Canon & Nikon vs. Leica?

Kwak12r · 01-02-2009, 12:58 PM

I am just curious to find out what Leica is about.
I do not find a lot of people using Leica and the price for these cameras is incredibly expensive.
What do they have (and do) to justify the expense vs the big names such as Canon and Nikon?

I hope that I am not offending those that use Leica but I am just curious as to what they are all about.

ianm · 01-02-2009, 01:33 PM

leica have been a long standing german camera maker i believe (and other things), they are the cream of the crop and their lens technology is supposedly the best - hence their prices, not sure about their slrs though.

look at the wiki Leica Camera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

dxqcanada · 01-02-2009, 01:52 PM

Back in the old days of film ... you were a nobody if you did not own a Leica rangefinder camera, or a Zeiss lens.

The SLR's were very well made ... similar to Contax.

Leica and Zeiss optics were considered the best in those days.

**usayit** · 01-02-2009, 02:23 PM

Past threads of interest:
Leica, what's all the fuss about?

The increasing expense is in part the time tested quality, paired with a small nitch market, as well as the branding. There's probably nothing in Leica that will immediately translate to a better photo..... in the right hands the advantages can be exploited wonderfully. Nikon used to make rangefinders too (In some ways superior to their Leica counterparts). A few years ago, there was a rumor of Nikon introducing a digital rangefinder. I guarantee the price would have been equally high.... again... small niche market.

I think current prices of Leica products are insanely expensive and it seems to get worse and worse as time goes on. It does worry me... I have to work hard and stretch far in order to pay the price of admission. I am just a regular Joe with a regular job who enjoys no other luxuries except for my cameras. Never the less, I enjoy photography more shooting with a rangefinder than an SLR. If I want to continue into the digital world enjoying a DRF, there really is no other option. Keep in mind, they are two different tools and the rangefinder might not necessarily work for everyone. I do not hesitate to switch to a Canon when it is necessary.

As for Leica's SLRs and Digital SLR backs, I cannot comment as they never felt comfortable in my hands. The quality of the R-lenses are very high and there is a fair share of Canon enthusiasts that use Leica R-lenses on their DSLRs via an adapter.

btw... someday, i would mind owning a Nikon... a Nikon rangefinder that is: http://www.cameraquest.com/nrfs4.htm

01-02-2009, 12:58 PM	#1
Kwak12r TPF Noob! Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 20 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts My Gallery: (0)	Canon & Nikon vs. Leica? I am just curious to find out what Leica is about. I do not find a lot of people using Leica and the price for these cameras is incredibly expensive. What do they have (and do) to justify the expense vs the big names such as Canon and Nikon? I hope that I am not offending those that use Leica but I am just curious as to what they are all about.

01-02-2009, 01:33 PM	#2
ianm I spend too much of my life on TPF! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: UK Posts: 303 My Photos Are NOT OK to Edit Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts My Gallery: (0)	leica have been a long standing german camera maker i believe (and other things), they are the cream of the crop and their lens technology is supposedly the best - hence their prices, not sure about their slrs though. look at the wiki Leica Camera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia __________________ blog \| photography \| flickr \| the new tech \| graphic design forum \| graphic design links \| fazyluckers Nikon D40X 18-55mm Kit Lens AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G

01-02-2009, 01:52 PM	#3
dxqcanada I spend too much of my life on TPF! Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 751 My Photos Are NOT OK to Edit Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts My Gallery: (0)	Back in the old days of film ... you were a nobody if you did not own a Leica rangefinder camera, or a Zeiss lens. The SLR's were very well made ... similar to Contax. Leica and Zeiss optics were considered the best in those days. __________________ Panasonic FX-35/Canon nF-1/Canon T-90/Sony Alpha a100/Bronica SQ-A/Yashica-A Photography is about mentally visualizing what you see/sense ... then having the technical ability to produce a print/image that reflects that mental vision. My Website Silvano Colour Lab

01-02-2009, 02:23 PM	#4
usayit Sharkbait!!!! hoo ha ha Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North New Jersey, United States of America Posts: 5,140 My Photos Are OK to Edit Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Gallery: (0)	Past threads of interest: Leica, what's all the fuss about? The increasing expense is in part the time tested quality, paired with a small nitch market, as well as the branding. There's probably nothing in Leica that will immediately translate to a better photo..... in the right hands the advantages can be exploited wonderfully. Nikon used to make rangefinders too (In some ways superior to their Leica counterparts). A few years ago, there was a rumor of Nikon introducing a digital rangefinder. I guarantee the price would have been equally high.... again... small niche market. I think current prices of Leica products are insanely expensive and it seems to get worse and worse as time goes on. It does worry me... I have to work hard and stretch far in order to pay the price of admission. I am just a regular Joe with a regular job who enjoys no other luxuries except for my cameras. Never the less, I enjoy photography more shooting with a rangefinder than an SLR. If I want to continue into the digital world enjoying a DRF, there really is no other option. Keep in mind, they are two different tools and the rangefinder might not necessarily work for everyone. I do not hesitate to switch to a Canon when it is necessary. As for Leica's SLRs and Digital SLR backs, I cannot comment as they never felt comfortable in my hands. The quality of the R-lenses are very high and there is a fair share of Canon enthusiasts that use Leica R-lenses on their DSLRs via an adapter. btw... someday, i would mind owning a Nikon... a Nikon rangefinder that is: http://www.cameraquest.com/nrfs4.htm __________________ Woohooo!!! <exits stage left> My equipment: Right Eye and Left Eye.

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