Anthony Lane at The New Yorker writes about the the cult of Leica, which I’ve always wanted to join. Membership dues are hefty. A Leica M7 is US$3500. Without a lens.
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Scott is an editor living in Queens, New York, who enjoys language (specifically English). He is strangely fascinated with Web typesetting, if such a thing exists. Scott is married to Binita, for whom he once ghost wrote a blog about court reporting for almost two years. They have been married four.
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Dude! A CL IS a real Leica! It was designed by Leica and made in Japan by Minolta. Is a M4-P and an M5 any less a Leica because they are made in Canada? What about the Leicaflex, models 3-6, all basically Minolta XD-11s? What of the many R Leitz lenses that are really Minolta lenses? The CL is a great little M platform that while not as over-built and tank-like as an M5 or M6, did not cost nearly as much. I have used an M6, but the truth is I prefer my CL and CLE…both still in use today.
So get over the “Made in Sohms so it is manna from heaven” crap. If you can’t take a good picture with a CL, you will never with the M cameras. Hey, the CL says Leitz right on it!
Nothing to get over, Ray, as I agree with you 100% about the Leica CL being as good a Leica as any. But, as you may be aware, there is a certain snobbery common amongst Leica users. A cult, as I called it.
I sold my CL because I didn’t like the viewfinder. I wear glasses and I found it very dark and hard to use. Now my Zeiss Ikon, there’s a viewfinder. And my Summicron seems to fit it just fine.
I used to shoot with an M4-P and an M4-2. Both can be had pretty reasonably, under $1,000 for user quality ones. The main thing though is not the body, it’s the glass. If you’ve got good glass then even a shoebox will do.
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