Hodinkee and Leica

[nda]

Surely the point of distinction here is similar to a Rolex or a Casio?

A Rolex could be argued to be the zenith of the watchmakers art - utterly pointless in some respects as a $10 Casio would be more accurate.

A Leica is in similar company. Of course a computer (iPhone) can simulate depth of field and produce similar results - just point and shoot. But a decent camera is somehow more enjoyable... there's an art to achieving a great shot. You really have to work at it - and that becomes much more engaging.

It's a vacuous comment to call people 'snobs' because they have an interest in something.

[Chester01]

Different topic, but what had held me back from spending a good amount on a camera is that unlike the 1970’s-2000 the 35mm camera was king and if you spent a great amount the camera was great for years. I worry about spending 3,000-5000 grand on a camera that’s good for 3 years and then I need another one with more megapixels. I don’t mind spending big on a watch, I mean I own them for decades.

[Blansky]

The OP was asking if Hodinkee was "selling out" because it was promoting Leica and the consensus was probably maybe, but so what or who cares.

Then we got into my camera is better than yours or my photography is better than yours.

These arguments are unwinnable and rather boring. Obviously "better" cameras can help a person take better pictures if a person has some talent, and technology will help people take better pictures if a person has some talent. And technology can make ANYBODY take better pictures since the camera is doing all the work.

BUT great photographers can make great photographs with almost any camera because the tool is not the decisive factor, the brain is.

[Chester01]

Originally Posted by Blansky

The OP was asking if Hodinkee was "selling out" because it was promoting Leica and the consensus was probably maybe, but so what or who cares.

Then we got into my camera is better than yours or my photography is better than yours.

These arguments are unwinnable and rather boring. Obviously "better" cameras can help a person take better pictures if a person has some talent, and technology will help people take better pictures if a person has some talent. And technology can make ANYBODY take better pictures since the camera is doing all the work.

BUT great photographers can make great photographs with almost any camera because the tool is not the decisive factor, the brain is.

Is selling out a problem or issue? I mean we live in capitalism, watches are consumer for profit luxuries and not necessary? Selling out, I mean if one wants to make a living, we all sell out to some degree or another.

I mean lol I agree the main topic is rather boring which is why I took the opportunity to solicit some input.

[Seibei]

Who cares? Nobody carries a camera around any more. Let them enjoy their Leicas.

[BreguetRolex]

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and could care less about picture snapping :)

[Chope Man]

Learnt from "Leica Rumors", Hodinkee is now a reseller for Leica.

I went on Hodinkee's site and indeed they sale Q2 and few other things in the "Accessories" section.

By the way, I've used Leica gears and especially M for decades. The current one is a MP 240 safari (after a M9, two M6, a M4P, a M4-2, not mentioning a CL and a IIIc). Range Finder is not the best for every type of pictures, but for sure the measurement accuracy of the range finder and the generally wider apertures of the lenses give the possibility to have great shots (with narrow depth of field, pictures in available light, shots at low speed like 1/8", notably).

Besides, due to the reduced size of the camera and of M lenses, it is more transportable than equivalent in quality lenses for SLR.

At last, when you are used to this equipment and a real photographer, you can be really quick. May-be not as fast than full auto with bracketting, but really quick.

There are, fortunately, M users who use them as tools, not as snobbery means to show off.

By the way, great street pictures, Laszlo!

Do you use a Monochrom M? (this gives me the opportunity to point out that MM1 or MM2 give better quality B&W than any other color camera).


Now, a lot of lenses (and the M of course) in a rather small Artisan&Artist bag :

The lenses are: Trifocal 16-18-21, 24, 28, 35, 50, 90, 135 (from 1961, a great lens!) 180, Apo extender X2

All coded (some by the Firm because they were made long ago) exception being made to tele higher than 90 (135 and 180 (+ X2 apo extender)).

I also have a Telyt 200 that I no longer use and a 65mm for macro photo (used frequently to mainly take pictures of the restorations I make of vintage slot cars).

[LandWatch]

I think the brands match each other very well. Both more concerned with aesthetics and looking good than function or performance. Aesthetically very complementary.

[JParm]

Originally Posted by Blansky

The OP was asking if Hodinkee was "selling out" because it was promoting Leica and the consensus was probably maybe, but so what or who cares.

Respectfully, my question wasn't about selling out - I think Hodinkee is wayyy past that point.

My post is more about the "My Leica" series that they have been doing with their own writers, as if these guys have been Leica users since the dawn of photography...I just find it unbelievable and corny, and those are the types of articles that make me chuckle at the site.

As I've said in a previous comment - shill away and promote your co-sponsors, but do it in a way that doesn't make readers scoff at the way it is presented.

[dafuture]

While I do think some of these "collab" series are a bit much, I do think much of the Hodinkee crew actually uses Leica cameras. I've seen pictures of their events in the past where multiple members of the team (Steven, Jack, and I believe Ben) were carrying their personal Leica cameras. This was well before they had any direct relationship with the brand, so I'm less bothered by it overall.

That being said, I feel like they're getting farther and farther away from the point of the website: watch journalism. Looking at the site through that lens (no pun intended), I'm a bit disappointed. I miss some of the interesting articles on vintage pieces, a week on the wrist, etc. However, if you look at Hodinkee as a "lifestyle" website, you begin to get a better sense of what I think the direction is. I think they're succeeding in that realm, though I don't know how I feel about it quite yet.

[bondtoys]

Judging from their recent series about Rimowa, I‘d not be surprised seeing them selling Rimowa in the near future

[uscmatt99]

Laszlo, I forgot to commend you on your photos, really great street captures! I don't have the guts or skill to get good street photos.

Jean-Michel, I'm in agreement with you. Lots of people buy Leica cameras and lenses because they are finely crafted physical objects that are fun to use and talk about. Others actually use them to capture images of the world around us. I'd like to think I fall in the latter camp with you and Laszlo.

I switch between a Leica kit and a Nikon mirrorless kit depending on what opportunities I anticipate. Both are great tools, with different advantages and disadvantages. One of Leica's big advantages is small high-performance lenses and a compact (but heavy) body to mount them to. These lenses run the gamut of "character" lenses to highly optically corrected, and they all mount on the same camera and perform as the lens designer intended. In the same camera bag where I can carry an M10 with 18/4, 25/2.8, 35/2.8, 35/1.2, and 50/1.5 lenses, my Nikon kit would be limited to a Z6 with 2 slow zooms. Both versatile in their own way. But the Leica is more pleasing to use!

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by BreguetRolex

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and could care less about picture snapping :)

Very nice piece of kit!

Don’t you jus love Adorama!!!

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by Chope Man

Learnt from "Leica Rumors", Hodinkee is now a reseller for Leica.

I went on Hodinkee's site and indeed they sale Q2 and few other things in the "Accessories" section.

By the way, I've used Leica gears and especially M for decades. The current one is a MP 240 safari (after a M9, two M6, a M4P, a M4-2, not mentioning a CL and a IIIc). Range Finder is not the best for every type of pictures, but for sure the measurement accuracy of the range finder and the generally wider apertures of the lenses give the possibility to have great shots (with narrow depth of field, pictures in available light, shots at low speed like 1/8", notably).

Besides, due to the reduced size of the camera and of M lenses, it is more transportable than equivalent in quality lenses for SLR.

At last, when you are used to this equipment and a real photographer, you can be really quick. May-be not as fast than full auto with bracketting, but really quick.

There are, fortunately, M users who use them as tools, not as snobbery means to show off.

By the way, great street pictures, Laszlo!

Do you use a Monochrom M? (this gives me the opportunity to point out that MM1 or MM2 give better quality B&W than any other color camera).


Now, a lot of lenses (and the M of course) in a rather small Artisan&Artist bag :

The lenses are: Trifocal 16-18-21, 24, 28, 35, 50, 90, 135 (from 1961, a great lens!) 180, Apo extender X2

All coded (some by the Firm because they were made long ago) exception being made to tele higher than 90 (135 and 180 (+ X2 apo extender)).

I also have a Telyt 200 that I no longer use and a 65mm for macro photo (used frequently to mainly take pictures of the restorations I make of vintage slot cars).

What an incredible lens collection. That Safari is absolutely gorgeous. A rare beast indeed. I shoot in monochrome on an M10-P and Q. The tonalities and sublime and agree that it’s hard to beat. I’d absolutely love a Monochrome M. But apparently the P is outputting (per se), same quality but unsaid by Leica. I’m a diehard Leica advocate and will always stand behind their products.

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by uscmatt99

Laszlo, I forgot to commend you on your photos, really great street captures! I don't have the guts or skill to get good street photos.

Jean-Michel, I'm in agreement with you. Lots of people buy Leica cameras and lenses because they are finely crafted physical objects that are fun to use and talk about. Others actually use them to capture images of the world around us. I'd like to think I fall in the latter camp with you and Laszlo.

I switch between a Leica kit and a Nikon mirrorless kit depending on what opportunities I anticipate. Both are great tools, with different advantages and disadvantages. One of Leica's big advantages is small high-performance lenses and a compact (but heavy) body to mount them to. These lenses run the gamut of "character" lenses to highly optically corrected, and they all mount on the same camera and perform as the lens designer intended. In the same camera bag where I can carry an M10 with 18/4, 25/2.8, 35/2.8, 35/1.2, and 50/1.5 lenses, my Nikon kit would be limited to a Z6 with 2 slow zooms. Both versatile in their own way. But the Leica is more pleasing to use!

Thank you. Agree and pretty much all Leica users I know use their kit as tools and usually have other brands as back ups etc. If my work consisted of nature or landscape I’d be using Nikon. Another outstanding product. I love mostly all cameras including medium format film on a Hasselblad or Rolleiflex. I love the craft. And they are all tools.

[Chope Man]

I thought I saw a message about the quality of nowadays glass and digital camera compared to film versions.

Deleted?

Anyhow, as for the quality of digital M cameras, I found a huge improvement with my MP 240 compared to the M9 I had.

In terms of dynamic, respect of the colors. Improvement in high ISO (not extraordinary though, especially compared to other camera makers). What surprised me is the capacity to again shoot as low speed. Something easy with an M4P or M6, far from perfect with the M9.

As for the glass, I am really impressed by the performances of those Aspheric lenses.

But as I only got Leica in quite all my life (only had a Nikon FE when I was young) I cannot compare with competition.

Now, what is really surprising with all those lenses (I got a range from 1961 to 2018 and many in the middle), is the homogeneous chromatic rendering through the time.

[Mrfish]

I think Hodinkee sold out a while back and are losing their way.

If I wanted to know about cameras I would read a camera website. The odd article on how they use cameras to take photos of watches would be interesting as they are expert in that narrow area, but the whole 9 yards about how each member of their staff has been owning Leicas since forever is just not credible when it says “sponsored content” at the top.

Regarding hodinkee as a lifestyle website. Pensioner beige knitwear anyone?

[TheWatchmen]

Originally Posted by Mrfish

Regarding hodinkee as a lifestyle website. Pensioner beige knitwear anyone?

Haha! Very New York, if high class society equals dad bod count me out!



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[lig]

Interesting thread. Instead of watches I’ve been buying camera gear. Looks like photography will be a nice little post retirement some hustle.

I’ve got no problem with this kind of marketing- it’s just the way of the world these days.

There are a couple of Leicas I’d like to have - a Q2 as a walk around and a Monochrom for fun but I decided to add the Fuji GFX to the mix. Very happy so far.

[Chope Man]

Just saw the "Ghost" limited edition M10 for HODINKEE. White and light grey.

I cannot say that I'm against the limited editions myself, having got by chance a Safari MP 240. (In fact, my M9 had technical problems, an upgrade campaign was interesting which concerned any M240, including the safari, I was surprised to learn that I could have a green M for the same conditions being pointed out that I had always admired the old (film version) and very rare Olive Green gears... The lens was an option, which I took, selling to my AD my former old Summilux 35).

BUT! I find quite ridiculous to have light grey engraving on the silver lens...

You have to count the clicks for the aperture?

And as for the distance if you want to pre-select it? Or read the depth of field on the lens?

Ridiculous.

I know that there is also a black limited edition with the same type of lack of contract (only few luminous points that glow in thee dark).

Because this is not a Camera forum, I will not go any further.

Made for snobs, rich collectors (lucky them, I have nothing against rich people), not photographers (unless they are dressed in white, wanting to take pictures in the snow and be discrete).

[JParm]

Originally Posted by Chope Man

Made for snobs, rich collectors (lucky them, I have nothing against rich people), not photographers (unless they are dressed in white, wanting to take pictures in the snow and be discrete).

That made me chuckle.

[Chope Man]

Really? You should then go on Hodinkee's site...

You will see pictures of this Hodinkee limited edition of the M10 where they promote such season activity ...



Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

[Rori]

Talking about Leica, my beloved M9 and beloved Tudor GMT. What a vintage looking duet ;-)

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by uscmatt99

Laszlo, I forgot to commend you on your photos, really great street captures! I don't have the guts or skill to get good street photos.

Jean-Michel, I'm in agreement with you. Lots of people buy Leica cameras and lenses because they are finely crafted physical objects that are fun to use and talk about. Others actually use them to capture images of the world around us. I'd like to think I fall in the latter camp with you and Laszlo.

I switch between a Leica kit and a Nikon mirrorless kit depending on what opportunities I anticipate. Both are great tools, with different advantages and disadvantages. One of Leica's big advantages is small high-performance lenses and a compact (but heavy) body to mount them to. These lenses run the gamut of "character" lenses to highly optically corrected, and they all mount on the same camera and perform as the lens designer intended. In the same camera bag where I can carry an M10 with 18/4, 25/2.8, 35/2.8, 35/1.2, and 50/1.5 lenses, my Nikon kit would be limited to a Z6 with 2 slow zooms. Both versatile in their own way. But the Leica is more pleasing to use!

Originally Posted by Rori

Talking about Leica, my beloved M9 and beloved Tudor GMT. What a vintage looking duet ;-)

[gnuyork]

Originally Posted by J.P.Jones

I'm sure it's excellent. What kind of lens did you use the most? I looked it up, it came either with a 55 or 58 mm.
I'm only asking because not too long ago I bought a 1980s Pentax sir with an oem 50mm f/1.7 lens in a yard sale, for about $7. The lens fits perfectly on the contemporary Pentax K70 digital slr. It's manual, of course.

If that's the Takumar 50, it's a unique lens in my opinion. It has a "look".

Cameras may be their only thing I'm more obsessive about than watches. I have well over 60 cameras... and just puchased two Hasselblads last week.

[Blansky]

I'd been a professional portrait photographer in Canada for about 10 years shooting with Hasselblad, actually with a piece of Cokin plastic over the lens to knock down the sharpness (nobody needed that kind of realism of a Zeiss lens) and sold the business and moved to LA in the middle 80s.

I went to work part time in LA for a company that wanted a slide library built up to about 25,000 slides and they said I could use their cameras which were 35mm Minoltas. Junk. I went through the guys stuff that had just left and he shot with Leica. WOW. The stuff was sharp even for 35mm.

Big respect for Leica from that time on.

Later when I went digital in the early 2000s I thought about Leica but same issue, too damn sharp for portraits so went with Canon.

[Rori]

Used to be and still is the absolute king of street photography. Using the M models is a unique experience.
Love your images by the way.

Originally Posted by Laszlo

Well, you guys can make your own assessment on Leica, it’s still the finest street camera on the market. It hasn’t made me a better photographer, it’s a tool for better photography.


















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[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I'd been a professional portrait photographer in Canada for about 10 years shooting with Hasselblad, actually with a piece of Cokin plastic over the lens to knock down the sharpness (nobody needed that kind of realism of a Zeiss lens) and sold the business and moved to LA in the middle 80s.

I went to work part time in LA for a company that wanted a slide library built up to about 25,000 slides and they said I could use their cameras which were 35mm Minoltas. Junk. I went through the guys stuff that had just left and he shot with Leica. WOW. The stuff was sharp even for 35mm.

Big respect for Leica from that time on.

Later when I went digital in the early 2000s I thought about Leica but same issue, too damn sharp for portraits so went with Canon.

Wow, what a great story. I didn’t know this about you and I’m really glad you shared!

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Laszlo

Wow, what a great story. I didn’t know this about you and I’m really glad you shared!

Yeah for 40 years I did mostly portraits and mostly fairly large black and whites.

While in LA I also location scouted for commercials, and did stills for commercials and some low budget movie stuff. Left LA in the 90s and back to portraits.

Still have a Linholf 4x5, a couple of Hasselblads and a couple of Canons. I dabbled with street photography before I went pro in 1976 which was fun. When I was shooting slides in LA some of it was a type of street photography, sort of social documentary stuff, but unfortunately they only wanted color, and I prefer black and white.

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by Blansky

Yeah for 40 years I did mostly portraits and mostly fairly large black and whites.

While in LA I also location scouted for commercials, and did stills for commercials and some low budget movie stuff. Left LA in the 90s and back to portraits.

Still have a Linholf 4x5, a couple of Hasselblads and a couple of Canons. I dabbled with street photography before I went pro in 1976 which was fun. When I was shooting slides in LA some of it was a type of street photography, sort of social documentary stuff, but unfortunately they only wanted color, and I prefer black and white.

That’s really awesome! I used to be in the motion picture industry but in tech now. Photography just helps me have a creative outlet. Hope you can post some pics.