M6 Lessons/Workshops (London, UK)

[Robert_15]

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Does any one know of a good (and inexpensive) place in London, England to take lessons on using the Leica M6?

 

or better, yet...are there any weekend Leica groups/clubs in London where people get together for an hour or so taking photos and discussing different aspects of Leica photography?

 

Any suggestions would be great. I've just bought my Lieca (was previously using a Canon 20d) and am finding the learning curve to be steep.

[photophile]

do not know about lessons... but suggest you just buy some film ( easiest is a c-41 process like ilford x-p2 for quick turn around ) and practice..try to stick with one lens for a while. learn where the distance / focus points are by feel..usually the tab points straight down at 5 feet for more recent lenses. and shoot, shoot, shoot. I have had an M6 for many years and it has served me very, very reliably. good luck and enjoy your new adventure partner.

[boilerdoc]

Check the Leica bookstore here and get the M7 book. I highly recommend it. Tons of great info re the M7. Classroom in a book. I now have 2 M7s and an M8. Don't even ask re the lenses. They are fabulous. Single handedly brought me back into the photography fold (esp. film).

Steve

[Guest Metroman]

Robert - welcome to the Leica forum. This place is the best resource to learn more about your camera. Have a good trawl through the Film forum and/or use the search facilty.

 

I came back to film last year via a CL and then an MP and using a rangefinder takes some adjustment! Like you I tried to find courses etc for rangefinder cameras but there are none. It is hard enough to find courses for film photography outside of a full time BA or MA degree. However, one place in town who run film based courses at evening and weekends is the:

 

Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

 

They run quite a few courses each lasting several weeks and are based in the Holborn area.

 

Leica UK run courses but I was informed they are only for people buying new cameras from a UK dealer!!! I think the other London based members here get together now and again so keep an eye on Forum Member Meetings.

 

I was also given the advice to use C41 process film - I went with Ilford XP2 - shoot, drop it into Snappy Snaps or whatever. I had mine just processed and a CD of the scans. I learnt a lot about the camera that way.

 

Unfortunately it is a slippery slope, next I ended up processing my own film and I have now resurrected the darkroom!!

 

Above all just have fun and enjoy yourself.

[dkCambridgeshire]

Consider going to Speaker's Corner at Marble Arch and practice ... but beware of pickpockets and take just one lens ... also helps to stand on a milk crate or similar to see above the usual crowd in front of the speakers. If you decide to try the venue consider going late in the day when the sun is not so high. If you want pictures of the speakers and the audience use a 35mm lens or 50mm lens ... if you want pictures of just the speakers use a 90mm. But no hard and fast rules ... whatever you feel comfortable with ... don't be put off by any mistakes and be satisfied with just a few decent pictures per roll at first.

 

good luck

 

dunk

 

PS ... actually Speakers Corner might be a suitable venue for several forum users to meet up and possibly advise you??

[masjah]

Robert

 

Certainly Leica UK run new owners' courses, but Alan Bower used (periodically) to run two day Leica M or Leica R courses at Milton Keynes that anyone could pay to go to. Maybe contact Leica UK and find out if he still runs them, and, if so, when the next ones are? I suspect though that the M courses, if they run, will have a significant digital (M8) component.