Time is like a wave that washes away all the hand-painted artwork on the beach. It will also wash away the footprints that each of us has left on the streets. And I will use my camera to record those calm and innocent expressions on film. Unbeknownst to the photographed, with the sound of the shutter, they are like falling crystal raindrops dancing on the edge of time.
Watching the flowers bloom so beautifully, it seems that life should be so beautiful too, and all your worries will dissipate. Therefore, whenever I come across a beautiful flower, I stop to take a picture.
Many seasoned photographers don’t take these photos. They think it’s too easy, that anyone can take them, that it’s not worth wasting film. But I don’t think so. The purpose of photography is not to show how good you are at it, but to have fun and keep the original love of nature alive, at least for me. I don’t create exaggerated perspectives or standard compositions, just keep it as it is. My goal is not to take photos that look like wallpaper, but to take photos that I want to take.
During the process of developing my black and white film, sometimes there are water stains left on the negative. It’s like, everyday life is calm as water, but even a small stone can make it ripple. Life is always full of dangers and even a drop of water can be magnified on film. Water stains can often be wiped away, but I’m still lazy. As long as it doesn’t ruin the picture, I don’t bother cleaning it up. Sometimes laziness is an open-mindedness. The water stains left on the film, I just regard as tattoos.
I have shot film with a summmicron 35mm f/2 asph lens and it is very sharp. But I use more of the older Leica lenses on film. About 80% of the film in my photo library was shot with non-ASPH lenses.
For a long time I have been using the Summilux 35 f/1.4 first generation. In fact, it is so sharp from f/4 to f/8 that it is indistinguishable from an asph lens. Since the maximum shutter speed of a Leica film camera is 1/1000s, on a sunny day the aperture has to be contracted to f4 or even less and you have little chance to use the f/1.4 aperture. On a cloudy day or indoors, f/1.4 produces excellent three-dimensional images, although they are less sharp. To be honest, you really don’t need the sharpness of f/1.4 for film photography.
I have also shot film with the Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 asph lens and like it very much as well, it is an excellent lens. It is not only sharp but has good color contrast. I used to shoot with ND filters and f1.4 aperture. I mainly use ASPH lenses on Leica m9 digital cameras. Also the Summicron 35 asph, Summicron 28 asph and Elmarit 28 asph are very sharp and have higher contrast than older lenses. However, many of Leica’s non-ASPH lenses are very sharp, such as the Summicron 35mm f/2 v1 and Summicron 50mm f/2 v4, and remain sharp when used on digital cameras.
Interestingly, while we all love sharp lenses, I find that my favorite photos seem to be less sharp, especially with film photography. Maybe that’s why Leica’s classic lenses are still viable.
“I like pictures taken with film because it carries the smell of sunshine.”
“If film becomes obsolete, will you still like film cameras?”
“Even if the film camera is history, the images it takes will always be there, and I still like it because at the end of the film is you”
“Then I like the sky today because it ends with you and me”
From film. From Leica. It’s what gave me the courage to go out on the streets.It’s what made me strong and gentle.
The slowest shutter speed is the speed at which the snow melts on my hands.
Which shutter speed should I use to capture the speed at which we grow old?
开
工
Gear is a means, not an end—a truth the Leica Elmarit-R 35mm f/2.8 (1964–1996) embodies with quiet defiance. Designed for Leica’s inaugural SLR system, the Leicaflex, this 320g aluminum relic rebukes modern pixel-peeping obsessions. At 300–300–600 (used), it’s a $500 lesson in humility: “Your best lens is the one that gets out of the way.”
| Aspect | Version 1 (S6 Mount) | Version 2 (S7 Mount) | Version 3 (E55 Mount) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | Brass internals | Aluminum lightweight | Plastic hybrid |
| Coating | Single-layer vintage | Multi-coated pragmatism | Modern flare control |
| Character | Mandler’s microcontrast | Clinical precision | Digital readiness |
| Price (2024) | 500–500–600 | 300–300–400 | 200–200–300 |
Leica’s SLR gamble birthed quirks:
✓ Film Purists: Breathing life into forgotten Leicaflex bricks
✓ Street Minimalists: Who see 0.3m as intimate, not invasive
✓ Budget Connoisseurs: Craving Mandler-era rendering without M-tax
Avoid If: You need autofocus or f/1.4 bokeh bragging rights.
The Elmarit-R 35mm f/2.8 is optical wabi-sabi—a $500 lesson in photographic Zen. For the price of a premium filter, you gain:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (for poets) | ⭐⭐/5 (for tech fetishists)
“A lens that murmurs: ‘Shoot, don’t shop.’”
Pro Tips:
Aluminum hymn,
Thirty-five millimeters—
Closeness births vision.
We chase f/1.4 dreams yet find truth at f/2.8. The Elmarit-R 35mm f/2.8—overlooked, underrated—whispers Robert Capa’s forgotten corollary: “The best camera is the one that fits your budget… and your hands.” In its scratched glass and stiff focus ring, we rediscover photography’s first commandment: Thou shalt create, not covet.
The Leica M8 is a digital rangefinder camera that has been around for almost twenty years. It’s not just a technological marvel for me, but also a great emotional support and creative partner. Whenever I pick it up, it’s like I’m embarking on a special photographic journey, and every click of the shutter is a part of my deep connection with the world. The Leica M8 is more than just a classic camera to me – it’s an indispensable companion and a constant source of inspiration in my photographic career.
I just love the M8 because it’s so reliable and pure, and it never goes out of style. In this day and age, where cameras are getting more and more advanced with each new generation, the M8 stands out for sticking to the traditional manual operation and rangefinder linkage. I really admire this return to the essence of photography! It made me realise that the value of photography doesn’t depend on whether it’s technologically advanced or not. It’s about how the photographer captures and conveys their emotions and thoughts through the lens.
I find that using the M8 to shoot black and white photos is a kind of emotional catharsis and artistic pursuit that I really enjoy. The world in black-and-white shades, fading away the noise of colour, leaving behind pure light and shadow and deep emotions. The M8 with its excellent control of shadow, so that each photo is full of power and infectious. They are not only visually enjoyable, but also touching the heart. It was such a wonderful feeling, like I was travelling through time and space! I felt connected to those classic black-and-white photographs and I could really feel the eternal charm of the art of photography.
When I first saw Wim Wenders’ beautiful black-and-white ad for the Leica M8, I was really moved. It was so much more than just a display of images. It touched my heart and resonated with me deeply, as if it truly understood the art of photography.
The black-and-white images unfolded slowly, and every detail seemed to have been carefully crafted over time, revealing an indescribable purity and depth. I was completely captivated by the moments of light and shadow, feeling the emotions and stories behind each frame. Wim Wenders has done an amazing job! He has such a unique perspective and exquisite skills. He has brought out the charm of the Leica M8 in the best possible way. I’m now yearning for and loving this camera like never before!
I know that black-and-white photography is all about playing with light and shadow to create something really special. It lets the photographer focus more on the composition of the image, the layers of light and shadow, and the emotion in the picture. The Leica M8 is a fantastic camera for black and white photography. It has excellent image quality, precise focusing ability and unique German colours. I would absolutely love to have a camera like that so I can capture every single moment of my life and record all those beautiful, heart-melting moments that just seem to pass by in the blink of an eye.
That advertisement just fills my heart with so much longing and love for the Leica M8 whenever I think of it! It’s not just a camera, it’s my best friend! It helps me pursue my passion for photography and express my inner feelings. I truly believe that in the days to come, I will grow with the Leica M8. I will explore the infinite possibilities of photography together with it and interpret the beauty and sorrow of the world with black and white images.
Let me tell you about the amazing CCD sensor in the Leica M8! This digital rangefinder camera has a CCD sensor that offers some truly unique advantages. CCD sensors are a type of image sensor that have been used in early digital cameras for a long time. They have some great features that really make a difference, and you can see all of that in the Leica M8!
I still prefer to use film for my photographs. Images are carved out of solid material by light, just as our planet is carved out of time. The layers of grain remind me of what the human world looks like.
In today’s digital age, in the eyes of the average person, we photographers who use film are an apathetic bunch. However, indifference is not our true colors.
Tonight, in the fall rain, I am looking through old photos under the lamp, exploring time, the world, and myself.
