Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/26
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Thought I'd relate a delightful encounter I had two days ago on the
Montreal Metro (our subway).
I was coming home from a photo lab where I'd had them laminate a copy of
the gorgeous graphic arts portrait of the Leica IIIG done by Vancouver
artists Gary Blakely (now hanging on my wall).
I see across the car a teenager (maybe 18 or 19) reading a copy of the
French magazine PHOTO, who have just published a special issue about HCB. I
move to his side of the car and crane my neck around to see what he's
staring at so intently - and it's an ad by Leica for the special HCB M6
that is to be auctioned off soon.
I don't usually talk to strangers on the subway, but this time I couldn't
resist. I said, "That's a pretty expensive camera." The kid looks up and
asks, " Any idea how much?" He sounded like he really wanted it. I told him
it would probably go for well over $20K. He said, "That's not as much as
the Ansel Adams Hasselblad, is it?"
We started talking. Turns out he's really into Leica, but has very little
money. Told me he just bought himself a 50/2 rigid chrome ("It's from the
60s, and it's mint!"). Mispronounced "Summicron" but who cares? Said he
can't afford a camera to go with it yet, but could I help him find a near
mint chrome M4 (he said he'd heard it was the last "real" German Leica -
bias starts early!) I marvelled at how optimistic, yet frustrated, one must
be to own a Leica lens but have no camera to put it on.
He was unaware of the LUG and the LHSA, so I gave him a quick (the subway
here is really fast) lecture about information sources for Leica users and
collectors, and we exchanged phone numbers.
He complained that people his age don't appreciate things like Leicas. I
being all of 37, I know what he means. I bought my first M3 at the age of
16 and my school friends, with their Nikkormats, Minolta SRTs etc. thought
I was a fool. Most of them have dropped out of photography by now, while I
work at it "professionally" and have put together a complete IIIG outfit
with all the fast lenses and neat accesories for my six-year-old son. He
says: "Dad, when I get older, is that shiny camera and all the lenses
really going to be mine?"
BTW, the kid on the train identified the IIIG in the picture instantly.
There is hope.
P.S. anyone with a nice spare chrome M4 for sale should contact me. I can
put you in touch with a buyer who'll really appreciate it.