The egg came first

In the beginning of the month I asked this question in my blog: Which came first the Leica or the egg. I was quite sure that the Leica came before the egg until I saw this picture. I admit that I have to capitulate before the visually striking evidence and I'm now convinced that the egg came first.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good

Leica - Das Werkzeug für Kenner und Könner

The first Leica M-camera was introduced in 1954 and the first models M3 and M2 soon became the primary tool for legendary photographers who also gave the camera it's nickname Das Werkzeug which is German for The Tool. 

A Leica M is a tool that requires it's photographer. To put the camera in automatic mode and hope that the picture will be good is a little bit risky and will certainly give you photos that are unusable. To make good use a Leica M you first have to understand the relationship between aperture and shutter speed and know how to read the light. 

There's a certain amount of mythos surrounding the Leica M. And that is not surprising since the hand-made German rangefinder camera has been the first hand choice of many legendary documentary photographers. Many famous photographies has been taken with a Leica. That's because a Leica is a excellent tool that can deliver photographs of the highest class in the hands of the right photographer. Even if a brand new Leica M is quite expensive tool today it still a tool for professionals since it demands expertise and knowledge of a keen photographer to master it. 

Previously I have been working with big and bulky professional cameras from Canon and Nikon, they are also excellent tools for professional photographers. But no other camera says that I'm serious about photography like a Leica. But I didn't choose Leica because of it's mythos. I choosed it because I prefer to work with rangefinder cameras. And I also prefer cameras with a minimalistic feel that are not filled with buttons, levers and knobs that confuses me.

I have used my good old Leica M8 on many assignments, in desert conditions in Egypt, festivals with high humidity and at high risk demonstrations. I have used it as my every day camera in winter conditions and in summertime at the beach. The good old Leica always delivers good images and I know that I always can count on it. Even if there's never models around I prefer my M8 and I will make good use of it as long as it last.



Last but not least, remember that a camera is only a tool, it's your ability to see and catch the fast moving moments of times that matters. You can even use a cell-phone or a hefty Canikon for that purpose but according to me it's far more fun to catch the moments with a good old range-finder camera.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good

A affordable digital rangefinder camera

Some people think that only rich people can afford to buy Leica cameras. I use to say that I can't afford to use another camera than a rangefinder and I prefer to use one as my everyday camera. I wish that more manufactures made digital rangefinder cameras but there's only the German company Leica that makes them. Leicas cameras often come with a quite hefty price tag but that is not surprising to me since they are made by hand by workers that work in good conditions and have a decent paycheck.

Even if I can't afford to buy a brand new Leica there's a second hand market that are filled with affordable M-cameras. I bought my Leica M8 and Summicron-C 40mm lens for a bargain price a couple of years ago. Even if the camera is quite old it's still a really good camera and I use it on assignments every now and then.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good

Which came first, the Leica or the Egg?

I bought the Leica M2 from a Swedish photojournalist, who in his turn bought it new in the early 1960s. The camera is quite worn but the mechanics and the rangefinder works perfectly. I bought it as a manual backup to my battery thirsty digital cameras and I load it with a roll of Tri-X every now and then. In my opinion is the M2 the best Leica M ever made. If you can find a Leica M2 in working condition that has a calibrated rangefinder - buy it!

I believe that the Leica must have come before the egg because cameras can't lay eggs and I don't think that it's possible to fit a Leica in a Kinder egg!

Text and Photo: Mikael Good

Leica M8 - The Rock'n Roll Machine

Some people believe that a rangefinder camera from Leica is a camera for hipsters and collectors and not a camera for serious concert photographers. I don't listen to the believers. I use the equipment that I need to capture the pictures that I want whatever comments I might get.

There are still some self proclaimed knowers who believe that a high ISO and quick SLR from Nikon or Canon with a autofocus 70-200/2,8mm lens is the best companion for concert photography. They often believe that a manual focused rangefinder camera with a 20mm or a 50mm lens are quite useless in the challenging light conditions of a fast paced concert. I don't listen to the self proclaimed knowers. A Leica M is a Rock'n Roll Machine for me and it's my instrument for getting the pictures that I want. At concerts I like to get in close with a 20 or 50mm lens and a Leica M is perfect for that purpose.

It happens every now and then that I need a longer lens than 50mm. And in such cases I use a Sony A7 with a Konica M-Hexanon 90mm or a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 135mm. The best thing with shooting concert is that you don't need a expensive equipment. Even cheap cameras and lenses will give you good pictures as long as you get in close, follow the rythm and enjoy the music.

Click the following link if you want to see more concert-photos that has been taken with the Rock'n Roll Machine: www.flickr.com/photos/chasid68

Text and Photo: Mikael Good