Why I'm Selling My Leica Cameras
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
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In this video, I’m diving deep into why I’ve decided to sell my Leica MA film camera and my Leica M11 digital camera. As someone who’s been using Leica rangefinders for a while, I have plenty to say about what I love and hate about the system. Leica cameras have a special allure with their timeless design, build quality, and iconic status in the photography world-but they aren’t perfect. I’ll break down the pros and cons, from the unique shooting experience to the quirks that made me question if they’re worth holding onto.
If you’re considering purchasing a Leica rangefinder-whether it’s a film or digital model-this video should help you decide if it’s the right investment for your style of photography. Are you ready to commit to manual focus and minimalist design, or are there better options out there?
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you team Leica or leaning towards another camera system? Drop your comments below!
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If I was shooting how/what you shoot, I definitely wouldn't be on Leica either. I grab a street portrait now and then and while I'm pretty quick with a focus tab.. it can still be super awkward because people are used to phones (instant focus 100% of the time).
It's funny, though. You talk about the contemplative "slow you down" nature of Leica... but I think maybe that's often psychology and not kit. I shot that way on Fuji and Sony but I don't shoot that way on Leica. It doesn't have any features to push aside, autofocus to manage, etc. It's transparent and I just zone and keep my body where I need to be. I shoot more shots than I ever did with other brands. I can slow down when I want or need, but most the time I'm just strutting around NYC or goofing off with my family and the Leica disappears in the moment.
I think it's super common to finally get the Leica then just decide it isn't for you. I see it all the time in Leica groups and forums. It's a very niche tool and really not correct for the vast majority of shooters. A sony or some such is an absolute no-brainer in almost all cases. We're lucky to have all these killer tools.
Yeah dude, well said. You’re right that Leica just isn’t for me and that’s likely all psychology. I appreciate it and I’m impressed with it but it doesn’t fit me the way I’d hoped. The great news is that there are so many great tools out there, we can choose the one that works for us!! Thanks for the solid comment!
@@VelvetAlfredoI must be the only photographer who uses a Leica MA for photographing Formula-One racing cars in motion.
Thank you for bringing up your considerations. Very helpful.
Hallelujah - for once somebody explaining the Leica mirage as it exactly is. Well done my man. So many people equate the myth, 'quality', legend and price of Leica, with it being so much better and worthy for every task. I know of at least two photographers here in Australia, who actually gave up on Leica because one of their cameras broke or stopped working, and nobody could fix it here in Australia. It had to go off to Leica in Germany and took over 6 months to fix. These guys were now stuck with one camera and in an uneasy situation. They ended up baling and going with one of the great Japanese alternatives. I just came back from 5 weeks photographing in New Zealand. I accidently dropped on of my Nikon Z bodies and broke it. It was quite a major repair. When I got back to Australia, I sent it off and it was repaired in just over a week. I'd hate to think if it had been Leica. These contraptions are brutally expensive here in Australia. M11 is 13K just for the body and the 24-90 Vario aperture Leica lens is over 6 K. There is nearly twenty thousand dollars for one body and one lens. Ridiculous!
Thank you Velvet. I shot Leica film from the IIIC to M6 for years on the street and really enjoyed it. After shooting digital I eventually bought the Leica limited release me 240 a few years back upon release and after 1500 shots or so sold it. I absolutely hated the camera. I still have many of my old Leica lenses if one wants the "Leica look". The Me 240 was way to slow, heavy clunky and not responsive like the Leica film. I purchased the Sony a7c a very small camera and then the a7c2 and own them both. The Af on these cameras are really amazing. I shot manual for years on the street and developed in the darkroom. I like to use the best tools available for me to get the shot I am looking for. I shot of without looking through the viewfinder on the street. By the time I lift the camera to my eye the shot can easily be gone. I use the 40mm f2.5g very small lens. These cameras are amazing and produce superior images to my Leica digital. Leica is fortunate in that they are really living on past glories from a romantic period of photography with the like of Bresson, Doisneau, Capa, Eisenstadt and others. An overpriced camera and to me it is about the image and the ability to capture what I see unless you shot flowers or architecture and have time to compose
Sounds like you’re a few years ahead of me in the camera journey! I think everyone gravitates to the gear that they enjoy using and in my case, as much as I tried, it just isn’t Leica! Thank you for watching!!!
I have Leica M11P and Leica Q2 Monochrom. Even when I use the Q2M I switch to manual focus as the auto focus is slow and not reliable in some cases. For me, I always get that precise focus that I need. With practice this should not be a problem. I have to mention though, that I don’t travel with just Leicas. I have to take my Canon R5 with me for fast auto focus and clinical clean images. Great video. Many thanks.
You’ve saved me!! trying to start doing more street portraits.
Haha glad I helped!!
Thank you for this video
Such a waste of money changing brand so often, so quickly. You creators contribute to spread consumerism which is a very bad thing for the environment. Poor planet
Bad for the environment?
@@Parkerj501 I see you never miss modern world problems, princess
@@Parkerj501 Yes. All that stuff that they keep putting in to these imaging computers called cameras, do not naturally grow on the trees. Just because we do not see the damage that is caused by mining the raw material does not make them clean. Very similar to this stupid EV cars. Only because the rare metals to make the battery and the motor were mined in Asia or Africa and we do not see the damage to the environment and the pollution caused in the mining areas, does not make the EV car anymore environmentally firendly than an inetrnal combustion engine.
They make videos about why they had to buy Leica. Then, they make videos about how Leica made them a brilliant photographer. Then they make videos about why Leicas were no good for their style of 'photography' and they had to sell them. Someone ought to remind them that buying expensive cameras do not make a photographer, Leica or otherwise. Just have a look at the junk that 99.9% of them produce and spread it all over the internet.
Someone else will buy the cameras and use them. It doesn’t get dropped into a landfill or get tangled up in birds wings.
Using a phone and charging those horrible lithium ion batteries and posting on RUclips is hardly helping the environment either
I must disagree about the resolution of film. Even 35mm film when scanned properly with a high megapixel camera (like the M11) and a good macro lens - has extreme detail and resolution to it. And then if we're talking medium format, nothing from the digital realm can still come even close to the resolution it provides. Yes even the 100MP Hasselblad X2D or the Fujifilm GFX100II are not true medium format cameras as their sensors are still smaller than that of a shot on 120 film. If we're talking large format, nothing will ever come close to it.
Medium format is legit but the effective resolution of 35mm film is generally understood to be under 25MP - makes sense too because medium format was used for print and advertising whereas 35mm was the darling of documentary news photographers. I don’t wanna bad talk film (I love it) but a 60MP blows the best 35mm scan out of the water (resolution wise). Of course, the film may still look more beautiful hahaha
I have only a „poor man’s Leica“ for analog photography, but I really like the rangefinder and the design of my Canonet (maybe I would prefer the Leica M-A design, but I‘m not sure, because the Canonet is really compact and pocketable, even if the Leica looks better designwise).
But is there any better choice for digital photography than a advanced smartphone in up to 99% of all use cases?
Funny you ask about smartphones. My next video is about the Sony A7RV vs iPhone 16 Pro for street portraits. Should be out Monday or Tuesday!
Leica M is a niche camera. But if you like them and you’ve used one, you’d agree there’s nothing else out there exactly like it.
Yeah the rangefinder experience is definitely unique!
It’s a fast tool, it took me 2013-2015 to get fast on a rangefinder, to learn how to gage distance, timing, focus ring placement and I like shooting 5.6 and under. Then you crack off a frame so fast and nail it. It is a wonderful feeling. I don’t want to sound negative, I just think it’s worth keeping. It’s a tool and it take a long time and lots of practice to master. Don’t sell your m11. 2 years from now you will say why did I do that.
I just don’t use it anymore so it should go to a good home. Def get that you CAN get fast with it. I think, fundamentally, rangefinders just aren’t for me!
No, you definitley don't need a Leica for what you do. One of those throw away Kodak cameras will suffice.
I realized i need a reliable auto focus for street photography after my first outing 10 years ago :) im surprised it took you so long to realize range finders are just unnecessary work.
I shot manual focus street for years in LA but find that it’s a whole other game to snap these street portraits where I need to move MUCH faster
Leicas were never designed for the sort of photography that these guys want to do, whatever it maybe. With a classic Leica, you use a 35mm lens most of the time or perhaps the 50. With these lenses you set the aperture to F8, set the focus distance to 6 meters and you are covered for most of the situations in documentary photography that you may encounter. Up until the mid 1980s, most Leica users only had one lens, more often than not a 35mm and perhaps with a 50mm or 90mm if they had to have them. No one could afford a bagfull of M lenses, nor that it was necessary to keep on changing lens. With digital and the facility of live view, things changed. In the old times you had to have 20/20 vision and a well calibrated lens to the camera to hit the foucs with a 50mm F1.4 Summilux, but these they keep on buying stupid F1.0 lenses and then complain that the lens was soft. The lens was not soft, the guy just couldn't focus!!! Leica has a romance and prestige attached to it, so most of these guys and girls just use it as a tool to make their videos stand out. The quality of the content they produce is best described as Shite...
@@lensman5762 Great comment! Totally agree...(M11 user)
@@VelvetAlfredoI agree with what you said about Leica Ms being too slow for candid portraits of strangers, they are giving you their valuable free time so you need to work fast otherwise you’ll irritate strangers; I have the M11P; and the Cannon R5/2, for different subjects; the R5/2 has automatic Focus-Stacking feature which the Leica M11P doesn’t have.
Number one gripe is always the price. I would never buy an M11 as my entry point into Leica M. Apart from anything else, the newer M bodies always seem to have a bug of some sort. The M10 is almost everything an M11 is, cheaper to buy and sorted as far as tech issues are concerned.
However, if I was going to buy a digital M that matches my film M workflow, I'd buy an M240 or M262 (around $2000 used) and only after using it for a year or so would I consider upgrading to an M10 or M11, probably an M10.
Yeah that’s definitely makes sense. After doing a bit of research, I had heard good things about the new 61MP sensor in the M11 and Q3 (and the Sony A7RV). After over a year of use, I do think the sensor is the shining star (technically) with the M11. Its rendering and color is just so beautiful.
You’re basing your retirement of Leica on not being able to focus on someone’s eye in 90 seconds. I think you were ready to move on anyway, irrespective of gear.
I did the same..... now I'm looking to buy another M11 😂. Trying to scratch the itch with a Zf+ Leica lenses (and ttartisan adapter) because I'm not a big fan of using the Leica lenses with the rV and rIII, but there's no denying the Leica experience is very unique.
What made you want to rebuy?
@ compact lightweight form factor had me carrying the M11 around everywhere everyday compared to walking through the grocery store with an A7rV with a 35GM on; range finder is great for night/low light compared to trying to get the Sony's to lock focus on the desired object; less professional looking to people in public so when I'm bring the weirdo photographing the light hitting some wall next to people the people are often more intrigued by the camera than worried about what I'm doing; love the sensor and resolution (which is the same as the rV); and a few other reasons. However, price, lack of ibis, cost to replace, and close focus limitations are reasons I'm trying out the Nikon Zf before I pull the trigger on another M11. I've owned a couple M240's and an M10 alongside all the film M bodies and the M11 is the perfect M package, IMO. If the M12 has ibis I'll preorder it and sell all my Sony gear lol.
I'm kind of surprised you prefer the Sony for your use case - an M body with an SF24D (and perhaps Flash cable for off camera use) seems like a great option, but I hear your points made. I think perhaps we all go through the same thinking process - we love/miss the speed, accuracy, and ease of something like an rV so we buy that and use it for a while, but then we start missing the quirks, limitations, and process of using an M or more manual style camera, so then we start seeking that experience again. I've gone mirrorless/dslr -> M -> back to mirrorless/dslr -> back to M more than I'll admit 🤣. If I made more money I'd own both systems concurrently, but for the time being I can only have one at a time.
@@Brett_Huff i use a7cii for a lightweight setup, also you can disable settings preview(live view display-settings effect off) and you will work "kinda" like rangefinder. no issues with eye focus even in a veeery dark conditions
@ the primary issue I have using Sony bodies with MF lenses is the focusing process. Zooming in to focus is great for static subjects, but not for most others; having to double tap the zoom to get into 200% is also not ideal. The Zf comes the closest to using a rangefinder patch while still having the full frame in view by providing focus confirmation both by the focus square turning green and the arrows/circle at the bottom of the screen.
With an M I can track subjects moving back and forth with the rangefinder patch and quickly recompose and snap the shot when they get into the location/composition I'm looking for. When I'm zoomed in on the Sony I lose the whole scene. At F8 focus peaking has everything in the scene lit up so knowing the critical focus point is impossible unless you zoom in to confirm.
I do a lot of zone focus shooting as well and when doing that the body is irrelevant so I don't mind using the Sony. But if I need to focus quickly or track a moving subject by manually pulling focus there's no comparison to the rangefinder. I love the size of get C bodies though. My a7riii isn't much bigger than a C and to me feels much smaller than my rV so that's kind of the sweet spot for me.
@@Brett_Huff I sold and bought m11 :D Like you said.. there is nothing like leica experience... Also try m lenses on sl2 sl2s :D Yeah nikon looks hot and size is smaller, but when you want to use EVF... use good EVF, plus shuttersound ect.
Generally, Leicas offer better experience at the expense of results. You’ll cherish the shots you do get a lot more because you’ll miss most :-) I never feel I need a backup camera when I take my RV out, but as much as I love holding my Qs and now my SL2s, I’m forced to keep a Sony in my backpack in case I run into a scene that is really worth photographing 😂
Hahahaha. This feels right. I def have picked up my Sony when I KNOW I can’t afford to miss a shot. Family vacation: bring the Leica, who cares haha
That says more about your capabilities as a photographer than about Leica.
@@goldfinch2283 photography isn’t about the how, it’s about the what. No one looking at your photos will give a single toss about the focusing mechanism. Getting over the friction introduced by a range finder feels good, but it’s masturbation masquerading as mastery. Leica themselves acknowledge the limitations of the rangefinder, hence the Visioflex.
Most of people buying Leica paying their money to this expensive camera because they are RF shooter and right now Leica is the only manufacturer keep making RF with latest technologies (Yeah there are company called pixii doing the same thing in france but their products not availiable worldwide and with their list price i'm strongly advice to get used digital M like M240, M10). And according to your video you dont look like a RF person at all (because you seem to pick the shot with LV instead of optical viewfinder/RF). So it looks really wise choice to transition to another one. By the way i really dont get it to buying a M-A, I mean if meter isnt important option, you could get the M2 or M4 in good condition with only 1/3 price or you could get some iconic M3!
It’s true that Leica’s M series is really about the rangefinder style and I think I’ve discovered rangefinders just aren’t my jam haha
I own a Leica M11P yet I never use its RF focusing, I only focus using the rear LCD as framing and focusing is much easier and faster via the LCD. I bought the M11P because it doesn’t attract anywhere near as much attention as say a Nikon D850, plus I get great build quality, and a simple camera in a small package.
Like 100 I felt this to be a fair point of view Kudos VA
Hey dude I appreciate it.
I’ve been shooting on a Sony A7CR for the last year, frequently with Voigtlander manual-focus lenses. It’s a way cheaper alternative to the Leicas and lenses, and gives you the same performance. The M11 and Q3 use the same 60MP sensor. And the choice of Sony lenses is way more flexible.
Exactly. With Sony, I can use the same lenses and shoot manually if I want, otherwise I can use Sonys incredible autofocus.
Owning a Leica is more of a status symbol and the number of postings of RUclipsrs first talking about getting a Leica and then awhile later selling continues ad nauseam. Shot them in my film days back in the 80's (M4-P and M2 with 28, 50 and 90mm lenses). They're nothing special IMO. At the time they were the only Rangefinder option. We have that rangefinder form factor in the digital space and Fuji is where I went and glad I did.
I bought Leica cameras for their simplicity, and find them a pleasure to use. Frankly, I don’t care what anyone thinks of my photography gear.
I also have other brands’ kit (Nikon, Canon, Hasselblad, Arca-Swiss), but I prefer using my Leica cameras and lenses (plus other brand lenses made for Leica mounts).
@@johnkasianowicz6536 Agree with the above. Number one it's the rangefinder focusing, number two it's the simplicity (workflow and menu). Fuji is NOT rangefinder focussing.
Agree - not the right tool for your job which you needed/wanted to do. Leica M is not the tool for fast photography as you described - I agree from my experience that the camera and manual lens gets into your way in this kind of situations. An exchangeable lens mirrorless or even DSLR camera is better here especially when using flash, too. I enjoy my Leica gear (digital and film), but it is simply a more expensive camera tool with luxury brand label. I cope with all the Leica hype because I like the smaller sized camera/lens M system for easier travelling mostly. Since I am using more wider lenses, adapting M lenses to another brand MLC was not the best option. And also I don't use the latest camera M models either.
I def dig manual focus street photography at times, but these days, it’s just not my vibe. The Sony a7RV just has me covered six ways to Sunday
did you tried r5 with leica lenses?
I did! The Sony A7RV works really well with the manual focus M-mount Leica lenses (via a small adapter). I’m keeping most of my m-mount lenses haha
You just need to be aware that some M mount lenses perform worse on Sony cameras than on Leica cameras or film. The corners can be super soft with color casts because of the Sony using thicker microlens glass on their sensors. Not all lenses are affected of course.
For the stuff I do on trains, an M would never work. I’ve had some luck with manually focused Loxia lenses on my Sonys, but by and large, AF for the win. ruclips.net/video/jbB86rSBTEk/видео.htmlsi=Lk4qqYmjnkVOs-xZ
The Leica Q’s are not “just an autofocus camera”.
I def didn’t mean to be dismissive of the Q3 but in my experience, it didn’t feel special. The autofocus was slow and I didn’t find it particularly impressive especially given its price point. However, I def liked the lens.
@ I wasn’t criticizing your desire to not keep the camera. I just wanted to point out that the Q cameras are a blend of old and new school. In addition to a nifty built-in Macro feature, they have auto aperture or manual aperture on the lens (or as Ken Rockwell would say it’s a non-gelding lens), AF or MF on the lens (no fly-by-wire), auto shutter speed or manual (on the body), and a minimal button design.
The 28 mm and 43 mm Q cameras obviously weren’t designed for long telephoto sports or wildlife photography, so I didn’t expect them to have blazingly fast AF. However, my Q2 Monochrom (which I regrettably sold, but now at least have an M11 Monochrom) focused fast enough and my Q3 43 does too for reportage, street photography, and family shoots.
Good money Leica stuff ?
Seriously, who cares. I don't see the point of these dumb videos, " why I am doing ........" People dont care. I stopped watching at 6 seconds because I had to take time to move my coffee and grab the mouse or else it would have been 2 seconds. Again, nobody cares what you do with your cameras and I don't see the point in these videos. Thumbs down for an idiotic subject.
This hurt my soul a little
Hahaha. I feel you. But they just sit on my shelf!
@@VelvetAlfredobecause you’re lazy 😊
Bla, bla, bla….. who cares what you use to take your extremely uninteresting images. Nobody ever said that Leica’ s make a lousy photographer any better.
What is this with this leica crap , there is far better cameras out there for fraction of the price ffs , why suffer out dated products , sony is much better , and you know it , move on ffs
Build quality shmolity 😅
If you want the FULL rangefinder experience, they’re really the only game in town (other than Pixii). But you’re right, if you’re price sensitive, there are way better options across the board
Leica cameras are underpowered and overrated. They are a prime examples of why expensive doesn’t always mean better. You can’t even try to say they had superior build quality back in the day when a Nikon Fm2 literally saved a man’s life in Vietnam.
It’s def true that Leica’s M series of cameras can’t compete on specs to many other brands. They are really well built, but so is Sony (among others). I don’t regret purchasing it, but I guess I just found it isn’t the camera for me.
Think was an F3 saved DM's life
@@VelvetAlfredo It's not 'competing', it's different. Like a clay oven can't compete with an air fryer.
@@ChrisWhittenMusicyeah only mean on a spec sheet. The M11 isn’t intended to do many of the things that are standard in other camera brand options and I think that’s where the complaints on price come from, if you try to do a raw spec comparison across camera brands, Leica seems dramatically over priced, but Leica intends to offer a different photography experience that they believe is worth the extra dollars.
@ Sure, I’m just saying you get a very similar experience with an M10, or the even lower priced M240. I just bought an M10.