Business Logic Goes Out The Window — The Rangefinder Window, That Is

Two people dressed in colorful, retro hippie outfits sit in a yellow vintage convertible car with the top down, smiling and enjoying a sunny day. The background includes a wooden fence and greenery.
A couple of “hippies” cruising the coast in central California, dressed, perhaps, like their parents did in the sixties. Leica M11 50mm f/1.4 Summilux. 1/500 f/6.7 ISO 64

I rediscovered an old love while writing an article about using M lenses on my Panasonic S5 IIx. My old love? Rangefinder cameras.

For the article, I borrowed some Leica cameras and lenses, graciously loaned to me from Camera West. This allowed me to make the needed comparisons with the Leica SL2-S.

Rocky shoreline covered in green and brown seaweed, with misty waves and a blue, cloudy sky in the background. The scene has a tranquil, cool-toned atmosphere at the edge of the ocean.
Low tide blue hour on the central coast of California. M11 50mm f1.4 Summilux. 15 sec. with ND filter, f11 ISO 64

At the last minute, I decided I should ask Camera West to also borrow a Leica M11 so I would have a reference standard. After all, the M-mount lenses are designed specifically for Leica’s M rangefinder cameras. I went on location multiple times, doing both photography for enjoyment and meticulous testing.

A young girl in athletic gear jumps over a hurdle on a track during a race, with other athletes and people visible in the background on a sunny day.
Most photographers don’t think about using a rangefinder for sports but I find the rangefinder viewing to be ideal for getting the peak action. It requires pre-focusing. M11 Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-M. 1/1000 sec. f/4.0 ISO 64 cropped.

Practicality or Joy?

The more I used the M11, the more I realised I really missed having a rangefinder camera. I was weaned on rangefinders and, like it or not, it’s part of my photography DNA.

I started my full-time photography career in 1985. As a freelance assistant at that point, I had the good fortune of working with some of the best photographers of that era. Besides fantastic photography experience and learning different approaches from top pros, I also learned two important lessons for my new career.

A young person with long, wavy purple hair is smiling and wearing a gray top, standing outdoors with green foliage blurred in the background.
Considering the purple hair I chose contrasting color in the background to get a little extra pop. M11 + Voigtlander 75mm f/1.9. 1/320 sec. f/3.5 ISO 125

First, I loved the travel and excitement of going on location for shoots. I could learn about the world through photography. Though mildly interesting, I didn’t care as much for studio photography. It was challenging in its own way, but being in a different place for every shoot and having to think on my feet was much more exciting.

Second, without the overhead of a studio, I could get my business going with my slim budget. I didn’t want to be indebted to a bank for years, paying off business loans. My only loans were temporary ones using credit cards when I needed them. I analyzed each equipment purchase carefully for its return on investment (ROI). From that standpoint, Leica was not an option.

A black and white photo of jagged coastal rocks in the ocean, framed by the dark, twisted branches of a tree in the foreground under a cloudy sky.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in California. M11 + Voigtlander 28mm f/1.5. 1/350 f/11 ISO 200

Good Business Habits Die Hard

The ROI analysis of buying gear became a decades-long habit. Such long-term habits are hard to break. But I finally broke it in an unexpected way. I followed my instinct and heart.

As I get older, I have less and less tolerance for schlepping lots of gear. Now, more than ever, I love compact and lightweight cameras and lenses. I rediscovered how much I love rangefinder cameras, and how an M-camera kit can be very compact.

I had not owned a rangefinder for several years, my last one being an M240 I picked up used. Unfortunately, I never connected with the M240. But after using the M11… Wow!

Although I set out to find out which of those beautiful compact rangefinder lenses would work well on my Lumix S5IIx, I had a ton of fun using them on their intended body, the M11.

So I bought one. Yes, I had to let go of thinking just in terms of business and recognize a different return on my investment: the pure enjoyment of owning and using an M11.

Six pelicans fly in a V-formation against a clear blue sky.
It’s not easy to focus on birds in flight with a rangefinder but I used the advantage of depth of field and that pelicans fly relatively slowly compared to some other birds. M11 + 50mm f/1.4 Summilux 1/640 sec. f/9.5 ISO 64 cropped

About the author: Joel Wolfson is an internationally published photographer who loves teaching as much as shooting. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. He shares his 30 years of experience as a working pro with other photographers and enthusiasts by way of his workshops, 1-on-1 training, webinars, articles, blog, and speaking engagements. He is one of the pioneers of digital photography, having conducted digital photography seminars for Apple and other corporations starting in the early 90s. This article was also published here.

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