Time and time again I’ve encountered photographers, professionals and amateurs alike, that question my craving for Leica rangefinders and lenses. Their arguments are always the same:
- Why would you want to go back in time to a camera without autofocus?
- Why would you pay ten times more for a camera that is technologically inferior to almost any point and shoot-camera on the market?
- Not only is the camera body insanely expensice, the lenses cost almost as much!
My counter arguments goes something like this. In most situations I don’t care for autofocus. I feel I get much better control over the subject when I shoot manual focus. I think about the framing and the position of the elements in the frame in a much more concious way.
The digital Leicas is absolutely not inferior to most of it digital fellows, but it lacks all the bells and whistles, that, frankly, very few users take advantage of. Let’s face it, the majority of amateur “photographers” buys a p&s, sets it to Auto and leaves it there until it breaks or they buy a new one. That’s not an option on the Leica M8 or M9. You have to learn how to use the camera, and learn which aperture, ISO and shutter settings that gives the best result in any given situation. On a Leica, these settings are easy to adjust without learning the whole menu hierarchy by heart.
About the lenses, well they are expensive because they are extremely high quality. The optical qualities of a Leica lens outperforms almost any of it’s competitors, just google some comparison reviews. Not only that, but these lenses last a lifetime. 50 year old Leica lenses can be mounted on brand new rangefinders, and they perform beautifully. If you buy a new Leica lens today, and treats it gently, it will probably still be a great lens for your grandchildren.
I believe that a Leica is the best choice for at least two types of photographers. The ones who wants to be better photographers by learning exactly what makes a photo technically great, and the ones who is an expert but wants total control over their subjects with as little fuss as possible on their equipment.
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