Retro at a High Price

For much of the mid-20th century, the Leica name was synonymous with finely designed 35mm film cameras and superb optics. But as the industry moved from film to digital, the company seemed to have lost it footing and missed the opportunity to maintain its technological and engineering edge.

Leica hasn’t given up.

As I walked the aisles of PhotoPlus Expo, I couldn’t help but stop when I spotted these amazingly bright colors starring me in the face. This was the Leica’s booth and these are their X2 cameras.
Surprisingly, the cameras are available in ten different leather trims. If nothing else, this fact alone makes the X2 a statement in style. Notice the matching straps and protective case. It sports a 16MP APS-C sensor, a fixed 24mm f/2.8 Leica designed lens, 2.7″ LCD in a very compact package. Leica likes to say this is the only digital camera made entirely in Germany, stressing its handmade workmanship. For more information, see Leica X2
Above is my Leica M3 film camera from the 1950s

You can see that the X2 inherits a lot of its looks from the M3. Leica is betting that the “retro” look of the X2 will prove to be an attractive selling feature. I found the X2 to be very eye-catching.

If you’re a believer in the Leica pedigree, you may want to take a deeper look at the X2. Reviews of the X2 are mixed. While the camera is well built, it doesn’t have features which separate it from the competitors’ offerings. And the X2 significantly pricier than the other brands.

The X2 sells for about $1995. Accessories include matching leather strap, protective case and an electronic viewfinder.

 

 

Written by: Arnie Lee

 

 

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Relearning things from the past   Not long ago as part of spring house cleaning, my wife had me rummaging through one of our closets. I happened upon a relic from the past – a film camera. Upon seeing it, nostalgia completely overtook my mind and I quickly loaded a roll of film into the camera and was out of the house and ready to take a stab at it the “old way”.

After years of using digital equipment, I felt a strange sensation going retro and having to set things manually. I was no longer comfortable shooting without the help of today’s “take in for granted” modern features: zoom lens, auto exposure, and autofocus.

Instead I felt compelled to plan each shot by positioning myself at the desired distance from my subject, picking a specific pair of shutter speed and aperture settings and carefully focusing before pressing an almost silent shutter button. Afterwards, I instinctively peeked at the back of the camera and felt slightly silly – there isn’t an LCD on the back of a camera from the 1950s.

I shot only one roll that day. Then I dropped off at the photofinisher and had to wait an entire day before I could see the results. Of course, the film is returned in an envelope with the proofs. But I find it hard to judge a photo from a 4″ x 6″ print so I scanned the negatives to see the results up close on a computer monitor.

Here’s a few of the shots.

For this photo, I first estimated the exposure and then I asked her to remain still for a few moments while I slowly focused the lens. I like the result.

Having scanned the negative, I used Lightroom to turn the color image into a greyscale. I prefer this photo which removes the somewhat distracting green color.

It’s been a few days since I’ve reviewed the 4″ x 6″ proofs. I am now able to deconstruct the process that I experienced that day.

Knowing that I was limited to 24 exposures, I carefully selected, posed and composed my subjects. Rather than snapping off six or eight shots of a single subject, I settled for one or two. Since I was shooting without the convenient features of late model cameras, I found myself checking and double checking the focus and exposure. I’m able to report that there’s a slightly liberating feeling of not having to (or being able to) instantly review each shot. I didn’t feel hurried to snap away. Instead, I took a few extra seconds so I could try to get things right in the camera.

I was able to catch the family dog resting so I didn’t have to rush my shot.

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I was so pleased shooting film after such a long respite that I retrieved these other cameras from storage. I bought a few more rolls of film and so I’m ready to go at it again the “old way”.

Caution: I quickly rediscovered that I need to brush the dust from the negatives before scanning. This is what happens to poorly scanned negatives. Don’t let this spoil your day.

Armed with a couple of these older cameras, I’m planning to go out and shoot more film.

I’m hoping to adopt this method of working more deliberately when I’m shooting with digital equipment. I’d like to improve my goal of getting it right in the camera. I think we can all learn a few things from shooting with film. Why not grab your trusty film camera and shoot a few rolls? It may do you some good.

Written by Arnie Lee

 

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