We went to my parent's house for Thanksgiving and got in pretty late - 12:45am. When we tip-toed through the living room and put our bags down by the front door, I saw my dad's old Leicas sitting on the coffee table. I chuckled and set my digital camera amongst the history, hoping my dad would see them together and chuckle. Then we went upstairs to find our bed.

Sure enough, in the morning we laughed at the size/weight, technology and he talked to me all about how he got the cameras and why he liked them and on and on and on - it was fun. Here are a couple shots of his cameras in the morning.

Maybe you veterans will get a kick out of these.

 

Thanks for posting this! Those are some very nice optics!

 

No problem - it was pretty cool to learn about them. I learned how to play with the meter on the top and adjust the fstop accordingly. Also, adjusting the viewing window was pretty cool. One of them (or maybe both) had some parrallax thingy in it that compensated for where the viewfinder was in relation to the lens.

 

Here's my dad's Leica (a IIIg). I need to take some more pictures with it. I've only run maybe 10 rolls of film through it. I was using it a lot until I realized what it was worth, then I thought maybe I shouldn't use it so much. But now... I want to use it again... just not in the snow.





I think these are my favorite pictures I have taken with it... My goddaughter on Christmas morning, taken with Kodak T-Max 3200 with available light only




The only problem was that she moved faster than I could frame and focus.

 

I used an old IIIg when I used to shoot professionally. A great camera - beautifully built with excellent optics. I hope the current Leicas are as nice.

 

very cool.

 

Very nice! I like the clip-on meter. I have a IIIf black dial. I really should get out and shoot with it more; I love Leica rangefinder cameras.

Mark

 

That's great.

I love those shots - really captures the mood nicely.

So, those of you who still shoot with your Leicas: Do you because it's a great camera (lenses, optics, etc) or do you use it for the experience (playing with the light meter, focusing, remembering the first time you got it, etc) or other?

Is it common to have an attachment to a camera similar to that of your MINI?

I just got my first digital camera and I love it, but not nearly as much as my dad loves his Leicas. Is technology getting in the way? Or maybe it's my level in photography.

 

Both. They're great cameras with a really wonderful feel to them. Very solid, silky controls, small size and, like you say, great lenses. My IIIf was made in 1952 (I bought it a few years ago off eBay) and all it needed was a new cloth shutter and it's as good as new. I also like working with a completely manual camera. In the old days, people usually learned photography with something like that or a Pentax K1000 and they were forced, from the beginning, to understand things like the relationship between f/stops and shutter speeds, had to focus manually, etc. I think it was a good way to learn.

I also like working with rangefinder cameras in general. I find I tend to be more aware of what's in the frame because everything in the viewfinder is sharp and it's also helpful to see what's outside the frame.

I think so. In general, I tend to become attached to things and it definitely happens with my cameras. I remember all the trips with them and the pictures we shot "together". I have a Nikon F100 that I don't use much at all any more since I mostly shoot digital and I really should sell it, but I haven't done it because it's still worth more to me just to have than what I could get for it.

Borrow one of his Leicas some time and give it a try. They really were special cameras.

Mark

 

I like that you can take a 50 year old camera and actually use it. What are the chances of seeing someone ever use a 50 year old digital camera?

There's something about taking a camera out that requires no batteries at all.

And, it's my dad's, so that makes it special.

For me, right now, I'm more likely to get a good picture using one of my other cameras than the Leica, but that's becuase I haven't gotten used to using the Leica. The optics on it are great, so it's capable of getting those great shots. Just not with me behind the controls.

I usually use a new medium format camera to take pictures, backed up by a Canon Digital Rebel. 95% of the time, I'm using a fixed focal length (no zoom) lens, though. For some reason that works for me.

 

Great points. From my limited experience with them, I'd have to agree with you completely. I'd like to think that my little P&S camera will last 50 years, but for some reason I don't think so. I'm sure it'll be surpassed by pulling my right ear to take the shot.

 

Love the Leicas!

I'd like to see what a digital Leica can do.