One Leica, One Year : Im in as well !

[proenca]

Well, I can see a trend here : few people read the inspiring Mike words and decided to take the challenge.

I have a M8 and just bought a Noctilux.

But I fell most of the time that the limiting factor of my pictures is not the M8 with its gazzilion flaws, or the lens that is not fast enough or this or that.

Is just me.

How many times I wished I could estimated better the exposure ?

Been more carefull in the framing ?

I read the article and Im going to do it.

The M8 is not going anywere - I love the thing. Its just going to be used less : my girl likes photography and I told her that I will let her shoot with the M8 and teach her. She likes the idea and that's how I can justify the MP 🙂

I just put a deposit down on a Leica MP and I'm going to start on July the thing - it's my b'day, so lets see.

I liked very much the idea of blogging the year and reporting things.

Film wise, from what I've seen , I think I settled in FOMAPAN. Love the tones.

Cant wait for July - I'm quite excited about this. And there's no turning back, the deposit is already done on that gorgeous MP.

Film, here we go again.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

good luck!

Todd

 

[pesphoto]

i guess i just dont get this....this is a new concept? And why does it need to be Leica? Im a little slow.....

Anyway, enjoy.

 

[Vics]

Happy birthday and good luck! Remember right from the beginning to SLOW DOWN a bit!
Vic

 

[Steve Ash]

i guess i just dont get this....this is a new concept? And why does it need to be Leica? Im a little slow.....

Anyway, enjoy.

The answer of your question is already with you. It is written in your footnote.

"Live. Take pictures. Don't be a camera operator. Be a picture creator."

The Leica concept with most simple operation inspires you to creat pictures instead of fiddling at the camera control buttons. The limitation to prime lenses forces you to move to frame the picture instead of zooming in and out only.

Regards
Steve

PS: There is one point to add. I am in aswell but I do not see the point to limit it to one year!

 

[JamSee]

I guess im in too- by default... I only own one M6 and exclusively use my 50mm Nokton on it...

I really do enjoy the simplicity, and I can understand how those with more gear would want to come back to this format.

Good Luck all of you who are going to take this on.

James.

 

[proenca]

i guess i just dont get this....this is a new concept? And why does it need to be Leica? Im a little slow.....

Anyway, enjoy.

Well, because it forces you to stop and think.

Because has no gimmicks or eletronics.

Yes, to my view, could be done without a Leica - a Bessa or a Ikon would do just the same.

But then again, I find a perfect excuse to buy a Leica MP Anthracite 🙂 ANd use it throughly.

But honestly, can be done without a Leica. Just far more enjoyable, at least to me, WITH a Leica - I have Leica gear already, so I just have to buy a film body.

Thanks all to encouragement. And for the b'day wishes.

 

[__hh]

A great excuse to get an MP after the M8 and Noct 🙂

Anyway, good luck with it... Will you be using one lens also, or just one MP for the year?

 

[35mmdelux]

its about the Zen, and your camera and lens being an extension of yourself. Too much stuff clutters the mind. Good luck.

 

[proenca]

A great excuse to get an MP after the M8 and Noct 🙂

Anyway, good luck with it... Will you be using one lens also, or just one MP for the year?

Indeed it is : is not everyday that rightly after buying a Noct you can convince the wife that is a good idea to shell out 2.5k for a Leica MP Anthracite 🙂

To be honest, I will start with the Noctilux but I can see myself buying a 50mm Elmar Collapsible ( the old one ) in a couple of months, I'm afraid that the Nocti will be too heavy.

I tihnk it will mantain the experience if I swap to the Elmar, they are both 50mm lens, although they draw completly different.

But exercise wise, I think its valid to swap at one point the nocti for an elmar and switch back to the nocti on occasion.

Film is 99% set : will be FOMAPAN.

 

[mojobebop]

not minimal enough?

not minimal enough?

take it another step and shoot with a pinhole camera

 

[bmattock]

Well, because it forces you to stop and think.

You can't stop and think on your own, you need to be forced?

Because has no gimmicks or eletronics.

You can turn off the gimmicks - any other reason to dislike them?

Yes, to my view, could be done without a Leica - a Bessa or a Ikon would do just the same.

There is some magical quality to an m-mount lens, then?

But then again, I find a perfect excuse to buy a Leica MP Anthracite 🙂 ANd use it throughly.

You need excuses to buy things for yourself?

But honestly, can be done without a Leica. Just far more enjoyable, at least to me, WITH a Leica - I have Leica gear already, so I just have to buy a film body.

First sensible statement I've read.

Thanks all to encouragement. And for the b'day wishes.

Happy birthday!

 

[proenca]

You can't stop and think on your own, you need to be forced?

I can and I do it - but sometimes its easy to let lazyness to get over you, and do auto everything and let the easy side to take over. when you DONT have that option, you have to do it things yourself.

You can turn off the gimmicks - any other reason to dislike them?

No, just as an excercise.

There is some magical quality to an m-mount lens, then?

Well yes to me. Maybe not to you. If you can find me a lens that renders like a Noctilux, I'll sush. If you find me a lens that renders like a 21 3.4 , I'll sush.

But even then, I couldnt care more : I like the range finder concept, size and portability, plus its lens.

Maybe, and perhaps there is, equivalent in other formats and other makers...

I just dont know them and I couldnt care less : M mount serves me well, either Leica or CV

You need excuses to buy things for yourself?

First sensible statement I've read.

See ? I do think for myself once in a while 😛

Happy birthday!

Cheers, only july the 1st though 🙂

 

[denmark.yuzon]

im in as well.. only, i dont own any leica.. so ill just use my nikon FM2n and a 50.. and by nexxt year, hopefully, ive saved up some money for my first leica.. oh by the way.. my birthday is on the 26th of july.. hahaha

 

[maggieo]

i guess i just dont get this....this is a new concept? And why does it need to be Leica? Im a little slow.....

Anyway, enjoy.

Why It Has To Be A Leica

 

[LennartW]

I love this idea and I really wish I could join the party but as a working photographer this might be too hard 🙂.
I wish you all the best and lots of fun!

 

[Starburst]

I believe the idea of going all manual is a very good one. I started doing so a few months ago, bought myself a rangefinder with a 50mm prime lens, only springs and cogwheels, no batteries, no electronics, not even a lightmeter and I don't own an external one either. Initially I was concerned that going without all the little gadgets I was used to from my digital SLR would make it very hard to produce decent pictures. When I actually started shooting with the camera I felt a strong sense of liberation. It is really difficult to explain why but somehow not having all those nifty little features and options changed my photography dramatically and I finally started producing the pictures I always wanted to. Sure, you can use a modern camera only in manual mode but I believe that just like you actually need to have a b/w film in your camera to see b/w and thus make good b/w pictures I believe you can only benefit from fully manual photography if your camera doesn't leave you any choice.

I don't believe it has to be a Leica though. No doubt, Leicas are great cameras but I believe any fully manual camera with a decent lens will do. I bought my Retina IIa for 50 €, it is 50 years old and works just great. So if you like the challenge and don't have the money for a new Leica, there are very good old cameras that will cost only a fraction of a new Leica but will serve you very well. It is also kind of romantic to reawaken an old camera to a second life and you don't have to worry too much about the camera getting stolen or loosing it in any other way because the financial loss will be very low.

 

[maggieo]

Here's a key graf from the TOP post I linked above:

It's not a film vs. digital thing; you can go back to digital and never look back and it will still never stop helping you. It's not a black-and-white vs. color thing; a year of seeing "luminances only" will help your color photography too, even if you never shoot another "capture" of B&W in your life. It's not a rangefinder vs. any-other-kind-of-camera thing; I think you'll find that the lessons the rangefinder will teach you are exportable. And it's not even a Leica vs. other-rangefinder thing, either. But until you've gotten to know life with Leica, you don't know about life with Leica, and it's just going to keep on being one more thing you don't know. So why not get to know it, firsthand and for yourself?