MY CAMERA GEAR

I have been a keen photographer since the age of 15. My first film camera was a Pentax KM. My dad had purchased a new one at the duty-free lounge at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. I moved on to Minolta and Agfa but later settled with Nikon.

I have owned several film Nikons. The Nikon FM, FE, and F3 got me through the following 20 years. I stayed brand loyal for a while as digital cameras came into vogue anyway. I bought a D70. It gave way to a D200 and then my first full-frame DSLR, a D700. That beautiful camera later gave way to the world’s best-ever D850.

My first Leica was a D-Lux 4-pocket camera. For such a small sensor, the image quality was lovely, and the colors were muted and rich, like the M8. I loved the experience so much that I decided that I must delve further into the brand. I was lucky to have a very nice camera dealer where I live who provided me with a new M9 to use as a demo for several weeks. That camera with the then-storied Kodak CCD sensor was incredible. I had found what I was looking for.

In 2018 I became the proud owner of my second Leica camera. The Q-P was just what the doctor ordered. I loved it and loved using it. The impetus for this purchase may have been my recent visit to the Leica factory that summer in Wetzlar. That day put me over the edge and forced me to save my spare change (and a lot of it) as fast as possible. I have recently plunged even further into the deep end of the Leica pool by purchasing an M10-R and a new old stock, M6.

To accompany those bodies, I have curated three lenses. The Leica 135 mm f4 M lens, the Leica 90mm F2.0 APO Summicron M lens, and the Leica 50mm F2.5 M Lens, I look forward to many years of seeing the world through these three beautifully made optics.

I went back to Leica Marseille on August 22, and my bag got a little heavier with the addition of the SL2-S. I Love it. The colors are much more reminiscent of the QP, which I hugely regret selling a year prior. The 24 MP BSI sensor is wonderful. I’m not made of money, so I opted to purchase two Sigma L lenses in addition to the M-to-L adapter. Because the eyes aren’t what they once were, the new Visoflex for my M10-R. I will have to give this some time to see if it helps obtain sharp images. I am really happy with these acquisitions. Thanks, Marc and Vincent, at Leica Marseille!

Eight months on, the shrewd marketers in Wetzlar saw me coming once again. The Q2 Ghost spoke to me in a very forthright manner indeed. “Find me if you can, and buy me as soon as you do.” After many internet searches and phone calls, A ferry ride to Vancouver produced the goods, and Broadway Camera’s Leica Boutique was just too happy to take my American Express. I feel lucky to say I bought one of the very few remaining, if not the last, Q2 Ghosts in Canada.

And then, weeks later, there I am, walking down the street in La Vella Andorra, and out of the corner of my eye, I spot the red dot. I think to myself, “Isn’t Andorra a duty-free minimal sales tax principality?” I’m in the door like a tubby Usain Bolt, and minutes later, my minimal grasp of Spanish saw me walking out with an SL 24-90mm lens to sit on the SL2-S. There is no need to label; I know I’m impulsive!

Upon my arrival back in Canada, a friend and recent SL2-S owner asked if I would trade my Sigma glass for his CL and 18mm. Done deal! I’m going to need a Sherpa.

I'm back at the Leica Boutique in Marseille on February 24. The Q2 Ghost and CL are traded for the new Q3. The new focus system is too much to ignore. I have been invited to the SL3 launch on March 7th. If this afternoon at Leica is as I anticipate, we may see the collection change again. Stay tuned!

After an ongoing battle with eyesight and capturing sharp images with the M-bodies, I decided to look at a change. As I am a fan of the form and function of my SL2-S, I thought, why not have a look? It might be the answer if it were to inherit all the features of the new Q3 and, especially, the phase detect autofocus. So, on the 7th, I arrived with what gear I was no longer enjoying in anticipation of some horse trading and money changing hands. But first, I would have to spend time testing the new SL3, both in and outside the store. Long story short, sale! I am now down to a very manageable two bodies and four lenses. I believe that the following combination will suit my interests in travel, street, and landscape for some time to come.

Currently on the shelf or in the somewhat heavier Billingham:

Leica Q3

Leica SL3

Leica 35mm APO SL Lens

Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux TL Lens (50mm on the SL3)

Leica 24-90mm SL Lens

Leica 100-400mm SL Lens

Leica SF 40 TTL Flash