Re: [Leica] Street Shootin'

["Michael D. Turner" <mike@lcl-imaging.com>]

At 07:32 PM 5/20/1998 -0400, Charles, you wrote...
>Being relatively new to the Leica way and as a lurker to the LUG for 
>several weeks I thought I'd speak out and share my experience. I've been 
>a professional advertising photographer for a good many years and own the 
>obligitory Nikon, Hasselblad, and Sinar systems. However, something was 
>missing. I needed a "snaphot" camera. Something I could live with, not 
>separate from my body. The M6 with a 35 Summilux. Ideal. I went on an 
>assignment in Central America and took advantage of the opportunity to 
>spend a couple of weeks on my own to help me "see". I schlepped all this 
>stuff around all these countries for several weeks and found out one 
>thing. All I needed was my Leica. Not for my assignment mind you, the 
>Nikon system was a godsend. But the personal work! Wow! Increasingly, I 
>left the Hasselblad and the Nikons in the hotels and walked with just the 
>one body and lens. I swear it redefined the way I see and work. Fantastic 
>shots. The ability to become invisible. Shooting handheld at 1/8 @ 1.4 
>was thrilling. My "snapshot" camera became a way of life. I'm hooked and 
>want more. No offense, but all this tech talk is not for me. I'd like to 
>hear more people's shooting experiences. The Leica rangefinder is a way 
>of seeing. It's kind of freeing, if you know what I mean. The line 
>between "personal and professional" work grows blurrier every time I pick 
>up my M6. See ya.......
>
>Charles
>
I've had a similar experience. I recently acquired an M4 with a 35
Summicron, carried it to New Mexico with my 4x5 and Canon gear. Generally,
I never use the wide-angle lenses. The 210 almost seems
too short, never use the 120 or 90. Same with the SLR--my only wide-angle
is a 24 which I almost never have used. But I had a heckuva fun time with
the Leica/35 combination, even shooting the same scenes that the 4x5/210
seemed too short for.
Don't know why, definitely a new way of seeing for me. And yes, it was very
much a
"freeing" experience. BTW, hardly shot anything with the Canon.
- -Mike