620max Posted March 15, 2014 Share #1 Posted March 15, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) hi, do you have any idea or informations about "amount of people use the M's camera (films and digital) in the world? or how many percent of photographers use M's? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 15, 2014 Posted March 15, 2014 Hi 620max, Take a look here how many people use M's camera in the world?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
620max Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted March 15, 2014 many of my friends like photograph, but they seem not really interested with the Leica... I don't know why? but I love to use Leica M's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevesurf Posted March 15, 2014 Share #3 Posted March 15, 2014 One approach might be to find out the global total number of professional photographers, or estimate by the total number of businesses by an average number of photographers per business. Then take the total of all the individual Leica M film and digital production runs, listed in the Leica Wiki: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/index.php/Main_Page The global press market is estimated here, and will contain a portion of the total photographer's market. If this one market is any indication of landscape and nature photographers, then it may be 7% Leica as noted in the study. However, portrait, studio and wedding photographers' Leica share are most likely far different. Crunching the Numbers on the World Press Photo Photographers' Gear I of course agree with you on enjoying the Leica brand; one reason many people may not see the value in purchasing Leica products is that they may not yet realize the importance of the quality of lenses, and prime lenses at that, so paying a premium for prime lenses may not be a priority. I was recently speaking with a family member starting in the business who did not realize the contribution great glass makes to reproducing visual acuity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
opton Posted March 15, 2014 Share #4 Posted March 15, 2014 I know some professional photographers (press and advertising alike)... and none of them uses a Leica. Most of them use a full-format DSLR of one of the big brands Canon or Nikon for most jobs. For architecture and studio work, digital large and medium format is still common. Most professional photographers really don't care that much about lens quality than you might think. Also, long telephoto lenses and autofocus are really important if you have to deliver photos from live events. Pros care much more for proper light situations and flash. That's very often where the difference is made, if a picture can stand out or not. I think Leica still has its niche among photo artists and Magnum-style reportage photographers, but i don't think these are large numbers. Leica has created its own myth, living from the glorious past and the big names of reportage photography. Don't get me wrong - I think the Leica M system and the lenses for it are still excellent tools. But in most cases, professional photographers today have other needs and priorities. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 15, 2014 Share #5 Posted March 15, 2014 No idea but we're a tiny minority. Bear in mind that Leica have ambitious plans to gain 1% of the worldwide camera market, being currently at a fraction of that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berth Posted March 16, 2014 Share #6 Posted March 16, 2014 When I purchased my MP at the end of December I was under no illusions that Leica is still a major force in the photography market, or among the large majority of professional photographers. That was never a consideration. I bought it because I wanted to add street photography to my range of subject matter, and I simply concluded Leica makes the best equipment for that purpose. Had I wanted to remain completely digital I suspect I would have purchased an M9-P or M240, rangefinders are far superior to my DSLR for street photography. I wanted to complement my digital imaging world with film, and there's an appeal to being independent of batteries for operation, so the MP it was, instead of the M7. But added to that there was a touch of nostalgia, one of my Dad's closest friends was a wonderful photographer who travelled through Europe with his Leicas, the last I believe an M2. His slide shows from many decades ago were a revelation to a young man with wanderlust. When I travel to Europe this summer as a **cough** mature man with wanderlust I'm sure I'll think of him. There has been an acclimation period after 15 years of autofocus, automatic aperture/speed, quick zooms, and rapid advance. Some false starts along the way. A good thing, it's making me think much more when I frame a potential image. My confidence in mastering the mechanics is growing. And I'm enjoying testing the various films available, thinking of their application to the scenes I'll be photographing. The quality of Leica's lenses and of the MP itself has met my high expectations, no regrets whatsoever. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted March 16, 2014 Share #7 Posted March 16, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I know some professional photographers (press and advertising alike)... and none of them uses a Leica.... ...Most of them use a full-format DSLR of one of the big brands Canon or Nikon for most jobs... ...But in most cases, professional photographers today have other needs and priorities. Most probably think that Leicas are a stupid waste of money; one of my friends who is a commercial photographer certainly does. He is content to shoot with lenses (Nikon) that are good enough to satisfy his commercial clients when backed up by a 36MP 24x36mm sensor; anything more costly is a waste of money in his opinion. Seeing how he has a studio lease to pay for, along with income taxes, utilities, printing supplies, software, insurance, advertising and all the rest of the expenses that go along with operating a photography business - and he has to try to make a profit in order to keep the electricity on at home, pay the mortgage and feed his family, I can kind of see where he is coming from. I'm glad I am not a commercial photographer! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
620max Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted March 16, 2014 thanks you all, and I agree, I know I look like a wasting money idiot in my friend group, hardly find someone to share the Leica's experience... but except here. you know, even when I walk around in my local shops (old camera shop... leica shop...), I can't see them are passion with it. One of the Leica services man even told me, he will not going to shoot film and use Leica any more, when I hear, I just feel so sad.... another guy work in the second hand camera shop told me, the SONY A7 break the Leica M myth, the sony has a reasonable price, people not will to buy Leica nowadays... when I hear, I immediate explain to him the rangefinder how great is, but he seem don't care about it.... yes, I know, because I met a rich man he bought some Leica equipment at last years, M9, MPs... some M's Lens... he enjoy Leica for a year, but now he said, he quit the film, I thought he bought a M240? but he said he just bought a A7r, he said the A7r has great colour performance..... again..... I don't agree.... One of my friend used a M8 and Leica's Lens before, he like it, sometime we shared to each other, but recently he bought a Nikon D600 and he quit the Leica, and he show me his D600 how great is... yes, I agree... after he said to me he will only focus on DSLR, no need leica any more in his life... so, I doubt how many people actually use the leica around my world...? and curious which group of people are the Leica's target customers? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattMaber Posted March 16, 2014 Share #9 Posted March 16, 2014 another guy work in the second hand camera shop told me, the SONY A7 break the Leica M myth, the sony has a reasonable price, people not will to buy Leica nowadays... when I hear, I immediate explain to him the rangefinder how great is, but he seem don't care about it.... yes, I know, because I met a rich man he bought some Leica equipment at last years, M9, MPs... some M's Lens... he enjoy Leica for a year, but now he said, he quit the film, I thought he bought a M240? but he said he just bought a A7r, he said the A7r has great colour performance..... again..... I don't agree.... I have to agree with him, though Id favour Fuji over the horribly ugly Sony as the "poor man's Leica". I really can't see the pint in spending the silly money Leica asks for digital Ms (or any other digital Leica), the tech is barely new when it comes out and with a roughly 2 year tech cycle, £6k a time? No thanks. I have an X100 which I bought on release day and it's inspired me to experiment with film so I've gone through few cheap rangefinders including a couple of canonets and have ended up with a Leica M6 I bought in January. At similar price to an X-Pro1 with lens its pretty good in my opinion but digital? Nope. Unless Leica can price their digital cameras sensibly they're only ever going to be VERY niche, though to be honest thats probably a good thing for them as it allows them to keep the prices inflated somewhat. Yes they're well made etc etc but digital cameras really dont need this excessive build quality, they just need to last as long as the techs life - which Im sure every digital camera does. So yes, they are not worth it for commercial photographers who have to make a living, and I can see that and its fully understandable, they have their Canikons. Lots of parts, lots of accessories, easily replaceable. “Leica Photography” Is Dead. Leica Killed It. Leica's current target market? Jewlery. Look at the hideous Hermes edition and even Jonny Ive kicked out a dog with his one for Red. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr. B Posted March 18, 2014 Share #10 Posted March 18, 2014 World wide probably less than 0.10% or less. Ask yourself how many other photographers have you seen in the past ten years using any kind of Leica? For me that number would be around six or seven. Mr. B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M9reno Posted March 18, 2014 Share #11 Posted March 18, 2014 I read somewhere that there are more used Leicas sold every day than new Leicas. It would be interesting to know to what extent this is true of any other camera brand. Definitely not for Canon or Nikon. If Leica is rather unique in this respect, and if we consider film and digital Leicas together, then there may well be more Leica users than the figure "less than 1% of the market" suggests. Maybe not much more, but maybe a little bit more... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berth Posted March 18, 2014 Share #12 Posted March 18, 2014 I wonder how many Leica users own more than one Leica? That could make Leica's share much smaller than otherwise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelwj Posted March 26, 2014 Share #13 Posted March 26, 2014 I'm glad I am not a commercial photographer! Amen to that. Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted March 26, 2014 Share #14 Posted March 26, 2014 I wonder how many Leica users own more than one Leica? That could make Leica's share much smaller than otherwise. Every former pro I knew (we are all retired) had at least three. I still have eight M film bodies. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kivis Posted March 28, 2014 Share #15 Posted March 28, 2014 I have a Fuji X-Pro1 and it is a fine digital camera, but it can not compare to the "feel" of the M3. It is just a different animal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
furcafe Posted March 28, 2014 Share #16 Posted March 28, 2014 It also depends on demographics & geography. Excluding myself, I personally know 12 people in the Washington, DC area alone (mostly serious amateurs, not professionals) who use Leicas (not exclusively). Then again, that may be 1 of the reasons why Leica opened their 1st North American store here. World wide probably less than 0.10% or less. Ask yourself how many other photographers have you seen in the past ten years using any kind of Leica? For me that number would be around six or seven. Mr. B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KM-25 Posted April 1, 2014 Share #17 Posted April 1, 2014 Most probably think that Leicas are a stupid waste of money; one of my friends who is a commercial photographer certainly does. He is content to shoot with lenses (Nikon) that are good enough to satisfy his commercial clients when backed up by a 36MP 24x36mm sensor; anything more costly is a waste of money in his opinion. Seeing how he has a studio lease to pay for, along with income taxes, utilities, printing supplies, software, insurance, advertising and all the rest of the expenses that go along with operating a photography business - and he has to try to make a profit in order to keep the electricity on at home, pay the mortgage and feed his family, I can kind of see where he is coming from. I'm glad I am not a commercial photographer! Does not sound like a successful photographer, just one who is in the grind and is a yes man to a client base. I am steadily using more and more Leica images shot on film every month, can see getting a decent used M9 for my corporate journalism work. I bet you would be surprised at how many high end and successful pros have added Leica into to the fold for feel, look, mood and presence. But more than that, I bet you would be stunned at how much more fun it would be to be a successful pro than a day job working amateur. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo63 Posted April 1, 2014 Share #18 Posted April 1, 2014 outside of camera shops, i have seen 3 people with Leicas (all digital, i know this is the film sub forum) #1 is a local Photojournalist, who does the majority of his work with a Leica (and i now see is a teacher for the Leica Akademie Australia) he did have an M9, according to the guys at our local camera store he now has a M240 #2 - a woman with an M9P and 50 Summilux, at a protest i was at - she was pretty stunned i could ID it as an M9P, and we chatted about photography for a while, i had a good look at her M9P (i was still leicaless at this time) and she had a play with my Canon 1Dmk4 #3 a man with an M8 hanging round his neck in the city, i didnt get a chance to stop and chat, but he did look like a tourist. when i went in to pick up my M240 the other week i met one more Leica shooter, had a M240 and a Monochrom, and a bag of nice glass so 1 working pro (and me) using leica, out of maybe 50 professional photographers i know Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KM-25 Posted April 1, 2014 Share #19 Posted April 1, 2014 so 1 working pro (and me) using leica, out of maybe 50 professional photographers i know I bet that is kind of the way it has always been though.... When it comes to outright reacting fast to a stellar potential photograph and executing it with precision and confidence, Leica M definitely has a bit more "Fiddle" factor, especially with foreground / background to subject interplay. As an aside, I have just bought another 50 Lux Asph after not having one since 2010 so I while I await it's arrival, I went to Flickr to do a search and see what people were up to with it lately, get inspired. Well lets just say after pouring through thousands of photos, I was impressed, but not for the reasons you may think.... I was totally blown away if not FULLY dumbfounded by how *BAD* the imagery was, and I am not even talking about the rank and file, comes-with-the-territory wide open happy snaps of bokeh-lishious bottles, hand rails and stop signs. I mean we are talking thousands of poorly exposed, composed and executed snap shots, I might have found a dozen or so pictures that showed that the owner of the lens actually *got it* and made a great photograph. Whisky Tango Foxtrot? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo63 Posted April 2, 2014 Share #20 Posted April 2, 2014 I bet that is kind of the way it has always been though.... When it comes to outright reacting fast to a stellar potential photograph and executing it with precision and confidence, Leica M definitely has a bit more "Fiddle" factor, especially with foreground / background to subject interplay. Im pretty sure Leicas were issued to the photographers at work, i know we have two big glass display cases full of Leicas that were used by the paper (there is a bunch of cases throughout the building, housing old wooden glassplate cameras, speed graphics, view cameras, specially built cameras, hasselblads, nikon film slrs. There isnt more than half a case of any one brand, except leica (which has Leica II, various Leica III, M2, M3, CL, Leicaflex, and a whole bunch of others i cant remember off the top of my head. I will talk to some of the older guys and see how they were used. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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