Search the Community

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