Video @ 7:37 "Focus & recompose" - One can also ADD the annoying issue of NOT RECOMPOSING after focusing their Leica (the subjects are always centered). I find that so many Leica photographers ignore, forget or don't know about the Rule of Thirds and/or Looking Room principles...
Even after shooting many of the other brands in the digital age I have never been happier then with shooting my Leica M's. I thought I would miss all the fancy features like auto focus, IBIS and the huge menu's, but no.. It's a much simpler way of making images that just look amazing.
Sorry I missed the questionnaire, my biggest problem, with my “smoking hot” M4/Noctilux v2, the cloth shutter, if I forget to attach the lense cover on the Noctilux v2, it will inevitably burn a hole in the cloth shutter, while sitting in t’ California sun.
Hi Matt, you are raising interesting issues, or at least giving a voice to interesting issues raised in your poll. Rather than problems, I would think of them as frustrations: users are not getting what they expected, because they may have the wrong expectations, ask from the camera what it is not designed to deliver. One more point, from the description a lot seems to come from lack of practice and expertise (loading the camera, lens cap, horizon, exposure), so these should be easily fixed with the right expectations and the right amount of practice. First and most importantly regarding Leica rangefinders: the user/buyer has to know what these cameras offer, what they were designed for, what he/she is in for. As stated by Leica head of lens design as well as the director of camera design, Leicas rangefinders, from Day 1 (using 35 mm instead of glass plates or sheet film) are designed for compactness. Given that the issue is to keep quality (which means cost for camera and lens, cost for quality control. manual checking steps all through production). Rangefinder cameras are definitely designed to work with a limited number of focal lengths (without any visoflex (for film) or EVF), namely 28 mm, 35 mm, and 50. 75 becomes tricky, under 28 requires an external viewfinder. So if one plans on using anything else than a 28, 35 or 50 mm prime lens I think they should look for a different camera or buy a recent one with an EVF... but this latter step kind of defeats the point of owning a rangefinder. In conclusion a Leica M is not just any camera, it is a very specific type of camera with a limited amount of possibilities but great compactness, great feel, design and craftsmanship, great lenses for its compactness. Now as a Leica user for over 35 years I'll share my experience regarding the problems raised. Loading: yes, not automatic. One way to check if the camera is loaded correctly with film is to turn the rewind crank/button as if rewinding the film until feeling some resistance and then advance the film... if the crank/button does not turn while you are advancing film then your film is not attached to the receiving spool, start loading again. Lens cap: just have a mental check list if you have anything below an M5. Above M5 all Ms (just one exception) have got light meters and it will tell you from its reading your lens cap is on. Horizon: Matt's tips are good. Just practice and create your own strategy. For recent digital M, the EVF provides an electronic level. Rangefinder accuracy: compared to any SLR (not DSLR that have contrast focusing), the focusing base of the Leica rangefinder is wider than any SLR focusing system so it is indeed more accurate, and faster Works better in low light too. And that is why many bought Leica Ms. Depth of field, zone focusing and hyperfocal distance: these are extremely easy to master once they are understood. Just learn (easy) and practice (time consuming). But here the camera cannot be held responsible for a lack of knowledge or practice. Exposure: same as above. Once understood where and how to measure light it is fast and easy. All the more once understood that in most circumstances if the light source, its intensity and one's distance to it does not change there is no need to change the settings (the light intensity is strictly the same, so exposure should match it. Experience and practice help here too. Parallax: M cameras are not designed for close focusing or long telephoto lenses. That's it. Of course there is the Visoflex (for film cameras-cumbersome and not that practical), or the recent EVF but technically rangefinders are not designed for that. One will be better off with an SLR or a DSLR for extra wide-angle lenses and telephotos (as well as zooms). Now regarding robustness and problems with the rangefinder while traveling: it is true that the rangefinder can be sensitive to vibrations and knock/bumps. Well, the adjustment of the ground glass and the mirror on an SLR too, we cannot forget that. And that can happen on a Nikon FM or FM2 (it happened on my F3 after someone rear ended my car. The very same thing happened to my M6. Both had to be checked and adjusted). Conclusion: M cameras (as well as previous Leica range-finders) are extremely apt in limited situations for which they are designed. They are specialised tools. They work well within their specialty, not that well outside of it. In that respect I have always wondered why use any Leica M lens at f 1, or even f 1.4 for that matter (except on a recent digital M with its EVF). The depth of field is so narrow that any move, or problem with the rangefinder will result in the image not being focused where it should.
Thanks Bruno! Great points and I teach the same way to load film as you mention (in the linked blog version it describes in detail as you write here. Good stuff. Thanks for confirming RF accuracy vs SLR. That was my belief. When editing this video I was thinking I might need to make a part 2 to balance the "argument". RF cameras are niche and perhaps I need to make a video to spell that out.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Yes that is an interesting and fair idea. The M world is not for everyone at any time, one has to be ready for it. I speak from experience as for some time (some 15 years) I did not feel ready to it and stuck to my Nikon equipment. This type of video might be useful for the audience, especially the younger generation who hear about the brand, the history, the aura of Leica Ms but are not ready for it, those who discover film (which is a way to enter the Leica world as used Leica film cameras are accessible -although an M240 is not too expensive these days and does a really great job if one does not go too high in ISO). By that I mean they expect from the camera more than it can deliver and they do not already understand the value of the discipline and philosophy of the M line, for instance, of using one specific prime lens for everything. One has to get the frame into one's mind, the Leica M is the perfect unobtrusive tool for it. Each stage of life/photography has its tools, at their stage they may need something else. What may seem a life ago, I was lucky, through my local camera store in my home town, Leica lent me an M6 and a summicron 35 mm that I used for a whole month (and no other camera or lens) during my second trip to the US. The result was a forty something exhibition... I was convinced and bought exactly the same: M6 and Summicron 35 which I am still using, even if I have mostly replaced the M6 by a used M10P and a 35 asph. - digital has its advantages, among which it makes printing less time consuming and allows me to reliably print my own color (what the point of using film if one ends up scanning it? I have always wondered... but I understand that some appreciate the process, just tell me it is about the results ;o) As for the aspheric upgrade of my Summicron (I kept the old one as it is the "king of Bokeh" version and works well with the M6/film), it had to be done once I had compared the results in the corners at f 2, the old one was definitely too soft for me on a digital M. What convinced me was in the Leica M experience was the unobtrusiveness, the fact that just using one prime taught me to see with that frame and anticipate images without putting the camera to my face,... and the results. What I have learnt since is to appreciate the experience of photographing with a Leica M, the experience of the ultimate expression of craft in photography down to the very tactile experience of using the camera, the economy of means (that frees your mind from too much technology, gives you the impression of control). To this day it is my favorite "photographic experience", just a pleasure to use Before that I had been a Nikon user since my first used Nikkormat at age 16, and I am still that for macro-photography, telephoto lenses, and when the circumstances make using a zoom a more efficient set-up.
Good to hear about your viewpoints. For me, it is the focusing using the rangefinder under low lighting conditions with lenses having narrow DOF. I resolved this issue by switching to the SL.
Hi Wilfred, thanks. In low light RF are better than SLR for focusing - just find a small highlight in the scene and overlap it (catchlight on the eye).
Great video as usual 😊 Apart from cost mostly these are easily overcome after a short time with the camera. Ultimately they are so much fun and so rewarding to use
very interesting video Matt, one problem you did not mention is the older M cameras have a metal ring around the viewing glass , this can scratch your glasses if you are wearing them , so i brought some small rubber washers and cut one to size so it fits over the metal eye piece ring, i hope this tip is useful , by the way my favourite Leica camera is the R4.....
Hi Matt, sadly due to vision problems I had to let my lovely old M8 go as I could no longer focus with it. I'm still hoping to get my vision sorted but if not I'll probably treat myself to a Leica Q preferably the Q2M but that would be another story. I still enjoy your content & hopefully will be back with you soon. Cheers.... 👍
I am on week three ownership of my new-to-me M240 and had already done seven model shoots and one vacation trip with it already, aside from the lens flare/shoot through problem you pointed out, I am experiencing some pretty drastic parallax problem on framing, to a point that I began to wonder can the frame line actually be misalign due to bump from the previous ownership? This happens to portrait length crop to full body crop on all focal length, I am always framing too high on horizontal and too far right (RF on left and lens right). I sure will give the tilt method a try to correct the parallax, great tip as always, Matt.
Hi, you shouldn't see these issues with digital. To check your camera put it on a tripod, frame something via the VF, then switch to LiveView and see if they are the same. If not then yes you might want to have your camera checked. I've never seen this with my M240
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Thank you for pointing that out! Maybe my presumption is correct, since I know the M240 viewfinder should be parallax corrected. I will perform a tripod frame test and determine if I should have it send it for service. Cheers!
Thanks for another very interesting and informative video Matt. I only have a Q2 and i would add my problem which is the biggest for me and it might also refer to other Leicas with fixed LCD’s. I find it extremely hard to shoot images at extreme low level, especially using macro mode. You mentioned the Visioflex? which works with other cameras but have never seen anything written for an adjustable or periscope viewfinder for Q system. Are there any? Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Victor. Yes great point about the Q and EVF option. I’ve never seen them used together. Because it already has an EVF I think they overlooked the low level shots.
For exposing correctly I usually just aim at the ground, especially when the floor is gray (I’m outside on street) meter for highlight meter for shadow and I’ll know my settings when I need to change them quickly. For portraits instead of moving in close I just have the mode stick out their hand and meter off that to maintain a comfortable distance.
Thanks! Yes metering off the hand is good. I sometimes describe like that if walking down a street (meter for both sides of your hand and that is the expose for people walking towards you from either direction. (I should have said that for portraits too so more model-friendly, thanks!)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Yes the back of a "Caucasian hand" (as the palm might be a little too light). I have heard that typically that was how the light meters for the European and North American market were calibrated. Other than the grey Rochester sky joke (and I know it too well), the right exposure is also close to the density of the well-known (in film days) value of the Kodak grey card (18% reflection). It is possible to carry a smaller version of it (less than 8"x10") and safely measure reflective light off it for an accurate exposure. Still used in studios, especially portrait ones.
Great points ... my respons to the B3 issue (for street and landscape) : Leica MDa with a 28mm and a viewfinder or Voigtlander Bessa L + viewfinder and Snap skoppar 25mm ... 🙂🙂🙂
You are an inspiring teacher. Thanks for another video. If there is one problem that I would like to see addressed I’d the tendency of my SL2 to get dirt on the sensor, even when I don’t change lenses on my travels. But sometimes I have to, so I use the Rocket blower to try to remove dust while holding the camera upside down. Still, some spots show up on the images. On the positive side, I’ve gotten pretty good removing the spots in LR and PS
Thanks David! Both my parents were teachers so perhaps it's in the blood! I clean my SL the same way as you describe. Some people try to use 1 zoom lens to avoid having to take the lens off "in the field"
Thanks, keeping the 24-90 serves has worked out well, but when I have dragged the 90-280 and the 50 mm summilux halfway around the world, I feel I simply MUST use them at least once on the trip. I just have to remember to blow everything out in between lenses.
Nice Matthew. Thoughts: Prob 4: with all Barnack and most film Ms, self rangefinder adjustment is simple. Just carry a couple of small flat screwdrivers with you. Problem 12- 42. B1- With through the lens viewing cameras (not RF) extension tubes are quite useful for closer focus. If you use an ltm lens very inexpensive extension tubes from 5mm are available. For example a Voightlander 15/4.5 with a short Soviet ltm tube or a Short canon tube (they mades 3, marked A, B, and C which are 6,9, and 12mm respectively) placed between the lens and adapter are quite useful.
Good luck with that ! No, not that simple at all if you want to be accurate (what you see is what you photograph) because you may adjust the rangefinder but in order to be accurate you need to see the result on the image taken / or add a ground glass where film usually is.
Thanks! Yes I have that extension tube. I was experimenting with different setups a few years ago. Good point about learning to calibrate and carrying a tool.
Great. My biggest Problem with range finder camera is that I forget to recompose. And if recomposing, then the focus is not very accurate, because the lenses often have focus shift, or an uneven focus plane. This is why I don't shoot range finder anymore
I'm confused by your point 2. If you use the camera meter on the model's skin, the meter is going to interpret that as mid grey. So if you have a light skinned model the shot will be about 2 stops under exposed. Wouldn't it be better to just use a grey card? Or a spot meter on the skin and then add a couple of spots of exposure?
Thanks for asking, as with most things you can get the same result many ways. I only need the skin correct and then I try to compose to balance the exposure across the whole frame. Sometimes I meter off the skin, any tone, sometimes I shoot digital and copy the settings across, they all give the same result.
Not only, the first titanium shutters were also limited to 1/1000, even outside of Leica. And it is been some time since Leica has produced an M camera with a cloth shutter.
yeah, forgetting to take the lens cap off happened to me too many times... once it took me 5 minutes to take a photo case I was waiting for an amish woman to walk in my frame... I was so glad to have caught it... then I get back in my car and notice the lens cap....
I keep all the lens cap at home and only use lens filter when I go out to protect the lens (also replacing a filter is much cheaper for Leica original EOL lens cap) For point B2, you also not able to use any GND or CPL filter on range finder camera easily
You got that spot on, THE COST . I had a Zorky film camera I purchased it in Fiji 50 years ago . Dute free , the price was very little. It was a copy of a Leica but the quality compared to a Leica was not comparable. The lens were OK.
Thanks James! Ah yes. I might need to read all the comments and add a few paragraphs on the blog version. (I was trying to forget that weakness haha) Thanks!
It is not a specifically Leica problem. Any film camera, from any brand that used cloth shutters (Nikon S series until the latest version of the SP), rangefinder or SLR had exactly the same issue. It is specific to cloth shutters.
@@BrunoChalifour It's not as bad an issue with SLRs because the mirror usually is in front of the shutter curtains (melting a hole in a plastic focusing screen is a theoretical possibility, but I've never seen it happen.) Among the classic "big four" rangefinder cameras, the Contax and its Kiev clones were immune (metal slat curtains), Canons were immune from the late Vt models on, including their most popular models, P and 7 (epoxy-coated stainless steel curtains) and, as you note, later Nikon SP/S3 (titanium curtains). So in terms of at-risk camera populations, it mostly IS a Leica problem! If you've just burned a hole in your Yashica YF or Nicca 5L, I'm prepared to sympathize, but realistically those are far less likely to be out facing the angry Sun God nowadays than fabric-curtained Leicas of yore...
@@jlwilliams Yes quite true. As for Leica it is only an issue of yore too with digital cameras, but still true with most film Ms on the second-hand market.
Here is a great test to see if any rangefinder has close focus accuracy. Whatever lens is mounted set distance on focusing scale to 1 meter. Go to a mirror. Place a piece of masking tape on mirror vertically . Now focus the camera NOT by changing the setting of 1 meter on lens , but by moving back and forth until rangefinder indicates masking tape is in focus. Do this with canera reflection appearing in mirror with masking tape. After the rangefinder indicates the masking tape is in focus with lens set at 1 meter, Then focus on camera reflection in meter using lens and without changing camera position. If your rangefinder is accurate the focusing distance to the canera reflection should read 2 meters.
Hi John, thanks that's a great tip. I love mirrors for testing lenses/ camera. 1) I can see the gear used, 2) often the aperture used and now with the tape it has a 3rd use. Many thanks! (I'd probably do the tape at 0.7m as that is where I shoot most of the time).
Nearly all the problems you mentioned were solved with the single lens reflex. after using my M2 its a joy to shoot with my Olympus OM1 with its large viewfinder and fast focus and to see the depth of field, yet the Leica always feels special.
Thanks Leonard! I have done a video in the past why RF cameras are better. I will link them to the blog version of this. But yes agree, I think we use Leica in part as they are so nice to use.
Well that's a nice list :) I find rangefinder focusing one of the most accurate ways to focus manually (issue 6). I use a Lumix S1 camera with a Leica 24-90 SL lens. While focus peeking is quite accurate, it is never as accurate as focusing with a rangefinder. Of course the S1 has multiple advantages over a rangefinder: it doesn't need recalibrating, there is no parallax error and you don't need to recompose after focusing. Nevertheless, manual focus is just not as quick and easy as with a Leica M camera. I managed to photograph a drone in the air with an M camera and a 50mm lens, which I found easier to do than on the S1. In the end, taking pictures with a Leica camera is always big fun. It is a joy to use. The only two reasons I got the S1 and not a Leica SL2-S is that the SL2-S does not have a tilting screen and it is way too expensive for me.
Thanks. Yes agree RF are easier to focus vs SLR. I have the S5 which lacks the S1 finder so I don't use it too much but the results are similar to my SL once I apply a preset.
Is it really more accurate? I have an OM-1n and a Yashica Electro CCN. When shooting 35mm on both, I always find the SLR so much faster and quicker to focus because the split prism is maybe 4-5x the size of the rangefinder patch of the Yashica. And I had trouble focusing on non-vertical lines such as faces. It seemed hard to nail focus quickly. I've only had both for the last 3-4 months and while I love the rangefinder for the size, it's just so hard to use. Are Leica cameras easier? I could afford a M5 but nothing fancier than that. Been on the fence choosing between an M5, Zeiss Ikon ZM, and Bessa R2a/m to pair with a 35mm f/1.4 lens.
The biggest problem with all Leica Ms is imho getting critically sharp pictures at apertures below f2 (especially for moving subjects). In my opinion it's more or less impossible. If at all, it will work only with a magnified electronic viewfinder (yes, I know available as accessory, but it ruins the look of the camera and is always in the way). Since I shoot at these apertures most of the time a Leica M is definitively not for me. I prefer my Sony Alpha 1 that has a crazy fast af and image stabilzation if I want it, but can also be used manually with great rangefinder glass (for example the Voigtlander lenses for Sony e mount), if I want to.
Hi Stefan, it sounds like your RF was not calibrated. I shot weddings with moving subjects and the Noctilux! It takes practice but you can easily shoot below f2. I cheat now and use the SL..
For me, it 's the rangefinder calibration which is more critical with digital and fast primes. I believe my ME-240 is slightly off. But I am living with it and I just use the Visioflex for critical shots at wide open. I actually had to send out my Voigtlander Nokton 35mm F1.2 due to back focus issue at wide apertures. Film is more forgiving as I hardly see any back focus issue with the Nokton until I use my ME240
Thanks Eric, yes my M240 is slightly out too but OK for say 35mm at f2. The EVF option is great for those fast lens emergencies! Good point about film vs digital and thanks for sharing.
Got my first M10 yesterday and got a massive disappointment-the roller arm gets stuck making the rangefinder unusable/patches not aligning, not working. Sending it back today:(
Hi the real big problem is the collector and the price $$$ which is very very high, all the rest we can dial with. Also you may be lucky to get work, here in the US work is very hard to come by.
My problem with my Leica M10 is ISO dial stop working and I am stuck in the last iso used. So now I have iso 200 only Leica digital - I am sure it will become a limited edition feature soon.
There is one solution: Sell the M3 or/and M4 and get an M6, because of its lightmeter the M6 will immediately tell you that your cap is on (as whatever you do, the exposure LED will show "-" for underexposed).
It's pretty much only the relatively bad high ISO performance of my SL2 I consider an issue. It's avoidable with technique and fast lenses, but I definitely have to put in more thought and effort when shooting in low light conditions than with other cameras. The SL2 is still my favorite camera ever, though :-)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom It does if you check your lightmeter LEDs in the viewfinder. They show that you are underexposed whatever you do: the obvious conclusion is that the lens cap is on (it happened to me so I know ;o).
I had two Bessa rangefinder followed by Zeiss ZM (that eats Leica Ms for breakfast in viewfinder department and shutter type) then M9 and M9P dog of a camera but nice IQ, after that SL and now SL2-S. Honestly, I could never go back to rangefinder cameras, but I am enjoining M lenses on SL2-S as well as SL 24-90 and L mount 70-200mm. What Leica should do is to make a small body EVF, IBIS, M mount camera that I would get.
Hi Matt, am I thinking wrong, but seems your parallax correction is the wrong way? Your lens is lower as the viewfinder, so you must move your lens up a bit?
Hi, thanks. You are making me doubt myself now haha.. some external VF have a dotted line lower in the finder for close ups if I remember well. What you say makes sense, the lens will take a photo lower than the finder as it is lower meaning would need to tilt camera up before making the photo..hmm.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I must confess I only did speak out of experience with a Leica Standard and a Leica III. And those oldies have no compensation so I always use this motivation. Lens lower so close focusing slightly move the lens up (when shooting landscape) Kind regards, Ferry
I've said it before - sent 3 m-a's back as they were shipped as if they were returns to me. Disgraceful service. Next attempt I will buy direct from store and open and test before leaving and not online being shipped
Cost is a huge issue. HOWEVER, as of 1/5/24. A Barnack is around 200-350. A fuji xt2 is 500 usd. This will sound blasphemous, you're shooting a box with a shutter, not a computer generated sensor. Sooooo... while the M series has a lot more bells and whistles, I find the Barnack series to be doing the exact same thing.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I forget: didn't you almost get mugged in Portugal? The M3 is, as of 1/6/24, something around 1300-1800 dollars. And while the average junky or common theft doesn't know that, all they know is that you're serious about what you do and therefore it must be important. My camera is not worth my life.... but if I lose $500 vs $2000 (including the lens) doing street, which is what I love to do, then I'm alright. Besides, and this is pure ego; I get more looks and more street cred with fellow photographers when I'm shooting a Barnack. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten stopped and asked if I was shooting a leica and then they look at you like you're a god. My fuji xpro1 looks like an m3, I've only been stopped once.
Like to see a review if that 50/2.5. Those I have read online are decidedly mediocre, to me not worth the $500 that they seem to be offered for, but then not alot of compact ltm 50s faster than 2.8 out there.
Another option in that range is the 1961 Canon 50/2.2, once considered rare, but with several available on the Bay now for a fraction of the asking price of the 50/2.5 Color Skopar. Faster, smaller and lighter (if specs to be believed) but only focus to 1m (not a if used with bodies). Few available tests also so-so, but similar mediocrity at a lower price than the Color Skopar…
Hi Mat! Great content as usual. I watch almost all your videos and have noticed that my name isn't on your list of patrons. I checked my Patreon account and my membership is still active. Not a big deal; just wanted you to know. Cheers.
Morning! I'm just replying to all the comments on last nights video. Thanks for watching and for being a Patreon. There are 200+ Patreons so only those who signed up in the last month on the £5 level or those on higher levels list on the last page. If you've been with me for a while at £5+ it would have shown on some videos in the past. I appreciate you letting me know.
I shoot more with digital cameras Leica М9-240-М10 bla bla,but but one more thing that I found extremely useless is metering the exposure in the center or weights, as well as the average is generally non-working if you shoot through the finder. Yes, it will work on live view and only. This is very incomplete for me guys.
Hmmm, you just have to understand exposure, the way the camera measures light, adapt, and you'll get pretty consistent good results. In fact as it requires more attention from me, the Leica simple metering system makes my images and their exposure more deliberate and as a result more successful than fully automated multi-zone exposures-except when one has to work fast in a constantly changing light (which is rather rare).
I will add an additional item about Leica which affects all cameras. Leica service times are horrifically bad. I had to have a lens repaired and it took 3 months, even though I was initially quoted 6 weeks. Even that is bad but to miss it by such a huge amount of time is really appalling. But even something as simple as a rangefinder calibration takes almost 2+ months based on my most current experience. Don't get me wrong - I love my Leicas, but who needs them if the mothership doesn't take supporting the people who use them seriously. Definitely the next time there is a new camera to consider, it may not be theirs.
I had my biggest problem in a helicopter over Kauai. I used my brand new M9, with sandisk sd cards. Exactly the cards Leica recommended. The helicopter had no doors for better shooting. My M9 didn’t not except the cards. After 10-15 shoots the M9 was hanging and I had to remove the battery. Very funny to open the bottom plate and remove the battery in windy conditions 1200m over the ground in a helicopter with no doors. Leica didn’t apologized for this issue, they didn’t send my new cards, they didn’t offered my a free check of my M9. That was my biggest problem with Leica. I struggle with the behavior of Leica. My wife don’t understand, that I’m still using Leica, maybe she’s right.
This has happened with M8s, M9s and M240s... the first steps of Leica into the digital world. It does not seem to happen with later models. Sometimes it is a writing issue that can come from the card. Make sure you have formatted it in the camera before using it, that should solve part of the problem (which may be compatibility when the card has not been formatted in-camera prior to use - which is also a Leica (as well as all camera manufacturers for that matter) recommandation ).
I think you have given the wrong title to this. You should have called this list "Biggest problems with people who use Leica Cameras". That is because all of the so called problems you list are not the fault of the camera at all. They happen because the person behind the camera has no idea about even the most basic principles and techniques of photography. They have wasted their time and money on Leica and don't know how to use the camera. It is the case that the prestige of the brand attracts some people who want the image of owning a Leica and don't have the interest or skill to use a manual camera to take photos. Its rather sad really.
Well not sure the price of Leicas and the fact that the rangefinder needs sometimes to recalibrate is really user fault :). For me a recalibration should be possible by the user. Having to go back to the store just to correct the fact that the range finder somewhere lost its calibration is very frustrating to me.
Thanks Lindsay, yes perhaps I should have called it "your problems when using Leica" for those that reported the issues. Agree, with practice almost all of them are overcome or avoided.
That's elitist, even if some of it is true to an extent. He's giving interesting tips coming from years of experience. You can't just pickup a Leica and know it all instantly. No matter what you say.
Loading film is not a big issue. It has worked and still works fine. The problem (latest trend in forums these days) is the scratched films in Leica M bodies.. Not sure about it though. Other than that, Leica M film cameras are incredibly simple and great. Love that simplicity and don't like their price tags..
"scratched films in Leica M bodies" - Not the fault of the camera. The user needs to maintain the camera by KEEPING IT CLEAN. Dust & debris in the film chamber is the key reason for anybody complaining about camera caused abrasions on their film emulsion
Price is what makes Leica appealing and exotic. 😂 my only beef with Leica is the stunned L mount lenses roadmap. They stopped making new ones and tried to convince us to use M lenses on. 😂
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom sadly what a joke it represents. 1. Not APO 2. Made in Portugal. It’s essentially a cheaper version which I didn’t expect Leica to make. They always create groundbreaking lenses like 0.95. This is my way of saying “give SL a noctilux!!”
Hmm, if I appreciate the joke that "Price is what makes Leica appealing and exotic" and not the craft and the experience of photographing with an M as well as the results, I fear that the CL roadmap is rather dark if not doomed but Leica can surprise us. Now the fact that Leica L lenses are made in Japan, or Portugal or even Canada (Canada saved the M, remember) ;o) has little incidence on their quality as they are produced to Leica specs under Leica supervision. A good example of producing outside of Solms/Wetzlar are the Noctilux (Toronto) and the Summitar (f 2.4 and f 2.5) recent series made in Portugal). These latter lenses are surprisingly affordable gems (and excellent for any one starting in the Leica line on a limited budget... which most of us have done I guess). Now concerning the L mount, do not forget you have the whole Sigma line which offers really excellent lenses.
@@BrunoChalifour I can counter argue there are other range finders even digital ones that basically functions the same, and even accept M lenses for a fraction of the price. If the photographic experience of a range finder is what makes it special than no: M bodies are over priced period. It’s ok though- many luxurious goods are too. I cannot believe you would refer me to Sigma L lenses as a defence for the stunned roadmap of SL. Sigma is a third party Lens company whose lenses are always viewed as second tier to native lens such as Nikon Z or Canon RF or Sony G. They are good but not perfect. If we want to use Sigma L: why not buy Panasonic LUMIX or Sigma FP L? We want a SL because we like the Leica look and optics with AF. If they boast the 50 1.4 SL as their worlds” standard : I expect to see more development at this front , not outsource to Sigma. Indeed lenses were made outside Germany in the past but it is due to geopolitical reason. There is no need to do so in 2022-2023 unless they want to cut cost. You don’t see 0.95 Noctilux , or 75 noc, or 90 lux being made in Portugal because they represent the best of Leica. I expect SL lenses to be their best also after the whole 50 lux SL upselling…
@@BrunoChalifour and Leica with a budget Len’s option? That has never happened with R, S or M line. You could change the class of the Len’s from noc to lux to from to elmarit but never a cheaper version within the same class! Even the TL never had to recreate a cheaper prime. SL seemed to be failing if they have to create something cheaper for people. Leica folks never need a cheaper alternative until now? Or are they trying to steal folks from canon or Nikon over with the crappy AF of SL?
So basically this is another Leica SL is the perfect camera video? Stop tempting me Matt 😅 Would be funny if Leica made a film version of the digital SL with extendable lens mount for close focussing it actually would make a lot of sense!
Sell the one you have. Get yourself (if you still want to use film) an CLAd M6 and see what happens. If you still have got problems, it is just that Leica Ms are not designed for you. It happens. Get the camera that works for you
An obvious problem you didn't mention is that while using a Leica camera in a "shaky" neighborhood your fear of being mugged is going to go up. To feel completely (?) comfortable with a Leica camera and Leica lens you're going to need to buy insurance especially to cover your gear.
Good video Matt but I have some remarks about your so called problems. A couple of your problems are based on the characteristics of Leica cameras and M cameras in particular. You never hear somebody complain about the terrible off road performance of a Ferrari 599 cause it is a sports car and not a terrain vehicle. So if you use a rangefinder camera you will never see the things in front of your lens, that is not problem, that is how it works. They are also not not usable for underwater shooting without some protection, but you did not mention that as a problem but based on some of your "problems" that would be valid to mention too. Price, there is a difference between "a lot of money" and "expensive". IMO expensive is something not worth the price paying for it. Yes 9K is A LOT OF MONEY for the M11, but look at the (plain) M10 in 2017, introduced for around 6800 euro, nowadays 2022/2023 a used one from camera shop that also sells new ones is around 5K. That is a minor loss and Leica did not lower the price that much when the M11 came out. But the other things you mentioned are indeed some flaws but what interests me the most is, does it affect the output of the image (than it is a real problem) or is it just a matter of different handling. Anyways, good video, subject not often tackled by anyone else and therefor 10 out of 10. Thanks for sharing.
I totally agree, except for the "price thing" which might be problematic for a lot of people especially a younger audience... but excellence has a price, we agree.
Thanks RS! Yes very well put, (sports car being used for off road etc). I try to share the topics that fellow Leica users (or new ones) might find useful. This post was partly thanks to viewers sharing their difficulties.
Hi Matt, love your vids. Have you thought about accepting bitcoin or lightning payments for patreon and also for people leaving tips! Makes a great alternative to the old PayPal method!
Hi Phil, love the idea. Bitcoin I could, not sure how I’d let people know where to pay too (I do have a wallet*) ..wouldn’t work for Patreon as that’s limited to their structure sadly
Problem #1 are easy to fix, buy any other brand 😉 Problem #2 are easy to fix, use a handheld light meter with dome/cone (fx Gossen or Sekonic). Problem #3 are easy to fix, do not use Lens caps. Problem #4 are behind the Camera ! Problem#5 are only for beginners. Problem #6 are one of the reasons that I do not like the Leica rangefinder Cameras, it is not good enough made by Leica !!! No, the analog SLR I have used are much easier to hit focus than any Leica rangefinder Camera. Problem #7 (I do not know if I understand you right here !?), but the biggest problem with Leica rangefinder Cameras are that you NOT get what you see (WYSIWYG), with a SLR Camera you can a big difference using a 28 and a 90mm Lens, in the rangefinder it is always the same you see, you cannot judge the depth of field in the rangefinder or see the difference of an aperture of 1.4 of 8.0, this is the biggest problem why I do not use rangefinder Cameras. Problem #8 are also a "problem" with most analog SLR Cameras. A Leica M2 will be the best option for those that most use a 35mm and a 90mm Lens. I just love using EVF now (that is real WYSIWYG) !!! Problem #9 are behind the Camera ! Problem #10 are another big problem with rangerfinder Camera and there should have been an automatic correction in the rangefinder. Problem #11 I know of Photographers who used Leica rangefinder Cameras and Telyt 400/560mm Lenses with Visoflex for analog film... Problem #12 are behind the Camera... Problem B1 are one of the biggest problems with Leica rangefinder Cameras and also one of the problems that I do not use rangefinder Cameras. Problem B2 are related to Problem #7 which I already have explained and you do here. I think that this was why the SLR Cameras got so much success in the 1960´s and onwards... Problem B3, solution, just use SLR Cameras all the time 😉 I have none of those problems, because I use a modern digital mirrorless Camera and I have never been more happy with Camera gear than I am now !
In other words, Leica rangefinder cameras are incredibly overrated, especially for the cost. You can get fantastic results with other far less expensive and more robust non-Leica cameras and lenses.
I didn't say that exactly but yes you can of course get great results with a £100 Nikon. I only use gear that gives results I like (any brand) and those I enjoy using.
Leica rangefinders are not overrated, just expensive. Look at a 60+ year-old Nikon SP (rangefinder) it is not cheap either. A well-made rangefinder is just expensive... and Leica are not built by low-pay workers. See what Mr Leitz did with his Jewish workers during WW II and you'll understand that Leica understands that its workers are an asset, it treats then likewise (unions and job-bargaining in Germany are a world-model)... this also has a cost.
The lack of know how at photoshops on the Leica cameras, lenses and accessories is a shame. Photo shaps and so called second hand analog camera (home) dealers are damaging the brand of Leica. A CLA of a camera is hardly ever a 100% CLA. You got scammed by the photo shop which pretends being a Leica specialst telling you "the shutter sounds well at al speeds". A Leica camera is no musical instrument with a nice tuned sound. The focal plane shutter has to be cheched during its run at three different positions; at the start, in the middle and at the end. When photography used to be a profession and focal plane shutters, leaf shutters and rotary shutters had their annual test,the phptographer received a printed test rapport on the actual speebs of the camera shutters. Today's novice analoge photographers do not have a darkroom for developing their films and making 50 x 60 cm enlargements on silverbromide paper. In the Rotterdam area I can not find a decent Leica photo shop; all shops look like the " Monty Python Cheese Shop". It is told, because of his camera problems, the Dutch painter JohanVermeer left his home town and moved to the capital of The Netherlands. For a Leica I also have to goto the Amsterdam Leica Store. It is my opinion: ."Thou shall not bring your Leica films to a photo lab, nor scan the negatives".
Why don't you just focus on the camera and the lenses? What they can or cannot do for you? The same rest "exclusive club", "elitist", which has been heard so many times with little effectiveness, is just nonsense in the light of who really used Leica Ms and why. Just get over others' alleged opinions and attitudes, try one and see whether it is worth your spending the money it requires or not. The fact that it does or does not not match your expectations as a camera/lens combination should be the only real arguments (because based on real experience with the tool) that you should take into consideration. Just using a Leica M can be the biggest turn-on or... the biggest turn-off for some. That would be fair real experience not just hear-say, reported babble that does not help anyone, including yourself, in making the right decision for themselves.
@@BrunoChalifour My reply is based on what other Leica users say themselves, including some comments on this channel. I actually think Leica rangefinders are an excellent street photography tool for shooting people in close proximity, being relatively compact and having speedy zone or distance focus via a tab. They don't need snob superlatives to prove their worth at the job they are designed for. (ps I've owned two Leica Ms)
Thanks Jaco, yes I think I remember you mentioning in the past the problems you had. People can only go off their own experiences with a brand/ camera.
Sell the one you have. Get yourself (if you still want to use film) an CLAd M6 and see what happens. If you still have got problems, it is just that Leica Ms are not designed for you. It happens. Get the camera that works for you.
📝 LEICA PROBLEMS BLOG - mrleica.com/problems-with-leica-cameras/
🚀 MAKE MONEY WITH PHOTOGRAPHY EBOOK - bit.ly/3PIYtwD
✅ BUY HERE - mrleica.com/kitlist/
💫 MRLEICA LR PRESETS - mrleica.com/presets/
🚀 LEICA WORKSHOPS - mrleica.com/workshops/
🚀 FREE MODEL PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE EBOOK - mrleica.com/ebooks/
📝 LEICA CLUB WELCOME PACK - mrleica.com/leica-club-join-the-club/
▶ WATCH NEXT: ALL LEICA FILM CAMERA VIDS - bit.ly/3BHOm5H
📞 ZOOM: Not sure what camera or lens to buy? Arrange a call today - bit.ly/3lBkdgq
⭐ PATREON: 100+ Videos & Zoom - mrleica.com/patreon/
✅ CHECK PRICES: (US) ebay.to/2F0HoxY (UK) ebay.to/3ijzle2 (DE) ebay.to/3iqDNYs (FR) ebay.to/2ZJ3E75 (HK) ebay.to/32A8xBu
🛎 SUBSCRIBED?: Monthly Giveaways! bit.ly/3qET0ZO
📷 SEE MY KIT: mrleica.com/kitlist/
💫 MRLEICA LIGHTROOM PRESETS - mrleica.com/presets/
🚀 LEICA WORKSHOPS: mrleica.com/workshops/
🎞 NEED FILM?: mrleica.com/do-you-need-film/
☕ COFFEE: Thank Matt with a coffee - www.paypal.com/paypalme/MrLeica
⛔ INSURANCE: Aaduki UK Photography Insurance - with since 2014 - www.aaduki.com
Video @ 7:37 "Focus & recompose" - One can also ADD the annoying issue of NOT RECOMPOSING after focusing their Leica (the subjects are always centered).
I find that so many Leica photographers ignore, forget or don't know about the Rule of Thirds and/or Looking Room principles...
@@y2ktube thanks yes good point . Same with Hasselblad too
Even after shooting many of the other brands in the digital age I have never been happier then with shooting my Leica M's. I thought I would miss all the fancy features like auto focus, IBIS and the huge menu's, but no.. It's a much simpler way of making images that just look amazing.
Yes, I love the simplicity and never even think of things like IBIS as i'm used to not having it.
Sorry I missed the questionnaire, my biggest problem, with my “smoking hot” M4/Noctilux v2, the cloth shutter, if I forget to attach the lense cover on the Noctilux v2, it will inevitably burn a hole in the cloth shutter, while sitting in t’ California sun.
Thanks John! Sadly I did that to a M3 but it's back in action now.
Hi Matt, you are raising interesting issues, or at least giving a voice to interesting issues raised in your poll. Rather than problems, I would think of them as frustrations: users are not getting what they expected, because they may have the wrong expectations, ask from the camera what it is not designed to deliver. One more point, from the description a lot seems to come from lack of practice and expertise (loading the camera, lens cap, horizon, exposure), so these should be easily fixed with the right expectations and the right amount of practice.
First and most importantly regarding Leica rangefinders: the user/buyer has to know what these cameras offer, what they were designed for, what he/she is in for. As stated by Leica head of lens design as well as the director of camera design, Leicas rangefinders, from Day 1 (using 35 mm instead of glass plates or sheet film) are designed for compactness. Given that the issue is to keep quality (which means cost for camera and lens, cost for quality control. manual checking steps all through production). Rangefinder cameras are definitely designed to work with a limited number of focal lengths (without any visoflex (for film) or EVF), namely 28 mm, 35 mm, and 50. 75 becomes tricky, under 28 requires an external viewfinder. So if one plans on using anything else than a 28, 35 or 50 mm prime lens I think they should look for a different camera or buy a recent one with an EVF... but this latter step kind of defeats the point of owning a rangefinder. In conclusion a Leica M is not just any camera, it is a very specific type of camera with a limited amount of possibilities but great compactness, great feel, design and craftsmanship, great lenses for its compactness. Now as a Leica user for over 35 years I'll share my experience regarding the problems raised.
Loading: yes, not automatic. One way to check if the camera is loaded correctly with film is to turn the rewind crank/button as if rewinding the film until feeling some resistance and then advance the film... if the crank/button does not turn while you are advancing film then your film is not attached to the receiving spool, start loading again.
Lens cap: just have a mental check list if you have anything below an M5. Above M5 all Ms (just one exception) have got light meters and it will tell you from its reading your lens cap is on.
Horizon: Matt's tips are good. Just practice and create your own strategy. For recent digital M, the EVF provides an electronic level.
Rangefinder accuracy: compared to any SLR (not DSLR that have contrast focusing), the focusing base of the Leica rangefinder is wider than any SLR focusing system so it is indeed more accurate, and faster Works better in low light too. And that is why many bought Leica Ms.
Depth of field, zone focusing and hyperfocal distance: these are extremely easy to master once they are understood. Just learn (easy) and practice (time consuming). But here the camera cannot be held responsible for a lack of knowledge or practice.
Exposure: same as above. Once understood where and how to measure light it is fast and easy. All the more once understood that in most circumstances if the light source, its intensity and one's distance to it does not change there is no need to change the settings (the light intensity is strictly the same, so exposure should match it. Experience and practice help here too.
Parallax: M cameras are not designed for close focusing or long telephoto lenses. That's it. Of course there is the Visoflex (for film cameras-cumbersome and not that practical), or the recent EVF but technically rangefinders are not designed for that. One will be better off with an SLR or a DSLR for extra wide-angle lenses and telephotos (as well as zooms).
Now regarding robustness and problems with the rangefinder while traveling: it is true that the rangefinder can be sensitive to vibrations and knock/bumps. Well, the adjustment of the ground glass and the mirror on an SLR too, we cannot forget that. And that can happen on a Nikon FM or FM2 (it happened on my F3 after someone rear ended my car. The very same thing happened to my M6. Both had to be checked and adjusted).
Conclusion: M cameras (as well as previous Leica range-finders) are extremely apt in limited situations for which they are designed. They are specialised tools. They work well within their specialty, not that well outside of it. In that respect I have always wondered why use any Leica M lens at f 1, or even f 1.4 for that matter (except on a recent digital M with its EVF). The depth of field is so narrow that any move, or problem with the rangefinder will result in the image not being focused where it should.
Thanks Bruno! Great points and I teach the same way to load film as you mention (in the linked blog version it describes in detail as you write here. Good stuff. Thanks for confirming RF accuracy vs SLR. That was my belief. When editing this video I was thinking I might need to make a part 2 to balance the "argument". RF cameras are niche and perhaps I need to make a video to spell that out.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Yes that is an interesting and fair idea. The M world is not for everyone at any time, one has to be ready for it. I speak from experience as for some time (some 15 years) I did not feel ready to it and stuck to my Nikon equipment.
This type of video might be useful for the audience, especially the younger generation who hear about the brand, the history, the aura of Leica Ms but are not ready for it, those who discover film (which is a way to enter the Leica world as used Leica film cameras are accessible -although an M240 is not too expensive these days and does a really great job if one does not go too high in ISO). By that I mean they expect from the camera more than it can deliver and they do not already understand the value of the discipline and philosophy of the M line, for instance, of using one specific prime lens for everything. One has to get the frame into one's mind, the Leica M is the perfect unobtrusive tool for it. Each stage of life/photography has its tools, at their stage they may need something else. What may seem a life ago, I was lucky, through my local camera store in my home town, Leica lent me an M6 and a summicron 35 mm that I used for a whole month (and no other camera or lens) during my second trip to the US. The result was a forty something exhibition... I was convinced and bought exactly the same: M6 and Summicron 35 which I am still using, even if I have mostly replaced the M6 by a used M10P and a 35 asph. - digital has its advantages, among which it makes printing less time consuming and allows me to reliably print my own color (what the point of using film if one ends up scanning it? I have always wondered... but I understand that some appreciate the process, just tell me it is about the results ;o) As for the aspheric upgrade of my Summicron (I kept the old one as it is the "king of Bokeh" version and works well with the M6/film), it had to be done once I had compared the results in the corners at f 2, the old one was definitely too soft for me on a digital M.
What convinced me was in the Leica M experience was the unobtrusiveness, the fact that just using one prime taught me to see with that frame and anticipate images without putting the camera to my face,... and the results.
What I have learnt since is to appreciate the experience of photographing with a Leica M, the experience of the ultimate expression of craft in photography down to the very tactile experience of using the camera, the economy of means (that frees your mind from too much technology, gives you the impression of control). To this day it is my favorite "photographic experience", just a pleasure to use Before that I had been a Nikon user since my first used Nikkormat at age 16, and I am still that for macro-photography, telephoto lenses, and when the circumstances make using a zoom a more efficient set-up.
Good to hear about your viewpoints. For me, it is the focusing using the rangefinder under low lighting conditions with lenses having narrow DOF. I resolved this issue by switching to the SL.
Hi Wilfred, thanks. In low light RF are better than SLR for focusing - just find a small highlight in the scene and overlap it (catchlight on the eye).
Great video as usual 😊
Apart from cost mostly these are easily overcome after a short time with the camera. Ultimately they are so much fun and so rewarding to use
Thanks Mark! Maybe I will need to make a follow up video to balance the argument as they are great cameras as we know!
very interesting video Matt, one problem you did not mention is the older M cameras have a metal ring around the viewing glass , this can scratch your glasses if you are wearing them , so i brought some small rubber washers and cut one to size so it fits over the metal eye piece ring, i hope this tip is useful , by the way my favourite Leica camera is the R4.....
Thanks Michael, i've never really noticed this as I don't wear my glasses while taking photos so thanks for your great tip!
Hi Matt, sadly due to vision problems I had to let my lovely old M8 go as I could no longer focus with it. I'm still hoping to get my vision sorted but if not I'll probably treat myself to a Leica Q preferably the Q2M but that would be another story. I still enjoy your content & hopefully will be back with you soon. Cheers.... 👍
Hi Nigel, sorry to hear about your sight. Yes the Q cameras can be great for this.
I am on week three ownership of my new-to-me M240 and had already done seven model shoots and one vacation trip with it already, aside from the lens flare/shoot through problem you pointed out, I am experiencing some pretty drastic parallax problem on framing, to a point that I began to wonder can the frame line actually be misalign due to bump from the previous ownership? This happens to portrait length crop to full body crop on all focal length, I am always framing too high on horizontal and too far right (RF on left and lens right). I sure will give the tilt method a try to correct the parallax, great tip as always, Matt.
Hi, you shouldn't see these issues with digital. To check your camera put it on a tripod, frame something via the VF, then switch to LiveView and see if they are the same. If not then yes you might want to have your camera checked. I've never seen this with my M240
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Thank you for pointing that out! Maybe my presumption is correct, since I know the M240 viewfinder should be parallax corrected. I will perform a tripod frame test and determine if I should have it send it for service. Cheers!
Thanks for another very interesting and informative video Matt. I only have a Q2 and i would add my problem which is the biggest for me and it might also refer to other Leicas with fixed LCD’s. I find it extremely hard to shoot images at extreme low level, especially using macro mode. You mentioned the Visioflex? which works with other cameras but have never seen anything written for an adjustable or periscope viewfinder for Q system. Are there any? Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Victor. Yes great point about the Q and EVF option. I’ve never seen them used together. Because it already has an EVF I think they overlooked the low level shots.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom thank you.
For exposing correctly I usually just aim at the ground, especially when the floor is gray (I’m outside on street) meter for highlight meter for shadow and I’ll know my settings when I need to change them quickly. For portraits instead of moving in close I just have the mode stick out their hand and meter off that to maintain a comfortable distance.
Thanks! Yes metering off the hand is good. I sometimes describe like that if walking down a street (meter for both sides of your hand and that is the expose for people walking towards you from either direction. (I should have said that for portraits too so more model-friendly, thanks!)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Yes the back of a "Caucasian hand" (as the palm might be a little too light). I have heard that typically that was how the light meters for the European and North American market were calibrated. Other than the grey Rochester sky joke (and I know it too well), the right exposure is also close to the density of the well-known (in film days) value of the Kodak grey card (18% reflection). It is possible to carry a smaller version of it (less than 8"x10") and safely measure reflective light off it for an accurate exposure. Still used in studios, especially portrait ones.
Great points ... my respons to the B3 issue (for street and landscape) : Leica MDa with a 28mm and a viewfinder or Voigtlander Bessa L + viewfinder and Snap skoppar 25mm ... 🙂🙂🙂
Thanks Jerome! Yes, love the 25mm for this.
You are an inspiring teacher. Thanks for another video. If there is one problem that I would like to see addressed I’d the tendency of my SL2 to get dirt on the sensor, even when I don’t change lenses on my travels. But sometimes I have to, so I use the Rocket blower to try to remove dust while holding the camera upside down. Still, some spots show up on the images. On the positive side, I’ve gotten pretty good removing the spots in LR and PS
Thanks David! Both my parents were teachers so perhaps it's in the blood! I clean my SL the same way as you describe. Some people try to use 1 zoom lens to avoid having to take the lens off "in the field"
Thanks, keeping the 24-90 serves has worked out well, but when I have dragged the 90-280 and the 50 mm summilux halfway around the world, I feel I simply MUST use them at least once on the trip. I just have to remember to blow everything out in between lenses.
Nice Matthew.
Thoughts:
Prob 4: with all Barnack and most film Ms, self rangefinder adjustment is simple. Just carry a couple of small flat screwdrivers with you.
Problem 12- 42.
B1- With through the lens viewing cameras (not RF) extension tubes are quite useful for closer focus. If you use an ltm lens very inexpensive extension tubes from 5mm are available. For example a Voightlander 15/4.5 with a short Soviet ltm tube or a Short canon tube (they mades 3, marked A, B, and C which are 6,9, and 12mm respectively) placed between the lens and adapter are quite useful.
Good luck with that ! No, not that simple at all if you want to be accurate (what you see is what you photograph) because you may adjust the rangefinder but in order to be accurate you need to see the result on the image taken / or add a ground glass where film usually is.
Thanks! Yes I have that extension tube. I was experimenting with different setups a few years ago. Good point about learning to calibrate and carrying a tool.
Yes it's easier with a digital Leica to check calibration issues. With film it's a bit of a pain.
42. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy reference?
@@AGL93311 thanks! Not knowingly! :)
I loved my Leica m240… however, I had several range finder calibration issues. Such a pain to resolve, and it took forever to resolve it
Hey Nick, yes it's a pain. My M240 is out currently so I use an EVF
Great. My biggest Problem with range finder camera is that I forget to recompose. And if recomposing, then the focus is not very accurate, because the lenses often have focus shift, or an uneven focus plane. This is why I don't shoot range finder anymore
Thanks Steve, ah yes lenses with focus shift are less easy to use.
I'm confused by your point 2. If you use the camera meter on the model's skin, the meter is going to interpret that as mid grey. So if you have a light skinned model the shot will be about 2 stops under exposed. Wouldn't it be better to just use a grey card? Or a spot meter on the skin and then add a couple of spots of exposure?
Thanks for asking, as with most things you can get the same result many ways. I only need the skin correct and then I try to compose to balance the exposure across the whole frame. Sometimes I meter off the skin, any tone, sometimes I shoot digital and copy the settings across, they all give the same result.
One limitation of the film M rangefinder’s is it’s limitations of 1/1000 ss because of its cloth shutter curtains
Not only, the first titanium shutters were also limited to 1/1000, even outside of Leica. And it is been some time since Leica has produced an M camera with a cloth shutter.
Thanks yes compared to cameras with 1/2000, 4000 etc the 1/1000 can feel more limiting at time and the 1/50 flash sync even more so.
yeah, forgetting to take the lens cap off happened to me too many times... once it took me 5 minutes to take a photo case I was waiting for an amish woman to walk in my frame... I was so glad to have caught it... then I get back in my car and notice the lens cap....
Sorry to hear Jean-Francois!
I keep all the lens cap at home and only use lens filter when I go out to protect the lens (also replacing a filter is much cheaper for Leica original EOL lens cap) For point B2, you also not able to use any GND or CPL filter on range finder camera easily
Good tip and yes great point about CPL/ Grad filters.. though 10 Stop, ND & darker filters are easier to use on RF vs SLR
You got that spot on, THE COST . I had a Zorky film camera I purchased it in Fiji 50 years ago . Dute free , the price was very little. It was a copy of a Leica but the quality compared to a Leica was not comparable. The lens were OK.
Thanks! Yes some Soviet bodies are better than others. See those videos. I still love my kiev 4a along side Leicas :)
I notice nobody mentioned the vintage-Leica problem of sun burning a hole in the shutter curtain... even though we know it happens, right, Matt? 😹
Thanks James! Ah yes. I might need to read all the comments and add a few paragraphs on the blog version. (I was trying to forget that weakness haha) Thanks!
It is not a specifically Leica problem. Any film camera, from any brand that used cloth shutters (Nikon S series until the latest version of the SP), rangefinder or SLR had exactly the same issue. It is specific to cloth shutters.
@@BrunoChalifour It's not as bad an issue with SLRs because the mirror usually is in front of the shutter curtains (melting a hole in a plastic focusing screen is a theoretical possibility, but I've never seen it happen.) Among the classic "big four" rangefinder cameras, the Contax and its Kiev clones were immune (metal slat curtains), Canons were immune from the late Vt models on, including their most popular models, P and 7 (epoxy-coated stainless steel curtains) and, as you note, later Nikon SP/S3 (titanium curtains).
So in terms of at-risk camera populations, it mostly IS a Leica problem! If you've just burned a hole in your Yashica YF or Nicca 5L, I'm prepared to sympathize, but realistically those are far less likely to be out facing the angry Sun God nowadays than fabric-curtained Leicas of yore...
@@jlwilliams Yes quite true. As for Leica it is only an issue of yore too with digital cameras, but still true with most film Ms on the second-hand market.
Here is a great test to see if any rangefinder has close focus accuracy. Whatever lens is mounted set distance on focusing scale to 1 meter. Go to a mirror. Place a piece of masking tape on mirror vertically . Now focus the camera NOT by changing the setting of 1 meter on lens , but by moving back and forth until rangefinder indicates masking tape is in focus. Do this with canera reflection appearing in mirror with masking tape. After the rangefinder indicates the masking tape is in focus with lens set at 1 meter, Then focus on camera reflection in meter using lens and without changing camera position. If your rangefinder is accurate the focusing distance to the canera reflection should read 2 meters.
Hi John, thanks that's a great tip. I love mirrors for testing lenses/ camera. 1) I can see the gear used, 2) often the aperture used and now with the tape it has a 3rd use. Many thanks! (I'd probably do the tape at 0.7m as that is where I shoot most of the time).
Great advice, as always! You are a wonderful inspiration! Thank you!
Thanks Lucy! (I'm just reporting what people told me in their comments) :)
Nearly all the problems you mentioned were solved with the single lens reflex.
after using my M2 its a joy to shoot with my Olympus OM1 with its large
viewfinder and fast focus and to see the depth of field, yet the Leica
always feels special.
Thanks Leonard! I have done a video in the past why RF cameras are better. I will link them to the blog version of this. But yes agree, I think we use Leica in part as they are so nice to use.
Well that's a nice list :) I find rangefinder focusing one of the most accurate ways to focus manually (issue 6). I use a Lumix S1 camera with a Leica 24-90 SL lens. While focus peeking is quite accurate, it is never as accurate as focusing with a rangefinder. Of course the S1 has multiple advantages over a rangefinder: it doesn't need recalibrating, there is no parallax error and you don't need to recompose after focusing. Nevertheless, manual focus is just not as quick and easy as with a Leica M camera. I managed to photograph a drone in the air with an M camera and a 50mm lens, which I found easier to do than on the S1.
In the end, taking pictures with a Leica camera is always big fun. It is a joy to use. The only two reasons I got the S1 and not a Leica SL2-S is that the SL2-S does not have a tilting screen and it is way too expensive for me.
Thanks. Yes agree RF are easier to focus vs SLR. I have the S5 which lacks the S1 finder so I don't use it too much but the results are similar to my SL once I apply a preset.
Is it really more accurate? I have an OM-1n and a Yashica Electro CCN. When shooting 35mm on both, I always find the SLR so much faster and quicker to focus because the split prism is maybe 4-5x the size of the rangefinder patch of the Yashica. And I had trouble focusing on non-vertical lines such as faces. It seemed hard to nail focus quickly. I've only had both for the last 3-4 months and while I love the rangefinder for the size, it's just so hard to use. Are Leica cameras easier? I could afford a M5 but nothing fancier than that. Been on the fence choosing between an M5, Zeiss Ikon ZM, and Bessa R2a/m to pair with a 35mm f/1.4 lens.
@@jasontaycs7195 Hi Jason, yes not every RF can be treated equally. Some are very hard to focus. Please see recent video on ‘most accurate RF camera’
The biggest problem with all Leica Ms is imho getting critically sharp pictures at apertures below f2 (especially for moving subjects). In my opinion it's more or less impossible. If at all, it will work only with a magnified electronic viewfinder (yes, I know available as accessory, but it ruins the look of the camera and is always in the way). Since I shoot at these apertures most of the time a Leica M is definitively not for me. I prefer my Sony Alpha 1 that has a crazy fast af and image stabilzation if I want it, but can also be used manually with great rangefinder glass (for example the Voigtlander lenses for Sony e mount), if I want to.
Hi Stefan, it sounds like your RF was not calibrated. I shot weddings with moving subjects and the Noctilux! It takes practice but you can easily shoot below f2. I cheat now and use the SL..
The tip for number ten was very helpful.
Thanks Wendy!
For me, it 's the rangefinder calibration which is more critical with digital and fast primes. I believe my ME-240 is slightly off. But I am living with it and I just use the Visioflex for critical shots at wide open. I actually had to send out my Voigtlander Nokton 35mm F1.2 due to back focus issue at wide apertures. Film is more forgiving as I hardly see any back focus issue with the Nokton until I use my ME240
Thanks Eric, yes my M240 is slightly out too but OK for say 35mm at f2. The EVF option is great for those fast lens emergencies! Good point about film vs digital and thanks for sharing.
Got my first M10 yesterday and got a massive disappointment-the roller arm gets stuck making the rangefinder unusable/patches not aligning, not working. Sending it back today:(
Oh no, sorry to hear. I hope they can send you a different one instead.
Hi the real big problem is the collector and the price $$$ which is very very high, all the rest we can dial with. Also you may be lucky to get work, here in the US work is very hard to come by.
Thanks, yes I don’t do much photo paid work. It’s mostly teaching and things listed in my money/ career videos.
My problem with my Leica M10 is ISO dial stop working and I am stuck in the last iso used. So now I have iso 200 only Leica digital - I am sure it will become a limited edition feature soon.
Wow sorry to hear this. Not heard this issue before. Have you contacted Leica?
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom M10 is off to New Jersey for “diagnosis”. And as it’s out of warranty.
As an SLR (Canon/Nikon) user since 1975. #3 bites me frequently with my (new to me) Leica M3 and M4. Always forgetting the lens cap.
Thanks Joseph! It got me too in the early days (and still the occasion frame now and again)
There is one solution: Sell the M3 or/and M4 and get an M6, because of its lightmeter the M6 will immediately tell you that your cap is on (as whatever you do, the exposure LED will show "-" for underexposed).
It's pretty much only the relatively bad high ISO performance of my SL2 I consider an issue. It's avoidable with technique and fast lenses, but I definitely have to put in more thought and effort when shooting in low light conditions than with other cameras. The SL2 is still my favorite camera ever, though :-)
Thanks Robyn!
left the lens cap on a few times :)
Thanks Philip! Me too on occasion!
Get an M6 ;o) and problem solved.
@@BrunoChalifour I’ve got one! That doesn’t help with lens caps though :)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom It does if you check your lightmeter LEDs in the viewfinder. They show that you are underexposed whatever you do: the obvious conclusion is that the lens cap is on (it happened to me so I know ;o).
If you meter for caucasian skin, though, you have to add 1 stop. You need to place that tone on step 6.
Thanks Chris, great tip!
I had two Bessa rangefinder followed by Zeiss ZM (that eats Leica Ms for breakfast in viewfinder department and shutter type) then M9 and M9P dog of a camera but nice IQ, after that SL and now SL2-S. Honestly, I could never go back to rangefinder cameras, but I am enjoining M lenses on SL2-S as well as SL 24-90 and L mount 70-200mm. What Leica should do is to make a small body EVF, IBIS, M mount camera that I would get.
Thanks Jan! Yes I think a lot of people want the next M to have a built in EVF. I love the SL too.
Hi Matt, am I thinking wrong, but seems your parallax correction is the wrong way? Your lens is lower as the viewfinder, so you must move your lens up a bit?
Hi, thanks. You are making me doubt myself now haha.. some external VF have a dotted line lower in the finder for close ups if I remember well. What you say makes sense, the lens will take a photo lower than the finder as it is lower meaning would need to tilt camera up before making the photo..hmm.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I must confess I only did speak out of experience with a Leica Standard and a Leica III. And those oldies have no compensation so I always use this motivation. Lens lower so close focusing slightly move the lens up (when shooting landscape)
Kind regards,
Ferry
I've said it before - sent 3 m-a's back as they were shipped as if they were returns to me. Disgraceful service. Next attempt I will buy direct from store and open and test before leaving and not online being shipped
Yes that's terrible, from stores are normally OK
Biggest problem is calibration. I can’t depend on my M ant longer due to calibration issues.
Yes a massive pain in the *. I love my SL
Cost is a huge issue. HOWEVER, as of 1/5/24. A Barnack is around 200-350. A fuji xt2 is 500 usd.
This will sound blasphemous, you're shooting a box with a shutter, not a computer generated sensor. Sooooo... while the M series has a lot more bells and whistles, I find the Barnack series to be doing the exact same thing.
Yes Andy! Thanks why I love Barnack cameras! :). ..see those videos if you've not found them yet.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I forget: didn't you almost get mugged in Portugal?
The M3 is, as of 1/6/24, something around 1300-1800 dollars. And while the average junky or common theft doesn't know that, all they know is that you're serious about what you do and therefore it must be important. My camera is not worth my life.... but if I lose $500 vs $2000 (including the lens) doing street, which is what I love to do, then I'm alright.
Besides, and this is pure ego; I get more looks and more street cred with fellow photographers when I'm shooting a Barnack. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten stopped and asked if I was shooting a leica and then they look at you like you're a god.
My fuji xpro1 looks like an m3, I've only been stopped once.
Matt, have you reviewed that lens on your IIf? Color Skopar 50/2.5?
You should start playing the lottery if you are always this accurate with your predictions! :) Soon!
At first glance I thought you had scored an ltm 35 Summicron (v1), a rare bird indeed. Had to look up the Skopar, never heard of it prior.
@@shoefantasia1412 I have the Summaron 35/3.5 LTM but not the Cron!
Like to see a review if that 50/2.5. Those I have read online are decidedly mediocre, to me not worth the $500 that they seem to be offered for, but then not alot of compact ltm 50s faster than 2.8 out there.
Another option in that range is the 1961 Canon 50/2.2, once considered rare, but with several available on the Bay now for a fraction of the asking price of the 50/2.5 Color Skopar. Faster, smaller and lighter (if specs to be believed) but only focus to 1m (not a if used with bodies). Few available tests also so-so, but similar mediocrity at a lower price than the Color Skopar…
Hi Mat! Great content as usual. I watch almost all your videos and have noticed that my name isn't on your list of patrons. I checked my Patreon account and my membership is still active. Not a big deal; just wanted you to know. Cheers.
Morning! I'm just replying to all the comments on last nights video. Thanks for watching and for being a Patreon. There are 200+ Patreons so only those who signed up in the last month on the £5 level or those on higher levels list on the last page. If you've been with me for a while at £5+ it would have shown on some videos in the past. I appreciate you letting me know.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Got it! Thanks for your reply.
Pentax LX + SMC focal lengths : )
Thanks!
Freezing!
Thanks Elie, ah yes. Some models seem worse than others for freezing sadly. SL has been OK.
I shoot more with digital cameras Leica М9-240-М10 bla bla,but but one more thing that I found extremely useless is metering the exposure in the center or weights, as well as the average is generally non-working if you shoot through the finder. Yes, it will work on live view and only. This is very incomplete for me guys.
Thanks for sharing Ilja. I shoot in M mode and meter by eye otherwise it would probably annoy me too.
Hmmm, you just have to understand exposure, the way the camera measures light, adapt, and you'll get pretty consistent good results. In fact as it requires more attention from me, the Leica simple metering system makes my images and their exposure more deliberate and as a result more successful than fully automated multi-zone exposures-except when one has to work fast in a constantly changing light (which is rather rare).
I will add an additional item about Leica which affects all cameras. Leica service times are horrifically bad. I had to have a lens repaired and it took 3 months, even though I was initially quoted 6 weeks. Even that is bad but to miss it by such a huge amount of time is really appalling. But even something as simple as a rangefinder calibration takes almost 2+ months based on my most current experience. Don't get me wrong - I love my Leicas, but who needs them if the mothership doesn't take supporting the people who use them seriously. Definitely the next time there is a new camera to consider, it may not be theirs.
Thanks Robert, yes I echo your wait times. Maybe they need to get more staff.
I had my biggest problem in a helicopter over Kauai. I used my brand new M9, with sandisk sd cards. Exactly the cards Leica recommended. The helicopter had no doors for better shooting. My M9 didn’t not except the cards. After 10-15 shoots the M9 was hanging and I had to remove the battery. Very funny to open the bottom plate and remove the battery in windy conditions 1200m over the ground in a helicopter with no doors.
Leica didn’t apologized for this issue, they didn’t send my new cards, they didn’t offered my a free check of my M9. That was my biggest problem with Leica. I struggle with the behavior of Leica. My wife don’t understand, that I’m still using Leica, maybe she’s right.
This has happened with M8s, M9s and M240s... the first steps of Leica into the digital world. It does not seem to happen with later models. Sometimes it is a writing issue that can come from the card. Make sure you have formatted it in the camera before using it, that should solve part of the problem (which may be compatibility when the card has not been formatted in-camera prior to use - which is also a Leica (as well as all camera manufacturers for that matter) recommandation ).
Sorry to hear. Yes is seems to happen less with newer cameras. I had the same issues with M9 + M8. SL is fine, M240 is normally OK.
I think you have given the wrong title to this. You should have called this list "Biggest problems with people who use Leica Cameras". That is because all of the so called problems you list are not the fault of the camera at all. They happen because the person behind the camera has no idea about even the most basic principles and techniques of photography. They have wasted their time and money on Leica and don't know how to use the camera. It is the case that the prestige of the brand attracts some people who want the image of owning a Leica and don't have the interest or skill to use a manual camera to take photos. Its rather sad really.
Well not sure the price of Leicas and the fact that the rangefinder needs sometimes to recalibrate is really user fault :). For me a recalibration should be possible by the user. Having to go back to the store just to correct the fact that the range finder somewhere lost its calibration is very frustrating to me.
Thanks Lindsay, yes perhaps I should have called it "your problems when using Leica" for those that reported the issues. Agree, with practice almost all of them are overcome or avoided.
Thanks Phil. yes the calibration is the biggest annoyance for sure!
That's elitist, even if some of it is true to an extent. He's giving interesting tips coming from years of experience. You can't just pickup a Leica and know it all instantly. No matter what you say.
Same - I thought it would be about mechanical issues.
Loading film is not a big issue. It has worked and still works fine.
The problem (latest trend in forums these days) is the scratched films in Leica M bodies..
Not sure about it though.
Other than that, Leica M film cameras are incredibly simple and great. Love that simplicity and don't like their price tags..
"scratched films in Leica M bodies" - Not the fault of the camera. The user needs to maintain the camera by KEEPING IT CLEAN. Dust & debris in the film chamber is the key reason for anybody complaining about camera caused abrasions on their film emulsion
@@y2ktube agree. Nevertheless the reports are related to brand new cameras.
Never had this issue myself so I can not tell.
Thanks! I've never had scratch issues with any of my Leicas.. (Agree, love the simplicity)
Good point, thanks
Interesting (new cameras)
Price is what makes Leica appealing and exotic. 😂 my only beef with Leica is the stunned L mount lenses roadmap. They stopped making new ones and tried to convince us to use M lenses on. 😂
Ha true! Make a small quantity and charge a lot always helps boost demand :) They have just released 2 new L mount lenses (yesterday - 35/2 & 50/2)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom sadly what a joke it represents. 1. Not APO 2. Made in Portugal. It’s essentially a cheaper version which I didn’t expect Leica to make. They always create groundbreaking lenses like 0.95. This is my way of saying “give SL a noctilux!!”
Hmm, if I appreciate the joke that "Price is what makes Leica appealing and exotic" and not the craft and the experience of photographing with an M as well as the results, I fear that the CL roadmap is rather dark if not doomed but Leica can surprise us. Now the fact that Leica L lenses are made in Japan, or Portugal or even Canada (Canada saved the M, remember) ;o) has little incidence on their quality as they are produced to Leica specs under Leica supervision. A good example of producing outside of Solms/Wetzlar are the Noctilux (Toronto) and the Summitar (f 2.4 and f 2.5) recent series made in Portugal). These latter lenses are surprisingly affordable gems (and excellent for any one starting in the Leica line on a limited budget... which most of us have done I guess). Now concerning the L mount, do not forget you have the whole Sigma line which offers really excellent lenses.
@@BrunoChalifour I can counter argue there are other range finders even digital ones that basically functions the same, and even accept M lenses for a fraction of the price. If the photographic experience of a range finder is what makes it special than no: M bodies are over priced period. It’s ok though- many luxurious goods are too. I cannot believe you would refer me to Sigma L lenses as a defence for the stunned roadmap of SL. Sigma is a third party Lens company whose lenses are always viewed as second tier to native lens such as Nikon Z or Canon RF or Sony G. They are good but not perfect. If we want to use Sigma L: why not buy Panasonic LUMIX or Sigma FP L? We want a SL because we like the Leica look and optics with AF. If they boast the 50 1.4 SL as their worlds” standard : I expect to see more development at this front , not outsource to Sigma. Indeed lenses were made outside Germany in the past but it is due to geopolitical reason. There is no need to do so in 2022-2023 unless they want to cut cost. You don’t see 0.95 Noctilux , or 75 noc, or 90 lux being made in Portugal because they represent the best of Leica. I expect SL lenses to be their best also after the whole 50 lux SL upselling…
@@BrunoChalifour and Leica with a budget Len’s option? That has never happened with R, S or M line. You could change the class of the Len’s from noc to lux to from to elmarit but never a cheaper version within the same class! Even the TL never had to recreate a cheaper prime. SL seemed to be failing if they have to create something cheaper for people. Leica folks never need a cheaper alternative until now? Or are they trying to steal folks from canon or Nikon over with the crappy AF of SL?
So basically this is another Leica SL is the perfect camera video? Stop tempting me Matt 😅 Would be funny if Leica made a film version of the digital SL with extendable lens mount for close focussing it actually would make a lot of sense!
Thanks Thomas! When you read between the lines hmm yes the SL is good :) ..yes if they made a L mount film body i'd be happy to buy those lenses!
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom how about a review of some L mount lenses would be interesting :)
@@sunny16portraits 2 coming soon! Just recorded one ;)
I have tons of problems with my Leica cameras.
That issue started already in the year 1965.
I dare not to publish this list of pain.
Thanks Jaco, I'll reply to the other comment.
Sell the one you have. Get yourself (if you still want to use film) an CLAd M6 and see what happens. If you still have got problems, it is just that Leica Ms are not designed for you. It happens. Get the camera that works for you
An obvious problem you didn't mention is that while using a Leica camera in a "shaky" neighborhood your fear of being mugged is going to go up. To feel completely (?) comfortable with a Leica camera and Leica lens you're going to need to buy insurance especially to cover your gear.
Thanks yes good point. I mentioned this a little in last nights video talking about taping up the logo. I do have insurance too.
Good video Matt but I have some remarks about your so called problems.
A couple of your problems are based on the characteristics of Leica cameras and M cameras in particular.
You never hear somebody complain about the terrible off road performance of a Ferrari 599 cause it is a sports car and not a terrain vehicle.
So if you use a rangefinder camera you will never see the things in front of your lens, that is not problem, that is how it works.
They are also not not usable for underwater shooting without some protection, but you did not mention that as a problem but based on some of your "problems" that would be valid to mention too.
Price, there is a difference between "a lot of money" and "expensive". IMO expensive is something not worth the price paying for it.
Yes 9K is A LOT OF MONEY for the M11, but look at the (plain) M10 in 2017, introduced for around 6800 euro, nowadays 2022/2023 a used one from camera shop that also sells new ones is around 5K. That is a minor loss and Leica did not lower the price that much when the M11 came out.
But the other things you mentioned are indeed some flaws but what interests me the most is, does it affect the output of the image (than it is a real problem) or is it just a matter of different
handling.
Anyways, good video, subject not often tackled by anyone else and therefor 10 out of 10.
Thanks for sharing.
I totally agree, except for the "price thing" which might be problematic for a lot of people especially a younger audience... but excellence has a price, we agree.
@@BrunoChalifour We are the best ;-)
Thanks RS! Yes very well put, (sports car being used for off road etc). I try to share the topics that fellow Leica users (or new ones) might find useful. This post was partly thanks to viewers sharing their difficulties.
Loading film and levelling shots aren’t problems, nor is rangefinder focussing
Not for me. I was just reporting what other users reported.
Hi Matt, love your vids. Have you thought about accepting bitcoin or lightning payments for patreon and also for people leaving tips! Makes a great alternative to the old PayPal method!
Hi Phil, love the idea. Bitcoin I could, not sure how I’d let people know where to pay too (I do have a wallet*) ..wouldn’t work for Patreon as that’s limited to their structure sadly
Someone paid for a workshop in Bitcoin once* :)
Biggest problem on Leica M? Shorter focal lengths on Leica M bodies when wearing glasses.
Thanks. I will add any extra points people raise to the blog version linked below.
Problem #1 are easy to fix, buy any other brand 😉
Problem #2 are easy to fix, use a handheld light meter with dome/cone (fx Gossen or Sekonic).
Problem #3 are easy to fix, do not use Lens caps.
Problem #4 are behind the Camera !
Problem#5 are only for beginners.
Problem #6 are one of the reasons that I do not like the Leica rangefinder Cameras, it is not good enough made by Leica !!! No, the analog SLR I have used are much easier to hit focus than any Leica rangefinder Camera.
Problem #7 (I do not know if I understand you right here !?), but the biggest problem with Leica rangefinder Cameras are that you NOT get what you see (WYSIWYG), with a SLR Camera you can a big difference using a 28 and a 90mm Lens, in the rangefinder it is always the same you see, you cannot judge the depth of field in the rangefinder or see the difference of an aperture of 1.4 of 8.0, this is the biggest problem why I do not use rangefinder Cameras.
Problem #8 are also a "problem" with most analog SLR Cameras. A Leica M2 will be the best option for those that most use a 35mm and a 90mm Lens. I just love using EVF now (that is real WYSIWYG) !!!
Problem #9 are behind the Camera !
Problem #10 are another big problem with rangerfinder Camera and there should have been an automatic correction in the rangefinder.
Problem #11 I know of Photographers who used Leica rangefinder Cameras and Telyt 400/560mm Lenses with Visoflex for analog film...
Problem #12 are behind the Camera...
Problem B1 are one of the biggest problems with Leica rangefinder Cameras and also one of the problems that I do not use rangefinder Cameras.
Problem B2 are related to Problem #7 which I already have explained and you do here. I think that this was why the SLR Cameras got so much success in the 1960´s and onwards...
Problem B3, solution, just use SLR Cameras all the time 😉
I have none of those problems, because I use a modern digital mirrorless Camera and I have never been more happy with Camera gear than I am now !
Thanks for the detailed breakdown! Yes agree many points listed are not the cameras fault.
In other words, Leica rangefinder cameras are incredibly overrated, especially for the cost.
You can get fantastic results with other far less expensive and more robust non-Leica cameras and lenses.
I didn't say that exactly but yes you can of course get great results with a £100 Nikon. I only use gear that gives results I like (any brand) and those I enjoy using.
Leica rangefinders are not overrated, just expensive. Look at a 60+ year-old Nikon SP (rangefinder) it is not cheap either. A well-made rangefinder is just expensive... and Leica are not built by low-pay workers. See what Mr Leitz did with his Jewish workers during WW II and you'll understand that Leica understands that its workers are an asset, it treats then likewise (unions and job-bargaining in Germany are a world-model)... this also has a cost.
The lack of know how at photoshops on the Leica cameras, lenses and accessories is a shame.
Photo shaps and so called second hand analog camera (home) dealers are damaging the brand
of Leica.
A CLA of a camera is hardly ever a 100% CLA. You got scammed
by the photo shop which pretends being a Leica specialst telling you "the shutter sounds well
at al speeds".
A Leica camera is no musical instrument with a nice tuned sound.
The focal plane shutter has to be cheched during its run at three different positions; at the start,
in the middle and at the end.
When photography used to be a profession and focal plane shutters, leaf shutters and rotary
shutters had their annual test,the phptographer received a printed test rapport on the actual
speebs of the camera shutters.
Today's novice analoge photographers do not have a darkroom for developing their films and
making 50 x 60 cm enlargements on silverbromide paper.
In the Rotterdam area I can not find a decent Leica photo shop; all shops look like the
" Monty Python Cheese Shop". It is told, because of his camera problems, the Dutch painter JohanVermeer left his home town and moved to the capital of The Netherlands. For a Leica I also
have to goto the Amsterdam Leica Store.
It is my opinion: ."Thou shall not bring your Leica films to a photo lab, nor scan the negatives".
Thanks for the memories Jaco. It's interesting to hear how things used to be done in the past.
Other Leica users. An "exclusive club", if you "want the best" and similar elitist nonsense is the biggest turnoff to Leica ownership.
Why don't you just focus on the camera and the lenses? What they can or cannot do for you? The same rest "exclusive club", "elitist", which has been heard so many times with little effectiveness, is just nonsense in the light of who really used Leica Ms and why. Just get over others' alleged opinions and attitudes, try one and see whether it is worth your spending the money it requires or not. The fact that it does or does not not match your expectations as a camera/lens combination should be the only real arguments (because based on real experience with the tool) that you should take into consideration. Just using a Leica M can be the biggest turn-on or... the biggest turn-off for some. That would be fair real experience not just hear-say, reported babble that does not help anyone, including yourself, in making the right decision for themselves.
@@BrunoChalifour My reply is based on what other Leica users say themselves, including some comments on this channel. I actually think Leica rangefinders are an excellent street photography tool for shooting people in close proximity, being relatively compact and having speedy zone or distance focus via a tab. They don't need snob superlatives to prove their worth at the job they are designed for. (ps I've owned two Leica Ms)
Thanks. I enjoy a broad mix of film cameras from cheap £100 Nikon and Minolta to Leica so this channel hopefully wont feel elitist.
I have tons of problems with my Leica cameras.
That issue started already in the year 1965.
I dare not to publish this list of pain.
Thanks Jaco, yes I think I remember you mentioning in the past the problems you had. People can only go off their own experiences with a brand/ camera.
Sell the one you have. Get yourself (if you still want to use film) an CLAd M6 and see what happens. If you still have got problems, it is just that Leica Ms are not designed for you. It happens. Get the camera that works for you.