My first Leica experience

[iphoenix]

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I would be interested to know of other Leicaphiles' experiences in what started their interest in Leica. Please forgive me, but I must start with mine: I was 14 years of age (or maybe 15) in the early 1960's and my mate (no, not that kind) who lived behind my house was given a trunk full of stuff to play with, take or destroy as we wished. Anything left would be sent to the tip. It was full of radio valves, other electrical bits, tools and I forget what else. At the time I was interested in radio, so selected the parts to make a "Crystal Set". It worked. There was something else though; it was a camera. it was black, looked fairly flat, had a tiny viewfinder and a strange looking bracket on the side of the lens. The lens seemed to be able to be pulled out of the camera, but I wasn't interested enough to try to do so. For some strange reason I remembered a word: "Anastigmat". This may be a horror story to many, and in it's own way, is to me. It did though, make me aware of Leica and for that, I'm thankful.

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[lars_bergquist]

That story will start a chill down many a spine.

 

My case is far more benign. As a young man, I certainly did not have the financial resources to buy a Leica. So my first 35mm camera was a Agfa Silette, in 1956.

 

But twenty years later, my first hands-on Leica experience was with a MDa that lived on top of a Reprovit IIa. I was in audivisual media at that time, and in the pre-digital era, that meant 35mm film. Maps, graphs, text frames and whatnot were reproduced on film and copied on a master filmstrip together with the straight slides that were our major stock-in-trade. – My impression was that loading it right was a pain in the ass, but the quality impressed me. Still, when I bought my first Leica (a 'Jubilee' M4-P I still own) I had tried and used most every other type of camera on the market, smaller than a view camera (though my Mamiya Press did have a swinging and tilting back ...)

 

The old man from the Age of the 6x9cm Folder

[Carl E]

This was in the early seventies, I was 13 and had just saved up to buy my first camera (a Minolta 7s rangefinder which I have still got). I remember looking at Minolta and Nikon SLRs which were beyond my reach at the time, but I would write polite letters to local representatives for Nikon and Leica asking for brochures. I have still got the Leica M4 brochure with the picture of a chrome M4 and the Summaron 35 on the cover.

 

I bought my first Leica M4-P when it first appeared in 1981. After a number of trade-ins over the years, I now have the exact camera that I dreamt of when I looked at the M4 brochure as a 13 year old: A mint M4 with a Summaron 35/2,8.

[bill]

J'accuse Gunther Osterloh... I was working in Leatherhead at the time, happily using Contax SLRs. There was a secondhand bokshop there, called The Bookworm. It was one of those shops that had organically intertwined with an old building - nooks, books - alliteratively attracted to each other. I spent at least one lunchtime a week rummaging around their fusty shelves. They had quite a large section of photographic books, dating back to the 1920s. The Advanced School was an eye-opener to me, and I decided having filletted it from cover to cover many times that the M resonated somewhere deep down in my soul. I bought a FED first, just to see if the whole rangefinder thing worked for me, and I was hooked. It lasted only long enough for me to find my first M6 - an early model without anti-rub inserts and with a Leitz red dot - and a 50mm Summicron.

 

The rest is history

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[St.Valentine]

Being born in 64 and if I remember that correctly I started with those little Agfa Instamatics. After that I was quite fascinated by Polaroid and from then it was SLR´s, what else? But when I saw my first M6 in the window of a camera store I was mesmerised. That was surely the choice of a professional! Unfortunatley the pricetag was waaaayyyy to steep at the time. Returning to analogue photography a few years ago, I found out that the posh stuff from back then was not only available but now affordable as well. I must have tried everything, including medium format but when I laid my hands on a M3 for the first time, I was done. A friend wanted it badly and so I sold it to him. I miss it now but on the other hand it made way for that deep black, fascinating professionals instrument I saw so many years ago behind a shop window: The M6!

 

Lately I am into Barnacks and yesterday a lovely, black IIa syn was delivered by the postman...

 

Frank

[zeitz]

When in was in high school, in 1966, I worked at a large professional camera store in our city. I was able to handle almost every camera made. At the time I owned an old Exakta. Only one camera stood out - Leica. The solidity and ease of operation set it apart. Four years later, still working summers and holidays at the same store I was able to buy a used M2 with a collapsible Summicron for $200US. I stall have it today, joined by an M7, M8 and M9.

[TomB_tx]

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Very early 1950s at a family gathering my aunt had just returned from working in Germany and Japan teaching children of the occupation forces. My uncle (her brother) was trying out the camera she bought in Germany, and I was fascinated. Later, when my uncle owned that Leica I had it repaired for him by Leitz NY, before they stopped working on the old models.

In college I used a friend's M2 quite a bit, and marvelled at the 2 Leica model A cameras on display at the local dealer. Before graduation I bought my M4, and also my SL. I still have and use both.

Now in full circle I also have (and use) that 1948 IIIc and Summitar. Still don't have a model A...

[DES]

In 1976 I purchased the best camera my pocket would allow, an OM2 (I still have it) and this created a real interest in cameras.

It was then, that I read first hand accounts, about the legendary performance and history about the Leica brand.

 

Clearly this had a lasting effect on me!

 

It wasn't until 1981 that I first saw one in the flesh ( we were not exactly brimming with cameras in North Yorkshire ) it was a worn looking M3, with DR Summicron, goggles, and meter. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Unfortunately, suffering from short arms and deep pockets, I could not stretch to the £375 required to purchase this beauty.

I also had a lust for Leica binoculars, and for christmas 2006 my better half bought me a pair of Ultravid binoculars, and that was it. In 2007 I bought the M8, and with in a year I had mint M3 with DR Sumicron/goggles.

 

Many lenses later, and more purchases still to come, I can see no end to this lust, and I almost think that chasing women would be a cheaper option.

[someonenameddavid]

In 1976 I purchased the best camera my pocket would allow, an OM2 (I still have it) and this created a real interest in cameras.

It was then, that I read first hand accounts, about the legendary performance and history about the Leica brand.

 

Clearly this had a lasting effect on me!

 

It wasn't until 1981 that I first saw one in the flesh ( we were not exactly brimming with cameras in North Yorkshire ) it was a worn looking M3, with DR Summicron, goggles, and meter. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Unfortunately, suffering from short arms and deep pockets, I could not stretch to the £375 required to purchase this beauty.

I also had a lust for Leica binoculars, and for christmas 2006 my better half bought me a pair of Ultravid binoculars, and that was it. In 2007 I bought the M8, and with in a year I had mint M3 with DR Sumicron/goggles.

 

Many lenses later, and more purchases still to come, I can see no end to this lust, and I almost think that chasing women would be a cheaper option.

 

Chasing women is a cheaper option until you actually catch one.

 

My love affair with Leica M began when I worked in photo retail in the 1980s when I met an M3 with a DR Summicron. Sheer elegance and a sense that you were using a scientific instrument, not a consumable toy. I had, and still have Nikons and subscribe to the "heavier is better" school of photography and osteopathy...

 

Took almost twenty years after that (and going to medical school) to be in a position to buy a Leica and I am loving every picture.

 

David

 

And for those of you who were following my "I am sooo dead" thread... I bought my PLOOT

[pico]

I would be interested to know of other Leicaphiles' experiences in what started their interest in Leica.

 

I was using a Petri 7s - about 1964. I was living in Rural France where I met an astounding photographer who, whether he knew it or not, mentored me. (He returned to the USA about the time I did and led a parallel career). He is a Guggenheim recipient as of several years ago. His ethics impressed me the most and he fostered in me a means to my own style of photography - for better or worse. My Petri got cranky. He used an M2 and one lens (50mm Summicron) and I followed to buy the same.

[Twotone]

I read an article about the M3, by Ken Rockwell, last December and I immediately bought one quickly followed by a 1966 rigid Summicron.

 

I wanted a full M3 kit as intended by Leitz back in 1954 and have nearly everything that the original kit consisted of.

 

I bought a 90mm Elmarit earlier on this year and am currently waiting on a135mm Elmar from the Arthur Keir sale, I also have a Leicameter MS that still works and a ELC case and recently a Amateurtasch case, filters and hoods for all three lenses and a Sommky-M3 and adaptor.

 

I'm taking the best photos of my life with this stuff and I absolutely love every single thing...

 

I am now totally hooked:)

[maccarma]

I've never been a photographer....but always been attracted by this art.

Born in 1961 I remember my dad (or my friends) with their cameras, changing lenses, never had a clue about how "real" photography was.

So, I jumped immediately on the "point and shoot" digital cameras as soon as they came out in the market.

A couple of Sony and Canons....then last year the "big trigger" of an endless passion!

I was looking on the web for some quite good digital camera, and I found out the D-LUX 5.

I bought it....After that the Leica "virus" got me totally, and as you can see on my profile I invested quite a substantial amount of money in camera and lenses.

As somebody pointed out, it's not the camera, but the photographer making the difference.

What can I say?

I'm still learning every day, documenting myself on various websites and forums, and always very happy to carry one or two of my jewels at my neck.

I've got a lot of respect for the history and tradition of Leica brand.

Love and respect.

[masjah]

OK then. My wife bought me a Minilux 40/2.4 for my birthday. I was blown away by the image quality. Even my son, with no interest in photography, spoke in terms of a three-dimensionality (when other photographs he sees have a "flat" look). When I decided to take up photography as a serious recreational interest in retirement, it therefore had to be Leica. My photographic interests made the R system more relevant to my needs than the M system, so that's where I went.