I remember the first time I picked up a film camera, it was Pentax K1000, and I knew nothing about photography.
I don’t even remember how I learned how to meter anything, how to compose, it just all seemed natural, all very my doing.
My current cameras of choice:
Leica M8
Olympus OM-2s
Leica M8:
I wasn’t having fun shooting dSLR’s anymore, I wasn’t having fun photographing anymore. It took until 2009 when I discovered rangefinders, from a fellow thrifter in Cuyahoga Falls that I finally found the fun back into shooting.
Rangefinders are incredibly involving and an essential tool for those looking to travel light, and discrete.
I find the experience a different one than shooting SLR’s, a kind of art that was more about imagination than through the lens.
This is my third Leica, it’s a bit different than the previous ones, as it’s an M8.My first Leica was a CL, purchased a few years back. It was kind of an introduction to what would eventually evolve into the complete transformation of how I shoot.
Since then I’ve owned my favorite Leica model; the M2, which I took traveling all over and loved it, and an M6, with it’s built in metering system allowing me to easily get the photos.
I’ve loved every Leica i’ve owned, and felt it didn’t just produce an image but got me massively involved with every aspect, the quirks, the mechanics and even some of the let downs.
The premise of the M8 for me was that I decided to ditch the dSLR’s completely in an effort to go in a completely rangefinder solution.
I’m aiming to use the M8 as my primary digital, that means, for paying work, instead of relying on a dSLR and purchasing all the lenses, flashes, and such to support it, i’d go completely rangefinder. Being able to use the lenses and accessories on a film Leica (aiming for another M2!) will be a blast. What better way to use some of the best glass for both fun and work?
The M8 is fantastic to me; it’s a mix of classic rangefinder and the technology to bring it to today’s age.
It doesn’t have the ISO performance or FPS count of today’s cameras, but I didn’t buy it to be the best “potentially”.
For me it’s just right.
The current lenses:
Leitz Elmarit 28mm f2.8 Version 3
Carl Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2
Olympus OM-2s:
There are cameras you just can’t resist using. The Olympus OM series is one of those to me. It’s a quirky, unique, and an undoubtedly respected camera that is great fun.
Some of the images i’ve produced with this simple camera (sort of) are some of my favorites.
It was a gift to me from a friend, whose parents used it a lot. The wear definitely shows, but it adds to the character of the camera.
The OM series Olympuses were renown for their compact size, their amazing Zuiko optics, and their unique shutter speed selector. The selector was mounted on the lens mount of the camera! This let you select the shutter speed in the same location as the aperture and focus ring. An incredible experience being able to just do all of that while still looking into the viewfinder.
This, OM-2s has aperture priority, which let’s me grab shots real quickly, the spot metering in Olympus cameras are pretty incredible, I rarely come across an incorrect exposure.
I loved this, and every time I put it on the shelf I think, it doesn’t belong there it belongs in my bag.
This is my faithful film back-up, during times when I am switching Leica M bodies, or when I just want to use it; frequently.
The current lenses:
Zuiko 50mm f1.8
