Why I use Leica

First things first. A camera is a tool. A particular camera doesn’t make you a better photographer just by using it. 

I do think certain aspects of various cameras provide benefits for the photographer using them but only if you actually need it. For instance, great low light ability is wonderful for me but fairly useless for someone who has chosen to only shoot landscapes in the daylight. 

Now with that out of the way, let me tell you a story.

I’ve been photographing since I was a kid. I’ve been a professional photographer since maybe my early/mid 20’s back in the 90’s. I started with Pentax, moved to Canon for a long time and then switched to Sony for technical reasons at the time which have now been addressed by Canon (too late for me though). 

For most of my adult life I’ve been drawn to the masters of street and documentary photography. Many (not all) used Leica rangefinder cameras for their work. It piqued my interest but I was happy with my camera(s) and I couldn’t justify the price for what I was doing (and getting paid at the time). 

I began shooting more street photography as personal work to keep my head clear and my love of photography intact. With that, I began to crave a Leica again.

This time I had more reason but I still wasn’t being paid for it. It was personal. 

I found a wonderful alternative. I bought a brand new Zeiss Ikon and a 50mm lens (which happens to have the same mount as the Leica M). It was great. I learned everything I needed to know about rangefinders and I didn’t break the bank. 

That said, I still kept looking at Leicas. One day in a camera store in Scottsdale, AZ I had my Ikon over my shoulder and struck up a conversation with a photographer who worked there. He had an M6 and wondered why I had bought a new Zeiss. I told him all the wonderful things about my new love and he told me, you're going to buy a Leica eventually so why not start now (he wasn’t trying to sell me one either).  

I think I told him he was wrong and that I’m more pragmatic. He was right though. There is something magical (because I can’t fully explain it) about a Leica M. From the look to the feel and of course the lineage. 

Would the old masters that I looked up to use one now when there are so many choices? Who knows. They would use whatever made them happy the same way that I do. 

I have used many different systems and shot all sorts of things in my lifetime. I have bonded with many cameras and not others (I’m looking at you Sony) but nothing has really ever made me just feel as happy to hold (talking cameras here) as a Leica. 

I have 3 at the moment, an M3, M10P and an M10M. I don’t see needing another for a long time (or ever) since they are so good now and built so well. Who knows though. They are like beautiful watches and cool old cars. I’m not a collector of anything. I only buy things I want to use. I use the M10s daily. More than any camera I’ve ever had. One of them is with me everywhere.