I am a 44 year-old NYC-based photographer, and a proud film user since my very beginnings. About my beloved Nikon F100: It was found in Bogotá, Colombia around 5 years ago, at a “student oriented” photography shop. Maybe that is the reason for the bargain it was (US $100).
It’s easy to love a Leica M camera as an object. Handsome black-painted metal, simple design cues, and legendary build quality make them attractive even to passersby catching a glimpse of one on the street.
Olympus OM-1 is one of those cameras that everyone knows, and for good reason. Once you pick one up you will definitely know what I mean – the whole thing oozes of quality – solidly built, nice to look at and has all the essentials for photography – nothing more, nothing less. It is also complemented by a huge selection of great lenses, needs no batteries to work and will probably last you a lifetime.
After several years using Canon digital cameras, in 2008 I bought an Olympus XA on eBay. I felt in love immediately with this compact and beautiful camera. Returning to film photography was a great satisfaction that motivated me to make pictures everyday. But after two years and many rolls of film, I was seduced by Panasonic´s GF1 and the tiny 20mm 1.7. Having autofocus again felt really great!
It’s no surprise that people who have used a Leica would want more of it. The Germans really put a lot of effort into the camera and seeing a lot of them alive and well (and relevant) several years later is a testament to its quality. But can the same be said about those Leicas made in Japan? This was a question I asked myself…
