Advanced Age pseudo-requirement for film Leicas?

[hamey]

Originally Posted by kenneth

I would say that Leica M film cameras are appreciated by those of us senior in age and yes they are a little quirky and dare I say retro hence the recent popularity of Leica camera with the glitter-arty but they will soon get attached to some other fun thing and leave us more senior, in age not skill, to get on with our rather amusing little old cameras. I wonder if most Leica users were steam train spotters in thier youth?

Interesting Poll question- I wonder if most Leica users were steam train spotters in thier youth?

Don't know, over the years I have been using Leicas for my steam shots but it's rare to find Rail photographers using Leica's, seems to me I am the only one using a Leica around here.
In film Cameras I have noticed Pantex to be the most commen, and in Digital it's Canon.

Taken with the SL & 50mm f2 about 8 years ago, the scan is poor compared to the real thing (slide)

Ken

[os1991]

Originally Posted by poynterama

So how many other "MTV Generation"-ers own and use film Leicas?

I just turned 18, so I think I fit in this category . I love to use film Leica's. For the past years I've been taking pictures with R-equipment. Last year I got an M7 and recently added an M6TTL. I'm hooked on M now! They're just so great to use! I think I'll stick with film for a while. I just don't get the same experience with digital, even when using my father's M8. My only concern is that I have to go DSLR for some projects during my photography study next year. Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...

Cheers,
Osman

[gigibond]

Originally Posted by Vlad

Please don't get me wrong, I do not mean to offend with this thread in any way.

Is it almost expected that you are past your, say, 40s in order to be of proper Leica film age? Is that the time when you are more likely to get that nostalgic feeling, you turn your back on that new-age digital and relive your childhood?

Reason I ask is, I went through airport security in Frankfurt last Thursday. After running through the scanner, a lady escorted me to a backroom where they swiped my M7 for explosives. Not only did the two security people look at my Leica in complete disbelief ("this must be an ancient relic!"), but they were completely dumbfounded that it was loaded with film, instead of a CF card of sorts.

I am 29 myself, am I a rare breed of sub-30s that enjoys film for all its qualities?

oops, I am 32 and starting from 1st january I came back to film (ok, 90% of the time).
you are not rare; at lunch time I noticed dozens of 60s pepole with DSLR, but two young guys (20s maybe) weared two film manual slr here in Lugano..
quite strange uh?

[gyoung]

Originally Posted by antistatic

Please don't call 40s "advanced age"

I resumed my film days after a fling with digital at 39.

I think that its mainly that as you get older generally you get wiser...........

..and are less inclined to be impressed with something new simply because it IS new.

How would you like a digital system that gives you 24 megapixels of 16 bit colour? You would? well I (or anyone) can get that from an M6, M3 or III (or any film camera), via a Nikon Coolscan V.
You have to wait a few hours/days while the film is processed though

Best Wishes, Gerry

[kenneth]

Originally Posted by mongrelnomad

Just turned 30 (three weeks ago) - pretty much always have my trusty MP/MP3/M7 with me. Unless I want throwaway shots then I'll be holding the M8

£4000.00 seems alot to spend on a camera for "throwaway shots"

[kenneth]

Originally Posted by earleygallery

Not me, that's for sure. I grew out of my train set by my teenage years. Nothing against train spotters (but really, get a life!).

I also grew out of trainspotting in my teens what I was inferring was how many Leica M owners went through the train spotting era at some time, not are they still doing it now, closeted or in the open- no offense meant

[proenca]

well, another vote for sub-40 using film.

after big dSLRs, I discovered a M7 and used it for 2 years, until stolen. then bought a MP, then a M8 and now, after selling the MP, I bought another MP and I'm starting to shoot film again.

I'm 32, bought my M7 when I was 25.

Yes, people do look with a strange but curious face when they see a film M

[koray]

I am 31 and I got my first Leica (M6) last month. My father used a fixed lens Zeiss rangefinder since I was born. I learned photography with the same camera. Then I moved on to explore interchangeable lens rangefinders, SLRs, DSLRs, and finally I settled down with an M6. I don't earn much, so I collected the money via my side income: camera repair (Leica M6 + Elmar = Canon EOS 30D + 4 MF lenses!).

Last week I was telling my boss about how cloud computing, digital workflows, and virtualisation would change our business. Then later I took out my M6 to take a portrait of her, and she was in awe. Jokingly she said I discredited my ideas just by using a film camera!.. Oh well...

K.

[kemal_mumcu]

You've gotta have grey hair to remember steam! The last time a steam engine went through my town was back in '55.

For some reason shooting trains seems to make me pull out an SLR before a rangefinder. I was one of those people who loved reading about vintage steam when I was a kid, and I seek out opportunities to ride now. What connection do you see between vintage cameras and steam?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3033/...a11b6923_b.jpg

[kenneth]

I have no hair on top do I qualify?

[simonxpan]

Hmm,

film use since age 16 - 1st with fathers Voightlander vito B, then SLR till I was in my 40's. Fell for the Xpan, brief unsucessful dabble with DSLR in my late 40's now rangefindered up with M4P and M6 - lovinging it! (now 50 and a little bit)

[hamey]

Railway and Avaition must be one of the most Photographic subjects in the last century.
When ever a Steam festival or air shows are on display thousands of people show up, I know it's big
in the Anglo Saxon community, Germans and Japanese are also keen.
It attracts all types of people young and old mostly male but female and others! show up as well who simply love the smell, the sound and power that these machines develop.

So what has this have to do with Cameras, I was invited to a slide night where a German fellow was showing his kodachrome slides on German steam, I was so impressed with his work I had to ask him what camera he used to get these beautiful images, LEICAFLEX he answered.
I was in love with Leica and I had to have one, that was back in 1973, never looked back and yes I still have my SL.

I shell now puff puff off.

Cheers

[earleygallery]

Should we have a 'Leica Youth' forum ?

[miami91]

Originally Posted by poynterama

So how many other "MTV Generation"-ers own and use film Leicas?

+1.

I'm 37, and although I own Leica digicams (D-Lux 4, C-Lux 2, and formerly all Digilux models), I shoot overwhelmingly with my 2 M7s and 2 R9s. I wasn't in to photography at all until about 7 years ago or so, and the first camera I ever bought was a Leica Digilux 1. Once bitten by the Leica bug, it was rather inevitable that I'd gravitate towards the "real" film Leicas. Perhaps not coincidentally, my growing interest in Leica/photography has dovetailed with growing income and professional advancement.

Love the "MTV Generation" moniker, although since MTV has now been around for what, 25 years?, I guess there's more than one. I'm of the early MTV generation, back when MTV actually showed videos, rather than the shizz they show today. MTV used to be on 24/7 in my college apartment. I even tried out for Remote Control when they came casting on my campus! (didn't make the cut).

Jeff.

[holmes]

Just turned 66 and have both Leica "Rs" and "Ms". Do I have digital? Yes. A rather good selection of Canon's fine 'L' lenses and a number of EOS bodies (film) and one digital. The digital sits and the battery runs down. My EOS get a workout depending on what I want to shoot. The Leicas are the pure magic, to me, of my photography. I have an extremely competent lab I sent my film to. Color chromes, B&W, what ever. My last seven and 1/2 years of working before retirement was spent 6-8 hours on multiple computers.
I'm a photographer, editorial, published in college and high school textbooks. I don't want to be a slave to a computer that just happens to have a lens in front and a memory chip that will make all my exposure decisions. I'm a photographer and my Leicas are my testimony.

[brianv]

A co-worker told me that her 14 year old daughter was very interested in Photography, wanted to shoot film, and learn how to develop her own pictures. My friend has an AF-SLR with the kit zoom, but wanted to know how to get more selective focus. Her daughter wants to take a class in film photography this Summer. I will not be giving her a Leica, but will put together an all-manual focus, manual exposure kit for her.

This year, I've given away four such outfits to college/high-school age "young adults" that have expressed an interest in Film photography.

I did digital in my "Youth", starting in 1981, but always preferred shooting Film on my time. But it was fun working on first-generation digital where you had to write your own software to unpack the recorded digital image, apply sensor artifact corrections, and display them. I still have a DSLR from 1992 that I wrote my own software for.

[michael_boylan]

Originally Posted by earleygallery

I bought my first Leica, a lllf, when I was 17,

Slight variation here. I was 17 when I was allowed to borrow my dad's IIIf. I couldn't afford one of my own 'till my thirties when I got an M6. I only got into digital in my forties.

[ismon]

I guess I was born old. First allowed to borrow Dad,s IIIF when I was 14 years old. Shortly thereafter I asked if I could buy one of my own. "That's crazy--It would be lie having two Rolls Royces in the garage!" A few short years later, I hadn't the nerve to tell him we had ten in the house. I became a professional photographer to support this exclusive addiction.

[Vlad]

Great stories, thanks everyone for sharing. I guess Leica film does span across all ages.

[Chroma project]

27 years old and own Summilux-M 50 ASPH Summicron 35 PRE-ASPH
Leica M7 Leica M8 Hasselblad 503cw Nikon D3 with some fine glass. It's not a bout age but about passion.