The Analog Line - Part Nine - Wetzlar

We cannot talk analog cameras without involving the Leica company - they are one of the very few makers of new film cameras. They are certainly the only manufacturer who has a new offering of absolutely professional quality. You get a choice of two fresh ones - the M-A or the MP. They shoot the same lenses but with the M-A you'll be on your own as far as judging exposure. Cheer up - many film packets have an exposure chart... Their prices range from surprising to astounding and the lenses that you'll want to add will also raise your blood pressure more than somewhat. But consider that these price tags will not be too much more than that of the better sort of digital camera and the workmanship and sturdiness of the Leica can far surpass the plastic offerings elsewhere. They are long-term investments - anyone not in danger from a war can hardly wear one of them out in any serious sense in a lifetime of photography. They are repairable. They are adjustable. They do not feature dodgy lenses from other makers that trip them up a few years down the track. The M-A laughs at batteries because it doesn't have any. The price you pay for a Leica often proves to be an investment, rather than a cost, as many of them have appreciated in value over their working life. But it can be a stiff price to start with. They are basic devices that contain surprisingly sophisticated things - the view through the optical viewfinder can tell you what the depth of field of a lens is as you peer through it - even though there is no image formed on a screen. The focusing can be faster than most AF systems and you're doing it with your fingers and eyes. The film advance can be as fast as a digital. The shutters are magic in their quiet precision - for years they were the only cameras allowed in US courtrooms during trials. They need adjusting at about the same intervals as a Rolls Royce engine... But they can be daunting machines - people expect so much of them while remaining conscious of the money they cost. They are good traveller's cameras but you want to keep your hands on one at all times when there are thieves about - they recognise that monetary value very well. They can also be a portal to a whole Leica culture - carefully nurtured by the company and associated societies - that can sometimes remove you from your own critical facilities. You are asked to accept everything that Leica shooters do as being the ne plus ultra of the imaging world - and sometimes the images shown in the housing literature don't live up to this. The issues of LFI from the 1970's and 1980's can alert you. Modern day imaging is much better. But be careful - when you start buying tee shirts with drawings of cameras on them you are on a slippery slope. Eventually, you'll find yourself seriously contemplating Leica salt and pepper shakers and Leica-branded fly swats...