I appreciate what you’re saying in this video. I came from Ricoh film to Canon film to Nikon D850 DSLR. I bought my first Leica Q three years ago and then traded to the Q2. Even though it has autofocus, I find myself shooting manual including manually focusing. It’s a different level of creativity that many will never understand. Keep at it! Will follow! Maybe I’ll wind up with an 11-d as well!
Thank you for sharing your journey from Ricoh to Canon to Nikon, and now to Leica. It's great to hear how you've embraced the Leica Q2's manual features for a different level of creativity. Shooting manually does indeed offer a unique and rewarding experience that resonates with many photographers. I'm glad you appreciated what I discussed in the video, and it's exciting to hear you might consider an M11-D in the future! It's wonderful to connect with fellow photography enthusiasts who appreciate the creative process. Keep exploring and enjoying the craft-thank you for your support, and I look forward to having you as a follower!
I'm currently shooting with an Sony a7rv and Nikon decades before that, but I've always wanted a Leica for some of the reason you hint at ~ a more methodical thoughtful approach to composing shots vs just spraying, is very attractive to me at this point in my life. Now if I can only get past the cost. I have a preorder on the Q3 but the M still calls me late at night.
It's great to hear about your interest in Leica for its thoughtful approach to photography. While the cost is steep, the Q3 is a solid choice. If the M series intrigues you, perhaps testing it could help decide if it's worth the investment.
@@TheSneakerPrincipal I bit the bullet and ordered an m11-P, you only live once. I've heard the Q is the gateway drug to the M so I just went directly for the M. Thanks for your video and reply.
I use a Canon 6d for street photography, and one of my lens selections is a vintage, manual Chinon 28mm with an aperture ring on the barrel. What you are describing, the approach using the Leica M11, is actually more about using it's manual lens. You don't need to use an expensive Leica to experience this. Just use a vintage lens on your Canon, and you will have that experience. Not saying it will give you the rangefinder experience, but that is not what you spoke about in this upload.
That's a great point. Using manual lenses, like your vintage Chinon 28mm, offers a unique and thoughtful approach to photography. The experience of manually adjusting the aperture and focus can be deeply engaging and rewarding, regardless of the camera brand. While the Leica M11 offers a specific rangefinder experience, the essence of mindful shooting comes from the manual control itself, which can be enjoyed on a variety of cameras. Your suggestion to use vintage lenses on a Canon 6D is a fantastic way to achieve this and can provide a similar sense of creative control and immersion. Thank you for sharing your insights and emphasizing that this approach to photography isn't exclusive to any one brand.
Hello from Holland! Great video. What interests me too is why you choose a 28 mm (assuming that is your only Leica lens at this moment). Most people tend to choose a 35 or 50. I am thinking about a Leica and can only afford one lens being 63 and a teacher all of my life..
Hello from across the pond! Thank you for watching the video and for your kind words. The choice of a 28mm lens for my Leica comes down to personal preference and the type of photography I enjoy. The 28mm focal length offers a wider perspective, which is great for capturing street scenes, landscapes, and even environmental portraits. It's a versatile lens that allows me to capture more of the surroundings, which I find important in my storytelling. Your decision to get a Leica is exciting, and choosing the right lens is important. The 35mm and 50mm are classic choices, often favored for their more standard and slightly tighter perspectives. A 35mm lens offers a wider view while still being close to the natural human field of vision, whereas a 50mm lens provides a classic, natural view that works well for portraits and everyday shooting. Given your background as a teacher and considering this is a significant investment, I suggest you consider what type of photography you enjoy most. If you like capturing broader scenes or travel photography, the 28mm or 35mm might be more suitable. If you prefer tighter compositions or portraits, then a 50mm lens would be a great choice. Ultimately, go with what aligns with your style and what you envision capturing. Good luck with your decision, and happy shooting!
I prefer Nikon (at the moment) so that’s what I use (at the moment) but I’ve used cameras old and new from most brands and I can do what I do with any functioning gear. Brand is merely a preference.
I completely agree with you! Like you, I've had the chance to use various camera brands over the years, each with its own unique feel and capabilities. It really underscores the point that the brand is a personal preference and, fundamentally, it's possible to create great work with any functioning gear. Your approach resonates with my own experiences. Whether it's Nikon, Canon, Leica, or any other, what matters most is how the camera fits into our personal practice and growth as creators. I share these thoughts and my journey with the Leica to provide a perspective that might be useful, but it's certainly not the only way. Each photographer's journey is distinct, shaped by their preferences, experiences, and the stories they want to tell. Thank you for sharing your view-it's a great reminder of the diverse ways we can all engage with photography!
I am 50 years old and so was taught and raised on film photography, which taught me to be very disciplined and discerning, thus have never been the one to indiscriminately press the shutter-release to fire off a burst of images. I have been able to maintain this discipline even with a digital camera. I agree with you that a Leica M can instil discipline to be discerning and conscious as opposed to being a robot on auto-pilot mode and firing indiscriminately. I wish the 3 iterations of retro Nikon digital cameras had virtually no features, and no automation, such a camera would appeal to purists but it won't increase Nikon's profits. I loved the old manual-focus Nikon SLRs such as the FM2n and the F3T. I don't expect you to reply to this, but you're welcome to.
Thanks for sharing your perspective! It's great to hear how your background in film photography has shaped your disciplined approach, even in the digital age. The appreciation for manual controls and the deliberate style of shooting that cameras like the Leica M encourage is truly valuable. Like you, I also have a fondness for classic manual-focus SLRs and the simplicity they offer. While modern features can be convenient, there's something special about the connection and intentionality that come with using purist cameras. It's a reminder of the artistry in photography.
make an experiment . take the same picture with leica and another camera with similar focal distances and same aperture. and see if you still want a leica ))))
That's a thoughtful suggestion for an experiment! I own a range of cameras including the Canon R6ii and R5, as well as the Fuji XT5, and have also owned a Panasonic Lumix G5 among various others. Each camera, with its unique strengths and quirks, has been appreciated for different reasons. I find the idea of comparing photos from my Leica with those from another camera at similar settings to be a valuable exercise. However, my experience with the Leica has been less about proving its technical superiority and more about how it changes my approach to photography. It challenges me to delve deeper into the craft, which is where I believe its true value lies-it’s not necessarily about being better, but about enhancing my skills and perspective as a photographer. Thanks for your suggestion-it's always good to consider different ways to explore and understand the tools we use. Your perspective is appreciated!
Some people just don't understand the experience of shooting with a certain camera, it has less to do with the finished product because all higher-end cameras are very good these days, but the experience of shooting with something like a Leica can't be explained to some people, it's an intangible factor that needs to be experienced to understand.
I appreciate what you’re saying in this video. I came from Ricoh film to Canon film to Nikon D850 DSLR. I bought my first Leica Q three years ago and then traded to the Q2. Even though it has autofocus, I find myself shooting manual including manually focusing. It’s a different level of creativity that many will never understand. Keep at it! Will follow! Maybe I’ll wind up with an 11-d as well!
Thank you for sharing your journey from Ricoh to Canon to Nikon, and now to Leica. It's great to hear how you've embraced the Leica Q2's manual features for a different level of creativity. Shooting manually does indeed offer a unique and rewarding experience that resonates with many photographers.
I'm glad you appreciated what I discussed in the video, and it's exciting to hear you might consider an M11-D in the future! It's wonderful to connect with fellow photography enthusiasts who appreciate the creative process. Keep exploring and enjoying the craft-thank you for your support, and I look forward to having you as a follower!
I'm currently shooting with an Sony a7rv and Nikon decades before that, but I've always wanted a Leica for some of the reason you hint at ~ a more methodical thoughtful approach to composing shots vs just spraying, is very attractive to me at this point in my life. Now if I can only get past the cost. I have a preorder on the Q3 but the M still calls me late at night.
It's great to hear about your interest in Leica for its thoughtful approach to photography. While the cost is steep, the Q3 is a solid choice. If the M series intrigues you, perhaps testing it could help decide if it's worth the investment.
@@TheSneakerPrincipal I bit the bullet and ordered an m11-P, you only live once. I've heard the Q is the gateway drug to the M so I just went directly for the M. Thanks for your video and reply.
I use a Canon 6d for street photography, and one of my lens selections is a vintage, manual Chinon 28mm with an aperture ring on the barrel. What you are describing, the approach using the Leica M11, is actually more about using it's manual lens. You don't need to use an expensive Leica to experience this. Just use a vintage lens on your Canon, and you will have that experience. Not saying it will give you the rangefinder experience, but that is not what you spoke about in this upload.
That's a great point. Using manual lenses, like your vintage Chinon 28mm, offers a unique and thoughtful approach to photography. The experience of manually adjusting the aperture and focus can be deeply engaging and rewarding, regardless of the camera brand.
While the Leica M11 offers a specific rangefinder experience, the essence of mindful shooting comes from the manual control itself, which can be enjoyed on a variety of cameras. Your suggestion to use vintage lenses on a Canon 6D is a fantastic way to achieve this and can provide a similar sense of creative control and immersion.
Thank you for sharing your insights and emphasizing that this approach to photography isn't exclusive to any one brand.
Hello from Holland! Great video. What interests me too is why you choose a 28 mm (assuming that is your only Leica lens at this moment). Most people tend to choose a 35 or 50. I am thinking about a Leica and can only afford one lens being 63 and a teacher all of my life..
Hello from across the pond! Thank you for watching the video and for your kind words.
The choice of a 28mm lens for my Leica comes down to personal preference and the type of photography I enjoy. The 28mm focal length offers a wider perspective, which is great for capturing street scenes, landscapes, and even environmental portraits. It's a versatile lens that allows me to capture more of the surroundings, which I find important in my storytelling.
Your decision to get a Leica is exciting, and choosing the right lens is important. The 35mm and 50mm are classic choices, often favored for their more standard and slightly tighter perspectives. A 35mm lens offers a wider view while still being close to the natural human field of vision, whereas a 50mm lens provides a classic, natural view that works well for portraits and everyday shooting.
Given your background as a teacher and considering this is a significant investment, I suggest you consider what type of photography you enjoy most. If you like capturing broader scenes or travel photography, the 28mm or 35mm might be more suitable. If you prefer tighter compositions or portraits, then a 50mm lens would be a great choice. Ultimately, go with what aligns with your style and what you envision capturing.
Good luck with your decision, and happy shooting!
@@TheSneakerPrincipal Thank you very much for your time and effort. You have helped me a lot.
I prefer Nikon (at the moment) so that’s what I use (at the moment) but I’ve used cameras old and new from most brands and I can do what I do with any functioning gear. Brand is merely a preference.
I completely agree with you! Like you, I've had the chance to use various camera brands over the years, each with its own unique feel and capabilities. It really underscores the point that the brand is a personal preference and, fundamentally, it's possible to create great work with any functioning gear.
Your approach resonates with my own experiences. Whether it's Nikon, Canon, Leica, or any other, what matters most is how the camera fits into our personal practice and growth as creators. I share these thoughts and my journey with the Leica to provide a perspective that might be useful, but it's certainly not the only way. Each photographer's journey is distinct, shaped by their preferences, experiences, and the stories they want to tell.
Thank you for sharing your view-it's a great reminder of the diverse ways we can all engage with photography!
I am 50 years old and so was taught and raised on film photography, which taught me to be very disciplined and discerning, thus have never been the one to indiscriminately press the shutter-release to fire off a burst of images. I have been able to maintain this discipline even with a digital camera. I agree with you that a Leica M can instil discipline to be discerning and conscious as opposed to being a robot on auto-pilot mode and firing indiscriminately. I wish the 3 iterations of retro Nikon digital cameras had virtually no features, and no automation, such a camera would appeal to purists but it won't increase Nikon's profits. I loved the old manual-focus Nikon SLRs such as the FM2n and the F3T. I don't expect you to reply to this, but you're welcome to.
Thanks for sharing your perspective! It's great to hear how your background in film photography has shaped your disciplined approach, even in the digital age. The appreciation for manual controls and the deliberate style of shooting that cameras like the Leica M encourage is truly valuable. Like you, I also have a fondness for classic manual-focus SLRs and the simplicity they offer. While modern features can be convenient, there's something special about the connection and intentionality that come with using purist cameras. It's a reminder of the artistry in photography.
make an experiment . take the same picture with leica and another camera with similar focal distances and same aperture. and see if you still want a leica ))))
He literally and repeatedly talks about the experience. Shooting as an experience, the two couldn't be more different.
Pay attention next time.
That's a thoughtful suggestion for an experiment! I own a range of cameras including the Canon R6ii and R5, as well as the Fuji XT5, and have also owned a Panasonic Lumix G5 among various others. Each camera, with its unique strengths and quirks, has been appreciated for different reasons.
I find the idea of comparing photos from my Leica with those from another camera at similar settings to be a valuable exercise. However, my experience with the Leica has been less about proving its technical superiority and more about how it changes my approach to photography. It challenges me to delve deeper into the craft, which is where I believe its true value lies-it’s not necessarily about being better, but about enhancing my skills and perspective as a photographer.
Thanks for your suggestion-it's always good to consider different ways to explore and understand the tools we use. Your perspective is appreciated!
Some people just don't understand the experience of shooting with a certain camera, it has less to do with the finished product because all higher-end cameras are very good these days, but the experience of shooting with something like a Leica can't be explained to some people, it's an intangible factor that needs to be experienced to understand.