Thardy
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Why your wife should have her Leica!
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Al Kaplan
Veteran
If all else fails tell him that you're packing your bags, moving to Miami, and you're going to become the step-mother of Al's brood of Leicas.
Pablito
coco frío
No, no, this is totally lame. Besides cameras are depreciating "assets" - even Leicas. The M6 that was $1200 a year ago is now $900. Just check the history of the classifieds here. Only the truly rare collector cameras might be considered investments.
By the way, the M6 was the perfect choice for sheer useability. I hope it was the M6 classic. And film loading very easy and reliable if you follow Leica's instructions. DO NOT wind on until you close the camera and put on the baseplate.
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simplethings
Established
Yes, it's a M6 classic and it has a black dot... Hmm
chris00nj
Young Luddite
I never said they were an investment. They would bean investment if you are using them to sell photos, but the actual camera isn't an investment. It is a fixed asset though. She could sell it. I've changed my mind on camera gear or have upgraded, selling the original for near what I paid for it.
Leicas do depreciate but in comparison to any other consumer product, they depreciate extremely slowly. What did a Leica M3 cost in 1966? $300? It'll sell for about $700 today. We've had a lot of inflation since then ($300 in 1966 is equivalent to about $1900 today), but what other consumer product (not a collectable item) from back then carries as much value?
As for the M6, don't forget to factor in the fact that there has been a wee recession since a year ago.
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Merkin
For the Weekend
There are a couple of points I would mention.
The first is that buying one leica and one lens, and using them for five to ten years will actually, even with the cost of film, save money compared to chasing the digital cutting edge. I would guess that you spent somewhere between two and three grand. Over five or ten years, one would spend much more than that if they fell in to the DSLR trap, so you made a wise choice.
If you take care of the camera even halfway decently, you will be able to get most of your money back out of it. Buying something like a Leica is not like buying a car. It will not be worthless in ten years. In fact, it will last for the rest of your life. In that sense, it is like buying a pair of expensive hiking boots instead of a pair of walmart cheapies. My father, for instance, wears the same pair of Herman Survivor boots that he bought in the late sixties or early seventies. Buying a Leica is like buying a Rolex watch. My grandfather bought a stainless steel Rolex in Switzerland in the mid sixties. He just got it back from the third CLA it has ever had. With a CLA every 15 to 20 years, it will still be working when I leave it to my grandchildren.
A professional photographer is entitled, if they can afford it, to professional equipment.
If all else fails, tell him that he can use it to take nude photos of you. 😉 That is always a pretty solid 'nuclear option.'
The first is that buying one leica and one lens, and using them for five to ten years will actually, even with the cost of film, save money compared to chasing the digital cutting edge. I would guess that you spent somewhere between two and three grand. Over five or ten years, one would spend much more than that if they fell in to the DSLR trap, so you made a wise choice.
If you take care of the camera even halfway decently, you will be able to get most of your money back out of it. Buying something like a Leica is not like buying a car. It will not be worthless in ten years. In fact, it will last for the rest of your life. In that sense, it is like buying a pair of expensive hiking boots instead of a pair of walmart cheapies. My father, for instance, wears the same pair of Herman Survivor boots that he bought in the late sixties or early seventies. Buying a Leica is like buying a Rolex watch. My grandfather bought a stainless steel Rolex in Switzerland in the mid sixties. He just got it back from the third CLA it has ever had. With a CLA every 15 to 20 years, it will still be working when I leave it to my grandchildren.
A professional photographer is entitled, if they can afford it, to professional equipment.
If all else fails, tell him that he can use it to take nude photos of you. 😉 That is always a pretty solid 'nuclear option.'
Pablito
coco frío
yeah, a "wee" recession!
I just wonder if the value of Leicas will hold as relatively steady as they've held over the past few years. I am a devoted Leica and film user, but even I find I need to use the DSLR more and more, the Leica less and less... And surely I'm not the only one. What will this do to the resale value of the cameras? Well, honestly, I don't care because I probably won't be looking to sell my Leicas but I could see values going down steadily over the next years.... the wee recession helping of course :-(
I just wonder if the value of Leicas will hold as relatively steady as they've held over the past few years. I am a devoted Leica and film user, but even I find I need to use the DSLR more and more, the Leica less and less... And surely I'm not the only one. What will this do to the resale value of the cameras? Well, honestly, I don't care because I probably won't be looking to sell my Leicas but I could see values going down steadily over the next years.... the wee recession helping of course :-(
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ST,
First off IMHO, you need to apologize for pulling the trigger for such a large purchase without asking. Wrong thing to do, even if it was perhaps the best camera ever made and a kick a55 lens.
That said, come up with a way to generate some funds to pay back some of the money spent. Write up a plan and stick to it.
As much as digital has come a long way but it's not there (again IMHO), yet. Your M6 with high quality scanning is better than any digital camera out there today. With the recession my hope is that the camera manufactures will focus on improving the image quality rather than just running the mega-pixel race. Only time will tell if consumers will think this is important or not, but I pray they will. You will need to find a pro shop that scans the film at a very high resolution (not your average Walgreens or Costco). There a few places around the US that do this and will send a DVD with your images on them.
You could have done worse, could have spent the same money on a few purses and shoes (three pair). I had and loved an M6, it's a great camera. You have a world class chuck of glass to capture the world with. Do not get another lens, it's all you need. Go out and make some GREAT pictures and enjoy life.
B2 (;->
First off IMHO, you need to apologize for pulling the trigger for such a large purchase without asking. Wrong thing to do, even if it was perhaps the best camera ever made and a kick a55 lens.
That said, come up with a way to generate some funds to pay back some of the money spent. Write up a plan and stick to it.
As much as digital has come a long way but it's not there (again IMHO), yet. Your M6 with high quality scanning is better than any digital camera out there today. With the recession my hope is that the camera manufactures will focus on improving the image quality rather than just running the mega-pixel race. Only time will tell if consumers will think this is important or not, but I pray they will. You will need to find a pro shop that scans the film at a very high resolution (not your average Walgreens or Costco). There a few places around the US that do this and will send a DVD with your images on them.
You could have done worse, could have spent the same money on a few purses and shoes (three pair). I had and loved an M6, it's a great camera. You have a world class chuck of glass to capture the world with. Do not get another lens, it's all you need. Go out and make some GREAT pictures and enjoy life.
B2 (;->
simplethings
Established
The verdict is in.
Here's what happened:
After dinner I told him I had something I wanted him to read and gave him the laptop with the browser opened to this forum. I watched him from afar and he had a surprised smile and gasped a couple of times. He is in utter disbelief, but not quite upset... He said, "I can't stay mad at you for very long". Ahhhh, he loves me. I'm a lucky girl.
He wants everyone to know that my credit card is now being taken away and I will have to use cash-only. I'm relieved that my sudden GAS attack didn't result in permanent damage. He understands that the Leica isn't just something I decided I wanted out of the blue. The hubby is taking a shower right now and is "mulling things over" in his head. Trying to come to terms with it.
The forum actually helped in my opinion. I'm sure he was amused that I came up with a creative way to drop it on him and probably felt more at ease knowing there are guys who would actually WANT wives who buy gear. Haha... Thanks everyone for commenting. I'll be sure to post a photo of me and my M6 when it gets in.
See ya.
Here's what happened:
After dinner I told him I had something I wanted him to read and gave him the laptop with the browser opened to this forum. I watched him from afar and he had a surprised smile and gasped a couple of times. He is in utter disbelief, but not quite upset... He said, "I can't stay mad at you for very long". Ahhhh, he loves me. I'm a lucky girl.
He wants everyone to know that my credit card is now being taken away and I will have to use cash-only. I'm relieved that my sudden GAS attack didn't result in permanent damage. He understands that the Leica isn't just something I decided I wanted out of the blue. The hubby is taking a shower right now and is "mulling things over" in his head. Trying to come to terms with it.
The forum actually helped in my opinion. I'm sure he was amused that I came up with a creative way to drop it on him and probably felt more at ease knowing there are guys who would actually WANT wives who buy gear. Haha... Thanks everyone for commenting. I'll be sure to post a photo of me and my M6 when it gets in.
See ya.
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KM-25
Well-known
Al Kaplan
Veteran
Yup, you are a lucky girl for sure. Enjoy your new Leica and your understanding loving husband.
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Very good sight. He's a very lucky man.
B2 (;->
B2 (;->
pachuco
El ****
As a married and often in trouble husband, you should have just said nothing and when he did notice the M6 just look at him and say "we talked about this already, don't you ever listen to me?!" and then stomp away. If I were your husband I would just cut my losses at that point and never mention it again.
KM-25
Well-known
Why a Leica?
Why a Leica?
Why a Leica one might ask?
I scoffed for years at the price, easy to do when you are a broke newspaper shooter. But then in 2006, I decided I had better try one in light of the Kodachrome Project. So I found a guy who was selling a classic M6 ( non-TTL) and 2nd version 35 Summicron for $1,700 and I went for it.
The very first thing I noticed is that I had my life back again. And what I mean by that is that I too got to witness the moment I was capturing due to no mirror black out. All those years of getting the shot meant that the only memory I had of it was the before and after and the shot it self, I personally, missed the moment.
With any rangefinder, you see in spatial relationships as the area outside the frame is also seen in the finder. This makes the R/F an exceptional tool for the "Decisive Moment" or people photography in general. If you are one to heavily quiet down "Noisy edges" with objects protruding into the frame, then at first, the R/F might annoy you with it's lack of framing precision.
But after awhile, it grows on you and you start to shoot more loosely, less contrived and controlled and you leave more up to chance than control. You just see more with a R/F camera. Needless to say, the Leica is not the best tool for architecual or landscape photography if precise framing is paramount.
I now own and use 4 Leica M cameras and 6 lenses. One M6, MP3 and two M3's. Lenses are a 15 CV, 28 F/2, 35 1.4, 50 F/2, 50 1.4 and 90 2.8. I use the 35 and the 50 1.4 the most. I will use them for life and plan to phase digital use out of my life as much as I can...I have been shooting digital for 15 years, I can live with out it for a lot of things..
So in short, the Leica M is the camera that simply but precisely gets the heck out of the way of making great photographs.
Why a Leica?
Why a Leica one might ask?
I scoffed for years at the price, easy to do when you are a broke newspaper shooter. But then in 2006, I decided I had better try one in light of the Kodachrome Project. So I found a guy who was selling a classic M6 ( non-TTL) and 2nd version 35 Summicron for $1,700 and I went for it.
The very first thing I noticed is that I had my life back again. And what I mean by that is that I too got to witness the moment I was capturing due to no mirror black out. All those years of getting the shot meant that the only memory I had of it was the before and after and the shot it self, I personally, missed the moment.
With any rangefinder, you see in spatial relationships as the area outside the frame is also seen in the finder. This makes the R/F an exceptional tool for the "Decisive Moment" or people photography in general. If you are one to heavily quiet down "Noisy edges" with objects protruding into the frame, then at first, the R/F might annoy you with it's lack of framing precision.
But after awhile, it grows on you and you start to shoot more loosely, less contrived and controlled and you leave more up to chance than control. You just see more with a R/F camera. Needless to say, the Leica is not the best tool for architecual or landscape photography if precise framing is paramount.
I now own and use 4 Leica M cameras and 6 lenses. One M6, MP3 and two M3's. Lenses are a 15 CV, 28 F/2, 35 1.4, 50 F/2, 50 1.4 and 90 2.8. I use the 35 and the 50 1.4 the most. I will use them for life and plan to phase digital use out of my life as much as I can...I have been shooting digital for 15 years, I can live with out it for a lot of things..
So in short, the Leica M is the camera that simply but precisely gets the heck out of the way of making great photographs.
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Bingley
Veteran
Good for you.
Good for him.
Now take lots of pictures. 🙂
Good for him.
Now take lots of pictures. 🙂
Bingley
Veteran
I looked at your website: very nice work. As Earl said, you're worth it!
reagan
hey, they're only Zorkis
There ya go. You did good. Women folk always know just the right approach to minimze the damage.
If the tables were turned and I had tried that same approach on my SweetThang, I'd be sleepin' on the couch for a month while recovering from having the laptop surgically removed from my ..... nose. 🙁
This has been fun. Thanks for lettin' us play along and give our best regards to the LuckyMan at your house.
tung
Newbie
Moving thread with a happy ending. We and our relationships are more fragile than cameras (classic), alas.
Thardy
Veteran
Is there a link to a website?
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
Your credit card taken away? That sounds ugly. Are you sure?
EDIT: Enjoy the camera! Now, the best money-saving tip: learn to develop your own. It's a small investment for a lot of fun. 🙂 And the savings from doing it will help you with the payments!
EDIT: Enjoy the camera! Now, the best money-saving tip: learn to develop your own. It's a small investment for a lot of fun. 🙂 And the savings from doing it will help you with the payments!
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