Why do we persist with the M cameras?

Matt White said:
Because deep in the mechanism of each Leica M camera there resides a tiny part of the eternal soul of Henri Cartier-Bresson. This enters the subconscious mind of the well-attuned photographer via the shutter release finger and whispers "Maintenant, mon ami." very softly at each decisive moment.

Of course, Leica M3s possess a larger trace of HCB's spirit than other Ms, and thus his whisper is louder and more urgent. Which is why M3 users take better photographs than anyone else.
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That must be the soul that so many vintage Leica camera owners talk about, and that drives so many non vintage Leica camera owners crazy.

😉
 
FrankS said:
That must be the soul that so many vintage Leica camera owners talk about, and that drives so many non vintage Leica camera owners crazy.

😉
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Exactly! Unfortunately, a side effect is that the extra dose of soul in M3s can react chemically with the balsam in the RF mechanism causing it to crystallise and the beam splitter to separate.
 
The traditional M body is transparent in use. I don't need to think about the camera. The controls are simple and logical. No voodoo rites or menu surfing needed to set exposure and focus just how I want them. No blinking lights telling me that I'm doing it wrong, that I need to adjust something. There is no wrong. There are decisions and consequences. Experiments and outcomes. Knowledge and its application.
 
I think it is the experience for me. The only M I own now is a M6 Ti. Don't think I will ever part with it because it is so gorgeous both looking and in the hand. I use both film and digital and never think of them in the same thought. They are just different and when I am in film mode I generally pick up my M6 (Or Rolleiflex) and when in digital mode my A99. My M6, and Rollei for that matter, are the purest photo experiences I have and I will shoot film until I can't find any.
 
ottluuk said:
The traditional M body is transparent in use. I don't need to think about the camera. The controls are simple and logical. No voodoo rites or menu surfing needed to set exposure and focus just how I want them. No blinking lights telling me that I'm doing it wrong, that I need to adjust something. There is no wrong. There are decisions and consequences. Experiments and outcomes. Knowledge and its application.
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Best reply I've seen so far. I'd have an M3 or M4 if it was financially doable for me. My old IIIf and Nicca aren't quite as transparent in use, but the controls are simple and logical enough that they don't get in the way either. They are somewhat inconvenient for me to load, due to my having large klutzy fingers, but they are a joy to shoot with.

I don't care much for digital since I have lost too many shots while waiting for the stupid camera to set the focus, white balance and correct exposure while the subject moves out of the frame. I also do not care for the short product life-spans of most digital devices.

I know that digital cameras have improved significantly since I tried them out, but I'll stay with film and printing in the darkroom until it is no longer possible.
 
J. Borger said:
Because the whole analog proces gives me more satisfaction.
Because i do not like most, if not all, digital camera's.
Because i love most, if not all, old analog camera's
Because i think for B&W film still rules and looks way better than digital.
Because i prefer to spend more time in the bathroom instead of behind my computer.
Because i want to be different and feel good about it.

Hope i did not offend anybody by sharing my personal feelings 🙂
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You had me in complete agreement with you until you wrote this..."Because i prefer to spend more time in the bathroom..."😛

I, on the other hand, prefer to spend more time in the DARKROOM 😀😀😀
 
I shot 100 weddings and 100 sporting events and some 200,000 images from 2004-2009, and beame completely burned out.

I could care less if I have to scroll thru another menu. One reason I returned a used M8 was a firmware issue, the menu's, and the coding of glass.



Even my M7 leans too much to the technical side of things.

Give me mechanical... the RB67, an M2 or 3, and a lightmeter. A sekonic and a scanner are my only links to the 21st century I would not give up...
 
[FONT=Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"When you want to hurry something, that means you no longer care about it, and want to get on to other things."[/FONT]​
[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, serif] - Robert M. Persig, in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance [/FONT]​

A blog that provided this quote. The blog post is short and sweet and says it better than I could:
http://www.betterinblackandwhite.com/2013/01/whenyou-want-to-hurry-something-that.html#links

As to an M3 (or a Rolleiflex) specifically: quality (yep, that 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' word). Holding one, viewing and framing, firing the shutter, winding the film- pleasure in using what could be seen as one of the small-scale pinnacles of the Industrial Age.
 
I dusted off my Leica R6.2 today. Shot 3 rolls at a local festival... Had a ball but I missed my Ms. 😕

There's a rightness to an M that's hard to define. Size, weight... Feel.
My R6.2 isn't that much bigger but with a typical R lense it's definitely heavier but still not bad.

Enjoy 🙂
 
i just got my m5 in a week or so ago. 10 rolls in and i can see why people still "persist" with M's (and any finely made analog camera in general, really).
 
The Leica M's of the 1960's (and the LTM's before them) were head and shoulders above their contempories in design and build quality and it's not surprising that they've become legendary.

One doesn't ''own'' these cameras, one is merely their appreciative custodian, like the ''owners'' of grand houses or Old Master paintings.

Every photographer should acquire and use a well-maintained M2 or M3 at least once in his lifetime and experience the ''mojo'' of legendary cameras that will never be made again....
 
ottluuk said:
The traditional M body is transparent in use. I don't need to think about the camera. The controls are simple and logical. No voodoo rites or menu surfing needed to set exposure and focus just how I want them. No blinking lights telling me that I'm doing it wrong, that I need to adjust something. There is no wrong. There are decisions and consequences. Experiments and outcomes. Knowledge and its application.
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Exactly. This is also why the only digital cameras I enjoy using are also Ms.

Cheers,

R.
 
ottluuk said:
The traditional M body is transparent in use. I don't need to think about the camera. The controls are simple and logical. No voodoo rites or menu surfing needed to set exposure and focus just how I want them. No blinking lights telling me that I'm doing it wrong, that I need to adjust something. There is no wrong. There are decisions and consequences. Experiments and outcomes. Knowledge and its application.
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Which is exactly why I love using my Pentax K1000. It does only what I tell it to do, even if it shouldn't.

I love using my M6...and my IIIc...and my ZI...and my Contax II...and my SRT101...and even my little Super Regent, all for those same exact reasons.
 
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