M system degeneracy

I need to confess something. What better place to do so than on a blog no one will read? 

After I started successfully developing my own color film in early September, I felt encouraged, emboldened. I don't know that I could (can) call myself a photographer, but analog photography was clearly my current main hobby and obsession. I also happen to love getting my grubby little hands on physical hardware, which is an incredibly dangerous combo when it comes to cameras!

Previously, I used to be into computer hardware, but especially phones. I always had the top of the line Pixel (either self-financed or through work) and iPhone, and sometimes I would have a Samsung phone as well. I am now off the upgrade-every-year treadmill, but I think my compulsion has just been replaced with analog cameras.

For cameras, I never spent stupid money on any one camera, except for the Minolta TC-1 and Contax T2, but both of those I used to death. Literally, in the case of my first TC-1.

My rationale was, now that I had crossed the threshold of developing my own film at home, I deserved one of the top dogs. I was saving so much money. I was so invested in my hobby. I'm worth this.

I wanted a fancy system camera where I could use different lenses. I knew from experience that I didn't really vibe with SLRs. Something about putting my eye in the center of the camera, the weight, the noise. I had tried a few film SLR systems: an m42 mount Chinon CM3, an Olympus om2n, and a Canon EOS 300V. The 300V is probably the single best system camera because it costs 40 bucks for a good one, it has almost every feature you would need (it doesn't support leaving the film leader out when it rewinds and I cbf doing that anymore honestly), and you can get EF primes for relatively cheap. Of these, I used the 300V the most, but still far less than any of my main point and shoots. I like doing quick candid shots and something about swinging a big honking SLR up to your face kind of ruins the moment you're trying to capture.

If you've read the title you know what this is about: every person who gets into analog photography eventually considers getting a Leica rangefinder. Leica M cameras use M-mount lenses. They're all insanely expensive, at least beyond what I was comfortable paying, and the lenses are also insanely expensive. I also knew that I didn't want to bother using a lightmeter, and ideally I would want aperture priorty. There's only one film Leica that supports that, the Leica M7, and I couldn't find any on the local craigslist. They also weren't super popular because they aren't purely mechanical like all previous Leica M cameras. They also have this giant cheesy Leica logo on the front that says Mug my owner! Steal me!, but that's common to most Leicas. 

So, I did my research and I found a couple non-Leica M-mount candidates and decided on the Minolta CLE. My favorite camera is the Minolta TC-1, so I should go full #MinoltaGang. It also was almost a quarter of the price of an M7, and came with a lens.

It showed up from Japan and it was love at first sight. 

Um, however, then a limited edition (only 2000 made) of another camera I had been considering showed up for sale for a good price (lower than non-limited editions I had been looking at!), and it had just been CLAd. This was the Konica Hexar RF, which is similar to a Leica M7 in terms of size and weight, but has a motorized film advance instead of a film advance lever. It also had framelines for my favorite focal length, 35mm, unlike the CLE, which only supports 28, 40, and 90. I figured I had to at least give it a shot and I bought it from a place I could return it, also these things are basically investments right? I mean you can always sell them for about what you paid for anyway, of course. Also I was going to sell my Leica Q (digital camera I wasn't using), and I'm getting that rental deposit back soon. The games people play to justify their actions.

It showed up from Finland and it was love at first sight.

I had planned to do lots of hikes with the boys. The snow was unseasonably late, so many routes were still accessible. The weather was absolutely suspicious, but it for sure at least wasn't going to snow on us. I took the Hexar RF on a hike with Matt and Kaan in Zermatt first, and I took some of my favorite pictures ever:

Two days after, I left the Hexar RF at home and took the Minolta CLE out to Göscheneralpsee with Matt, and I took some of my favorite pictures ever:

I liked using both of them so much! But I couldn't justify keeping both. The Hexar RF had a better finder, but it's heavy. The CLE is so small and has a manual film advance, which is fun, but it doesn't have frame lines for 35 or 50. I couldn't decide which one to keep. 

This turned out not to matter. A few days (yes DAYS) later a Leica M7 got posted to the local craigslist by a young dad in Basel who didn't have time to shoot film anymore. But not just any M7, this was a special "a la carte" black paint M7, meaning that it was built to order for the original owner. No garish Leica red dot on the front of the camera, instead the logo was engraved on the top. It was exactly the Leica I was looking for.

I went to Basel to check out the camera and it was love at first sight.

Ugh.

I then only used this camera for my next 20+ rolls. It went with me everywhere and I took some of my favorite pictures ever:

Some Boston and New York

It's now my favorite camera. The only thing that sucks is loading it, I still havent mastered the Leica quick load system. The DX code reading is also a bit fucked but that's common to the older M7s. Everything else is a dream. It has the upgraded Leica MP finder so you can always see the rangefinder patch. It's also just straight up beautiful. I fidget with the film advance while I'm in late meetings with the US.

Aha, you're probably thinking, you found your grail camera, you're finally done, and you got rid of the CLE and Hexar RF? Well no. I keep thinking of selling at least one, make up my mind to sell the Minolta, then I pick it up and realize I can't sell it. The Minolta with the Brightin Star 28mm pancake is unbeatable. I even have a half-shot roll of film in it right now. And the Hexar is just too beautiful to get rid of. If it was a normal black Hexar, I would have gotten rid of it, but since it's a special edition, it's got a titanium finish and looks amazing. I can't let go of it yet.

I started September with zero M-mount bodies and by mid October I had three. And I still have three, and it's probably going to stay that way. If I truly stop picking one of them up, then it's probably time to sell, but until that happens they're staying.

I'd say I'll try to be better, but I won't. I bought something potentially even more stupid recently, and I also love it to death. If you some how made it here and can guess what it is, let me know and I'll tell you if you're right.

Sorry to my bank account.