Urge To Come Back To Film And LEICA - Need Advice/Help

[S.Rolf]

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I seem to be at a crossroads and could really use some help here.

 

Photography has always been a passion of mine and got my first camera, a Minolta SRT 100 back in 1972 (I'm 60 now).

Gradually I moved up to a LEICA R7 in 1997 and loved that camera.  I had always been resistant to digital but finally buckled under the pressure and traded in the R7 for a Canon EOS 5D back in I think 2001.  BTW, I'm not a professional but rather a serious hobbyist who enjoys the art for art sake.

 

Ever since then I've had the urge to return to film and especially LEICA.

I've been eying the MP for quite some time now and just cannot seem to get it out of my head.

 

I suppose my question is, are there others out there like me who reverted back to film after the digital experience?

Yes, digital is certainly convenient especially in post production but I'm a bit of an analog romantic I suppose and now I've got the film bug again.

 

I would very much appreciate any like-stories out there.  

 

Thanks folks,

[Doc Henry]

Hi SR , same way for me , but all in Leica : SLR R8 last and first Leicaflex
I wanted to taste the digital with digital M  since I like Range Finder mechanical please ,

but return now to film since 4 years !
 

Good choice for the MP (or M7) and welcome to our thread  :

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/205842-i-like-filmopen-thread/page-602

Best

Henry

[S.Rolf]

Thank you.

I guess this brings me to the second part of my thread;

I've noticed a reoccurring theme on this forum regarding quality and customer service issues.

I sure hope the M film line has kept its reputation for quality up.  

[Doc Henry]

Hi SR, you are welcome.

I bought two new analog M  MP and M7 , and no problems past 3 years
The new generation M MP and M7 are still produced and on sale by Leica and

now we have the new M-A without exposure metering . Some contributors of our

film thread , Adam and Steve think that is good.
I plan to buy also this year

Another word , think about buying a good lens if you do not have yet !

Best

Henry

[S.Rolf]

Thank you Henry.

The lens I plan on getting is the LEICA M35mm f/2.0 ASPH.

[earleygallery]

Hi, 

 

Your Canon 5D was only released in 2005 so you've not had it quite as long as you thought! 

 

Did you keep any of your R lenses? You could go back to the R system which is amazing value now (especially R bodies which can be picked up so cheaply). 

 

The M is quite different to using an SLR, so moving back to film and to a different type of camera could be quite a challenge! It's things like looking at the world through a direct viewfinder/rangefinder, where everything is in focus, to looking through a DSLR where you're looking at the ground glass screen at f2 or whatever maximum aperture your lens is. The M viewfinder is constant, it doesn't change if you fit a wider or longer lens in the way that an SLR does - little things in a way but quite a difference in practice. 

 

I've always stuck with film but added digital cameras to my collection - I use both depending on what I want to shoot, what I intend to do with the photos and often just what I feel like! 

 

My advice would be to keep your digital camera and add the film Leica. Best of both worlds. 

 

Good luck with your choices. 

[Doc Henry]

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Thank you Henry.

The lens I plan on getting is the LEICA M35mm f/2.0 ASPH.

Hi SR , for lens , you have this link of Erwin Puts page 34 :

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.en/images/3/3a/Puts-2002-M-lenses.pdf

and Thorsten 

http://www.overgaard.dk/leica-35mm-summicron-M-f20.html

Good combo MP with Summicron

Best

Henry

[vhfreund]

I seem to be at a crossroads and could really use some help here.

 

Photography has always been a passion of mine and got my first camera, a Minolta SRT 100 back in 1972 (I'm 60 now).

Gradually I moved up to a LEICA R7 in 1997 and loved that camera.  I had always been resistant to digital but finally buckled under the pressure and traded in the R7 for a Canon EOS 5D back in I think 2001.  BTW, I'm not a professional but rather a serious hobbyist who enjoys the art for art sake.

 

Ever since then I've had the urge to return to film and especially LEICA.

I've been eying the MP for quite some time now and just cannot seem to get it out of my head.

 

I suppose my question is, are there others out there like me who reverted back to film after the digital experience?

Yes, digital is certainly convenient especially in post production but I'm a bit of an analog romantic I suppose and now I've got the film bug again.

 

I would very much appreciate any like-stories out there.  

 

Thanks folks,

Yes, I already own two digital rangefinders and I am strongly tempted to also shoot film again. Although I still have my Nikon F3 I will probably go for a Leica M-A. I just rebuilt my darkroom and can´t wait shooting film again (Ilford FP4).

 

Theodor

[plasticman]

Many of us that started with digital but switched (almost entirely) to film. I love the experience and really treasure my film images!

[S.Rolf]

Hi, 

 

Your Canon 5D was only released in 2005 so you've not had it quite as long as you thought! 

 

Did you keep any of your R lenses? You could go back to the R system which is amazing value now (especially R bodies which can be picked up so cheaply). 

 

The M is quite different to using an SLR, so moving back to film and to a different type of camera could be quite a challenge! It's things like looking at the world through a direct viewfinder/rangefinder, where everything is in focus, to looking through a DSLR where you're looking at the ground glass screen at f2 or whatever maximum aperture your lens is. The M viewfinder is constant, it doesn't change if you fit a wider or longer lens in the way that an SLR does - little things in a way but quite a difference in practice. 

 

I've always stuck with film but added digital cameras to my collection - I use both depending on what I want to shoot, what I intend to do with the photos and often just what I feel like! 

 

My advice would be to keep your digital camera and add the film Leica. Best of both worlds. 

 

Good luck with your choices. 

 

2005?  Really?  Wow.  I guess a lot has happened in my life since then.  Seems longer.

 

Sadly, I didn't keep any of my R lenses.  I had the standard 50mm and the 100mm APO Chromatic Macro reference lens.  Man-O-man, what a NICE piece of glass that was.

 

Yes, I do realize that the M platform is dramatically different than the SLR's I've had.  

I suppose I'm in love with the classic rangefinder icon that the M represents.

I'm sure this is more of a "want" rather than a "need".  There is just something about an M that I really cannot put my finger on.

I've given this urge time to pass over the years but still it persists.

 

As far as my 5D goes, yes I do plan on keeping that for as you say "the best of both worlds".

 

Thanks much for the reply,

[Mijo]

I started with film in high school and college in the 90s.  Switched to digital when I lost access to a darkroom, graduated college.  Came back to film a few years ago after joining a community darkroom.  I love film now but only b/c I can develop negatives and print myself.  Recently started scanning in color negatives and figuring out a work flow.  If I didn't have access to a darkroom don't know if I would continue with film.  I also use a MM and I would potentially swap my MP for a M9P, if I left film.  It's the darkroom process I enjoy the most about film.

[S.Rolf]

I started with film in high school and college in the 90s.  Switched to digital when I lost access to a darkroom, graduated college.  Came back to film a few years ago after joining a community darkroom.  I love film now but only b/c I can develop negatives and print myself.  Recently started scanning in color negatives and figuring out a work flow.  If I didn't have access to a darkroom don't know if I would continue with film.  I also use a MM and I would potentially swap my MP for a M9P, if I left film.  It's the darkroom process I enjoy the most about film.

 

Point taken.

 

Now that you bring up film enlargers and scanning, when you think about it that last image-recording factor in the chain is not the camera lens but rather the enlarger lens or the scanners processor/lens.  

So in the grand scheme of things, no matter how good the camera lens is, the weak link will always be the enlarger or scanner.

[earleygallery]

Point taken.

 

Now that you bring up film enlargers and scanning, when you think about it that last image-recording factor in the chain is not the camera lens but rather the enlarger lens or the scanners processor/lens.  

So in the grand scheme of things, no matter how good the camera lens is, the weak link will always be the enlarger or scanner.

 

Not quite. Enlarger/scanner lenses are pretty simple affairs compared say to a fast zoom lens. Some camera lenses can be used as an enlarger lens, i.e. a 5cm Elmar. However capture is the most important point in the cycle. 

 

I guess the weakest link is our own eyesight. 

[S.Rolf]

Not quite. Enlarger/scanner lenses are pretty simple affairs compared say to a fast zoom lens. Some camera lenses can be used as an enlarger lens, i.e. a 5cm Elmar. However capture is the most important point in the cycle. 

 

I guess the weakest link is our own eyesight. 

 

Actually I'm quite relieved to hear that.  Thanks.

[pico]

Now that you bring up film enlargers and scanning, when you think about it that last image-recording factor in the chain is not the camera lens but rather the enlarger lens or the scanners processor/lens.  

So in the grand scheme of things, no matter how good the camera lens is, the weak link will always be the enlarger or scanner.

 

Tell us more about this weak link.

[A miller]

I can affirm that your feelings are normal.

I sold my M9 and MM and now only shoot film...and lots of it.

Enjoy

[S.Rolf]

Tell us more about this weak link.

 

Read my reply to  earleygallery's post above yours.  I conceded.

[Herr Barnack]

@S.Rolf,

 

My journey has been as follows.  Until 2014, I shot only film and refused to be seduced by digital.  Then the M240 was released and I thought, "okay - now we're finally getting somewhere."  Until the advent of the full frame 24 megapixel M240, I saw too many weaknesses in digital photography - in both the cameras themselves and in the results they produced.  In April of 2014, I ended up getting an M240 and keeping my M4-P body for film work; the M240 was my first ever digital camera.

 

I tend to drift back and forth between B&W and color; I prefer film for B&W work and digital for color.  I have recently had a longing to do more work in B&W so my faithful M4-P and Tri-X will be seeing action soon. 

 

Regarding the current MP film camera, I would like to refer you to my post #30 in this thread:   http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/257367-my-leica-mp-and-film-review/page-2?do=findComment&comment=2999672

 

I hope that my thoughts will be useful to you in making your decision regarding a film M camera.

[honcho]

I've been eying the MP for quite some time now and just cannot seem to get it out of my head.

 

Not a story about returning to film because I never left film for my personal work. The MP is a very nice camera to use. I bought mine 10 years ago, it's traveled the world with me and provided me with an amazing archive of my life over that time. It marks a milestone in my career and is the last new film camera I will ever buy.

 

If you have the money available and you want an MP, get one and ignore all advice to save money by buying something else. It just isn't relevant.

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[Herr Barnack]

Not a story about returning to film because I never left film for my personal work. The MP is a very nice camera to use. I bought mine 10 years ago, it's traveled the world with me and provided me with an amazing archive of my life over that time. It marks a milestone in my career and is the last new film camera I will ever buy.

 

If you have the money available and you want an MP, get one and ignore all advice to save money by buying something else. It just isn't relevant.

I agree 100%, in spite of my above post pointing out other possibilities to purchasing the MP.  Sometimes there simply are no substitutes, which is why we who use M cameras and lenses use them to begin with.