I have two cameras that I'll never part with. One is a Mamiya 7 II and the other is a Leica M3. They are both rangefinders, the first 6x7 and the second 35mm. I like rangefinder cameras, which are generally not inexpensive, but as far as I know they are not the exclusive preserve of rich amateurs.
Indeed, the Leica was made in 1956 and cost me about US$700 several years ago. I also have five Leica prime lenses, the most recent of which was manufactured in 1992.
It is far and away my favourite camera, both ergonomically and from the point of view of how the lenses work, both mechanically and aesthetically. For digital photography, I have a six year old Leica M 240, which cost quite a bit more money, but made it possible to continue using a rangefinder camera and those same lenses in a digital era.
I am so tired of people who know exactly nothing about these cameras getting on their high horse to dismiss their users as "rich amateurs".
Furthermore, what exactly is wrong with being interested in, and indeed enjoying, well-crafted tools? Am I supposed to be embarrassed because I use a beautifully made 63 year old camera that works as well as the day that it was made, and that gives me pleasure every time that I use it? Do you get your kicks from denigrating people if their cameras and lenses won’t be obsolete, if not falling apart, in four or five years?
