Since retiring in 2015, I have been seriously pursuing photography, digital for the most part. About a year or so ago, I resurrected an old film camera from the 1980s, a Konica TC, from a dusty corner in my home. After bringing it back to life, so to speak, I discovered I really liked film photography. It was such a refreshing change from the relative sterility of digital photography. I liked the film experience so much that I invested in a Leica M3. I was able to get one in excellent condition, albeit a pretty high cost. After checking the serial number online, I determined that it was manufactured in 1963. It still works perfectly and has been my primary camera for the most part during the last six to eight months.
I enjoy hiking and kayaking and, in the winter, snowshoeing. I recently did some trekking on Oregon’s most famous peak, Mount Hood (11,200 feet or 3,413 meters above sea level), taking along the Leica and a roll of Kodak Portra 400 film. Though I have taken a lot of digital images at altitude in the winter, I had never used a film camera in such conditions.
Winter conditions on Mount Hood can be brutal: wind, cold, snow, you name it. Fortunately, the conditions were favorable for this snowshoe, only light winds and abundant sunshine. Temperatures were relatively moderate, at or a bit below freezing between 6000 and 6500 feet where I took these images. I did not have to use gloves much so I largely avoided the hassle of putting them on and taking them off. The images were all taken in the area where trees thin out and give way to the vast expanse snow leading to the summit.
I did not know how the Leica M3 would perform up on the mountain in winter but it ended up performing beautifully. Though this might seem like heresy, I do not have Leica glass on my M3. Rather, it has a Zeiss 50mm F2 attached to it. The Zeiss lens looks great on the camera and, when I do my job correctly, produces some fine images. Some day I will probably invest in a Leica lens but for now, my current set-up is more than satisfactory for my purposes.
Even with a digital camera, taking images in snow can be tricky. I had little experience on snow with a film camera or with Portra 400. I relied a lot on “Sunny 16” and some light measuring with a light meter app on my cell phone. I also engaged in some guess work on exposure.
As most film photographers know, the Leica M3 is all mechanical with no built-in light meter. That makes getting the proper exposure tricky at times but also a lot of fun. Frankly it was nice not having to worry about batteries. Even though it was cold, the Leica worked smoothly without issue. Using a 50 mm lens suited me just fine. It has enough reach but is wide enough to give the viewer a sense of the scale of the landscape. Some people have advised glasses wearers against the purchase the purchase of an M3, but I have not experienced any significant issues with using the camera even though I wear glasses.
I guess the readers of this piece will be the ultimate judges of how well these images turned out, but overall I was pretty pleased with the results.
I think a few of my images are actually pretty good. I had enough success that I would not hesitate using the Leica and Portra 400 film on a future winter trek. The M3 certainly can handle winter conditions based on my experience.
Curtis Heikkinen
You can find me at Curtisheikkinen.smugmug.com
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Paul Quellin on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
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Eric Norris on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
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Ibraar Hussain on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
Nice one! You’ve inspired me my friend as I always shoot E6 on mountains and snow
Or Agfa Ultra which lacks the latitude of portra. So highlights blow
Now I know what to take !!!
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
Michael Sherman on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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Manu on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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Gus on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
I climbed up / skied down Hood a few years ago, didn't bring a film camera to save weight. You're making me regret that decision!
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
Roger on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
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Gary Smith on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
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Nik Stanbridge on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
I moved to an M3 a few years ago and loved it so much I sold pretty much all my other cameras. Rain or shine, hot or cold, it’s all I have now!
Comment posted: 04/04/2024
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Julian Tanase on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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Eleanor Heikkinen on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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Bradley Newman on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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Steve Harper on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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Geoff Chaplin on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 05/04/2024
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Tony Warren on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 05/04/2024
I remember reading a lot about the differences between Zeiss and Leitz lenses in relation to the link-ups the two companies had with Nikon and Minolta in WWII days. Zeiss images were said to have a rather wiry quality, whilst Leitz had a smoother appearance. These qualities seem to have been continued in the Japanese products. The difference is subtle of course and both have near perfect optical qualities, just different characters in the images they produce. I think the Zeissness comes out in your shots.
Thanks for such a beautiful set of images.
Comment posted: 05/04/2024
Comment posted: 05/04/2024
Jukka Reimola on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 05/04/2024
Btw, apparently you are genetically adjusted to cold. I guess your ancestral lineage must lead towards Finland, perhaps?
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jason gold on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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Rajat Srivastava on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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Art Meripol on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
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JC on Leica M3 and Portra 400 at 6000 Feet (1828 meters)
Comment posted: 13/04/2024
exciting wintry pics in this story !
But you should have taken the shots with your Konica TC, which is a nice camera too.
Cheers, Jens
Comment posted: 13/04/2024