[caption id="attachment_6006" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="a few of the cameras I have collected over the years. All of which still work!"]
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Ever since I first started tinkering with photography I've always been into weird combinations of obscure cameras and lenses. The FED company, for example, is a Ukrainian based manufacturer that made knock-off Leica's for years. When I became more involved in the medium I was sure I wanted a Leica, but wasn't able to afford one. This led me to purchase my first rangefinder camera: The FED 3. As far as quality, these cameras are basically junk! They happen to be incredibly temperamental cameras that constantly jam and break. I shouldn't complain considering I paid only $20 for a "great condition" rangefinder. The Advanced photography classes I was taking in college called for a medium format camera which was another problem for me. I was interested in Hasselblad's, but they were out of my price range. Again, I turned to the Ukrainian made cameras from our yesteryear. This time it was the Kiev 88 medium format camera. This one looks almost identical to the Hasselblad 500CM, even the mount and film holders were the same. When you buy a Hasselblad, you acknowledge the fact that it's going to work 95% of the time. With the Kiev you could expect the camera to jam or just completely break 95% of the time. When it did work I would argue with anyone that the images my cheap Ukrainian cameras were able to make were comparable to those that would come out of a Leica or Hasselblad at my skill level.
You may be asking yourself, "Where is he going with this?". Well, I do have a point here somewhere. I have owned completely manual cameras since my humble beginnings in photography back in 2006 (even if they made by Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc...) that were automatic to some extent or had some sort of program mode to take some of the thinking out of making a photograph. Manual control was the reason I first fell in love with photography, but over time I had to get a newer, faster camera to keep up with my interests. When I began shooting at the drag strip, manual cameras posed a real problem for me. I was not able to focus fast enough or get my exposure right, which eventually led me to purchase my first "semi-automatic" film SLR. My Pentax ZX-M was at my hip from the second I got it in the mail. The only problem was giving up control caused me to get lazy while shooting. I would put the camera in program mode, letting the camera meter and set exposure. For some this may not be a problem, and I'm not saying that it is a real problem, but doing this must have been such a slap in the face to every teacher or professor I've had throughout my high school and community college photo classes.
As I continued to expand upon photography, I needed to upgrade my cameras and lenses. This caused some sort of internal struggle. I loved the complete control I had over my images with my old rangefinders, but hated that it limited my evolving shooting style. Eventually, I made the move to digital with a Samsung GX-10 DSLR, which was really just a Pentax K10D re-branded by Samsung. Using this camera only furthered me from the slow, thought out method I had adopted throughout my schooling.
[caption id="attachment_5970" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="My Leica R4-s Mod.P and the 50mm Summicron-R"]
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Enough with the nostalgia. It took me 4 years and 3 DSLR cameras to get back in the habit of shooting in the style I loved. Working at Unique Photo has given me a ton of great opportunities to meet incredible photographers and shoot with basically any lens I could imagine. After we had brought in the Bower line at Unique Photo, I decided to give it a real-world test for the blog. I tested their 35mm f1.4, which was a completely manual lens. This was the exact moment I had decided to actively search for lenses of nature. After a few weeks of searching, I came across a Leica 50mm Summicron-R lens and a Leica R4-S Mod.P for cheap. A little research online directed me towards different lens adapters that will mount the "R" lenses to my Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Here was my answer to slowing everything down. The greatest part was that I got the lens (In perfect condition I might add) and a Leica R4-s Mod.P. Since I still enjoy shooting film, this is the perfect combination for me. Finally, a Leica camera I could call my own!
[caption id="attachment_5978" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Canon 5D Mark II with my Summicron-R 50mm attached by a simple $20 lens adapter"]
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After a few weeks of waiting, I received the adapter I needed to mount the Leica lens on my Canon 5D Mark II. A week of shooting went by and I had made an incredible discovery. Of the some 18k images on my computer (not counting what is on my external hard drives) I had a horrible ratio of what I considered great images vs. ones that were just a waste of space. The Leica lens combination forced me to slow down and really compose the images I wanted to make. Instead of shooting 100 images a day, I now had 20, which were all great in my opinion. By taking away the auto focusing and some of the ability to let the camera make exposure decisions, I returned to the roots of my photography. The added advantage of the Leica glass in front of the insane resolution that the 5D Mark II has made my images sharper than anything I have ever encountered before.
Now, I know there are people out there who will disagree with me and say that these lenses that were designed back in the 80's are not as sharp as the lenses that are out now, and I will tend to agree. The fact of the matter is that if you are able to find a lens like this for cheap and use it on a modern camera, you will be blown away by the images. Since Leica discontinued the R series camera and lenses you can get them on E-Bay at a reasonable price considering its condition.
Photography has evolved far from what its creators had ever envisioned it. The progression of the camera and lenses have been a great thing, but we as photographers, need to be aware of the effects these advances have on our profession. There is something to be said about having the newest and greatest camera and lenses, but at what point does the SLR we are using become a glorified Point and Shoot? When do we stop and realize that Photography is about making images and telling stories, rather than a game of "one-ups"?
[caption id="attachment_6018" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mike Z's photo of Montclair's Photo I class announcement this semester"]
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Being 24 years old, I can safely say that my generation is one of the few left that will have the privilege of real darkroom training. Schools are slowly making the transition to digital-only labs and replacing their darkrooms with computer labs. Luckily, I have attended Montclair State University where they still have a strong traditional darkroom and classes dedicated to teaching anyone interested how to use a film camera. The professors are dedicated to sharing their knowledge of how our cameras work, so that when you get your new digital camera you can take full advantage of the technology you have invested so much money in. When you have this knowledge and take the time to appreciate the tools we use in our day-to-day shooting, you will start to make better images that convey true feeling and a true passion for photography.
I've always been told to not focus too hard on one thing, because you can miss what is happening around you. That statement is true for most things, except for Photography. I feel that you need to focus (no pun intended) and stay concentrated, but still keep your eyes open to different ways of doing things. Just because you have a top of the line camera and the best lenses doesn't necessarily make you a great photographer. Time, patience and clear understand bring you to the next level. Slowing yourself down makes you focus on attaining the image you attempting to capture. As Henri Cartier-Bresson made clear through his photography, you start to use the cameras as an extension of your eye to capture the decisive moment.
If you are interested in what I have written, feel free to e-mail me at: [email protected] I love to talk about photography. Below are some samples of the images I have taken with my 5D Mark II and the Leica 50mm Summicron-R. More can be found here:
