How often do you run into other Leica users?

[frame-it]

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saw over a half a dozen today..but only managed one shot 

 

Leica Q...he said hi too

 

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[felixh]

In the eighteen years that I have had my M6ttl and 50 f2 lens, I have only ever seen about five Leica users with their cameras.

If I was carrying mine, my instinct was to hide my M from their eyes. I often felt that I was not worthy of a Leica camera.

I have matured somewhat since then and would of course be delighted to answer the once dreaded question “ Why did you buy a Leica?”

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[Reeray]

Quite a few encounters over here.

 

M240 meets M240 - Bangkok underground

 

 

M240 meets M6TTL and 111c film man

 

 

Who decided to take a shot

 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Reeray

[jcraf]

Not often. On a subtley different note and most memorably to me, a few of years ago in Cambridge, a guy with a Fuji X100 excitedly approached me and asked if my camera was a Fuji XPro1. 

 

I said no, it was a Leica M Monochrom; he lost interest.

Edited February 11, 2018 by jcraf

[frame-it]

yes i noticed in Thailand Hong Kong Vietnam Taiwan Korea..see a  lot of Leica users quite often

[ynp]

I see Leica cameras in Bangkok and in Asia general more often than in Europe.

 

A year ago I had a very unusual Leica related conversation in a Bangkok shopping mall. One Thai man noticed and recognized my Fogg Lyre bag , approached me and said that he had several Leica cameras and several Fogg bags, a b-Leica , b-Sharp and a Fogg backpack. I have never heard about the backpack and later I asked Ms. bee of Fogg Specialist bags if they can make one for me, unfortunately the Fogg rucksack is no longer manufactured.

 

It looks like Leica loving has moved eastward.

Edited February 18, 2018 by ynp

[Pyrogallol]

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One in Norwich marketplace, digital M.

And a German tourist in Southwold with a black M, don’t remember which model. He wondered what I was using as it was a homemade 5x4 wooden camera. Southwold Harbour is the place to see a “better class” of tourists/holiday makers with something out of the usual in photography.

[OR120]

Seeing another Leica in action (for me) is rare BUT at the big events in DC they tend to turn up. For instance - big anniversary marches in DC I'll see a few. One that sticks out was a Japanese tourist who somehow got into a roped off media controlled area on the Lincoln Memorial. He had a limited addition Leica titanium body with two lenses. 

[Studienkamera]

I regularly see other M photographers where I live, probably once per month. Yesterday, however, was the first time I met someone with a Leica screw mount camera, a black Leica II with nickel Summar. We had a little chat about these cameras (I also own one, but I did not have it with me). Turned out his Leica II was a conversion from a Leica I model with 4-digit serial number. A rare and pleasant encounter.

[gwpics]

10 hours ago, Studienkamera said:

I regularly see other M photographers where I live, probably once per month. Yesterday, however, was the first time I met someone with a Leica screw mount camera, a black Leica II with nickel Summar. We had a little chat about these cameras (I also own one, but I did not have it with me). Turned out his Leica II was a conversion from a Leica I model with 4-digit serial number. A rare and pleasant encounter.

To be honest I don't spot other Leicas often (almost never) but I did spot one at the Vatican and spoke to the guy who was on his lunch break. He happened to be one of the Popes personal photographers and said he used the Leica because it was quieter than any other camera so it gave him better access to the Pope without disturbing the moment.

Gerry

[Graham (G4FUJ)]

Used to see the occasional one on Morgan factory tours.

[jimofnyc]

As a Leica shooter I always have my radar going for other Leica shooters.  This guy is at Jazz Fest in New Orleans, in the Gospel Tent.

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[lmans]

When on the streets or looking, I never find anyone. I do run into a lot of people who know of leica, probably had them....talk about them to me etc... So that is fun. Unless I am in a photography club and we go out on a walk, that would be the only time I see other Leica's in the field.

[pippy]

Different story here, perhaps, because London attracts so many tourists but between, say, April and September I'd be surprised NOT to see another Leica-M Snapper in Central Town / West End / South Bank any day on a sunny weekend. Sometimes I've seen half a dozen (or more) in one day.

In terms of 'Barnacks'? Last September, in La Rochelle, whilst on a short 20 minute snapping-stroll using my 1930 Leica 1 I was approached by - and had a nice chat with - a chap using his IIIb around the Old Port district.

I don't think 'Leica Users' are quite as thin on the ground as we might imagine at least as far as med-to-large cities are concerned.

Philip.

Edited February 7, 2023 by pippy

[250swb]

What do you do if you meet another Leica user (I think using a CL) out in the middle of a wide open landscape and you are using a Nikon at the time? Other than a nod of acknowledgement as fellow photographers I’m not inclined to get into a conversation that starts with ‘my other camera is a Leica’.  Well that is what happened today. I don’t know if I did right, but I didn’t want to interrupt his day, or mine.

[Ouroboros]

I see a lot of photographers where I live but I don’t take any interest in cameras that other people are using or actively start up conversations with anyone about camera gear unless they approach me first or if I know them.  I prefer to talk about photography than cameras.

My Hasselblads and Fuji 6x9’s and 6x17 cameras attract more attention from other photographers than my Leicas do.

[Pyrogallol]

On 2/18/2018 at 6:56 PM, Pyrogallol said:

One in Norwich marketplace, digital M.

And a German tourist in Southwold with a black M, don’t remember which model. He wondered what I was using as it was a homemade 5x4 wooden camera. Southwold Harbour is the place to see a “better class” of tourists/holiday makers with something out of the usual in photography.

I was about to say this, then found I had written it 5 years ago ! Don’t recall seeing anyone else since.

[willeica]

The real trick these days is to spot someone who is using a standalone camera, and not a smartphone, to take photos. In 2017 I said here that where I lived over 90% of people who were taking photos were using smartphones. That number is now probably closer to 99%. Of the 1% I don't really look at what camera make they might be using, but I might notice someone using film. ie not 'chimping' or whatever it is called today. Sometimes I get asked about a Leica I might be using. I had an M6 with me at the Goodwood Revival last September, but nobody asked me about my camera. The many beautiful vintage and classic cars at the event well outnumbered and' outclassed' any 'nice cameras' at the event and, to be honest, they were much more interesting. 

William 

[Almizilero]

Really rarely for me, but it's usually a nice experience. I just got into a very nice chat with a guy who noticed me with a Q during a weekend in London.

I sometimes feel a little strange among other photographers, though. I very often have conversations that go like this:
- That camera looks strange, what is it? Medium format?
- It's a Leica SL2-S
- Wow, a Leica, you must be loaded!

And that's often the end of it. None of the usual gear talk that I had when I was a Sony user (with way more expensive stuff). Just the air of "Ugh, Leica, you must be one of those rich idiots who know nothing about photography and just want a fancy toy." 

I really dislike that. I mean, there are people running around with a Sony A1 and several G-Master-lenses which is worth way more than my little kit and they still go like "Leica? You got to much money or what?"

I have a crappy car and live in the tiniest flat, I just save up for these things. Because they're more important to me than a big car. So I really feel quite weird when I feel like I need to defend my 5.000 EUR Leica gear to someone with 15.000 EUR Sony/Canon gear ...

So yeah, while other Leica users are usually quite nice, to other photographers, we just seem to be some rich idiots who pay way to much for shitty cameras ...

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Hallo,

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[TomB_tx]

How often do you run into other Leica users?

Only a few times in the last 20 years, and never caused much damage...