The road to Leica
So I’ve turned into a Leicafile. It’s not surprising; I’ve admired Leicas since I was a teenager just getting interested in photography. Now that I’ve had an M4 for 6 months with an M7 à la carte on the way, I’m afraid I’ve become a bit obsessed. So how did I get here?
I’ve been interested in cameras since I was little. I remember taking pictures with my Dad’s old Voigtländer Vitomatic and later some crappy Kodak point-and-shoot with light leaks.
My first camera of my own was a Minolta Vectis 30 (I think). It used the (at the time) new APS style film. I traded it back within 30 days when I couldn’t find film while on vacation in New York City. Also, I thought the pictures it took were crappy (not realizing at the time that a camera doesn’t necessarily make your photos better.)
Around this time I started to regularly read some of the popular newsstand photography magazines. I remember reading about Leica cameras and seeing the outrageous prices in the back advertisements.
My next camera was a Nikon N50. Despite not knowing how to truly use an SLR (it stayed on AF/AE all the time) I managed to take some decent pictures with it for the next five years.
As digital cameras were becoming mainstream, I purchased a Fujifilm Finepix 3800. It was a decent digital camera for the time. The ability to take many pictures without the cost consequences of development and printing began to hone my photographic eye.
Now that I was getting better, I decided to spend the “big bucks” and upgraded to a Nikon D50. Now the training wheels were off. I actually learned how to take a picture without relying on auto-exposure. I began to truly understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and iso, and how each affected the picture differently. I moved away from the kit lens and purchased a couple nice prime lenses. I experimented a lot and learned a lot. The D50 stayed with me for 6 years and followed me all over the world.
About a year ago I decided the D50 was in need of replacement. The logical upgrade was the D90, but it was getting to be a couple years old with a replacement rumored. I waited until the D7000 was announced and came very close to buying it.
Around this time the Fujifilm Finepix X100 was announced. This camera was gorgeous and reminded me of my youthful Leica fascination. I pre-ordered one as soon as I could, not caring that I had a small investment in Nikon glass, or that it had a fixed lens limited to a 35mm focal length. I soon realized my newfound interest in the X100 had little to do with its actual capability as a camera.
What I REALLY wanted was a Leica. Now photography for me is purely a hobby; there was no way I could justify spending spending the money on an M9 or even M8 that would be digitally obsolete in a few years. That left film Ms.
The thought of going back to film was not an easy one. I would be giving up the convenience of digital and I worried about the longevity film in the digital age. I soon realized there was still an active film community. Film photography was far from dead, and many people actually preferred it. I took the plunge and purchased a Leica M4 and Summicron 50mm Dual Range from the local used camera store.
From the moment I held the Leica I was in love. Since then I’ve continued my photographic journey. Film has taught me to slow down and be more careful with composition. I’ve since learned how to process my own black and white film. The Leica and film has ignited in me an increased passion for photography. Everything old is new again.
