Why your wife should have her Leica!

[simplethings]

Some of you may already know my situation. If you don't, I basically ordered an M6 with a 35 1.4 pre-ASPH Summilux without even asking or telling my husband. Oy. He has known that I've wanted an M6 for quite sometime, but I figured I had a hard enough time loading the film so I could wait awhile and just get later.

I basically got it to use as a tool for my personal projects. I'm a grad. student and have been working on projects on the side while trying to earn a living with a small photography business.

Anyhow, if you guys could list reasons for why I should be able to keep my Leica gear that would be great!!! I have no idea how I'm going to tell him -- or if I even should. This is so unlike me. I normally ask/tell him about big purchases (anything over $100). I rarely spend money on clothes, handbags (unless it's a camera bag), but he recently let me drop $5,000 on camera equipment since I sold everything off at one point.

Any suggestions, supporting arguments would be GREAT! :-D Thanks guys!

 

[ferider]

Your camera will be indispensable for B&W baby photos a few months from now.

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[K5HJ]

Believe me, if my wife bought an M6, I would be tickled. But, with a Summilux! :angel:

Alas, that could never happen.

I have to admit though, I would use it more than she.

 

[Trius]

Two reasons:

Life is short
You are worth it

 

[maddoc]

Simply convince him with some great shots from the first roll 😎

 

[LeicaMSeattle]

That's great, just do it! However did you know that Leica has a educator and student pricing for their equipment as long as you can fulfill their criteria. It'll save you some money.

Here's the link: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/leicastudent.pdf

 

[climbing_vine]

I'd say you don't need to justify it as long as it wasn't his money and you didn't go into debt that he's responsible for. Or use money that could have paid off debt that you're both in. 🙂

 

[simplethings]

I'd say you don't need to justify it as long as it wasn't his money and you didn't go into debt that he's responsible for. Or use money that could have paid off debt that you're both in. 🙂

That's a great point. He works full-time and I'm a graduate student + teaching assistant with a full tuition waiver and a monthly stipend that allows me to assist financially. We have no debt and are actually great with our finances. This purchase was very selfish of me (and goes directly against the dynamics of our relationship).

He does, however, know that I have wanted an M6 for the past 5 years... so, maybe that'll help. *eek*. It's not "just a camera" to me... it's a tool worth investing in, but I just made the mistake of clicking "order" without talking to him about it. Then again if I DID talk to him about it he would say "no" because he thinks it's quite idiotic to have an OLD FILM CAMERA. I've tried to talk to him about the craftsmanship and he understands it, but he doesn't really understand the craft that I am involved with. So there it is.

He'll find out one way or another... I just hope that I can pull it off in a way that makes it comical and lighthearted. Maybe get him drunk off his ass and throw myself on him and tell him "I'll do anything you want... if you let me get a Leica someday". And maybe he'll "yes, of course" -- and BAM -- there's the Leica! hahaha...

 

[David William White]

Can earn enough revenue from your 'small photography business' to warrant this investment? Should be no problem, in that case. And good for you.

But that's not it, is it?

You will have to keep your mouth shut when he wants to buy that vintage MG.

 

[mknawabi]

That's a great point. He works full-time and I'm a graduate student + teaching assistant with a full tuition waiver and a monthly stipend that allows me to assist financially. We have no debt and are actually great with our finances. This purchase was very selfish of me (and goes directly against the dynamics of our relationship).

He does, however, know that I have wanted an M6 for the past 5 years... so, maybe that'll help. *eek*. It's not "just a camera" to me... it's a tool worth investing in, but I just made the mistake of clicking "order" without talking to him about it. Then again if I DID talk to him about it he would say "no" because he thinks it's quite idiotic to have an OLD FILM CAMERA. I've tried to talk to him about the craftsmanship and he understands it, but he doesn't really understand the craft that I am involved with. So there it is.

He'll find out one way or another... I just hope that I can pull it off in a way that makes it comical and lighthearted. Maybe get him drunk off his ass and throw myself on him and tell him "I'll do anything you want... if you let me get a Leica someday". And maybe he'll "yes, of course" -- and BAM -- there's the Leica! hahaha...

If my wife bought an M6 i'd jump her!


edit: in a very good way 😉

 

[reagan]

... and throw myself on him and tell him "I'll do anything you want... if you let me get a Leica someday". And maybe he'll "yes, of course" -- and BAM -- there's the Leica! hahaha...

I hate to be a downer, but the truth is, just about all of us here have used that approach. It just doesn't seem to work that well. 😱 It's pretty much the norm here just to hide the thing under the bed 'til we get the guts to 'fess up.

But back to topic - "Why [my] wife should have her Leica" - Because she asks for little, puts up with a lot and deserves everything she wants.

 

[KM-25]

It's easier than you think in a good relationship. I mean, what is that...a couple grand? You can blow that on going out, food and drinks / tips in no time. But that M6 and 35, that is a friend for life, he will see it in your photos.

And when you become really successful, it just becomes negligible. For my 40th, I got a mint chrome M3, this birthday, a decent reading copy of "The Decisive Moment". My family and my girlfriend know that photography is more than a passion or a job for me, it is who I am, my life. It just gets easier.

And to keep things good, I just make a nice photo of my lady once and awhile...🙂

 

[SolaresLarrave]

A wife is as entitled to a Leica as anyone is to a midlife crisis. 🙂

When I got my first, my wife looked at me and said "Is that a Leica?"

"Yes," I replied, "and also my little, red sports car."

I have four now... She knows it's my midlife crisis and, apparently, she has no problem with it.

 

[Michael Da Re]

If my wife bought an M6 i'd jump her!


edit: in a very good way 😉

If my wife even knew what an M6 was I'd jump her in the same good way!!😀😀

 

[KM-25]

My girlfriend lost track of all my gear, some 13 cameras and 27 lenses, 3,000 rolls of film, gyro, U/W housing, climbing gear, avalanche gear, snowboards, packs, all that work stuff.

But she did *not* understand the 100+ H.P. added to my Toyota truck with a supercharger...:angel:

 

[Jason Sprenger]

"Hey, I impulsively bought that stupid camera and lens that I really wanted, but I feel it might be a problem. You know, we should talk about how we're going handle this kind of spending."

It's likely that he has 'stupid' interests too, e.g. hunting, boats, sports etc. which while not shared are accepted... or not.

Accepting the reality of each others "stupid" spending, it may be useful to work around it. For instance, determine a percentage of your money as communal and divide the rest equally so each of you are free to spend it on "stupid" things on your own.

Might be better than trying to be clever.

 

[mooge]

really depends on your relation with your husband, doesn't it?

you could justify it with that Leica-praise we're all familiar with... but I think some good photographs will be better justification, if that's what you want.

good luck anyway...
cheers.

 

[climbing_vine]

"Hey, I impulsively bought that stupid camera and lens that I really wanted, but I feel it might be a problem. You know, we should talk about how we're going handle this kind of spending."

It's likely that he has 'stupid' interests too, e.g. hunting, boats, sports etc. which while not shared are accepted... or not.

Accepting the reality of each others "stupid" spending, it may be useful to work around it. For instance, determine a percentage of your money as communal and divide the rest equally so each of you are free to spend it on "stupid" things on your own.

Might be better than trying to be clever.

Yep. That's how we do it. I don't complain when she uses her money on yet another bento box, she doesn't complain when I use mine on yet another broken camera. Or beer. Generally the latter leading to the former.

 

[chris00nj]

Say it's transferring a liquid asset (cash) into a non-depreciating fixed asset (a Leica). If you decide that you don't want the Leica anymore, you can sell it for at least 95% of what you paid. Therefore, you really only spent about $250 (5% of $5K)

It's not a pair of shoes or a fancy purse that wears and instantly depreciates to nothing. It's not a DSLR that will be worth 1/10th the value in 5 years.

You can have the same M6 for decades. I use a M3 my grandfather got in the mid 1960s.

 

[simplethings]

Alright, I'm gping to tell him after dinner. I think KM25 and I share something in common.. I feel much like how he does and having said that I will also use the example from chris00nj! Wish me luck! 🙂