The Perfect Tool

Cameras really don't matter, but using the right tool for the job does.

My Leica M6 with the 35mm Summicron ASPH V2

I had Featureshoot reach out to me recently and asked me about my favorite Leica camera. My response to the questions they asked had to be edited down due to space in the article. I figured I would share all of what I sent over to them in my newsletter.

What is your favorite Leica camera model, and how did you get it?

Even though I mainly shoot digital these days, my favorite camera and first Leica is my Leica M6 Classic. I bought it in 2018 before prices went wild like they are now. It came with a Minolta Rokkor 40mm f2 lens for a great price. So it was a great way to make my jump to Leica.

Does it have a story?

I don't know its entire story, but the camera was made in 1993, the same year I was born. I bought it from an amazing Polish photographer I want to shout out, Adam Wilkoszarski. Since I purchased it from him, we have become acquaintances, and I really admire his documentary/landscape work.

What makes it your favorite?

What makes it my favorite is how it feels the moment you pick it up. It's hard to describe, but if you've held an M6, you'll totally get it. Something about the weight and build of it feels like such an incredibly designed tool. My favorite detail of the camera is that the regular M6 film advance lever had been swapped out for the MP style one, and I love that small detail so much.

What does this camera do that other cameras can't?

Well, first off, the camera works, and it works incredibly well. If I'm shooting on the street, there's no question that a rangefinder camera, built as well as these are, is the perfect tool for the job. I've photographed on the street with several other cameras over the years, and nothing work, for me, as a Leica M camera (film or digital). Its size and weight, paired with being a rangefinder, make it the best tool for the job. I don't stand in one spot while I'm on the street, I'm constantly moving, and most of my photos are made in passing, so I need the quickness of range focusing in the smallest camera I can get, and the Leica M cameras tick all of those boxes.

And what makes it uniquely suited to street photographers specifically?

I sort of answered this in the last question, but what I'm looking for in a camera while I'm shooting on the street is that; it will just work, no matter what. That it's small and compact, and I can make the photograph quickly. Because I've shot with AF digital cameras on the street, and nothing is quicker than stopping down and shooting with a manual focus rangefinder in my experience.

Do you have any tips for photographers who want to get started using this camera?

If you buy a Leica, especially a manual focus camera, practice, practice, practice. I can't stress how important it is to understand how (all) your gear works and become comfortable with it. Constantly practice focusing. Go around your house and set the lens to how far away you think something is, and then pull it up to your eye and see how accurate your guess was. The more you do that, the better you will be at judging distance while on the street. Also, when you are in your city, learn the width of your sidewalks. Know how far away a subject will be if you are on opposite sides of the sidewalk. Being familiar with your environment and your gear will only help you be quicker and more efficient at capturing moments as they happen.