My First Leica Lens was it Worth it?

Getting my first Leica camera opened my eyes to the rangefinder experience that made taking photos and taking a camera with me a way more enjoyable experience. Do I always take great photos? No. Does the camera make better photos? No. But the point is that I enjoy taking photos with it.

My first Leica camera was a iiic Barnack Leica with a collapsable lens (technically my first Leica lens but not for the M system and very far from modern). I had wanted an M camera but the cost was just something I could not afford on a college students non-salary. I mostly shot cheap film but I enjoyed the process more than anything, and it was so compact and sturdy I had no problem chucking it in the bag on any occasion.

Fast forward a few years and that GAS for a Leica M was still gnawing at me until I found an M8 for a good price. Still could not afford a Leica lens for it but I was now an M junky.

Fast forward a bit more and during the COVID pandemic I ended up rekindling my Film obsession and purchased a M4 film camera. Still no Leica M lens but part of me loves the film M even more than the digital. Film Just has this soul to it that digital cannot match yet.

But finally after years of pining I found a Leica M Summicron 35mm F2.0 Asph. V2 for a great price on eBay. Now was the time to splurge a bit and bite the bullet, and man am I glad I did. This beautiful specimen pairs perfectly with my silver M4 and basically didn’t leave the camera all through my recent trip to Kauai. The images came out perfect, some may have been a bit underexposed due to the weather but they just astounded me. Replicating the majesty of what my eye saw in that moment, they truly look like the memories I have in my head.

What is special about them?

So what makes them so special? I don’t have a great answer to that but I think it goes back to that feeling you get when using the M system. They are just great to use. You want the lens on your camera, it pairs with it perfectly like they were made for each other. Perfectly weighted so that the camera hangs just right. Everything just in reach. I also think it’s also important that the images it produces are absolutely stunning.

How does it compare to other lenses?

Now here is the thing, I think I have a controversial opinion, the images look very similar to the third party lenses. At one point in the trip I switched to use a wider lens and I have trouble figuring out when that was. It’s not impossible to tell but I think modern lens design is so good that there are lenses out there that are comparable in image quality. I think this is because all lens design is a tradeoff, there is only so much physics you can manipulate to create crisp sharp images. And if you were to only look at image quality, especially on 35mm film, I think there are lots of options to choose from.

But when it comes down to build quality, how does it compare then? I think this is also another area that modern manufacturing is closing the gap. Many of the lenses I have from TTartisans, 7artisans, and Voightlander are amazing pieces of manufacturing especially given the low cost. I’m sorry this is maybe not the thing you want to hear but that is how I feel about it.

What does it cost?

So what does this thing cost? I payed about $2000 when all the taxes and shipping were calculated but this version of the lens in silver can cost over $4000 retail. That is a lot of money for one lens at either price point. Compared to Voigtlander at $600 to $700 for a similar lens that is about 3x the cost for used and 6x compared to new. That does sting. You could load out a full set of primes for about the same cost as one Leica lens. So why do people buy them?

Conclusions

I think it goes back to the equipment that inspires you to take photos. It just works so well on the M system and rightfully so because the company designed it that way.

I see the Leica M system, on the whole, as a luxury good similar to the luxury mechanical watch market. Yes you can buy a watch that tells time for $20 so why would you pay $8000 for an Omega or over $10000 for a Rolex? I think it’s partly an outward status symbol and also a status symbol for yourself. A way to tell yourself that you have made it in the world or as a reward for the things we have accomplished in life.

The Omegas and the Rolex market on their history and heritage but also show off all the refinements they have made to make a watch the best it can be. Showing off the mechanical precision, the decorative movement, and the beauty in the finishing. Leica does the same but for the camera segment. They have a legacy in camera and photography as an art. They focus on the simplicity but also the mechanical perfection, and they refine and finish their products to the highest degree.

That is the thing that makes you want to use them over and over again. It makes me want to take the camera with me. It makes me feel like I am the one taking the photo not an algorithm. It acts as a conduit for my artistic expression and gives me joy in the moment. It’s not just another tool to get a photo, but something with a bit of soul in it.

And now that I have a Leica lens to go on my Leica M camera I get to experience again the same joy I got from just the camera body. Like two pieces to a puzzle finally complete. Now I just need to figure out a way to get more of them…