Leica Pourquoi?
This is not a review about Leica equipment, nor will I attempt to discuss in any detail, technical specifications. The enjoyment of using a camera and learning how to get the best out of it, is as important to me as the images that I create. This is a story about how I settled on using Leica rangefinder cameras and a small selection of high-quality prime lenses for all of my photography and the journey that lead me there.
I'm not interested in brand snobbery, though I do believe that a manufacturer usually knows best about matching its own lenses and cameras to get the best results. Of course you can mix and match aftermarket, or alternative brands and it's fun to experiment with vintage lenses, there are no rules here. For all my serious work, I've used Canon lenses with Canon cameras, Nikon lenses with Nikon cameras and Leica lenses with Leica camera. I'm not shutting out other brands and have experimented in the past, but generally, and in my personal experience this has been the best way to get the most favourable results.
A rangefinder camera is typically fitted with a split-image, range-finding focusing mechanism. This allows the photographer to place any point within a scene into sharp focus. Most varieties of rangefinder show two images of the same subject through the viewfinder, one of which moves when the focus ring on the lens is turned. When the two images coincide and fuse into one, the distance can be read off the lens markings and that point in the scene will be in sharp focus.
The newer Leica rangefinder cameras have another trick up their sleeve, the ability to use an electronic view finder and focus peaking. Whilst, not as authentic as the rangefinder experience and using the hot shoe connection on the M240, M10 series it does make focussing a little more intuitive, particular on the more telephoto end at 90-135mm, and of course the wide end too 28mm and below when you’re pushing the limits of the optical view finder.
Using such a camera, even with the EVF is an odd choice to some, but for me, it has become a way of finding inner peace with my photography. I'm not going to get all spiritual either, I refer to the lack of beeps, automation, complex menus, film emulation modes. Two of my cameras don’t even have a rear screen. Coupled with beautifully simple, manual and very mechanical controls for shutter speed, aperture, ISO and of course lens focus, the resulting image is entirely down to you, simple !
In my opinion, the rangefinder experience distils the art of photography down to essential components which allow complete control and flexibility to shape and manipulate the final image in it's raw most form. You capture light as it falls, under or over expose to heighten or soften drama and then place the focal point exactly where you want it.
By doing so, you draw people into the image in a way you created in your mind's eye long before releasing the shutter. Sometimes, it's just about creating something interesting from an otherwise ordinary scene. This is very much the case in street photography. Whether I’m documenting a moment in time, people, places or still life, I think about the final image and try to create something I will be pleased with and others might enjoy. Being in control of the camera and with a little bit of forward planning, you start to develop your own style.
It took me a long time to arrive at rangefinder cameras and it's funny to think that the cameras I use today, are still based on a 1954 design by Oskar Barnack, who was born in 1879.
Technology for me is about bringing advancements that enrich lives, make things easier, faster and get you to a better result, more quickly and with less fuss.
Automate those things that are prone to error using a standards based approach, derived from science to deliver consistent and accurate results every time. Just give me the freedom to make manual inputs or override settings so I can experiment and change the outcome.
Sounds like the bones of a plan doesn't it? Cameras have been doing precisely this for many years. Sadly many modern cameras have gone into technology overload and now have too many features to list.
Auto exposure, whether aperture or shutter priority and of course autofocus have been around for many years. My first new camera was a Nikon FE kit comprising a 50mm ‘standard’ lens and a 28mm wide angle lens.
I wanted to learn about photography with something a little more capable than the family camera which I later inherited from my Dad, an Olympus Pen-EE, 35mm half-frame, which I still have.
Nikon FE, My first SLR camera.
The Olympus Pen-EE, 35mm half-frame camera could shoot 72 pictures on a 36 exp roll
I even managed to get work to pay for some of my film development costs, by taking the odd picture (of telecoms equipment) during site surveys. This really helped me enjoy my photography and provided me with a lot more film and lab-processing than I could otherwise afford. It helped me gain experience as I learned to use my new camera.
I remember reading about the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and film speed. Having aperture and shutter priority allowed me to experiment with different values to see the effect in my photos, slowing down water, blurring backgrounds etc without having to worry about getting the exposure wrong.
Later, I started to build up my kit, adding a 70-200mm telephoto lens first, then a 28-135mm. The 50mm lens didn't really see the light of day after I bought zoom lenses. In fact, I took it out of my bag after a while. I took loads of photos, most of which were pretty unremarkable.
Creativity was limited to slowing down shutter speeds to give a sense of motion, a waterfall here and there, a moving vehicle showing the wheels turning, that sort of thing. Depth of field wasn't really in my repertoire any more with maximum apertures of f4.5 or f5.6 respectively on my new zoom lenses.
I purchased a cheap filter kit along the way adding colour filters for black and white, a starburst filter which I used to create unrealistic pictures of my car with the headlights on and most useful of all, a polarising filter which cleaned up shiny windows, or reflections allowing deeper colours, improved contrast improving some of my still very average pictures.
A cheap filter kit was bound to help me find my creative mojo… wasn’t it?
A few years later, I was in a camera shop, fancied a change and a used, Minolta Dynax 7000i caught my eye. It had new, modern features, a digital display, a shutter speed up to 1/4000th of a second. It also had a 3FPS burst mode, which I could simply not afford to use and never did. I felt like an enthusiastic amateur photographer now. A single lens covering 35-80mm allowed me to start travelling and recording places I visited. I still have some fantastic memories of amazing places, captured in quite unremarkable photographs with that camera but I enjoyed using it.
The Minolta Dynax 7000i had a burst mode I couldn’t afford to use
I've always taken a camera travelling but had more or less given up on trying to be 'good' at photography. I settled on recording memories of things I liked, places I visited or friends I met along the way. I accepted that I just wasn't very good at photography. I did however enjoy taking photographs, mostly using automatic modes but adding creative angles, or lighting here and there for dramatic effect.
My interest was piqued again briefly when cameras went digital but it was many years before I considered them good enough to replace my film camera.
Things started to change for me when Canon brought out their 'Digital Rebel' model 350D Digital SLR. This camera changed the face of photography forever and put a 'decent' DSLR into the hands of many thousands of enthusiasts worldwide at an affordable price.
It was their most successful DSLR of all time. The camera was only 8MP but did everything you needed and more importantly, opened up a vast catalogue of EF mount lenses from Canon and just about every other manufacturer. The possibilities were now truly endless, Canon have a vast range of lenses to suit all budgets and technical applications. I purchased my first digital DSLR with 18-55mm kit lens like so many other people.
The Canon 350D changes photography forever and put a DSLR in the hands of the masses
I started to get back into photography and relearned all those magical combinations of shutter speed, aperture and now ISO speed. Very quickly I quickly dispensed with the kit lens which was known to not be very good and added a few more lenses. Most notably, I saved up for a 70-200 f4L. A professional series telephoto with F4 aperture throughout the range. Not as expensive as the f2.8 version and no image stabiliser, but extremely effective at producing dreamy portraits by isolating subjects from their background with stunning bokeh.
I could create 'good' portrait shots again, just like I'd done all those years ago with my 50mm lens which I'd almost forgotten about.
I got talking with friends who'd also discovered this remarkable camera. Some of them were taking very impressive pictures and getting really creative. I met a chap, who later became my business partner, Jason. He ran a small photographic studio in Hertfordshire and was offering 'Group-Shoots' to earn a little extra cash for his studio. For £25.00, you could turn up and shoot professionally lit studio photos. Groups were limited to no more than 10 photographers. The studio would lay on a theme, models and studio lighting. Sets were metered up and photographers were given the settings to use, usually 1/125th sec, f8 & ISO100. I started to build a portfolio of much better images some of which impressed my friends.
I met a lot of enthusiastic photographers and got to see, and try some impressive cameras and lenses. Enticed by the immense creativity available, I continued going to the group shoots until I ended up helping to run them. My camera had been upgraded several times, but more importantly I'd learned about lenses again, the fundamental component to photographic creativity and the better place to spend money than on buying the latest camera body.
At this stage, most sensors were similar in size and it was the bells and whistles that differentiated camera bodies. In the studio, I was using manual settings, didn't need face recognition and modes but I could definitely benefit from some good lenses.
I started shooting behind the scenes at the group shoots. It was as interesting shooting the photographers as it was being on set. I was capturing the 'shoot' and creating some great imagery to advertise our 'group shoots'. I spent a lot of time at the studio andI started to get commissioned for my own 'paid' shoots and by definition transitioned to a professional photographer. After a white, I even quit my day job to do this full-time which worked well for a while. I built a steady stream of private and commercial clients.
Jason and I used to regularly set each other challenges and a favourite was the ‘50mm challenge’. One year, we went skiing together and took our cameras fitted only with 50mm lenses. They were pin-sharp with great contrast and bokeh. I came back with the best set of holiday photos ever.
I was so impressed that I never went anywhere without my 50mm lens and was usually looking for an excuse to use it. Notably, I got commissioned to do some photography for the Greek tourist board with 4 lovely models including Christina Russo. I had my Pelican case packed with L-Series glass and several camera bodies and Jason called '50mm challenge'. At first I thought there is no way I can do this without my pro lenses, then I thought about it and after some discussion with Jason decided it might just be a brilliant choice. I could actually shoot the entire week with just a 50mm lens.
I did exactly that and came back with a great set of photos and a happy client after a week of photography in Corfu. I worked at all times of the day and night, the 50mm lens was one of the most versatile and creative lenses I'd ever used, not to mention much lighter and easy to travel with. I had accepted the challenge on a pro shoot and this changed my attitude towards prime lenses forever. I know I came back from that trip, a better photographer too.
50mm Challenge - Agios Giordis beach, Corfu, Greece
I had mastered manual control of my camera and felt able to shoot anything. I had my preferred genres but wasn't afraid to tackle anything that was asked of me. I picked up some interesting commissions over the next few years.
For work, I was using the famous Canon 1D series professional bodies with L-Series lenses. I carted my gear around in a very heavy Pelican Case to keep it dust free and safe from harm. I shot absolutely anything and everything that came my way and learned that the most interesting stuff was usually the least well paid, and the most benign, often the most lucrative.
Case in point, Jason and I were commissioned to shoot 20,000 different buttons! Every kind of button ever made, plastic, glass, precious metal, leather, you name it I never knew buttons could be so varied. For 6-weeks solid, Jason and I would sit in my home studio and shoot, edit and catalogue buttons at night.
Things changed and the UK was hit with a bit of a recession back in 2007. At first I got really busy as advertising campaigns ramped up but then it went quiet as people ran out of money and the first budgets to get the chop were marketing. I'd sit and wait 3-weeks between phone calls. I had some work, but my 5-year business plan wasn't stacking up and I still had bills to pay. Much as I hated the idea, I went back to my safe, and much more stable telecoms work, picking up the odd photography commission here and there.
I got used to a regular, reliable income again and started taking photos for fun again more than for money. Being in regular employ, I was once again able to travel and needed a camera that was easier to carry about than the great big SLR I'd been using for the last 15 years.
At Photokina 2010 in Cologne, Germany, Fujifilm announced a high-grade digital compact camera with a large APS-C sensor and a fixed f2, 23mm lens (35mm equivalent field of view, FOV). The X100 took the photographic world by storm much like Canon's 350D and once again changed the path of photography for many. A compact, mirrorless camera with a decent sensor and a high-quality, wide-aperture prime lens. Everything you need to take great, professional looking photos just not as universal flexible as a Pro DSLR. Perfect !
I got excited about this camera and lots of working pro's claimed to have one of these in their kit bag, or use one for personal projects. Once it had come down in price a little, I bought one and took it everywhere with me.
It would fit in your pocket and looked like a retro camera. It reminded me of the Leica rangefinders a little. It's not a rangefinder but I nick-named it my 'Leica-look-a-likey'. It's been through several iterations since then and with every one gets better and better. The latest versions look identical to the original, but are faster, higher resolution and more refined to use.
Fuji have since become a respected name in professional photography make great cameras and even better lenses After the X100 I bought an X-Pro1. Much the same design, but with the ability to use interchangeable lenses. I started traveling with the X-Pro1 and a couple of small, very fast prime lenses.
I did a lot of personal projects with the X100 and X-Pro1 including a series called 'a great photo every day'. Travel was a breeze with either of these cameras, being small and compact. Using prime lenses honed my skills, control over depth of field and 'zooming with my feet' rapidly became the norm once again.
Paid work was occasional at this point and the canon gear was seeing less and less use. The Fuji kit was smaller, lighter and worked brilliantly in low-light. I remember photographing one of my son's plays at drama school using just the available light with a 35mm f1.4. The results were outstanding and all shot from my seat at the edge of an aisle without upsetting any of the audience with the giant white Canon lenses, and loud shutter.
The only thing I didn't like was the fly-by-wire electronic manual focus. It wasn't entirely convincing but was useable. The lens aperture control was operated in the traditional way, a ring on the lens, but like the focus was actually fly by wire, electronic adjustment but more convincing with physical click positions. A proper manual focus lens in this form factor would open the door to ‘zone focussing’, exactly what you need for candid street photography. I could never trust fly-by-wire focus to do this realiably because I couldn't tell at a glance where the focus was at without referencing the electronic scale in the viewfinder.
It was around this point when I first really started to take notice of the Leica rangefinder cameras. The fully manual and mechanical way they operate was precisely what I was looking for. I read anything and everything I could about them to the point where I felt I really understood them, could visualise in my head what shooting with one of these 1954 design masterpieces would feel like yet I'd never actually seen one in the flesh or held one in my hand.
I could imagine the solid, weighty feel and high quality controls. Precise mechanical clicks from the shutter speed dial, smooth manual focus, and luxurious yet precise selection of lens aperture. I could visualise what it would be like to use the rangefinder and how precisely I could use this to drop the focus exactly where I wanted it and see through the optical viewfinder it in all light conditions.
No question, Leica make ‘Marmite’ cameras, you either love them or hate them and to be fair, most people would never buy one. They are clearly not for everybody, being expensive is one thing but no more so than any mainstream brand pro camera. They do hold their value a lot better though. With very few if any bells or whistles to speak of they are not going to appeal to everyone. The most common question people ask about them is 'Why ?'. For me however the question was rapidly becoming, Why not ?.
In January 2017, Leica introduced the new M10. Four years later in 2021, there are currently 5 versions of the M10 as it's still the current model. It was November 2017 when I started looking at buying my first Leica and the previous model, M240 was still very much available and also had a full-frame 24MP sensor like the M10. The M10 had improved on the M240 in a few subtle ways but not so much so as to render the M240 obsolete. It was and still is a fantastic camera capable of outstanding results but with a new model available, prices were lower.
The M240 or to use it's formal nomenclature 'Leica M, Typ240', was originally launched in September 2012 replacing the previous model an 18MP, full-frame, called the M9. The M9 has a CCD sensor which was known for corrosion and expensive replacement but for some has the best ‘Leica look’ of all the digital M cameras.
It seems odd to think I was looking at buying a brand new, 5yr old camera, but unlike other mainstream brands, Leica kit is in relative short supply, all coming from a small factory in Wetzlar, Germany.
Leica M cameras have been used by some of the best photographers that ever lived and have created some of the world's most iconic photographs. This in part may be down to the small form factor, practicality, superior lenses and mechanical reliability, but you'll need some skill to use one well.
You would really be missing a trick if you didn't use Leica glass on your Leica camera. They produce some of the very best lenses in the world and they have a real character about them. Colour rendition, contrast, sharpness, low distortion, bokeh are all typically superb attributes that you'll hear mentioned during any technical review of a Leica lens.
After 3 years of dreaming of owning one of these cameras, I decided to buy my first Leica rangefinder. In November 2017, I met Tom, at London Camera Exchange, Baldwin Street, Bristol who is now one of my very good friends. He told me of a shoot that was taking place at Leigh Court, Bristol, a well-known wedding venue. A group of local photographers, make-up artists and models, were creating promo shots for the venue to simulate various wedding scenarios. Tom suggested this would be a great place to test the Leica for the first time and suggested I might like to 'Try' before I buy and put an M240 through it's paces.
Tom lent me a demo model, a black M240 and fitted it with a 35mm Summicron f2 lens. He also took along a 50mm Summicron and a 28mm Elmarit-M from the second hand stock at the shop for me to try.
I was really excited and couldn't wait to try the camera. The Leica felt like an old friend. I was instantly at home with it and though I'd never held one in my hands, knew instinctively how to use it. The menus were uncomplicated as I already knew, everything else was fully manual and worked exactly as I'd read. I didn't need any introduction to the rangefinder focussing, I instantly felt comfortable with it.
I'd read that when you 'nail the focus' on a Leica M, it was highly rewarding but was also warned that a new user should be prepared to miss the focus a good few times as it takes time to master. I also read that it slows you down initially and requires much patience. As an experienced manual photographer, this didn't really worry me but wasn’t in any rush to get my shots.
I'd learned of the exposure metering and how to dial it in using the led arrows in the viewfinder, how to estimate half or full stop over/under exposure and how instinctively to turn the shutter speed dial in the direction of the arrows to make an adjustment if a little over, or under exposed. it felt very natural, like I'd been using a Leica for years.
I fired off about 150 shots that day in all light conditions. I was able to push the limits of low light, test out depth of field, use natural light, studio light and check out the perspective distortion, or lack of in magnificent rooms with detailed and exquisite décor but more importantly for the test, lots of straight, perpendicular lines.
Paul pictured below was the very first portrait I ever shot with a Leica. In fact this was the first time I pressed the shutter on a Leica M and instantly set my heart racing when I saw the result. Not that you couldn't get this shot with another camera, but I'd nailed the focus first time and caught the light beautifully with no electronic aids or preview of how the shot was going to come out. I processed the shot in black and white but the original in colour was just as impressive and the colours really popped.
Paul Walker - The first portrait I shot with a Leica, the first picture I took with a Leica
I'd read somewhere that the rear screens on Leica's aren't the best, so you really need to check images on a computer to validate them. The image looked great on the rear screen but when I saw them on my computer, even better. My mind was made up, I was going to buy a Leica M and having used these three lenses I had to consider them too. It was looking as though I was going to have to sell not just some of my Canon gear, but realistically all of it to buy this new kit. An interesting position for a semi-working photographer to be in as there are clearly limitations with manual rangefinder cameras and particular jobs which I would no longer be able to do.
I purchased from Tom a brand new, Leica M240 in silver, the second hand 50mm and 28mm lenses which I’d used at Leigh Court and ordered a new 35mm Summicron in silver to match the camera. I wasn't surprised to find myself using mostly the 'nifty fifty'. One of my first photo shoots was at the opening of the new Queensferry Crossing. For 1 day only, people were invited to walk from one side of the crossing to the other in ticketed, organised groups. During the walk, I met the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon and managed to get a photo of her with my wife's parents who'd walked across the previous crossing some 50 years earlier.
The Leica 50mm Summicron is one of the best 50mm lenses ever made and it's actually the one by which other manufacturers measure the performance of their own 50mm lenses. Sharp does not begin to describe this lens and the out of focus 'bokeh', or blurred background on a Leica 50 is out of this world. The more expensive f1.4 Summilux, is known to have the best bokeh of any Leica lens ever made and is now my default standard lens. Leica also have the f0.95 Noctilux but it’s quite heavy compared to the other lenses is very expensive. Out of reach for most and with such a narrow depth of field, it’s a specialist lens.
In 2018, my work took me to Kuala Lumpur for a couple of years so I took my M240 with me. Every weekend, I'd walk around the city, or head to Singapore and started to build up my Asia portfolio. I've also spent a lot of time walking the streets of Kerala, South India with the Leica. I once walked the whole length of Chengannur during the Pongai festival where Hindus come from all over the country on a pilgrimage to the temple and the women cook an offering to the gods at the roadside waiting to be blessed by the high-priest later in the day as he comes through. I captured hundreds of images here and was delighted that Leica published some of them in LFI (Leica Fotographie International).
Pongai Festival, Chengannur, Kerala, India published in Leica Fotographie International
My best ever photo opportunity while travelling in India was spending 3 hours in the famous Dharavi slums of Mumbai. The most amazing and exhilarating experience ever in my lifetime.
I live to travel the world and do so as often as I'm able, leaving only footprints as I always say, and taking only photos. The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic has severely curtailed my travel, but hopefully we’re nearing the end of this difficult time and things will slowly return to normal.
My cameras these days are M10 models and I've settled on the Summilux lenses at 28mm and 50mm for most of my work .They are both brilliantly sharp, have amazing bokeh and being able to open the aperture up to f1.4, I can use them in low light too. I also keep a super-wide Tri-Elmar 16-18-21 and a 75mm Summicron for arty, super-wide or telephoto requirements respectively. I can fit the entire kit into a small kit bag or rucksack but usually just have just one camera with me with one or two lenses. As well as my digital cameras, I shoot a 1967 Leica M4 film camera. This usually loaded with Kodak Portra 400 colour film or Ilford HP5 black and white.
One of my digital cameras is the M10-D which has no rear screen and is one of the most controversial cameras yet for Leica haters. Leica say it’s a digital camera with an Analogue soul. For me it takes the magical experience of film photography and brings it into the digital world. Its the closest I can get to the film experience in one of the most stealthy setups you can buy without the hassle of processing film or scanning negatives. Everyone thinks it’s a film camera, who am I to disappoint? There is often merit to not having a screen on the back of your camera when shooting ‘street’. It takes digital distractions out of the mix and boasts a longer battery life than my other M10. The user has to work to understand how to get the best results but is rewarded with outstanding images befitting of a Leica Ambassador which is about as much as one could ask for from their tools of the trade.
The M10-D doesn’t have a rear screen, less is more, right?
So we come back to the original question, Leica Pourquoi ? (Why, literal translation ‘for what’). I think I’ve answered the ‘Why?’. ‘For What?’, the simple answer is, 'If I can’t shoot it on my Leica, I’ll leave it to someone else.' There are no shortage of photographers in this world. Each to their own and the nicest thing for me is that I’m no longer a full-time working photographer, so I just get to shoot the things I want to.
Whatever you shoot, enjoy learning about your equipment and how to get the best out of it. If you find that you're not getting the results you expect, take a step back and return to the basics. Remind yourself of the relationship between shutter speed and aperture and how it impacts the final image. Use ISO to tune the sensitivity of the sensor and understand how to use it in high and low light. With digital cameras, you have no reason not to fire off hundreds of shots and test things out. If you can, turn off as many of the digital distractions as possible.
For me it took a long time to really understand why my images were quite so unremarkable. I went back to basics and spent the next few years developing my own style. Now, I'm reasonably content with what I do, I just need more time to get out and enjoy photography.