100 Years of Leica Cameras

Was just about to post but searched first to see if it was already on here :) It was an interesting little film but I have to say I came away feeling more inspired by the photographers than the camera. I know its supposed to be beautifully engineered and a joy to use but surely those photos could have been taken just as well by a number of cameras, its not like Leica were the only rangefinder. Still it has its cult status and who am I to disagree :)
 
It is a stunning piece of engineering and iconic for good reason but as we all know the camera is just a light tight box. I had one for a short while and although I enjoyed using it, ultimately there were other cameras I wanted to try so sold it to a fellow TPer but everyone should use a Leica at least once.
 
jakeblu said:
Was just about to post but searched first to see if it was already on here :) It was an interesting little film but I have to say I came away feeling more inspired by the photographers than the camera. I know its supposed to be beautifully engineered and a joy to use but surely those photos could have been taken just as well by a number of cameras, its not like Leica were the only rangefinder. Still it has its cult status and who am I to disagree :)
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For long time their were not many rangefinder about,or small cameras if you wanted a small portable kit,nowadays their is a lot more choice with so many great ccs around :)
 
there is something magic about them. even the new meh csc leica has that magic.

and the lenses render in a certain way sooo not always can you get the same picture with another camera system
 
They are really nice to use.
Really solid, ergonomic and as someone said above, the lenses render in a certain way to give an, as it's often referred to "leica look"

Just a shame the lenses are so damn expensive :( although I can recommend the Zeiss lenses. I'd say they are as good as Leica for a fraction of the price going by the comparison shots iv seen side by side. The Planar 50mm F2 renders stunning colour and contrast!
The film bodies themselves though are fairly affordable now in my opinion such as the M2 and M3 and even the metered M6 and are built to last. For Leica anyway, they are affordable. You don't have to set £4-5k aside to be able to shoot with one.

I think if you wanted an alternative then the Bessa comes well praised and is a lot cheaper. I had a Bessa R and that was a great intro into rangefinders but it isn't long once you get into them that you get the itch for an M.
 
Thanks, Nick.

I enjoyed that very much,particularly the historical backgrounds.
 
I loved mine, both M6 and M9. In fact the M6 was my favourite of the two. Simple cameras, wonderfully built with amazing lenses. However I neither used them enough or had the skill to get the photos I wanted from them. Glad I have owned them though and I came out slightly more than even in the end after selling up and replacing with modern canon af stuff.
 
There must be something wrong with me, but I personally don't "see" the whole Leica thing. From an engineering standpoint, I have no doubt they are something to behold. I admit I am yet to use one, and I am very much open to a change of opinion should the opportunity present itself. I guess what I'm saying is that, as someone who hasn't used one, I find myself lacking the desire to seek said opportunity. I find myself far more drawn towards the perfect LF camera compared with the perfect 35mm.

Am I nuts?
 
Although in all honesty @Woodsy I do see your view that it's only a 35mm camera.
I will probably end up buying one to see what all the fuss is about, whether it becomes a permanent part of my arsenal is another matter entirely. Having played with @Andysnap's Leica II? and @menthel's M6, they are fantastic nuggets of German engineering, whether one would benefit me or not is a question for when I'm able to burn through some film to find out.
 
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