M is for Milestone
Fifty. 5-0. Yep, back in February, I hit the half-century mark and to celebrate, I bought myself a new camera—well, actually, an old camera, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
The past few years, I’ve spent as much time and effort (and certainly more money!) on my film photography than on digital. While I still enjoy taking digital photos, I’m finding so much more joy in using my film cameras, experimenting with different film stocks, and seeing how the images turn out. Maybe my return to film is all about nostalgia; after all, I grew up with the warm colors of Kodak. Those colors are captured in images that stare out from family albums filled with yellowing pages covered in plastic, the photos stuck to those ribbed hole-punched sheets. So many of those photographs are imperfectly perfect, with light leaks and ill-composed or out-of-focus frames. Yet, they’re all we had, and we were capturing moments in time—moments that I now realize were, like the final prints, always imperfectly perfect.
Since getting back into film, my camera collection has certainly grown (that’s a story for another post!), and while I love (and use!) all of my cameras, I’m always on the hunt for new additions. I’ve been toying with the idea of adding a Leica rangefinder to the mix, so, for the past few years, I’d fall deep into the research rabbit hole, only to emerge a bit weary and doubtful I’d want to make that kind of investment—even for (especially for?) a camera at least as old as I.
But then turning 50 was on the horizon—and what better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than with an iconic camera? I fell back into research (or, more aptly, analysis paralysis), almost convinced myself to take the plunge, and then talked myself out of it. I visited a fantastic camera store in Toronto while visiting in December, held a Leica for the very first time, played with the focusing ring; I could understand the appeal. But I held off, knowing I had plenty of options and fantastic cameras already. A few months later, the big 5-0 came and went, and that was that. I chose head over heart, favoring both practicality and pragmatism.
Until this summer.
I’m not sure what tipped the scales, but I finally decided that I would take the plunge into LeicaLand. How fitting that I’d be purchasing a Leica for my 50th during its 100th year! I always knew I’d be buying used, and I had pages and page of notes and prices. I had debated between the M3 and M6 (of course), but again, I couldn’t justify sinking so much money into the M6, especially at the prices they’re fetching on the used marked these days. I didn’t want to spend a fortune (again, that’s a bit relative when talking about Leicas), and I knew I’d likely be purchasing only one lens. I wanted to decide on one focal length and stick to it, so that made my choice a bit easier—I didn’t want to be tempted by all the frame lines available in later, more expensive models—especially if I wasn’t sure I’d love using a Leica. While I love the 35mm (and wider) focal lengths, I also love the 50 for a standard and capable walkaround, travel, and family lens. Having to use only a 50 during the winter when I was taking a photography class reminded me of just how versatile I could be with that focal length. Additionally, for wider compositions, I have other options.
While I was pretty sure all roads were leading me toward the M3, I wondered if I would eventually want/need a light meter, although a meterless body would be much less expensive, and I could use an external meter. While I am fairly confident using Sunny 16 in outdoor settings, I did end up splurging on the Voigtlander VC II ($225)--expensive, but to me, a better value proposition than the thousands more I would have spent on an M6 or later model.
So, intrigued by the famed bright framelines of the M3 and excited by the idea of one body/one lens, I decided on the M3 and a Leica Summicron 50 f2 and spent a few weeks shopping around and hoping to keep the entire purchase around/under $3K.
I found the camera online at Glazer’s Camera in Seattle for $1299 and rated in very good condition—honestly, from the photos, it looked to good to be true, especially at that price. I inquired about the camera and its condition and received a reassuring email in response. I placed my order and anxiously awaited delivery. From what I can see/tell and after running a roll through, it’s in amazing condition—more amazing since the serial number indicates it’s from 1961. I bought my lens (1985) from B&H for $1699, and the lens was rated in very good condition; again, from what I can tell, it looks and feels fantastic. The combination cost $3k—certainly an investment—but together the same (maybe even less) than an M6 body alone would have cost me. Could I have put together a less expensive kit? Sure. Could I have paid more for the assurance of recent CLAs? Sure. But I took my chances and figured I could always return the items within the return windows or sell them later if I didn’t fall in love.
Needless to say, I think there’s a good chance this M3/50mm will last me for many, many birthdays and milestones to come—and probably well beyond!
