Skip Navigation

Anthony Lane on the Cult of Leica

Two people emailed me about an article in the New Yorker on Leica cameras. As if I had any interest in Leicas. :-) After reading it, I have to say: You can't pay for this kind of press. Cult indeed. Unfortunately, it did not inspire me to run out and purchase a new Leica, something that would actually benefit their struggling enterprise. If anything, I would rather snag an old M3 or a classic lens, but such a purchase is simply out of the question, so I settled for a surreptitious fondling of my trusty M4, which turned 40 years young this year (it has both a new shutter and rangefinder, so it’s practically brand new).

You can read Anthony Lane’s article if you’re interested in a rosy and romantic assessment of the Leica rangefinder. For a contrasting opinion, however, I highly recommend reading Paul Ross’s view; it always makes me smile. Not that I am that forthright myself about the Leica’s limitations. I not only drank the Kool-Aid, but I always keep a full pitcher in the fridge for guests.

Oddly, the first mention I saw of the New Yorker article was on Daring Fireball. Who knew John Gruber was interested in antiques.