Originally posted by RookieGuy More K mount for me?
Alex, I've only ever seen one real live Leica in my life. And the clerk wouldn't take it out and let me play with it. I do know I can buy two of my (pretty used) motorcycle for the price of a body. I've always wondered, is it there? Like, I don't care what exactly I'll never experience. I just want to know yeah, I'm missing out on something special.
I have never shot with a Leica, so this is my outsider's view as a photography teacher. All of these have been Leica film cameras. Have yet to have a student with a Leica digital:
a) 1996: First day of class students bring their SLRs for me to check if they are functional. One student hands me her Leica. It's in new condition. I (regretfully) told her that her camera and lens was worth more than everyone else's gear combined; so be careful with it. It scared her so badly, she brought a Canon AE-1 to the next class and I never saw the Leica again.
b) Early 2000's: Had a wealthy, only child art student, that shot with Leica rangefinders. He wore designer jeans, shoes, shirts, Rolex, etc. The Leica was sort of an accessory that took photos. He wore that red dot as a status symbol.
c) 2019: Student just replaced her Pentax K1000 for a Leica R4s. The Summicron 50mm on her Leica is razor sharp and the contrast is outstanding.
My opinion is mixed. I have shot with Zeiss lenses and they are almost too perfect that they have no character to the images they produce.
Leica is also more known for their rangefinders, and I've always preferred the ergonomics and optical finder of SLRs over mirrorless or rangefinders.
I lived in Switzerland for 4 years and found that although German engineering is robust and their optics second to none, but the electronics were less reliable than most Japanese counterparts.
I have always spent more on my cameras and lenses than I could reasonably afford (with no regrets), but I've never been able to justify the quantum cost leap into the Leica world. And because of that, I'd rather buy high end Pentax than the low end Leica. Also one should factor in the cost of repairs and parts, which anyone who's owned a Mercedes/Audi/Porsche/BMW can share with you.