Why I use a Leica M

Hello again from Tokyo

Before I get into the gear talk, which is something a bit different from my usual content, here are a few pictures that I was especially happy with last month.

A few favourite photos from June

Nowadays I only post sets of photos, as I find that’s the best way to try and tell stories or fully capture everyday life. These though I feel also work as single images, plus a new to me old vending machine is always special. I’ve added links to the relevant series they belong to.

Why I use a Leica M

It’s often repeated that, ‘The best camera is the one you have with you’, which it has to be said is pretty much impossible to argue with.

If, however, you almost always carry the same camera anyway, or at the very least would like to, then in many ways the best camera is the one you have a real affinity with. One that essentially feels a part of you. And for me, that is the Leica M. A camera I’ve been using in various iterations since 2011.

Prior to using a Leica, I’d moved from film compacts when first arriving in Japan, to a Nikon DSLR. The latter was hugely pivotal, as the digital experience provided both versatility and immediacy, which played a key role in moving my photography forward. The massive array of available lenses also allowed me to experiment with a variety of focal lengths.

Over time I slowly began to settle on a 35mm prime, which got me thinking about a different approach. Something more discreet and better suited to street photography. A thought process that coincided with the chance to buy a used Leica at a decent price. And without knowing an awful lot about what I was purchasing (apart from the fact that it looked good), I took the plunge. A decision that changed the way I took pictures pretty much overnight.

Zone focusing became a thing, as did closer candid shots. I really started leaning into more documentary territory too. Of course a Leica isn’t the only tool for such work. Far from it. But for me at least it proved to be a catalyst of sorts. And now, all these years later, I can’t imagine using anything else. It’s everything I need, plus it feels just right in the hand. Looks great too. A timeless design that has barely changed since the M’s inception in 1954.

And yet all that said, it most definitely isn’t for everyone. That reverential nod to the past design-wise comes with technology of the past as well. An optical viewfinder, rangefinder manual focus, no image stabilisation, and an exposure meter that is rudimentary when compared to most modern cameras. Elements that are understandably a deterrent for many, as well as an absolute no-go for certain types of photography.

For what I do though it’s ideal, making it an absolute joy to use. As well as being suited to my needs in the way it operates, it’s also small and discreet, meaning it allows me to get shots in more intimate surroundings. Due to my version’s brass construction, it’s also gradually showing signs of usage, giving the camera a unique patina. Wear, dents and scratches that mark the places it has been and the way I use it. All of which make me want to carry it with me almost everywhere I go, meaning the best camera for me is the one I always have with me anyway.

Sticking to just one lens

Finally, on my M is one lens that almost never gets taken off. A 35mm Summicron. The same focal length that got me interested in a Leica in the first place, and one that has become integral to the way I shoot — both in regards the photographs I take for myself, and for clients.

Essentially it’s how I see the world, and as such I know exactly where I need to be to get the photo I want. A stripping down of choices combined with the speed of familiarity that makes the restriction of one lens liberating rather than limiting.

And that is pretty much it for my digital photography. A simple setup that suits me perfectly, which is all that really matters at the end of the day.

And that then wraps up another newsletter. A diversion into gear that I hope was interesting. I do get asked a lot, so it felt worthwhile mentioning.

Speak to you in the next one. An edition that will definitely contain more photos, and if all goes to plan, some added social history too.

Cheers

Lee