[Leica] RE: [Leila] To Buy or Not to Buy: a Leica 0

[leica@davidmorton.org]

Peter Klein wrote:

"As for the "O" camera, I'd say the trick is to have a friend who bought it
and 
would let you try it for a week."

A friend has one, and I've put a couple of rolls through his. It's not as
hard to use as some people make out.

Would I buy one? Well I wouldn't rule it out, but there are one or two
photographic items that have a more pressing call on the money (specifically
items that have a more obvious revenue stream).

The problem for me, when I came to hand over the cash for an O, would be
that for less than the price of an O-series one can buy a nice *old* Leica
and pay for a CLA and service. I saw a model A with original rangefinder and
case the other day, nice user condition, for about half the price of a new O
Series in the UK (I know next to nothing about old Leicas so I'm not 100%
sure if it was an A series or if this was a good price).

Now that's the real thing. It's been around for 70 odd years, probably
travelled the world and seen all sorts of things. That's the fascination -
for me - of something like that. What did the old camera I'm using see, who
and what has it photographed?

I've two Rollei TLRs. My 1957 E is in very nice condition, it's clearly
spent most of its life in the case, the leather still has the grain and the
metal finish is still shiny. My '63 F, on the other hand, has worked hard
all its life, the finish is dulled, the leather on the back is smooth and
red-coloured from the sweat of someone's hand for almost 40 years. It's the
'lived in' one that appeals to me. It was bought new in London in 1963, what
a time to be a top pro TLR :-))) 

I don't collect cameras, I buy them to use, but the older ones do tweak my
interest in history. I'm not good at looking after kit, but I've discovered
that I feel real responsibility towards my recently acquired 10x8 (a 1926
Eastman 2D and 12" Woolensack Velostigmat). I don't own that camera, I'm
merely its custodian, and I should make sure it's still useable when my
executors hand it over to its next custodian.

When all is said and done, the O is a reproduction. It's a very *nice*
reproduction, it feels nice, it looks lovely, and it's a fine piece of
craftsmanship in its own right. But whatever way you look at it, it's a late
20th century camera, not on early 20th century camera.

So if offered the choice I'd take whichever genuine old Leica I could buy in
usable condition for a similar amount of money. Complete with the scuffs,
dings, questionable reliability, potentially expensive maintenance and lack
of spare parts. I'd do this for the tales that an old inanimate object can't
tell, but which fill my imagination every time I use it to take pictures.

- -- 
David Morton
dmorton@journalist.co.uk

"The more opinions you have, the less you see." -- Wim Wenders.
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