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Your first Leica? Tell your story...


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My first Leica was my Leica II plus un-numbered Elmar which I bought as a student in London in 1962. It cost £16 or so from a Bond Street shop, and I paid for it with some money made "moonlighting" as a film extra. The camera was then just 30 years old - now it's 83! - and still going strong. It's a joy to use actually, owing to its simplicity (I generally use the "Sunny 16" rule for calculating most exposures in my head, and my old eyes can still cope with the squinty view- and range -finder. I have attached a photo of the camera and three shots I took in Wetzlar a few years ago. Tony

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I was stationed in the American Zone in Germany in 1946. I bought my first Leica, a iiic with the 3.5 Elmar, in early 1946 through a PX lottery. It replaced an Argus that I had brought with me.

 

The lllc was my only camera until I acquired an M4. My Grandson now owns and uses that lllc.

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Im a new convert to Leica - i have had my M240 and 50 Summarit for about a year now

 

Its my favourite camera to use, ever

its small, light and portable, and the image quality is excellent, providing i do my part correctly.

its also the most unforgiving camera i have ever used.

 

Pics attached

1. brand new (less than a week old - it didn't take me long to hack up the stock strap and build a replacement)

2. after around 9 months of use - different strap, eBay hood, Sirui A/S plate

and two of my favorites

3. Challenger Harbour - Fremantle

4. Perth, from Kings park (a stitched panorama)

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I fondly remember my first Leica in 1984. It was an R4 and a used 50 Summicron. I soon followed it with a 35 Summicron and 135 Elmarit I believe. I added a 180 APO and additional R4s body. I then added a 19. All of the lens were used. I had this setup for several years and then went with two R6 bodies. Somewhere along the way I added an M6 and 50 Summicron. I did not ever buy an R8 or R9 and eventually sold my R equipment. My digital SLR became Nikon. When the M8 came out I bought on and as others suffered through its birth. Now I am totally happy with a LOT of M......!!!

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Don here at Eastwestphoto, my first leica was a Minolta 35, maybe a model E the full frame one. So, your saying; "hey thats not a leica"? Well I had a NY E. Leitz lens on it, a Wollensak Velostigmat 90mm F:4.5 in LTM m39. The year was 1963, I was a very advanced kid photographer. I had a close friend and we were expermenting with Diafine pushed to ASA 1000 and long developing times. The Velostigmat is still a fabled lens and I use mine on the Sony A7r these days. The lens made in Rochester N.Y. for E. Leitz was simply amazing optics. We travelled mostly to Times Square in those days to garner wonderful night shots of shady characters, they were a fav subject matter. While we printed all photos on a leitz focomat 1c enlarger. One day, I must have those negatives scanned to digital too share.

Although i work strictly in digital these days my use of Leitz lenses continues through adapters to the Sony a7r, my favorite lens in 40mm contines to be the 40mm Summircron CL German version. Simply the greatest , smallest , bestest Leica lens ever made! Enjoy, Don

 

By 1967 I was in SUNY Farmingdale Taking Photographic Technology AAS degree. Since i grew up in North Yonkers my neighbor was Milton Frier the head salesman for Leica USA. Leica wanted to have a teenager Test the New unreleased First Leicaflex. Milt gave me one for that school year and I shots thousands of negatives. A non TTL CDS meter was the norm on that first model. It was a wonderul camera and the optical summircron was great! Sadly I had to give back the null series prototype, I am sure its still out their in the world. Sadly Milt was killed in a Car crash in Georgia on his way to the Miami photo show in spring 1968, a most turning point year for so many lives. Look up Milton Frier on the net for a Bio. Regards, Don

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I borrowed my Father's Olympus XA for a trip the summer after high school (1985), which introduced me to rangefinder focusing. In college, I had a Canon T70, but most of the photography teachers used some form of Leica rangefinder, which intrigued me. I looked at the prices of a Leica, and chose to stick with Canon FD-mount SLRs (F1 2nd version replaced the T70, which was replaced by a F1-N) for a while, but picked up a Canonet 2.8 to see if I might like rangefinder photography again, which I did. After the Canonet experiment (I still have it, and I think it still works), I bought a used M6 and 50mm Summicron from Don Chatterton in 1999. In 2002, I replaced the M6 with an M6TTL 0.58x, shortly before the M6TTL was discontinued, but before the "last" batch, so I probably got the best possible price for it. I sold the M6 back to Don for about what I had paid for it in early 2003. I bought a few "Unused in Sealed Box" lenses from Don too, a 35/2 ASPH and 24/2.8 ASPH. I think that was code for grey market, back when grey market was a viable business method.

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My mother (now 84), had and still has her IIIg with a 50/2 Summicron which she decided to give to me in 1974 when I was 15 years old. My photo hobby was just blossoming since before I was using a Kodak Brownie Fiesta (127 size). After a couple weeks, she decided she couldn't part with it, so the deal was I give it back to her and then my Dad gave me his Zeiss Ikonta C (521/2) which I still have and use to this day. My Mom still has the IIIg, which she still uses occasionally.

 

14177368357_186c8b4ba9_z.jpg

 

Fast forward to January 2012, when I finally decided to purchase my own Leica. A local dealer in Washington DC had a very-used (a couple small dents, scratches everywhere) M6 Titanium body for sale for a nice price, just CLA'd. I plunked down the cash and took it out of the store. I eventually obtained a 50/2.8 Elmar-M for it.

 

9890851865_743d1d6821_z.jpg

 

Turns out, after noticing a worn "Contact Press Images" sticker on the baseplate, I eventually found out it was previously owned by an award-winning photojournalist and had covered events world wide. I'll never be able to duplicate its legacy, but it works wonderfully.

Edited by cobbu2
Correction
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My first Leica was a IIIa bought in 1967 from a work colleague who repaired them as a hobby. It came with a 3.5 Elmar, but I was later persuaded to swop this for a Summar, as another of his customers wanted the Elmar. Realised later this was the wrong decision; for colour it was too soft. I added a Read 9cm lens and Leica viewfinder. However, as I only used colour slide film then I thought I had no use for the IIIa and an SLR, and sold it after about 10 years, something I have regretted since. My second Leica was a X Vario bought in 2013.

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In 1954 a young German tourist arrived in South Africa after having travelled by foot and canoe through Africa from Europe. Needing some cash in order to pay for a boat fare back to Europe, he approached the German Bookstore in Cape Town and they suggested an advertisement in The Cape Argus newspaper. At the time and on the advice of a local professional photographer, I was looking to replace my rather unsatisfactory 12 exposure Agfa Karat 3.5 with a Leica and this proved to be the opportunity.

For the sum of £20 the traveller was offering a IIIc with 5cm Elmar lens.

I bought a film, asked if I could take some pictures, and took a series of street scenes in the rain. I still have the negatives but unfortunately they are not immediately accessible else I would include a photo here. A friend at Kodak agreed to have their laboratory process the film for me and take a look at the negatives. Within a few hours I had my first Leica. The original leather case was worn and missing the front flap and the lens looked a little scarred but everything worked. A few months later I arranged for the local Leitz agent to send the lens back to Wetzlar and they upgraded it to a IIIf, serviced the camera, coated the lens and provided a new case all for a very modest cost. It was for all practical purposes a new camera.

In 1959 I sold the camera in England so that I could buy an engagement ring for my wife to be. I had by then also purchased a IIIg so all was not lost.

I would be interested to know what happened to the camera SN 383094. I still have the wife!

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My first Leica was a set I managed to grab in 1985, comprising an early M3 (1956) and a few lenses, Elmar 50 mm F3.5, Summaron 35 mm F3.5 w/spectacles and a Hektor 135 mm F4. The kit also included a flashgun, trigger cable,visoflex, Leica meter, filters, leather cases etc. etc. Afterwards I caught the Leica bug and began to collect earlier models and a few M models also. My oldest model is a Leica Standard with the appropriate 50 mm Elmar with travel case, from 1931.

The model I really like is an M2 with an Elmar 2.8 from 1962, Leicameter and a really nice leather case all in top condition and performing very well.

 

Cheers, Fernando

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In some posts or self introductions of new members „my first Leica“ is mentioned - without further appreciation.

 

I bought my first Leica (Leicaflex SL) in february 1970 with the severance pay when I left my first job.

In 1971 I bought also a Leica M4 black lacqued (serial no. 1247865). Both cameras with Summicron (35, 50 and 90 mm.).

Nowadays I have only the M4 that rarely use because I have always with me a Leica Digilux bought in 2006. My next Leica ...? I do not know ... but ....

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Edited by tuareg
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I got my first Leicaflex SL with the 50mm Sumicron lens in 1966 in a fine camera store,

called Kamera Haus in Sacramento. The price was $660.- incl. the lens. At that time I

had to make a choice between the SL or the Hassy 500CM that was priced also at $660.

Since that I have an extensive collection of Leica equipment’s, including the Hassy

500CM setting mostly on the shelves. I would upgrade if Leica would offer a dedicated

body for the SL lenses, otherwise no more Leica for me.

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My first Leica was, and still is, a 111f RD that came with a 5cm Summitar. I bought it from an optician's shop in the east end of London in the mid 1980's when I was a (mature!) student at Aldgate. He also had a Contax which he really wanted to sell me, but I just got the Leica.

 

I had the camera serviced a couple of years ago and it is still a pleasure to use and is probably my favourite even though I now have other screw-mounts and M series cameras. But then isn't one's firstborn always the favourite?!

 

Susie

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My first Leica was a IIIC with a pre-war Summar lens sometime in the 90s.

 

Then there was an M2 with 35mm Summilux. After that various lenses and an M3 and M6 followed.

 

I still have the Summar, the M6 and the a few of the 'various lenses'. These days I'm using an M8, but expect to upgrade that sometime this year - either an M 240, or an M9 as an interim body before getting an M 240.

 

I've tried a detour down the Fuji X-Pro path last year, but as fine a camera as that is, I didn't really get on with it.

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In some posts or self introductions of new members „my first Leica“ is mentioned - without further appreciation.

 

My idea: In this thread tell in a nutshell about your first Leica:

 

What was your first Leica?

 

  • Family heirloom?
  • Afforded from your first pay check

 

And please add some images - beauty shots of the camera (aka „Leica Porn“) or a documentation of your first tentative steps...

 

I'm looking forward to your stories!

 

Andreas

 

2015. A Leica M240, with a 28mm Elmarit and a 50mm Zeiss Planar.

 

I am a rather young, experienced Canon shooter. I have grown up in the digital age and have never shot film.

I have been after a digital mirrorless camera that does not suck, a mirrorless camera with quality and compact lenses that is as fun as a shooting experience and as well built as my Canon DSLR. I've definitely found an amazing digital mirrorless in the M240.

 

This is a shot taken in my first hour with the camera on the way home from the store in Sydney.

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The GAS extremus!

 

I loved collecting cameras for 30 years before I got a Leica IIIc (f conversion) in mid 2012.

 

Fell in love with the Leica Story; its romance and longevity, and excellence in engineering…and lived and breathed Leica and the internet. Negotiated, with my wife, a healthy photographic budget of $5,000 pa; and went for it!

 

After that first Leica, now have:

2 x M8’s (black and silver-chrome),M6 chrome, Leica IIIc, Visoflex systems (II and III), various viewfinders, Leica Bellows II, Summicron 50mm f2 collapsible, Telyt 280mm, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 35mm f2 ltm, Summaron 35mm f3.5 ltm, Leica Emar 90mm f4, 90mm_C 90mm f4, Hektor 135mm f4.5, Voigtlander 15mm f4.5, V21mm f4, V 28mm f3.5, V 35mm f14, much Leica literature, old Leica leather bags, cases, adapters, etc, etc, etc.

I may be over my collecting now…with about 70 cameras from many large format to 1/2.3 sensor size.I really must stop…until the next time.!!:D

 

The M8 is a great camera and have taken 20,000 images with them.

 

cheers Dave S :)

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My first Leica was the Leica Minilux with the legendary 40mm Summarit lens.

 

I met a film director in the Caribbean in 1998 who always carried one with him. When I saw some of the photos, I knew why. The lens was outstanding. A couple of weeks later I drove to Hamburg and bought one. I have a black and a silver I haven't used for a long while.

 

Maybe I will take it out tomorrow :-)

 

Here's a photo of my daughter Caroline's first day in School, August 2002 made with it.

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