bill Posted January 29, 2009 Share #1 Posted January 29, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) You know, I was going to entitle this thread "why do you screw?" but I thought that might attract the wrong sort of responses... I have had to answer this question recently - I have a new girlfriend, who happily snaps away with a halfway decent (Sony Ericsson) cameraphone and achieves good results. Her position is straightforward - her camera is built into her 'phone so it is always with her, it is capable of capturing images up to 5mp, and it is easy to use. She regards my Leicas in general and my LTM kit in particular with polite amusement and struggles to understand the point of using something old, (comparatively) heavy and fiddly, to take pictures. This came to a head on the pier at Brighton at the weekend; I had two cameras on me - my D-LUX 4 (its first proper outing) and my II. After a few shots with the former, I switched to the latter. Although she didn't say a word, I could tell by the look on her face that she did not understand. So. Here are my carefully considered reasons for doing the Barnack thing: 1. I enjoy using fine machinery 2. I like the challenge of producing decent results from something so basic 3. It slows me down and makes me think 4, Reactions from others are (if anything) generally positive/intrigued/amused 5. I like the thought of keeping an old Barnack in use What are yours? Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 Hi bill, Take a look here Why DO you "Barnack"...?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
aesop Posted January 29, 2009 Share #2 Posted January 29, 2009 ...one simple reason, Bill - the black and white print that comes out of the *entire* creative process. The tools are a welcome bonus. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted January 29, 2009 Share #3 Posted January 29, 2009 Let us know how things evolve with your new girlfriend... ... You surely know G.B. Shaw sentence... "A woman is just a woman, but a Barnack..." (not sure of correct english original) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted January 29, 2009 Share #4 Posted January 29, 2009 Let us know how things evolve with your new girlfriend... ... You surely know G.B. Shaw sentence... "A woman is just a woman, but a Barnack..." (not sure of correct english original) Kipling, isn't it, with tongue firmly in cheek: A woman is only a woman, but a good Cigar is a Smoke. But the message is that if you marry a woman she grows old and grey and wrinkled, while after you've smoked one cigar you toss it away and look forward to the next. I don't think many of us would approve of tossing away Leicas like that:cool: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted January 29, 2009 Share #5 Posted January 29, 2009 Well for me it was my first Leica. I didn't really know too much about the M's or R's having read an article about the LTM Leica cameras and then happened to see one in a camera shop window........ Why do I still use it? I did stop using it for a while, my original Summar lens is very hazy so I saved it for 'special effects'. The VC 25 Skopar gave my lllf a new lease of life and I rediscovered the tactile pleasure in using it, its relative light weight and compactness, then I bought a 5cm Elmar and then a couple more, and a couple of really nice Summars.......... I would find it harder to understand why one wouldn't use them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted January 29, 2009 Share #6 Posted January 29, 2009 Because they have one too many viewfinders...? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JE Posted January 30, 2009 Share #7 Posted January 30, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Because I found it in an attic and had no idea how to use it then figured it out and felt obliged... I continue to use it because I like not knowing what I'm doing. The result is always surprising, not always pleasant. I can' afford another camera. JE Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted January 30, 2009 Share #8 Posted January 30, 2009 Kipling, isn't it, with tongue firmly in cheek: A woman is only a woman, but a good Cigar is a Smoke. But the message is that if you marry a woman she grows old and grey and wrinkled, while after you've smoked one cigar you toss it away and look forward to the next. I don't think many of us would approve of tossing away Leicas like that:cool: Gotcha... I wasn't at all sure it was GB Shaw... I heard this sentence lot of years ago, when a friend offered me one of his good cigars... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym911 Posted January 30, 2009 Share #9 Posted January 30, 2009 I love using them because.. pocketable in the true sense. simple predictable good image quality with the right lens and......most importantly for me I just love pushing the shutter button, seriously! cheers andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted January 30, 2009 Share #10 Posted January 30, 2009 Because they are sensual objects (more details by PM to every woman enquiring) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
like-a-leica Posted January 30, 2009 Share #11 Posted January 30, 2009 My Leica III, which I rescued form my Aunt's laundry, has taught me how to use my M6. And I am completely in love with her, ... err, it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
octo Posted February 2, 2009 Share #12 Posted February 2, 2009 Actually, yes, they are somehow sensual + enduring and reliable; which is more than could be said about the owners Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickersdc Posted July 6, 2009 Share #13 Posted July 6, 2009 Well, as well as the tactile enjoyment of using my '37 Leica II, I love the thought that it's over 70 years old and is still going strong (it's still my daily camera). And it doesn't need batteries I also enjoy the whole creative process, and it's less about the final image and more about the fact that I can use this vintage gear and still get acceptable results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael-IIIf Posted July 6, 2009 Share #14 Posted July 6, 2009 In no particular order:- Immediate. Pressing the shutter button will take the photograph, not engage auto-focus, auto-exposure, auto-nonsense first before the software gets around to taking the picture some time later the same day. Pocketable. I never use a strap on my IIIf. I either carry it in my hand or slip it in a pocket. Neither can be done with an M or R. Sentimentality. It was my dad's camera and I do think of him every time I use it. Pleasure. It is a beautiful tactile object and that shutter sounds so much silkier than any other camera. Or cameraphone. I get as much pleasure from using it as I would from writing with a good fountain pen or drinking wine from a nice glass, both of which can be successfully done with lesser tools but wouldn't bring the same pleasure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alifie Posted July 7, 2009 Share #15 Posted July 7, 2009 If they need repairing a few simple tools and a bit of know how is all you need. It is just wonderful to use something with so little in it to create (sometimes) great photographs. As an engineer I appreciate the minimalism of them, just enough to get the job done, no more, perfect! I wonder if you can change the shutter sound on a mobile to a Leica one? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
christoph_d Posted July 7, 2009 Share #16 Posted July 7, 2009 Because when people see it they look with incredulity and say "o" - and they are right And of course because of many of the reasons mentioned above... Rgds, Christoph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismon Posted July 7, 2009 Share #17 Posted July 7, 2009 Yes, to the above mentioned reasons. Why too does the owner of the latest Porsche still secretly lust after a '55 Speedster? Some creations define the brand. Besides, using them is a religious experience. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtodrick Posted July 29, 2009 Share #18 Posted July 29, 2009 Because to me the 'journey' is as important as the destination. Another point brought up in 'Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance'. As well as having owned in the past a IIIg (now shoot regularily with my new Barnack Type II Prototype) it has to do with the 'soul' of the camera. For many of my family 'snaps' I use a Leica D-Lux 4, an amazingly capable little camera. But I don't have the same feeling when I shoot with it. My screwmounts were often hand assembled. By people who really cared about what they were making and who knew what they were doing and were likely Leica users themselves. My D-Lux was assembled completely by machine in a factory staffed by, for the most part, people who really don't care what it is that the machines they are running are producing. I find it hard to get to a state where I feel 'at one' with this camera when I am using it, and I feel it shows in the photoos I make with it. They are often grab shots...though grab shots of excellent quality...and I like to think that the composition and such is a step above the average persons 'snaps'. But when I shoot with my Barnack I appreciate what went into its construction. I tend to 'want' to care more about compostition, exposure, etc...because I know the persons building it cared. Very esoteric! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pecole Posted July 30, 2009 Share #19 Posted July 30, 2009 Because to me the 'journey' is as important as the destination. Another point brought up in 'Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance'. As well as having owned in the past a IIIg (now shoot regularily with my new Barnack Type II Prototype) it has to do with the 'soul' of the camera. For many of my family 'snaps' I use a Leica D-Lux 4, an amazingly capable little camera. But I don't have the same feeling when I shoot with it. My screwmounts were often hand assembled. By people who really cared about what they were making and who knew what they were doing and were likely Leica users themselves. My D-Lux was assembled completely by machine in a factory staffed by, for the most part, people who really don't care what it is that the machines they are running are producing. I find it hard to get to a state where I feel 'at one' with this camera when I am using it, and I feel it shows in the photoos I make with it. They are often grab shots...though grab shots of excellent quality...and I like to think that the composition and such is a step above the average persons 'snaps'. But when I shoot with my Barnack I appreciate what went into its construction. I tend to 'want' to care more about compostition, exposure, etc...because I know the persons building it cared. Very esoteric! Esoteric, maybe. But sounds especially right. I learned to love both my D2, M8 or C-Lux 2, but still keep this piece of paper signed by Oskar (see illustration) in front of me when emptying the SD cards or manipulating the pixels on Photoshop. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/75557-why-do-you-barnack/?do=findComment&comment=977390'>More sharing options...
samwells Posted July 30, 2009 Share #20 Posted July 30, 2009 Because it's an astonishingly iconic piece of industrial design. Because form follows function. Because it's pocketable. Because it's seen even more than than I have. Sam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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