When it comes to photography, perhaps no subject has caused the greatest amount of angst and pushing of keystrokes for endless Internet postings than Leica … be it cameras or lenses. The focus for this entry will be Leica rangefinders and lenses.  Ah, the mythical Leica M system. These are the objects of desire that most are obsessed about. Leica single lens reflexes and associated lenses are a whole other rabbit hole to go down, yet they don’t evoke the degree of passion and mania associated with all things M.

Which rangefinder camera, what view finder frames, which view finder magnification, which film winding knob, which film loading system, what film advancing lever? Vulcinit or leatherette, black paint, black chrome or silver chrome, bronze or zinc body, what turning direction of the shutter speed dial, meter or no meter, and of course all the many special additions. Care for a Panda M6? I’m sure I’ve missed a few things, but you get the point.  Then there are the fabled lenses. Summarit, Summaron, Summicron, Summilux, Elmar, Elmart. Ah, the mystical words conjured up by German elves! What maximum aperture/model, what version, what lens coating, chrome or black, apo or non-apo, ashp or non-asph, what lens shade and of course the critical issue of bokeh quality that must be considered?

I know these can be existential matters causing countless sleepless nights for so many.

Let’s just make it simple. If you’re primarily a 50mm guy or gal then it’s an M3 for you. 35mm, then everything else is fine. If you can’t stand holding the camera base plate between your teeth while finding a safe place to rest you Leica while you load the your film spool outside the camera, then you want an M2R, M4 or later edition body. If you need a meter in your camera, then it’s a M5, CL, M6, M7 or MP. Oh sorry, for many Leica diehards the M5 and CL are really not true to Leica lineage and should not even be considered. The color doesn’t make a difference in taking a picture, but the black paint and black chrome does wear. Some people like that, some don’t. Sorry. If a few seconds longer to wind your film makes a critical difference, then an M4 or later is what you need. New or used? Etc., etc., etc.!  Then there are the lens decisions. Won’t even venture to try on this one.

Well that was simple, wasn’t it?

I own an M2 and an M3. Both were made in the 1960s.  My 35mm Summaron 2.8 and 50mm Rigid Summicron were both made around the same time. So my kit is almost 60 years old. Truth be told, I used to think about some of this stuff, but gave it all up a long time ago and I’m so much better off. You can easily get caught up in this stuff if your not careful. Yet it’s such a waste of time and a real diversion to what is really important – getting on with your work.

I don’t worry or care if there is anything better, because what I have works great and helps me make the kind of pictures I want to make … the same kind of pictures I could make with a Pentax or Nikon or Canon or Olympus or Minolta or Konica or Contax or Yashica or Topcon or Miranda or Ricoh or …

Stay safe,

Michael