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Who says Leica do not have their ears to the ground when it comes to contemporary culture? Not us - we've seen some of their products and some of their ears...
Lately it has become fashionable to decry the modern world and the advances of digital photography. Lots of writers - using the most modern computers and word processors - have published articles on the internet...also a digital device of sorts...that wish to hearken back to the good old days. This is likely to be someone else's good old days, as the hipster who follows a new retro trend can probably only remember back as far as Bananas In Pyjamas. A lot of the rest of us can remember back to Noni Hazelhurst on the telly and that was a lot more fun than bananas, I can tell you.
But back to Leica and back to the future. In an effort to assist young hipsters to break away from dependence upon electricity and the digital world, Leica have brought out a new concept - a camera that does not need electricity in any form. There will be no need to buy batteries or worry about leaving a charger in the hotel when you check out. When you use the Leica M-A ( Typ 127 ) you are digital-free.
The camera uses a removable flexible sensor strip that is pulled mechanically through the body and lies just behind the shutter curtains. When you press the shutter button these curtains slip sideways in front of the strip, exposing it to light. There's enough strip in each strip-holder to shoot 36 shots, and then you use the knurled wheel on the left hand side of the camera to retract it into the holder. A lady at Fitzgerald's Photo Laboratory in Fitzgerald Street takes this from you and makes pictures from it - very nice ones too. You can ask for any size you like. You can make black and white or colour, but you need to remember to use the proper sensor strip to start with.
Note: Fujifilm make very nice flexible sensor strips, as does Ilford and Kodak.
The camera has a fully adjustable shutter from 1 to 1/1000 of a second and you can get Leica lenses in all sorts of focal lengths for it. In keeping with the new retro design, these are fixed focal length items, so you would be wise to have 5 or 6 assorted ones with you when you go out. They all have aperture rings and focusing rings on them and are marked with convenient numbers.
Note: As there is no light measuring device in this camera, you will have to use a separate meter or your own good judgement to set the dials and rings. You'll need a bit of practise to get this but a few months should see you right. The camera won't do autofocus but it does have a rangefinder to help you set the distance. If you are going to use a flash there is a connector at the back for the synch cord and a hot shoe point.
Oh, one final point - Even if the camera is marked as the Typ 127, it won't actually take 127 flexible sensor material. You'll need the boxes marked 135. In the fridge at the back of the shop. Don't worry about getting confused - you are unlikely to find the 127-size any time soon.
