The Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Summaron 35mm Lens

Last spring, I found myself staring at the cameras lining the shelves in my office, wondering which ones actually get used and why. One camera in particular puzzled me: my Leica M3. It’s a fantastic camera, with a 50mm Summarit f/1.5 lens, yet it rarely leaves the shelf. After some reflection, I realized the problem […]

Lomography Berlin Kino 400

One of the coolest things about the online film community is the generosity of film photographers. Last year I emailed Natalie Smart, a Brighton UK film photographer after reading one of her blog posts. Seeing that she had just purchased a Hasselblad 500 C/M, I had several original Hasselblad brochures, and some other film items […]

M3 & P30 Alpha

About a year after I purchased the M3, a good friend jokingly chastised me that I needed a proper Leica lens for a Lecia body. My half-joking response to him was, “What do you have for sale?” And that’s when I purchased 50mm Summarit f/1.5 lens from him. While it’s not known as the best […]

Haunted? Stricker Ranch – Hansen, Idaho

In 2019, I’ve tried to spend more time shooting film than writing. I’m finding myself returning to some of my favorite cameras and film stocks. This post is more about the destination and the subject than the gear or film. I thought it was worth sharing. Over Memorial Day weekend, my family took a short […]

Leica M3 (1959) – Part 2

While using the borrowed 50mm 5cm Summicron-M f/2.0 (Rigid/2nd version) (1956), I decided that I really needed to purchase my own lens. Having just spent what I think is a considerable amount on the M3 body, I wanted to limit my lens purchase to something more affordable. Searching for an M-Mount lens on eBay led […]

Leica M3 (1959) – Part 1

Over the past few years of buying and shooting vintage cameras, there’s one camera I never thought I’d actually own, and that’s a Leica. Why? A Leica always seemed like a “bucket list camera.” Nice to look at, but too expensive to own. Of course, I had to ask myself, do they live up to […]