So lucky this company survived. The most compact full Format camera (M series) along with world famous lenses and unsurpassed mechanical quality. For me this means: pure photography in a nutshell. A lot to say. We got lucky that Ernst Leitz II had the courage to build this legend, especially in this uncertain times.
Just like today's digital camera and technology designers have created the tools that will define the 21st century, 100 years ago Oskar Barnack was one of the visionaries who created a tool that helped define the 20th. The Leica camera made the immediate permanent and laid the groundwork for the ease and ubiquity of picture making that we enjoy today. The parallels with the transition from analog to digital are striking- according to this excellent short film produced by Leica, older photographers were slow to embrace the potential of Barnack's tiny "Lilliput Camera". But younger photographers were all over it. As a result, Capa, Cartier-Bresson, Solomon, Eisenstadt, et al did their thing and moved the medium into the modern age.
Yet the young and artistic-minded are running away from digital in droves...eager to re-connect with something tangible in the creative act. There is no historical parallel in the so-called transition to digital--such statements are a simplistic fantasy that implies only one method of image-making can 'win' in the 21st century. Barnack invented out of personal necessity. Digital, on the other hand, was born in the boardrooms of corporations whose only necessity is to invent solutions to problems that don't exist.
In one of the comments can be read when the Nikon F came, "the rangefinder was sort of ended" That is untrue. During the war in Vietnam most photographers had three 24 x 26 mm cameras. Two rangefinder Leica M 3 with normal and wide lenses and one slr Nikon F with a medium tele. Every photographer had Kodak Tri-X films in his cameras. United Press International wanted the Tri-X exposed at 400 ASA (ISO). Associated Press wanted the Tri-X exposed at 200 ASA (ISO). The Leica Tri-X negatives of photojournalist Kyoichi Sawada gave enlargements of 2 x 3 meter.
I love the portrait. To me, my Leicaflexes are a sort of view into Leica in flux between Rangefinders and SLRs... and while the Leicaflex line did cause Leica to pay a heavy price (and enter into a relationship with Minolta), there is NOTHING Like shooting with a Leicaflex... it's RAW and then some.
6.21 was a bit of an fail, it shows a contax - something that leica should shy away from :D given that contax had a bayonet lens mount and rangefinder in viewfinder during the 30's....... way ahead of the M series, and way better leica systems shutters and the idea of using 35mm film is genious, the cameras are beautiful works of art, but as soon as that nikon company moddified a contax to incorporate a prism finder and called that quick little mod the F1, the rangefinder was sort of ended. and sadly now, when rangefinders had a chance to come back, with the advent of digital, the fuji's did it way better with the hybrid digi-optical viewfinder. I say all this as a lover of all leica, as the old screw mounts and original M's fascinate me, but it's sort of sad to see the company now. the new cameras are nothing. when the m3 came out it was innovative, something to want, something ahead of others. now these m10's and stuff are only for hipsters with too much money and tech magazine writers. and they cant advance anything, they cant even upgrade the M series with anything meaningful. what was that m10-d about? sorry for the long rant. leica should just remake their old cameras, if they cant make anything new worth buying. an m3, or an m3 with an digital sensor. oh wait, that's all they have been doing for the last 50 years :D I really hope they get some spies and a working manager, and when the spies return from fuji and sony, maybe they can make something that is actually new and exciting, and somewhat worth the asking price.
Best lenses around, best mechanical quality, and smallest size and weight. Unbeatable. Prize is not important. Prize is the prize for a beautiful woman with a good character. For whom prize is an issue, should work.
I have a 1938 Leica lllb . After all that time, it`s still virtually "mint", and still takes outstanding photographs. Yay for Oskar!
A giant of humanity!
Thank you Oskar, wherever you are!
So lucky this company survived. The most compact full Format camera (M series) along with world famous lenses and unsurpassed mechanical quality. For me this means: pure photography in a nutshell. A lot to say. We got lucky that Ernst Leitz II had the courage to build this legend, especially in this uncertain times.
Absolutely wonderful. I am delighted to learn about this genius.
What an awesome history of the Legend!
My 1934 Barnack Leica ii is still working perfectly as well as a later iic, iiic & iiif. my favorite cameras for film photography.
Just like today's digital camera and technology designers have created the tools that will define the 21st century, 100 years ago Oskar Barnack was one of the visionaries who created a tool that helped define the 20th. The Leica camera made the immediate permanent and laid the groundwork for the ease and ubiquity of picture making that we enjoy today. The parallels with the transition from analog to digital are striking- according to this excellent short film produced by Leica, older photographers were slow to embrace the potential of Barnack's tiny "Lilliput Camera". But younger photographers were all over it. As a result, Capa, Cartier-Bresson, Solomon, Eisenstadt, et al did their thing and moved the medium into the modern age.
Yet the young and artistic-minded are running away from digital in droves...eager to re-connect with something tangible in the creative act. There is no historical parallel in the so-called transition to digital--such statements are a simplistic fantasy that implies only one method of image-making can 'win' in the 21st century. Barnack invented out of personal necessity. Digital, on the other hand, was born in the boardrooms of corporations whose only necessity is to invent solutions to problems that don't exist.
Thanks for this. I've a 1968 M4. Love it. Flawless!
Got a 20 mm Aus Jena screw mount back in the 70's, superb to put it mildly.
YES!
In one of the comments can be read when the Nikon F came, "the rangefinder was sort of ended"
That is untrue. During the war in Vietnam most photographers had three 24 x 26 mm cameras.
Two rangefinder Leica M 3 with normal and wide lenses and one slr Nikon F with a medium tele.
Every photographer had Kodak Tri-X films in his cameras. United Press International wanted the
Tri-X
exposed at 400 ASA (ISO). Associated Press wanted the Tri-X exposed at 200 ASA (ISO).
The Leica Tri-X negatives of photojournalist Kyoichi Sawada gave enlargements of 2 x 3 meter.
I always rated my trix at 200.
legendary camera nothing can exist infront of it
I use a leica iiif and and an elmar 5cm f3.5 daily...
Respect
🇹🇳
I just bought a iif in the year of 2020. can't stop using it ; )
I just got a iif as well I love it, but it is waiting for service then I will shoot it continuously!
Beautiful documentary, I watched to research for a presentation I am doing on the invention of the Leica I :D
Another bit of Leica lore: ruclips.net/video/hKxGbNXt_Is/видео.html
I love the portrait. To me, my Leicaflexes are a sort of view into Leica in flux between Rangefinders and SLRs... and while the Leicaflex line did cause Leica to pay a heavy price (and enter into a relationship with Minolta), there is NOTHING Like shooting with a Leicaflex... it's RAW and then some.
Goooood~~~
Habt ihr dieses ganze Video auch in deutsch?
What about the 35mm film cassette? Did he invent that as well?
yes
@7:24 I still own one of exactly these telephones, that Oskar had on his desk here... Unfortunately, not all original.
more videos like this and fewer partner cameras and better prices!
6.21 was a bit of an fail, it shows a contax - something that leica should shy away from :D
given that contax had a bayonet lens mount and rangefinder in viewfinder during the 30's....... way ahead of the M series, and way better
leica systems shutters and the idea of using 35mm film is genious, the cameras are beautiful works of art, but as soon as that nikon company moddified a contax to incorporate a prism finder and called that quick little mod the F1, the rangefinder was sort of ended.
and sadly now, when rangefinders had a chance to come back, with the advent of digital, the fuji's did it way better with the hybrid digi-optical viewfinder.
I say all this as a lover of all leica, as the old screw mounts and original M's fascinate me, but it's sort of sad to see the company now. the new cameras are nothing. when the m3 came out it was innovative, something to want, something ahead of others. now these m10's and stuff are only for hipsters with too much money and tech magazine writers. and they cant advance anything, they cant even upgrade the M series with anything meaningful. what was that m10-d about?
sorry for the long rant. leica should just remake their old cameras, if they cant make anything new worth buying. an m3, or an m3 with an digital sensor. oh wait, that's all they have been doing for the last 50 years :D
I really hope they get some spies and a working manager, and when the spies return from fuji and sony, maybe they can make something that is actually new and exciting, and somewhat worth the asking price.
牛逼 牛逼
Marvellous.
very nice camera. too bad Leica has nothing now but overpriced junk.
Best lenses around, best mechanical quality, and smallest size and weight. Unbeatable.
Prize is not important. Prize is the prize for a beautiful woman with a good character. For whom prize is an issue, should work.
Junk? Feel free to prove that's more than just a jaded, contrary opinion. 😏