Leica M. A couple of days later…

I’ve had a few days now to play with the Leica M and the Summicron 50mm lens. I have to say, the more I use it, the more I love it. In all honesty, I’ve been spoiled by my Canon 5D MkIII auto focus. Going back to manual focus is a bit of an adjustment, but well worth re-learning an old skill. The camera is built so well and feels so good to hold and use, it makes me wish I’d have bought a Leica instead of my first car. 🙂

I’m still experimenting with testing image quality, but from what I can tell, with limited experience so far, it is better than any camera I’ve owned. That said, I can’t really distinguish whether this is due to the quality of sensor or the quality of the lens. The Summicron 50mm f/2 is arguably one of the best lenses made. For comparison, I have the Canon 50mm f/1.2, which is a fine lens. But I don’t know if it is in the same league as he Leica.

The Leica and the Canon, are totally different cameras and are built to perform completely different functions. The Canon is a workhorse. It’s my daily bread and butter camera. It has never failed to deliver. With the right selection of lenses and the skill, you can create stunning images on a consistent basis. If I had to pick one camera to use to make a living, it would be the Canon 5D MkIII because of the image and build quality, lens selection, and the versatility.

The Leica, on the other hand, is the camera that explains why you fell in love with photography. It creates stunning images and is extremely simple to use. You select your ISO, use the meter to determine shutter speed and aperture, focus the lens, then take a picture. It’s small, it’s quiet, and it’s unobtrusive. You can carry it around and no one notices you. It can easily become a part of who you are, as if it’s a part of your wardrobe.

So, I’m going to avoid all the tech talk and speak more from my heart. I am really pleased with the performance of the Leica. However, it is not a camera for everyone. If you unaccustomed to using a manual camera, you may not like it. It takes more work and a little more thought to use, but the effort is worth it. Using the camera is overall a satisfying experience. If you are someone that is love with photography, in love with creating images that satisfy you, in love with the experience of capturing a moment in time, then you may just love this camera. The camera is expensive though, and some people will are argue that it’s not worth the money. But in my opinion, it’s worth every penny.

At photo at a local coffee shop.

Friday Afternoon. Copyright Ken Rieves Photography.

Next week I’ll post some image comparisons between the Canon 50mm f/1.2 and the Leica Summicron 50mm f/2.

Once a again, thanks for reading!

-Ken.