Shooting My First Leica: Is It Overrated? 

Can we take a moment for the fact this guy makes ‘movies’ out of youtube videos🔥👏🏼 so fun to watch! Loved the shots as well!

Beautiful shots man, thanks for the vid!

More Leica videos needed from you sir

love the evolution of your content.. keep it up brotha.... Leica has always been in a class of its own.

The photos turned out 🔥🔥 btw, that reference was hilarious “not like us” 😂

So good to have you back! Excellent shots out of the Leica, of course, but the entire video looks gorgeous. Best shots I've seen from the S5IIX.

my guyy always with a bangerrr

Of course make whatever inspires you it's very generous to share your knowledge on here and it is appreciated. I would love to see more videos on lighting and posing and how you think about colors those really inspire me to go test things out and make things whereas gear focused videos break me out of that growth mindset and put focus on what components I don't have.

Brilliant images as always, mate.

The intros keep getting better bro 👊

man i love your videos and so much insights it has.

If one doesn’t use a Leica lens on their Leica body are they using a Leica.

My old Pentax K1000 I got back in like 1987 is all manual with a battery for the light meter as well, and take very similar photos as an M6

Looking clean! I may have to buy my brothers mp off of him and sell my red. But idk my m6 and m11 is fine. Really excited to see how you like the m11.

I was at the Leica storeLA and once I held the Leica MA I decided I need one… haven’t laid down the coin yet but soon! I think I’d buy a 50 and be done with it. Also wouldn’t hurt to have ND filters at hand for those bright days!

Great video buddy, I love my m6, we oughta go to LA and do a street photography shootout sometime.

Great Video!!

That wrap on your bronco is 🔥

You can get the M6 rangefinder updated to match MP to avoid the reflection issue

The "Rango" of RU-vid! Great vid!

I bought my Leica M6ttl in 2001. It was the best camera for Travel and Reportage Photography as it was small and lightweight with the best Lenses available. It also was the most quiet camera so I could even use it at classical concerts. But nowadays there are so many great mirrorless cameras which can do everything what a Leica M can do.

Try an M3 with the Voigt 50 f1.4....it's stunning. Loading film is painful but it gets easy and the rangefinder patch is the BEST....

I thought about buying a Leica film camera but the cost of film keeps going up, and I wonder how long will they still make 35mm film.

2:40 what's the song title? Neither Shazam nor google could find it

Thanks for sharing.

Love the Pana look!!!

I'm glad you finally said it, THE GLASS ! Especially for their film cameras. Old glass from their film era = character or a look about it. Nice bronco. Planned model shoot?

The Overland Bar in Redlands, CA.

Glad you're enjoying the M6. I find it interesting that my Leicas are the only ones anybody comments on. I can't tell you how many times I've had another body and nobody says a thing. Grab the Leica and it changes. I was walking around Ybor City in Tampa this week and had several comments about my M10. I love my M4 but for some reason I really have an itch for the M6 even though the only real difference is the meter. Maybe I just want one for the hell of it. 😀

congrats man ! let me get that x pro 1 !

Super interesting bro. What anamorphic are you using to film this video?

bro said: FUCC the 180 degree rule in that cinematic intro lol. Great vid bro, Leica's are all about feeling. if you get it you get it. if you don't it'd not for you and thats OK too

💙💙💙nice work 👍👍👍👍👍

Been shooting Leica’s in public places (London, Barcelona) for 10 years and can’t ever remember anyone spotting it was a Leica, only as an ‘old film camera’. People do get excited for a Rolleiflex though!

Just a quick note about your rangefinder window flaring, the older M cameras, especially the M6 didn't have a flare-resistant coating on the glass. The newer MP, M-A as well as the reissued M6 have this coating that cuts down on flaring. Hope you're enjoying your Leica journey, there's a lot to learn!

Oh, dang, you got the truck. Cool.

My zeiss and pentax super multi coated takumar lenses are the holy grail for me.

since you're ragefinding... you might wanna give a shot to the Olympus 35SP, Ansel Adams loved it.

when you get a Leica, I don't think it is possible to stop at one haha ;) for me it definitely wasn't! excited to see where else this will take you! squeeze all the juices out of it - they taste niceeeee :)

This is awesome.

Now begins your journey into an endless abyss. Now you’re about to experience the joys of Leica’s exquisite optics, which make a world of difference. Next, you’ll likely delve into vintage lenses, explore the Leica M11, and much more. Personally, I’ve fallen in love with the Portra 400 film paired with a high-quality ND filter, especially useful out west in the USA. One great advantage of Leica lenses is that they typically use E46 filters, meaning you don’t need a large collection of different sizes. The beauty of having a Leica kit is the ability to capture photos with simplicity. While simultaneously having a true cinema camera for video as another kit with all the new technology. For me, this translates to a combination of the Leica M6, M11, and FX6, with the immense pleasure of using my Leica lenses on all my cameras. It’s an endless journey, welcome aboard!

The body is a tool for the photographer. The glass gives you the sharpness. It’s not the camera it’s the photographer. Use it best to your ability.

Taking photos using a Leica is like telling the time using a Rolex (or any other luxury watch). Is it better? No. Is it more accurate? Probably not. But it gives you a feeling, and it’s a luxury. That’s all it is

I got the Leica bug a little while ago. Stick to the Leica M's and Q's. I have the SL currently and it's kinda garbage compared to other modern mirrorless cameras. You tend to compare the SL to other cameras like Sony, Canon, Nikon etc... Not so much with the M that's way more unique and is the true Leica experience. I tried the digital M but I'm left eye dominant so rangefinders don't work well for me. I ended up getting the SL and that was a mistake. I've been trying to sell it but Leica gear moves slow so I'm kinda stuck with it. Also a funny thing to note that you mentioned in the video.... I never had a model know what a Leica was. I thought the same... Models might react differently to the Leica... Every single one I asked had never even heard of Leica. I think the real reason I was getting better pictures with it was because I was more inspired shooting with it in the beginning and the models could feel that energy.

Fasten your seat belts folks. Cam got bit by the Leica bug. This should be fun!

The Mamiya 7II was the better option back in the day but it is not worth the heavily inflated prices for the used Mamiya.

I had no idea that Leica was making anamorphic cameras hahahah

Leica cameras are like Timex watches - they “take a licking and keep on ticking” But it’s the glass - oh sweet Jesus, it’s the glass…

fireeee

Did you ever notice that the rear door of your car looks like a camera with oversized pancake lens?

Leica - a slippery slope but in a beautiful way!

We all know that Leica has a great and deserving reputation from all these previous years ago..and gain "legendary" status among "famous" photographers" early on especially with street and documentary photographers with their M6 film cameras..etc...but in my opinion..these "modern times"..Leica has sadly become a "luxury brand"..and in some sense a "status symbol"..yes when you reach their level you can "justify" their price points but a "M6 film camera" still costing like what 5K for a Film Camera!!.Come on man!.. their is something wrong with that..haha Yes..its German made, quality, design..etc..we all get that and what they are producing..but in all honestly its obviously not an "everyman/persons' camera..Is Leica "afraid" of losing their "status"..so thats why they don't price their cameras within a reasonable and comparable price point as like Canons, Sony's top of the line model?..It would be awesome if everyone got a chance to expereince a "Leica Cameras"..at a reasonable price and be able to grab them any time like the other camera brands..yes we all pay a price point to get the "latest techs and specs" on our camera's..but you can't tell me a Leica's specs..AF, color rendering, low light, processors, sensors etc..is "worth more" than the next brands hardware and software? German "design" are worth more than "Japanese" ones?..haha ..they get some of their sensors from other brands..and yet they put their camera at a higher price point...haha Leica digital cameras should never be around 10K+..only cameras that justify those prices are like a Hasselblad medium format stuff, Phase One and other cameras like that where its reasonable and practical for high end studio and commercial photography etc..hence they cost more because of their intended purpose ..but not a "regular" mirrorless camera.. Leica seems overrated for what they are..

I've acquired multiple Leica cameras over the years, and I'm still not sure why people love them so much. Rangefinder technology seems flawed to me. You have parallax errors, especially at close distances, and limited lens compatibility compared to SLRs (telephoto and zooms). There's manual focusing and no through-the-lens viewing, meaning you can't see depth of field, focus, or exposure directly through the lens. Macro photography or action shots are almost impossible. Viewfinder framing can be less accurate, especially when using lenses of different focal lengths that require external viewfinders or frame lines. Focusing in low light can be challenging. Also, maintenance is an issue. I've had my M6 calibrated, maintained, and serviced multiple times for various issues (around 500 bucks each time), yet never had to do any of that with my Nikon F3. I get the tactile pleasure of using a fully mechanical M3-it's solid and extremely well-built-but the amount of hassle you have to deal with to get the job done is kind of crazy to me. The only advantage of shooting Leica back in the day was the glass, but nowadays it's not even exclusive to the brand anymore. You can mount Leica glass on any mirrorless body. I don't know. When I see videos of people using their new Leica, I can't help but think that the person is trying to justify their expensive purchase.

This is the wrong camera for the type of work you do my friend. These were mainly designed and used for photo journalism, where you preset the distance, close the aperture and the uncluttered view finder allows you to take photos of whatever it was you were after. Many war photographers used these cameras because they were solid and made of brass ( M2, M3) and they were tough and precise. Honestly you are better served with an SLR. You are very talented so you will produce great pictures whatever you used.

Bro you’re covering the rangefinder window with your finger. That’s why the focus patch may be disappearing on ya. Noob mistake that I also do from time to time.

Not overrated, but definitely overpriced. Yes, I also wasted my money.

There is no doubt that Leica quality is at the top, whether in terms of construction, reliability, and especially optical quality with this unique rendering. But when it comes to price and if we compare with what the competition is doing and at what price, it is clear that Leica sells 50% more for the just the brand name. And good for them if there are people who want to pay.

Nope

M6 = peasant MP :)

A camera has never suited you better

Why do Leica people want a single camera to the rest of their lives? Personally, I want them all :)

Commence Leica hate … look, anyone who’s been shooting for 10-15 years and mostly masters photography starts a second journey that makes no sense to everyone else. And then we buy a Leica and something triggers what photography first felt like. We say all kinds of dumb stuff trying to explain. But words fall short. 😂

A leica is an expensive piece of mechanical jewelry used to flaunt one’s wealth.

Wait until he discovers Zorki cameras 👌😎

No. It's overpriced!