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Practicality of using a film Leica in the digital age?


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So a couple months ago I got my first ever Leica! Its an M6 classic, 1992 build, in nearly mint condition, and I got it for a good price I've now gone through about 6 or 7 rolls in it, and its been a whole lot of fun for me. Completely different from what I'm used to, which sort of brings me to my question, sort of.

 

I've been shooting with a Canon EOS 50D for a few years and prior to that a Nikon consumer-level DSLR. I'm young, and really got seriously into photography as a hobby long after film had been replaced as the norm. I feel like spending time with film has begun to and will teach me a lot which can better me as a photographer. For example developing your eye so that you are really looking for what is important, learning more about the process for how photographs actually happen, etc. These sort of existential qualities that you get through using and developing film.

 

My enormous Canon and I have been through a lot together, and I've done some pretty good things with it. The extreme "practical" aspects of using a digital SLR camera make it hard for me to take my M6 seriously as a professional tool. Before you gasp and stop reading hear me out here.

 

My Canon is not all that valuable, and certainly not uncommon. To most people it looks like any old "nice camera" and I've never felt like it would be cause for someone to come up behind me at night with a knife. I don't have to load it, it doesn't "fog" at airport security, and when I get home, my pictures are ready for sorting and processing as soon as I am.

 

These are all matters of convenience and as a camera I don't like it as much. It is big, clunky, heavy, loud, intrusive, laggy, etc. I once said I felt like I was walking around with a brick strapped to my neck and a mask over my face whilst clapping. Manual focusing it is difficult and inaccurate. I tend to spend lots of time "chimping", and I'm always frustrated by the sheer volume of "trash" photos I come back with at the end of a trip.

 

I guess the point I'm trying to make is this. Later in the summer I'm planning a trip, maybe to Germany, but I'm not sure yet, my friend and I haven't fully decided yet. I'm trying to convince myself to leave the Canon, lenses, CF cards, etc. at home and take the Leica and some rolls of film. Sounds great, except I can't seem to shake this voice inside my head that says:

 

"you're not actually going to take that as your only camera are you?"

"you know its just going to get stolen."

"your film is not going to stand up to 2014, USA-bound airport security and even if it does you're just going to screw it up in the darkroom when you get back."

"something is going to go wrong and you'll be sorry."

 

etc. I can't tell if these are stupid concerns or not. So what better place to ask for opinions than from a bunch of people who own exactly the same/similar camera right? Do you ever have these thoughts? What is your point of view/justification?

 

discuss

Edited by andybarton
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Best of luck with the wonderful M6!

 

Here are my opinions/suggestions ~

 

"you're not actually going to take that as your only camera are you?"

Why not? And if not, a nice secondhand X1 makes a great companion.

"you know its just going to get stolen."

No more than any personal article.

"your film is not going to stand up to 2014, USA-bound airport security and even if it does you're just going to screw it up in the darkroom when you get back."

There are numerous threads discussing this; Domke makes a great little lead-lined film bag. In any case, never put film in checked baggage.

"something is going to go wrong and you'll be sorry."

Not according to these and these nice folks. :)

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OMG. Take a film camera, shoot color E6 and B&W (cross processed at my favorite place dr5 in Denver), and give a slide show when you return. That will knock the socks of pixel peeping on screens. You owe it to yourself as a photographer to use something completely unforgiving: slide film.

 

It will up your game.

 

Dean

Seattle

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I recently returned from a 2 week trip to Asia during which I carried 20 rolls of Tri-X through 9 security checks, 3 countries and 5 airports (JFK, CDG, DEL, CCU and VNS) . It was a bit of a hassle but everyone was accommodating. Before leaving I took the rolls out of the plastic canisters and put them all in a single transparent plastic bag that I placed in a front pocket of my carry-on backpack, easily accessible. At each security check I'd pull out the bag and hold it up. I was told each time that it was safe under 1600 iso but I'd insist and in every instance the film was hand-checked. I never lost more than a few minutes. Was it worth it? Yes, absolutely. Nothing for me replaces the experience of film (and I also have a Monochrom)

Philippe

Edited by lamefrog
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If you want a film based end product, then you'll have to use a film camera and bring some film along with you. If you want a digital captured product, then you'll need to use a digital camera. The choice is yours. :)

 

Interestingly, people have been using film for decades while traveling all over the world. There was never any complaining and we have a wonderful history of photographic images as proof. But digital has certainly made image capture a lot easier for most people.

 

Acrylic polymer paints make things easier in respect to consistent drying times, ease of use, mixing with other media, and cost. But many people still use oil pigments with their high pigment loads and different reflectivity, and higher costs. Oil is not as easy to use as acrylics but is still widely employed, because each media has a different aesthetic. It's really kind of the same with film and digital.

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It is not the digital age, it is what ever age you want it to be, because it is your life, not anyone else’s. I shoot film in 35mm, 120 and 4x5 because I think doing everything in life via digital is a disease.

 

Dump the digital & set your self creatively free, you know you are unique, don't sell your self short....

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These are all great responses and pretty much exactly what I wanted to hear. Like I said this is all in the name of trying to overcome some subconscious nagging that I'm still trying to shake. Its all a pretty big switch from what I've become so accustomed to. It also probably doesn't help that I've put years and savings into my Canon and the Leica sort of came to me on a whim.

 

The digital backup thing really isn't even an excuse given that there is always an iPhone in my pocket!

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In a few weeks I will start a motorbike Trip having not more than 2x20 Liters of Baggage to the left and right of my bike. So I have to consider what to carry with me. :rolleyes:

 

i will Take my M6 and as Backup or for Flash Shots my Olympus Stylus Epic, nothing more.

 

Coming from Europe I don't even have to consider the different power plugs, and for Instant gratification or sharing photos with my Family I use my phone.

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Carried my M3 and M6ttl around the world for nearly 50 years, never felt any chance of losing it any more than my Nikons, 90% of the public wouldn't know a leica from a point and shoot.

Use the film, show the slides, and if you want to go digital scan them with a good scanner, I use a Nikon Coolscan 5 and you get 24 or 48 bit scans at 6kx4k so 24 megapixels, uncompressed. Better in resolution terms than anything you can get from a '35mm' digital camera.

 

Gerry

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Take the Leica and consider a backup camera, whatever you can afford. An expensive trip deserves that you can keep shooting, whatever.

 

I would recommend negative film over transparency, for several reasons.

1. You are not travelling to test your skill to expose critical transparencies.

2. Negative has more latitude than trannies and you will experience plenty of contrast in your travels.

3. You have a far greater range of available films in negative, especially ISO speeds.

 

Relax, while remaining alert regarding theft. Your Leica will attract less unwanted attention than anything else you take.

The only risk free condition in life is ...... death! ;)

Edited by erl
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My advice would be to choose to travel with and use film also because you enjoy the way a particular film looks.

 

I took a trip to California last year with an M6TTL loaded with Ektar 100, and an M3 loaded with Ilford HP5Plus. These are two films which I love for their unique (to my eye, unmistakable) look, and which complement each other extremely well in different situations (ISO 100 and 400 - remember one of the great advantages of digital is the ability to switch ISO any time you want). I got the Ektar lab processed, and did the b&w myself at home, and was very happy with the results.

 

I took a minimum of lenses: a Super Elmar 18, a Lux 50 ASPH and an old Elmar 135, to cover a wide range of subjects, from redwoods to whales.

 

While shooting in places like Yosemite, I was all too aware (not least because of the hordes of photographers around me) that the place has been photographed to death. Nonetheless, for me film managed to make both the experience and output far more considered, and thus more personal, than digital could have.

 

Although I often use an M9, I love the experience of traveling with film - for me much more absorbing than digital, and thus more enjoyable. But it is all a matter my own taste and fancy.

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I guess the point I'm trying to make is this. Later in the summer I'm planning a trip, maybe to Germany, but I'm not sure yet, my friend and I haven't fully decided yet. I'm trying to convince myself to leave the Canon, lenses, CF cards, etc. at home and take the Leica and some rolls of film. Sounds great, except I can't seem to shake this voice inside my head that says:

 

"you're not actually going to take that as your only camera are you?"

"you know its just going to get stolen."

"your film is not going to stand up to 2014, USA-bound airport security and even if it does you're just going to screw it up in the darkroom when you get back."

"something is going to go wrong and you'll be sorry."

 

etc. I can't tell if these are stupid concerns or not. So what better place to ask for opinions than from a bunch of people who own exactly the same/similar camera right? Do you ever have these thoughts? What is your point of view/justification?

 

discuss

 

Relax and take the film camera. That's what people did from 1925 - 2005. Usually worked for them as best I remember.:p

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Mmmm.... Who makes money today with film and specially Leica? Anyone knows?

 

There are a several out there, a few using Leica in addition to other gear. Some are all film and some are using a mix, business as usual but on a much smaller scale than pre-digital...

 

I am transitioning out of digital in my work, that's for sure....

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Do you have a ultra fast deadline to deal with for you vacation photos? No. Shoot film, use that Leica...its soo much more fun. Treat it like a tool, and don't worry about it.

 

I have flown many times with film. I always ask for the film to be hand checked. Usually, that is no problem. A couple times the security wasn't used to such a request but after a little back and forth it was no big deal. The only film I was concerned about was iso 3200. But i have read that even high speed film such as this can survive 10 x ray passes with out fogging.

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...

I guess the point I'm trying to make is this. Later in the summer I'm planning a trip, maybe to Germany, but I'm not sure yet, my friend and I haven't fully decided yet. I'm trying to convince myself to leave the Canon, lenses, CF cards, etc. at home and take the Leica and some rolls of film. Sounds great, except I can't seem to shake this voice inside my head that says:

 

"you're not actually going to take that as your only camera are you?"

"you know its just going to get stolen."

"your film is not going to stand up to 2014, USA-bound airport security and even if it does you're just going to screw it up in the darkroom when you get back."

"something is going to go wrong and you'll be sorry."

 

etc. I can't tell if these are stupid concerns or not. So what better place to ask for opinions than from a bunch of people who own exactly the same/similar camera right? Do you ever have these thoughts? What is your point of view/justification?

 

discuss

 

I'm making a similar journey, and was faced with exactly that decision. Consistent with my experiences with 20 years of annual multi-thousand mile travels via motorcycle, I want to travel as light as possible, one bag for the overhead compartment.

 

So, take my MP for street photography, and a DSLR (5D2 Canon) primarily for landscapes? Or just the MP? Sure the MP could take marvelous landscapes in addition to street scenes and it's extremely unlikely it would fail mechanically, but the prospect of losing the only record of my journey because an intrusive airplane crew, or gate attendant, or security drone, could force me to check my bag with dozens of film canisters because the overhead compartment is full, and then subject it to the full-radiation treatment thereby fogging every image, is just not an acceptable risk for me. In those old days luggage was not x-rayed, and hold luggage gets a different treatment than carry-on. No, there's no question I need a digital complement. But my Canon kit is bulky and heavy, hanging it around my neck for two weeks as I walk around, and then because it won't fit in my bag, is not an enjoyable prospect, I'll be 73 this year.

 

So, what to do? No, my iPhone will not take images remotely close to the quality of that MP or 5D2, nor will the vast majority of P&S cameras. So I did what any Leica owner would do, I bought a small digital Leica and put the 5D2 kit up for sale.

 

Happy ending.

Edited by Berth
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"you're not actually going to take that as your only camera are you?"

 

The only concern here is whether you know how to take advantage of it as well as you know how to take advantage of your DSLR. I'd strongly suggest using the new camera exclusively for a period of time to become comfortable with it. Once you are, you'll know whether it will serve as an only camera--and that applies to any camera, Leica or Canon, film or digital.

 

"you know its just going to get stolen."
I don't know about Germany, but, in the USA, there were six times more burglaries (unlawful entry to commit a crime such as theft) than robberies (forcible theft directly from a person) in 2012. Simply put, robbery--coming up behind someone with a knife--is less profitable and more likely to be punished. You're much more likely to have your hotel room rummaged than to be mugged. You're 50% more likely to be killed in a car accident than being burgled. Is dying in a car wreck a prohibitive concern for you? If not, take reasonable precautions, shy away of specific situations that concern you, and take your camera with you wherever you go, but don't let fear of being mugged deter you from enjoying a vacation.

 

"your film is not going to stand up to 2014, USA-bound airport security and even if it does you're just going to screw it up in the darkroom when you get back."
X-rays are easy to deal with (and used lead-lined bags are cheap). If you've developed film before, or you know that your processing shop is reliable, then you won't be worried about screwing it up. So, shoot more film before you go.

 

"something is going to go wrong and you'll be sorry."
Again, shoot more film. That way you'll understand what can go wrong and how to avoid it. The only reason you're afraid here is because it is unfamiliar. But, like learning how to ride a bicycle or drive a car, once you're used to it the unnecessary worries evaporate. So, again, shoot more film before you go.

 

Cheers,

Jon

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