david.watkis.blog

The vast majority of my photography experience has been digital. When I first began messing around with this hobby I started small, opting for a Sony point-and-shoot as an easy travel companion. Eventually I moved on to a Fuji interchangeable lens camera as I began mixing and matching different types—and eras—of glass with different camera bodies. And ultimately I found my favorite piece of equipment in the Leica M240, my go-to choice for years now.

But it was the simple yet elegant engineering of Leica film cameras that had originally inspired me. Shooting on film was always the dream, but I knew so little about it and the vintage cameras that I coveted felt prohibitively expensive. And so, for better or worse, I stuck with digital and justified the decision as a means to hone my skills before I began wasting a bunch of pricey film.

Then, a couple of years ago, I had my first film experience. Perhaps it sounds silly, but it was honestly transformative for me. The tactile mechanics of loading and advancing the film; the precision required to focus properly without the aid of a display; and the pure muscle memory—or painstaking arithmetic—of choosing the best exposure settings. I loved it all, and it made returning to digital tough as if it were suddenly less enjoyable.

That all sounds a bit pretentious, but suffice it to say that ahead of a recent trip to Italy I finally decided to take the plunge and pick up the specific camera I’ve always wanted: a Leica M2.

For a camera that’s nearly 70 years old, lacks a light meter, and was originally produced as a cost-effective option, it’s surprising how expensive they’ve become. On Ebay I tracked down a reasonably priced model in good condition from a camera shop in Japan. But, thanks to inflation and increasing popularity of the M2, let’s just say I should have made this decision years ago when they were much more affordable…

Equipped with a bunch of Kodak film, a Hedeco light meter, and my Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 lens, I made my way to Italy for a week split up between Florence and Chianti. I’m not sure what my exact ratio was of shots taken vs shots salvaged, but by the end of the trip most photos I had taken came out better than I expected! These are some of my favorites.

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