What it means to be raised on “Perfection Expected”

I was born to be a Leicafista — even though my family were working-class in post-war America. But my dad was a foreman in a factory where products required life spans of 35 years or more. He imbued me with the factory ethos: “Do it right the first time.” “Measure twice, cut once.” Dad didn’t intend for me to be one of his factory ‘girls’; I was to win a scholarship, and go to college. For my school grades, for my work: perfection expected. It’s as though I was raised to use Leica. 

At university, I encountered real perfection: a biologist friend working on heart tissue explained, if your government grant had the funds, you bought Leica microscopes: the best.

Years later, I caught the photography bug. Perfection expected, but a used Digilux 2 was the only Leica I could possibly afford. It had a mere five megapixel sensor, but a lens to inspire dreams.

Catching the bug

As things do, this led to Precision Photo of Austin, Texas: stocked shelves of Leica photo equipment. While feeling very much out of place, I tried an M9. Focusing it, I immediately felt that “This is it; this is exactly right.” No longer out of place, and one credit card later…

I started with a Zeiss 50mm. An older, experienced gentleman, seeing the red dot, asked, “why don’t you get a real lens on that camera”? Back to “Precision” and a Summicron 50. Looking at the test photos, it was another “OMG: he was right; this is the way.”

Getting hooked on Leica

Spouse worked with addicts in prison. I asked how they got addicted; she told me that with the first hit of coke, their entire thought process is bypassed, and they don’t even hesitate to reach for the next hit.

Precision

With that in mind, I can read about the Leica M11, but I won’t hold one: I know what would happen. I live with an M240, Summicron 50 and Elmarit 90. And what lenses they are…

A few years later, Spouse asked me to spend two months in Japan with her. After swotting up hiragana, katakana and kanji, I realized what I really needed: a first-rate compact camera. And of course, it had to be a Leica, the D-Lux Type 109. Not pocketable, but certainly purseable, I took it everywhere. 

I enjoy the D-Lux, but had to ask: what is it that makes a Leica, a Leica?

An example: We now live on in the north-west coast of America; the Pacific Ocean is about ten miles from us. Looking at distant mountains, Spouse points, asks “You see that wind turbine over by the ski-slope?” With my 75 y/o vision, I say “No. Can you?”

She lowers her binoculars, looks pityingly at me, and points to them: “of course — they’re Leica.” Who needs a long lens? The Summicron 50mm is precision itself. 

For me, the Leica equipment is perfection achieved. And it will always remind me of my father: I’ll always be trying to live up to it. 

A cup of coffee works wonders in supporting Macfilos

Did you know that Macfilos is run by a dedicated team of volunteers? We rely on donations to help pay our running costs. And even the cost of a cup of coffee will do wonders for our energy levels.