Leica

Leica is a name that I have associated with successful, professional photography since I became interested in the medium a few years ago. The way in which the camera company is associated with perfection is understandable. The models are so flawless that they rarely need improvement and thus go years before needing to be replaced. I just got off the phone with my grandfather, who received a Leica for his seventieth birthday and at eighty-two it's as good as new. While I can't say that I wouldn't enjoy using a camera as unequaled as the Leica, I think it's important to note the small portion of this article that discusses talent over tools. This camera is compared to a Callaway Big Bertha golf club, but the author goes on to say that, "Woods would destroy us with a single rusty five-iron found at the back of a garage." Then Henri Cartier-Bresson is brought up in a more relative example where he could still blow us away by using a simple Box Brownie camera.

Like I said, I don't have anything against the best technology because I believe that it can only help. However, I don't necessarily think that this camera can be as magical as they are making it out to be. I agree with what has already been said by some of my peers, which is that it seems like this camera company has received it's good reputation from the existing talent of photographers who have used their merchandise. I would go as far to say that these talents were already successful, wealthy, and able to afford the $4,000 camera body, not to mention several lenses.