this negative attitude very curious.
 
Has this happened only since the digital M (from M8 forward) or does it extend back decades into the 70's and 80's? It just seems that, regarding Leica, as far as I remember, passions have always run to the extreme, both for and against.
 
sleepyhead said:
The writer seems to hang out in many hair salons, which is a new twist!
Click to expand...

Bad hair salon photos to boot.


Leica has become a niche luxury item. No serious pro would buy a camera that can't be repaired quickly.

Back in the film daze, Bill Allard, who used M6 cameras for his color work, also carried a Leica R system. I think he used a series of R lenses between 19-180mm (not sure of the actual lenses), and.. 7 R4 camera bodies. Most of us carried 2 or 3 Nikon/Canon bodies. He said he loved the lenses but the cameras were unreliable and would fail a lot. These were film cameras. So, with digital M cameras, that seem to have more then their share of problems.. do the Leica People expect pros to pack, and pay for.. 7 digital M bodies? Because it's tough to get them repaired.

This is really crazy stuff. No thanks.
 
Is 'pro' the only route to 'serious'?
Haven't Leica always been more pitched towards amateurs, being all about portability?

Why would a 'pro' need 7 cameras?! Are they covering the Olympics?
Leica might have a slower repair chain than Japanese DSLRs but they're not exactly disposables either. Isn't Salgado a frequent example of Leica SLR use, did he carry 7 of them?

I'm not evangelical about them, I think the digital versions are way too expensive, but they make superb, small lenses and relatively robust film bodies and have such a strong field of legacy equipment still going strong. Put me down for 'in the middle' somewhere. Heavily influenced by the continued availability of 50+ year old compatible lenses and the fact that they're still in business.

I couldn't find anything on the linked site to distinguish it from any other consumerist-centric photography site. Including reviews of the silly collector special sets.
I'm definitely not a fan of those, trinkets for the 1%, but so long as they keep making/servicing the regular stuff, who am I to tell Leica if they should make $10000 cameras in special boxes that are totally disconnected from the simple pastime of photography.
 
I'm not so confident about Leica as luxury. I'm just regular user. I think "Leica is luxury" statement comes from those who has ten cameras and thirty lenses. Leica is different. One camera and lens could do it.
We have professionals at RFF who are using Leica, BTW.
 
coogee said:
Isn't Salgado a frequent example of Leica SLR use, did he carry 7 of them?
Click to expand...

Allard said he carried 7 R4 bodies because, they kept breaking. He needed a couple that were functional. Simple.

As for Salgado, I don't know how many cameras he packed. If Leica was a sponsor, he may be mute on the topic.

http://cpn.canon-europe.com///content/interviews/salgado_genesis.do

R4 Citation:
"Unfortunately three of the four series of this camera were encumbered with electronic circuits problems. This relates to cameras with serial numbers below 1.600.000.
http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Leica_R4

"(It seems Leica didn't trust the electronics in their cameras,
so they came out with a few variations of the R4
and the manuals will have different models pictured inside than what's posted on the cover.
Plus there is the MOT and MOD variations. So take you pick, just don't ask me !)"
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/leica/leica_r4/leica_r4.htm


x
 
Kudos for backing that up with references!
I'll defer to anyone making a living with Leicas.
I already made mine to pay for two of them, I never made enough to buy 7.
 
From what I can tell, this review site is trying very hard to justify why Leica exists at all when it would seem that technology has made the camera seem to be an anachronism. Based on what I have seen so far I am not too sure they will succeed but I wish them luck. Personally I think they are going to a lot of trouble for something that is quite simple.

Leica is a camera, that is all. You can either work with it and enjoy it or you can't, there is no magic. If you don't like, or are not comfortable with it, don't use it.

I can either spend my time delving into my psyche trying to determine why such expensive tools appeal to me, or I can just use them. I am not very good at internal reflection and self analysis so I just choose to use them. It really doesn't embarrass me at all and I am not sure why it should embarrass anyone else.

I can say that the cameras, speaking of the M Typ 262 and the M-A, feel very responsive. When I am ready to take the picture the camera is ready as well. There are other cameras that feel this way to me as well, the Nikon F6 being an example. But for reasons I haven't tried to analyze, the Leica M form factor just feels more comfortable to me.

It is undoubtedly all in my head and I am just as certain as you that it doesn't make me a better photographer, but what can I say. My money, my choice. It really is pretty simple to me. If I am taking pictures for someone else and they buy the equipment, I use their equipment. If I am buying the equipment than I'll buy what works for me. So far Leica works for me.
 
Leica Review

I'm a working professional. I've invested in both the M8 and just recently the M-P 240. I bought a d750 for work last year, thinking that it would also make a good walk about camera and backpacking camera. I barely took any personal photos for 8 months until I broke back out the m8. I've had the m-p for a little over a week now. It had a rangefinder issue which was quickly solved locally. Now it's shooting 100% and I'm loving every minute of it. I've done several portrait shoots already with the camera. Have a few more lined up as well. I'm looking forward to backpacking it like I've done with the M8.

2ea58a7af7acc7677465933397b96f08.jpg


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I'm hoping to do some reportage with it soon with the local papers. I know 2 other pros that have switched or are switching soon.


Leica for professionals is alive and well.
 
Back in the late fifties, early sixties, I was a photographer with the 34th Infantry in Augsburg, Germany. I was furnished a 4x5 Busch Pressman and a Rollei and told not to use 35mm because of poor quality results. Almost immediately I personally bought an M3 and a DR Summicron, used it almost exclusively and no one was the wiser. For many years the DR Summicron was the gold standard for 35mm lenses.

Now days, my Nikon gear will get results equal or better in so many ways than Leica gear. Good thing, too, because I can't afford that stuff.

Still . . . I keep thinking a leica Q would be very satisfying!
 
My 'cheap' Leica M-E coupled with a decent lens produces pictures with a certain look and so does my Epson R-D1. My 'expensive' Leica M-E has sensor issues while my Epson does not. In that sense, Leica is a disappointing brand.
 
Leicas are good for everything except saleable portraits. It is called micro contrast and they pick up too much detail.

When I send the Nikon files to be printed, the people look smoother and without retouching. I use very large light modifiers which also helps.
 
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