Newbie Advice

[newbieoz]

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Hi There,

 

I am new to photograpghy and do not know much at all. I am interested in getting a leica camera which model etc should I get as my first camera. I basically shoot street photography my friends parties outside etc. Any help, quetsions, tips and advice would be very helpfull. Im sorry I am very new to this but can see leica cameras have a loyal following

[xabbu16]

Hi & welcome,

 

depending on your budget and level of frustration resistence it could be a good idea, not to start at the upmost toplevel of gear.

 

LEICA is something very special (and expensive) which needs a solid fundament of understanding, what to do and what to achieve.

 

Every good photo could be taken also with mostly any other camera - given that you interested in digital photography, your choice is almost unoverviewable.

 

Start smaller an grow fast with fun....

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[250swb]

Hi There,

 

I am new to photograpghy and do not know much at all. I am interested in getting a leica camera which model etc should I get as my first camera. I basically shoot street photography my friends parties outside etc. Any help, quetsions, tips and advice would be very helpfull. Im sorry I am very new to this but can see leica cameras have a loyal following

 

Leica have a loyal following not just because of the lens quality, but because of the handling/ergonomics. But I'd say its far to much of an investment to buy a Leica of any sort without a greater understanding of the nuts and bolts of photography.

 

But there are alternatives that fit into the niche for 'street' photography. The Panasonic GF-1 for instance is a great little camera, so is the Olympus EP-2. Both will do 95% of what a Leica can do, plus some things a Leica can't do. The quality of the interchangable lenses is very high for both these cameras, yet the overall price is a small fraction of a Leica setup. They will also give you more options while you are learning than say buying a fixed lens compact Leica such as the X1. An active forum that deals with them, plus street photography etc is

 

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=146

 

 

Steve

[ptarmigan]

Hi There,

 

I am new to photograpghy and do not know much at all. I am interested in getting a leica camera which model etc should I get as my first camera. I basically shoot street photography my friends parties outside etc. Any help, quetsions, tips and advice would be very helpfull. Im sorry I am very new to this but can see leica cameras have a loyal following

 

Hi and welcome. A few questions for you to ask yourself.

 

• Film or digital?
  
• What camera do I currently use most?
  
• What do I want to do that I can't at present (with current gear)?
  
• Do I need interchangeable lenses?
  
• Have I used a rangefinder before?
  
• Do I mind manual focus?
  
• .......... and...... What is my budget?
  

[jaapv]

There is very little automated to help you use a Leica M camera, so if you are not knowledgeable in photography, a course on the subject should come with the camera.

[tobey bilek]

digital makes photography easy to learn. You will learn composition, shutter speeds, f stops, lighting and timing of the photo, all with instant feedback so you can see what you did right or wrong and no cost of processing or waiting.

 

A nikon D90 slr is a decent place to start. A decent range of lenses is available. The

D300s is a better made heavier camera. D300 or D500 if you are budget concious.

 

After you learn to make quality photos and if you have the space for a darkroom, you can get into film Leicas. Don`t sell the Nikon. You will still like it.

 

Used Leicas are like used cars, may look good, but have a mechanic look them over. Repairs typically cost $300 and up and you will experience a long wait.

 

A Leica will not make better pic in amateur hands than any other decent camera made.

 

All that said, I am going to the store to pick up 200 feet of film I ordered to feed my Leicas.

 

I do love my Nikon digi and film SLR. They are amazing. So are Leica digi RF M8 & 9

but they do have some issues and I am not sure the technology is 100%. They are also priced way too high for a new person to consider and they drop in value like a new car just like all digi cameras. Remember you can only lose as much as you invest. Start small and learn. One does not buy a Ferarri as a first car.

[earleygallery]

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Let's assume that you want a digital camera and are only an occassional photographer - i.e. you want a carry everywhere simple to use camera, then look at the D lux 4 or the C lux. These are fairly typical 'Point & Shoot' type cameras with zoom lenses, auto modes etc. The D lux has RAW capability and will let you get more involved with the image processing side of things.

 

Next step up would be the X1, similar in design but with a fixed '35mm' lens and larger sensor = better quality images.

 

If you want something that allows you more control and to change lenses then buy a Canon, Pentax or Nikon entry level DSLR.

 

If on the other hand you were intending a film camera, and to learn about exposure etc, buy yourself a nice lllc or lllf and 5cm Elmar and handheld light meter and start your journey!