I was wandering around the Castro, as I sometimes do, carrying my old Leica M2, as I almost always do. It’s what you might call a “user” camera. She’s got miles on her, built in 1962, acquired by me in San Francisco around 2008. I’ve got a Zeiss 35mm that basically never comes off on the front. It’s modded up and marked up with a white paint marker for zone focusing and aperture. It’s dirty and scratched and beat up and I love it.
It’s also a bit of a conversation starter, especially for the gear heads chasing the latest equipment that haunt the City. So it gave me a little chuckle the other day, when some kid strapped with the latest Sony A7 and some massive lens that looks like a howitzer struck up a conversation. He asked me what it was, and I told him. He asked me what I’d done to it, and I told him. Then he says, without any hesitation whatsoever, “man, you totally killed your resale value.” I laughed and told him they’d probably bury me with it.
For what it’s worth, here’s what I’m carrying…
Leica M2, built around 1962. Modified shutter dial and film counter. Aftermarket quick rewind crank. Original vulcanite replaced with grip-tac. Carl Zeiss Zm 35mm f/2.8 Biogon.
Leica M3, built in 1959, aftermarket quick rewind crank, original vulcanite replaced with grip-tac, Voigtlander 28mm accessory finder. Sporting either a Carl Zeiss ZM 50mm f/1.5 Sonnar or a 28mm f/2.8 Biogon.
Hasselblad X-Pan, build around 1999 / 2000. On the front is usually a Hasselblad 45mm f/4 lens, sometimes I use a Fuji 90mm f/4. The camera shoots a full panoramic 35mm frame as well as a standard 35mm frame, and can switch formats mid roll. Amazing little machine...