For a period of time I carried a tiny Minolta TC-1 everywhere with me. It didn’t have the fastest lens or the best exposure system, but it was a very capable and pocketable point-and-shoot camera. One day, however, the electronics on it seemed to act oddly, and I worried that mid-1990s electronics were starting to fail. The battery in the TC-1 lasted for a very long time, so long that it was easy to forget about it. In my case, remembering to put fresh batteries in the camera was all it needed. That experience, among other things, made me once again re-evaluate which camera I wanted as my go-everywhere camera.
I never thought that I would be a Leica person. I started as a Canon person. My first DSLR was an EOS Rebel. When I switched to film I became a Minolta person, and only became a Nikon person when I discovered their matrix metering; it was the Minolta TC-1 that gave me an appreciation for the metering of the Nikon 35Ti that I used to have. But if I was going to move away from cameras with aging electronics, then I was going to be moving towards even older cameras. Old cameras tend to be larger and have defunct selenium meters, neither of which I wanted.
All things considered, I decided to try out the Leica M4; I knew that I could easily sell it if it didn’t work for me. The largest factors in selecting the M4 were its reliability and size, but I also liked the ability to use very fast lenses. To make the M4 more portable I needed some sort of pancake lens. I almost went for the Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35/2.5, but I opted to get the slightly larger and faster Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35/1.4. I also needed a meter, and after using my Gossen Digiflash for a while I switched to the Keks M-Meter.
So far I have decided to stick with the Leica M4. I may even be on the verge of becoming a Leica person. There are several things I like about the M4. I appreciate that metering was added via the Leicameter MR-4. Rather than being stuck with a defective meter, it’s possible to replace it - in my case with the modern Keks M-Meter. I also prefer a rangefinder for manual focusing; I find it easier to use than a split prism or micro prism focusing screen. In general, I think I prefer rangefinders to SLR cameras. I like being able to peek outside of the framelines without moving the camera, and I like that I have to actually think about my aperture and the depth of field that I am expecting. In fairness, almost any rangefinder would meet these criteria, but my CLA’d Leica has very reliable shutter speeds and focus.
An advertisement for the M4 said “as long as creativity can’t be computerized, we will continue to make it.” What they may not have considered is that the full computerization of creativity, via AI tools, might make the Leica M4 even more sought after as people crave more authentic, more analog interfaces.
the “think” camera
This “pro” doesn’t boast electronic circuitry. It doesn’t have photocells to select the area of interest. No little indicators to tell you there’s not enough light. The Leica M4 is strictly for those of you who prefer to do your own thinking, your own creating. And as long as creativity can’t be computerized, we will continue to make it.
In the hands of a discriminating photographer, the M4 is a sophisticated “tool” of endless versatility and speed. A camera so flexible and so fast that its only limit is the scope of your imagination and the condition of your reflexes. And with each smooth release of its precision shutter, you are reminded of the M4’s heritage of over five generations of Leitz excellence in optics and instrumentation.
Try the M4 for “feel” at your franchised Leica dealer.
