I've been using a leica 6ttl for about three years. (I also shoot 4x5 LF and a Pentax 6x7 MF formats.)
Went to Paul Butzi's site and read what he wrote about the Leica camera, and found myself in vehement agreement.
(Particularly the bit about rewinding film.)
I bought my Leica out of curiosity and grew to like/love it. But I don't believe it greatly improved the
quality of my photos. It *did* allow me to photograph in low light situations where I couldn't photograph
before (except using flash, which I dislike).
(It's a facet of human nature that once having made a large financial commitment to
a piece of equipment, we feel forced to justify the expenditure by assigning the equipment (or what it helps
us produce) with special and mysterious qualities.)
While the lenses may be great, think about the use - rangerfinders are handheld cameras, and, except for the rare times when you use the top shutter speeds, no handheld camera can take advantage of the resolution of a great lens. Even on a tripod, a perfect 35mm lens hits the wall because film is not perfect. It is just a different camera for a different use. If you want serious resolution in a rangerfinder, just pick up an old Linhof Technika. I will match my handheld rangerfinder shots with any Leica.:-)
Thanks to all. I guess I'll have to make a trip to LA to see if there is one through which I can see the whole 35mm frame with glasses on. Taking them off etc. would seem to defeat much of the purpose of 35mm.
You can shoot with your glasses off if you want too. The rangefinder patch on a Leica M is so sharply defined that it literally snaps into focus. Beyond all that has already been said they are built like tanks. When there is a need and a reason I shoot with an M3 that I have owned since 1964. It has done things liek fly across the Sea of Japan from Seoul to Tokyo tied to the strut of a single engine plane (yeah yeah yeah taht was one of the stupider things I have done in my life in terms of forgetfulness) and after a through dryout kept on going. It was no youngster when I got it and it has been beaten and battered and been back to the factory for cleaning and service only three times in 40 years. An enviable record of performance. I have to say though that it stays in the closet these days; all the otehr 35mm gear is long gone and even the Leica is oft forgotten in favor of a digital SLR when I need that fast shooting.
Of course, you can get those great Zeiss lenses like they had on the Contax G series in the new Zeiss-Ikon that just came out. Takes Leica lenses, too, I believe.
That would be my choice if I was buying an "M" type camera.
I can see the 35mm framelines fine with my glasses on using an M6 classic with a .72x viewfinder. The 28mm lines would be a problem, though.
I second what Paul wrote, except I don't find the film loading and rewind that bothersome, at least compared to loading 120 roll film. I can reload the Leica one-handed while driving. Can't do that with the MF (yet).
I second what Paul wrote, except I don't find the film loading and rewind that bothersome, at least compared to loading 120 roll film. I can reload the Leica one-handed while driving.
Wow. I'm impressed, seriously. Do you put the camera in your lap and load it?
My biggest problems loading an M6 occur during theatre photography, where you're (a) loading in almost complete darkness, and (b) typically loading in a hell of a hurry.
And when I complain that an M6 is hard to load, that's a relative thing. Loading an M6 isn't finicky in an absolute sense but it is more finicky than loading, say, an EOS-1.
It's been said that the answer to the long standing Nikon vs. Canon debate is Leica! My father has an old, wonderful Leica that takes just spectacular photos. Like you, I have shot Nikon for a looong time. It seems to me the Leica will retain it's value well, so if you don't like, resale will not be a problem. Good luck.
Yes, but I admit to restricting that activity to rural streches of the road and am not in much of a rush. I just pop in a roll and pull it through so the end of the film is in the middle of the little take-up sprokets, seat the film properly through the pressure plate hole in the back, close it up and wind it on to the #1 frame. It takes a bit of faith, but I've never had it fail to wind properly.
And, very true, it's not nearly as easy as a modern auto-wind body, but the last 35mm I owned was an OM-1 and the Leica is easier to load than that was. I do agree with you about the lttile rewind lever--it always jumps out of my hand near the end, too.
Even with it's faults, it is an amazing camera sytem, and once held in the hand is hard to walk away from. The only thing to give one pause is the tiny little negative. Compared to 4x5 you've got to laugh, but it is a different sort of photography.
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