Arguably this happened before digital came along as some of the 35mm compact cameras from the ‘80s and ‘90s were pretty boring things to look at. A lump of plastic with some cheap chrome effect trims and buttons. Nothing to write home about.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to use things that get the job done above and beyond aesthetics and so forth so owning a Leica isn’t a fashion statement for me, it’s the tool that gets the job done. The fact that I still own, drive and run a pants car (a 1988 Ford Escort no less – and it looks a right heap) is a testament to the fact I couldn’t give a flying f*ck about keeping up with the Jones’ or indeed embark on a major binge of short term consumerist highs. I like nice things, I respect people who have nice things, but I’m no fashion victim myself.

In yet another conversation where I was told (no not asked, told) why I should dump my film gear I explained all the usual stuff – I like working with the aesthetic film gives, I like projecting my slides to family and friends, I enjoy developing and experimenting with processing my films and I adore working in the darkroom making prints. Then I thought of another reason.

It doesn’t apply across the board as this criticism applies to my EOS 3 and in fact most modern film SLRs too – but I increasingly don’t like the look, the feel and the actual usability of modern cameras. I like things to be simple. These days, EOS 3 included (so this isn’t an anti-digital rant, I don’t do those as they are futile) there are buttons and gizmos everywhere, it’s hard to use a camera sometimes without taking your eye off the ball. This applies less to SLRs as the viewfinder usually gives you all you need to know and a good one with good ergonomics will allow you to adjust the exposure, meter etc. all from your shooting grasp. Digital compacts less so.

 
Workmen (Leica M2, Summar f/2, Fuji Neopan 1600, Kodak Xtol 5mins 21C)

I hate all that clutter, it distracts you. A good camera can equally be one with all the buttons and menu options in the world, but also be one with a shutter speed dial, a shutter release and a rewind knob. Sure the latter is pretty basic (but also aptly describes the Leica M2!) but there’s little where you can go wrong or fumble.

The problem I have is that technologically you can’t fault the cameras. I might think that sounds a bit pap with regard to things like smile detection but if they help people who aren’t photographically adept take good photos then that’s a great thing. What I don’t like is the fact that there are heaps and heaps of options and buttons on many cameras now which really make the thing too complicated. It would be nice to also see a bit of older styling here and there. I prefer the way cameras were made to they way they are now made, although those barely 1” thick  digital compacts are pretty neat looking things.

Maybe Olympus’ Micro 4/3rds (Panasonic Lumix G1) for example will be a starting point for making cameras a bit smaller again and a little less cluttered?

There is of course the Epson (Cosina) RD1/s/x and Leica M8 but we’re not talking about a £150-200 compact camera there, we’re talking a lot of money, especially on the M8.2 at getting on for £4000 which is very questionable.

So that was my other reason, I like the feel and usability of older cameras more than the newer ones. Smile detection is great, but it isn’t necessary in the hands of someone who at least protests to know what they are doing!

Oskar Barnack, the man behind the original Leica camera designed the system to use 35mm movie film because of his asthma. A smaller lighter camera gave him the opportunity to walk and take photos which erstwhile equipment prevented due to its large size — 35mm was and is a miniature format. Yet today super-zooms and cameras including my own EOS 3 whilst undoubtedly robust, it is a big camera and does not make for long journeys on foot in my book. I have done it and for me I found the camera was not getting used because of its weight at the end of the day. You can read more about that in a previous blog post.

Having bought the M2, the plan was not so much to replace the EOS 3 but to have a smaller, lighter camera to use on occassion on walks. The reverse has happened, the M2 is fast becoming the only camera I use. From walks to pub gatherings and taking the odd silly snap down a night club, the M2 has become a a fantastic camera.
This is a short blog post of why I think this and perhaps this might work to your advantage.

Today is a good case in point, I woke up at 3:45am (early I know but sunrise shots do require early shots) and in the event wasn’t overly enamoured with taking my EOS 3, neither a tripiod or indeed taking the Mamiya. I just felt like taking it easy today, and thankfully with a smaller camera like the Leica M2 with a small set of replaceable lenses you have a lightweight, very robust system that can be flexible as well.

On arriving to the starting point Burton Mill Pond it took a while for the light levels to increase before I could start shooting (I was starting with Tri-X at box speed) but this didn’t bother me too much as shortly with the ease of holding the camera pretty steady at 1/15th (which is at least a stop or even two-stops slower than I can hold with an SLR with a 35mm focal length lens) it soon became apparent that not having the tripod wasn’t a hinderance. (I was shooting at f/5.6 with infinity ever so slightly out of focus, to emphasise the morning mist)

The other bonus with a small camera is that you can get into nooks and crannies and places where I find it hard to hold a camera securely or steadily. One of the best cameras for this is possibly the Olympus XA which has a decent fast 35mm (f/2.8) although the rangefinder patch is quite faint on many of them now as they have aged and they’re not quite as durable as the mechanisms in say a Leica or indeed the new rangefinders from Voigtlander or Zeiss (Cosina basically.)

Maybe some day you should give it a try, go out with a smaller camera: a decent digital compact, or a nice simple film compact, or maybe even dip your toes into a rangefinder system if you like the feel of it. It’s perhaps not for everyone, but the simplicity of the M2 is where I find my creativity is growing because I’m not worrying about meter settings, exposure compensation dials, auto-focus methods and so forth. Don’t get me wrong, the EOS 3 is a fantastic camera, but more often than not, I’m finding the M2 to be a much more favourable companion. The EOS 3 has definitely become pretty much my telephoto camera.