Leicaphiles

[eudemian]

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On a recent trip to Paris I was taking a few shots on the Metro. A french guy came up and introduced himself, we got into an excited exchnage about Leica, he showed me his M3, I showed him my M8, we both took a picture of each other, exchanged address and then he was gone.

All this was done without the assisatance of language, my French is poor and his English was non existent, but I felt a real buzz and connection.

I realised that I am now part of a very friendly and warm club and this meeting helped to make a great holiday. I bet there are a hundred stories like this amongst forum members.

Tom

[patashnik]

On a recent trip to Paris I was taking a few shots on the Metro. A french guy came up and introduced himself, we got into an excited exchnage about Leica, he showed me his M3, I showed him my M8, we both took a picture of each other, exchanged address and then he was gone.

All this was done without the assisatance of language, my French is poor and his English was non existent, but I felt a real buzz and connection.

I realised that I am now part of a very friendly and warm club and this meeting helped to make a great holiday. I bet there are a hundred stories like this amongst forum members.

Tom

 

If you take out the words "Leica", "M3" and "M8" from that first part, the entire text changes, doesn't it

 

But you are right. I met a friendly French guy on a ferry touring the south coast of Crete. He had a Nikon dSLR, but kept repeating: "Ziz iz no rrrrrel camera, yourz iz a proper camera!". I guess it's the same thing with dogs and babies, though. Go to a local park and check it out!

[cocker]

Hi Thomas,

 

i have had similar experience - it's really nice. One of mine was in Paris outside Shakepeare & Co Bookshop. There was a very old Frenchman with an M7. He saw my M8 we smiled at each other and got into conversation in a mixture of French and English. The other occasion was in Malta where I was hailed by an Englishman and his wife. He was using an old screw mount Leica (a III f I think) that was his fathers. It is indeed a worldwide community.

[FotoABC]

This is really what we call "la fraternite"!

[stunsworth]

Similar thing happened a few times in Paris - perhaps there's something in the water <grin>.

 

I was once walking down rue Mouffetard when I was stopped by another photographer who'd noticed the Noctilux I was using. Turned out he was a professional who also used Leica (and only Tri-X/D76). Was invited back to meet his wife and see his darkroom. He lived in some flats near Place d'Italie and had two flats, one was where they lived, the other was his darkroom and 'chill out area'. Fascinating. He had an exhibition at the catacombs of underground Paris.

[andybarton]

"Come back and see my etchings" or "Come back and see my wife in the darkroom"?

 

And you fell for that, Steve?

 

Thing is that every Tom, Dick and Harry have Nikons and Canons and the other xxx-ons. Leica users are much rarer, and, to be frank, you have to make a positive decision to buy one, rather than just going into your local Argos and ticking the box marked "Buy". Therefore, this leads to the "fraternal" aspect of owning one.

[Shootist]

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I've had a few encounters with people that knew Leica. Mostly while I was having something to eat and one at a street festival. I was taking smoe shots of a Jazz band and a guy walks up to me carrying a black M6. He had gotten it about 1-2 months prior and it was his FIRST film camera.

Most all say something like "Ah Leica" or "Is that a Leica!" I own a M-X.

 

When I see another Nikon owner most of the time we don't even acknowledge one another and if I ask them anything I get the reply D(something or other) and they are on there way.

[hankg]

I was taking a couple of snapshots of my wife's nephew after his first communion in Key Biscayne (Miami). A dapper old Argentine gentleman with a well used old Nikon in hand was pursuing his grandchildren ( I assume in the hopes of getting some pictures in their communion robes) when he stopped, turned and pointed at my M8. He winked at me and said "Leica, Señor camera" then turned and continued on his mission.