Starting with Leica? - literally

rewinder wrote:

Fundamentally, gear doesn't matter— passion and interest in the medium does! Owning a digital Leica M won't make you a better photographer or even a good photographer (despite what the fanatical gear heads in this forum might say).

If I were you and just getting into photography semi-seriously I'd get a Fuji x100s and a bunch of photo books to learn from over and over again...

txagib wrote:

In short, I have no prior photography experience other than basic P&S cameras. I would like to start taking my photography more seriously and am wondering whether or not I am ignorant to jump right in to the Leica M system?

Like many of you, I am somewhat obsessed with the Leica brand and with their cameras (from afar). For the past 5 years or so I have religiously followed the Leica forums. I have studied the cameras, lenses, and various styles of the posters.

I am very tempted to purchase the new Leica M and a lens to start. Should I do this or should I start somewhere else and 'work' my way up? My wife thinks I'm crazy for wanting to start with such expensive equipment from the beginning.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

txagib wrote:

In short, I have no prior photography experience other than basic P&S cameras. I would like to start taking my photography more seriously and am wondering whether or not I am ignorant to jump right in to the Leica M system?

Like many of you, I am somewhat obsessed with the Leica brand and with their cameras (from afar). For the past 5 years or so I have religiously followed the Leica forums. I have studied the cameras, lenses, and various styles of the posters.

I am very tempted to purchase the new Leica M and a lens to start. Should I do this or should I start somewhere else and 'work' my way up? My wife thinks I'm crazy for wanting to start with such expensive equipment from the beginning.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Artichoke wrote:

nobody's happy

this is a truth and important first principle of married life

that said, I think your notion is sound

it sounds as if you have the passion & if you can afford it, without jeopardizing the children's health or education, I believe getting an M a great way to learn about photography as shooting with a rangefinder strips photography to its fundamentals and does so with elan

good luck

showing her how flattering a portrait can be taken with a vintage Leica lens may help your cause

much larger version with EXIF

now there are many paths to the M, but from what you wrote, I suspect you won't be satisfied with anything less than the real deal

--
pbase & dpreview supporter
DPR forum member since 5/2001
my PBase Galleries
"Avoid making a commotion, just as you wouldn’t stir up the water before fishing. Don’t use a flash out of respect for the natural lighting, even when there isn’t any. If these rules aren’t followed, the photographer becomes unbearably obtrusive" -- attributed to HCB

Artichoke wrote:

nobody's happy

this is a truth and important first principle of married life

that said, I think your notion is sound

it sounds as if you have the passion & if you can afford it, without jeopardizing the children's health or education, I believe getting an M a great way to learn about photography as shooting with a rangefinder strips photography to its fundamentals and does so with elan

good luck

showing her how flattering a portrait can be taken with a vintage Leica lens may help your cause

much larger version with EXIF

now there are many paths to the M, but from what you wrote, I suspect you won't be satisfied with anything less than the real deal

--
pbase & dpreview supporter
DPR forum member since 5/2001
my PBase Galleries
"Avoid making a commotion, just as you wouldn’t stir up the water before fishing. Don’t use a flash out of respect for the natural lighting, even when there isn’t any. If these rules aren’t followed, the photographer becomes unbearably obtrusive" -- attributed to HCB

rewinder wrote:

Fundamentally, gear doesn't matter— passion and interest in the medium does! Owning a digital Leica M won't make you a better photographer or even a good photographer (despite what the fanatical gear heads in this forum might say).

If I were you and just getting into photography semi-seriously I'd get a Fuji x100s and a bunch of photo books to learn from over and over again...

RaajS wrote:

Go for it.

Theoretically gear does not matter. Practically, gear that inspires you makes a HUGE difference. As long as you understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Leica RFs and apply them appropriately, you'll be fine.

Please post your images when you pull the trigger!

Cheers,

-raaj

--
'Change is not Mandatory, you don't have to Survive...'
SeekingLight.net

danstern wrote:

FYI-

I share your curiosity of the Leica, I have decided to experience the Leica rangefinder, I have a fuji x100 that confirmed that I enjoy taking time and frame the image which is a great tool and has been a great learning experience.... jsut to share my approach, I will go about it via a film Leica M, to get it more nailed down for a year then maybe a M9 or who knows. Part of me feels that when it comes to a digital M, the lens & the sensor matter. So with that thought I'll buy a Mfilm: (M2,3,4, M5 or M6 who knows as a first step) invest in lens. then if I'm really love'n it, I'll look at the digital M. This is not right or wrong- but I am sharing my plan... see my thread of asking about the M5.... good luck-Dan

headofdestiny wrote:

Using a Leica M is kind of like driving an old sports car with a manual transmission, which is what I enjoy about shooting my M9. That being said, there is no technical reason to buy into Leica, as a great photo can be made with just about anything out there, so, if you're not wealthy enough to afford a Leica without breaking a sweat, I'd probably go another direction, like Fuji, NEX, m4/3, etc. Even though I enjoy the methodical working method of a Leica M, some of my favorite photographers use Canon DSLRs or any number of cameras out there, so I realize that using a Leica isn't necessary for great photography. Shooting a Leica is kind of like wearing a Rolex or driving a vintage Porsche. There are digital watches and modern, affordable sports cars that may outperform these brands, but it's about the journey, build quality and enjoyment.

JeffS7444 wrote:

Even if $10K is walking-around money to you, I think you'd do better to start with something far more modest! Not because M is difficult to learn: In fact, you can learn the basics in 15 minutes. But because at this stage of your evolution, it seems as if you are relying on the purchase of new gear to inspire your photography, but that kind of inspiration tends to last only as long as the new-toy aura does. Practice with more modest gear until you reach a point that your inspiration comes from within (and no longer need special "photo events" to motivate you) and at that point, I think you'll enjoy an M a lot more.

cmo56 wrote:

You are asking to the wrong public here.

The photos you see in this forum are not beginner's ones. These photographers are very experienced and have developed an excellent eye for them. They could do it with other cameras, the reason they choose a Leica is because it is a tool that allows them to get the image they "see". They don't want something automatic because their photographic brain takes much better decisions than the automatic system of ANY camera. Also they enjoy the fine mechanical precision and quality of the camera and lenses.

Leica is not a beginner camera. It is very demanding from the photographer. This will be very frustrating for a beginner. When you buy a new camera, you want to take a lot of pictures and show them off. This is not going to work well with a Leica. You will be able to take better pictures with a PS camera.

Will you learn more with a Leica? Probably yes, but you will face a steep learning curve.What happens often is that you give up and wonder why you spent so much for a camera which does not help you on taking better photos.

When my daughter became interested in photography and asked for a camera I was really interested in how to educate her photographically. She only had experience using a PS camera and had no idea you have to be concerned with basics like light and focus. After much though I gave her the most basic DSLR (the cheapest model)at the time and taught her: use the setting A if you want a good photo and use the setting M if you want to learn. No lenses, just a 35mm. And a good basic photography course.

Thus for school, she would always use the M setting requiring her to think. When she wanted photos that she would be able to share and show to friends, she used the A. This way she could learn and not become frustrated in the process. I cold easily have lent her a Leica (I have 3 film bodies and a M9) plus several lenses, but I did not want her to get so frustrated that she would look for a more interesting hobby.

Clovis

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Clovis

Nich0las wrote:

Eric,

Is there somewhere nearby that will allow you to rent a Leica for a weekend or longer? Actually using one for a period of time I think will give you a better indication of whether you will fall in love with the rangefinder style of shooting, manual control etc... and if it means you outlay $200 instead of $10,000 it will be money well spent, won't it?

--
Nick
My website