Classic camera, classic dog

Recently I've become interested in photography, and finally got the guts
to pick up my father's Leica M3, which sat unused in a drawer for over 20
years. The M3 is a classic all-mechanical rangefinder. Mine was made
in 1965, and the lens is a 50mm Summicron from 1966.

Here are a couple shots of Solo from my first roll (Tri-X 400 b/w film):

Handsome Jack Morrison...

I like Number One a lot (Golden Gate Park?)! A little cropping would
make it even better, IMO.

Number Two, not so much.

I'm not much of a photographer, but I'm really impressed by the quality of
the images this camera and lens produce, especially given the ineptitude
of the person behind the viewfinder. There's also something about the
camera itself, about how it feels, about what it means to me that makes it
special. I have a nifty new digital SLR from my job, and it's a fun toy,

Handsome Jack Morrison...

"Toy"???

but artistically and emotionally it just can't compare to the M3.

Handsome Jack Morrison...

Maybe not emotionally, but it can artistically, for sure. The "art"
comes from the photographer, not the gear. Depending on the lens, the
film, the two cameras take essentially the same quality of pictures.

Plus, if the camera hadn't once belonged to your father, you would
probably have the same emotional connection to it that you would have
for, say, a digital SLR "toy."

Digital cameras are fun, but I think I might be a photography Luddite.

MauiJNP...

Great pictures!

Handsome Jack Morrison...

There's no law that says you can't enjoy using both, eh?

Robin Nuttall...

Digital cameras have come a tremendously long way, and if used well (and
if it's a high end piece of equipment) can outdo any SLR, especially in

chris jung...

Cool site, great photos. I spied Cala on the Doberman Specialty album.

Boy you Dobie folks are tough as it looks like the course designer put
quicksand, cleverly disguised as grass, at the base of the A-Frame
at your feet.

Robin Nuttall...

Hah. That's her contact. And at that moment she was so determined that
she *had* the contact she was driving her nose into the ground and snorting.

Is this a Swedish Vallhund? (in the Clarion Obedience Club Album) :

Chris and her smoothies,
Pablo & Lucy

shore...

It's easier to get good results with a cheap film camera
than it is with a cheap digital camera, but a decent digital
camera is, I think, every bit as capable as a decent film
camera. Taking the pictures is one piece of it; getting the
results out of the camera is another, and arguably larger
piece. I'm really happy to put darkroom work behind me. I
think you could probably spend hours and hours trying to
deal with contrast issues in the "grin" photo, but with a
decent digital image editor you could get what you want
relatively quickly.

But there's definitely something nice about the feel of a
good film camera, and how it handles.