Of lenses, legends and Leica love

MANILA, Philippines - This is one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen for a store opening,” says Alfred Schopf, CEO of Leica Camera AG. “Seeing the crowd right now, we should have (opened) two years ago!”

And it was quite a crowd as Leica fanatics turned up in droves for the opening of the iconic camera’s very first Philippine boutique in posh Greenbelt 5. Emerson Yao, managing director of the Lucerne Group, Leica’s local partner, offers an explanation for the huge turnout: “The buzz about the Leica launch event spread like wildfire among photography hobbyists and enthusiasts that we were no longer able to keep count of the confirmations of attendance to the event. ”

In a country with the number one ranking (and number 9, and number 16, and numbers 59 and 72, too) in Time’s global survey on cities with the most number of selfies taken, it’s no surprise that click-happy Filipinos would love cameras, but a Leica? “I was not aware that the Philippines would be so excited about Leica. It’s a huge surprise, and a huge honor as well,” says Alfred.

For one thing, a Leica is not a people’s camera, much like a Patek Philippe is not just for anyone who needs a watch, or a Bentley isn’t for just anyone who wants a car. Leica followers — and they are legion — aren’t just the regular point-and-shoot crowd (or at least they try not to be). If you just want regular snapshots, or selfies, there are smartphones, and a range of other cameras that you can get for cheaper. Much, much, much cheaper.

Alfred Schopf says it himself: the person who buys a Leica at the very least understands image and optical quality. That’s what Leica is all about. The optical quality of its lenses are state-of-the-art and incomparable. After all, when Oskar Barnack constructed the very first Leica a hundred years ago, the company where he worked, Leitz-Werke Wetzlar, specialized in optical lenses and microscopes. And just as Barnack’s purpose was to create a portable camera that could still make high-quality enlargements, so it remains that another of Leica’s core values is to create cameras that have a compact body, but with a sensor that is ranked one or two classes higher. Of course, there’s also the matter of craftsmanship. It’s old-school craftsmanship in a modern world, bearing that “Made in Germany” label, and all the accolades that go with it. Most of the parts are made and finished by hand, and there are strict quality checks — done by a human — throughout the entire process. Finally, the fourth of Leica’s core values: ease of use. All Leica cameras are streamlined and uncluttered, with minimal buttons and controls to fiddle with — allowing the photographer to focus on the image to be captured, rather than on the settings.

This dedication to the image, perhaps, is what makes Leica beloved among the photographers. It was — and remains — the camera of choice for the up-close, part-of-the-scene images that photojournalists delight in. Its compact size, quiet operation, robust yet discreet body makes it easy for the photographer to blend in.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, known as the father of photojournalism, shot almost exclusively with a Leica. His photos are known for capturing that “decisive moment,” that point where elements come together to create a story in that perfect moment. Nick Ùt won a Pulitzer for “Napalm Girl,” his heartrending photo of a naked girl running during a napalm attack in Vietnam (Filipinos may identify with this photo, given that it was the inspiration for the popular musical Miss Saigon). Robert Capa, who co-founded Magnum, a cooperative picture agency, along with Cartier-Bresson, was known for his coverage of five different wars around the world, particularly the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach during World War II. There are hundreds of iconic photos taken with a Leica. Leica changed the way photographs were taken. 

Of course, there are many who acquire a Leica just because it’s a Leica. That iconic red dot with the elegant script is something of a status symbol. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will automatically take good shots. Alfred is pragmatic about it. “Leica is like a Stradivari. Not everyone can play a Stradivari in a really good way,” he says. “But if you are really good at what you are doing, all of a sudden you will hear a symphony. That’s what we try to (do) … give the photographer a tool to create a symphony in the photo.”

There was a brief period in the company’s century-long history, however, when Leica was not able to give photographers the tool that they needed — the digital camera. When the digital revolution started, the digital images produced were too low-resolution to be a serious threat to the company. But then digital quality improved rapidly, and Leica was caught unprepared. It was only in 2006 that Leica launched its first digital camera, the Leica M8, and only in 2009 did it find commercial success with the Leica M9, the company’s first full-frame, 35mm format, digital rangefinder camera.

Now, Leica is on a roll, coming out with one great product after another. This year is a celebration of the 60th year of the legendary M series, with the launch of the Leica M Edition 60. This camera celebrates photography in its purest form. It features only the most essential functions: shutter speed, aperture, focusing, and ISO sensitivity. This ensures that the artistry and creativity of the photographer take priority, ably supported by the camera’s cutting edge technology. The camera itself is a handsome specimen, with stainless steel used in the visible metallic elements of the camera and lens. Special anthracite-colored leather trim complements the overall look. There are only 600 of the Leica M Edition 60 worldwide, making this one a super-premium anniversary creation.

Another model launched this year also does away with the extraneous to focus on the art. The Leica T, which was created in collaboration with Audi Design, is wrought out of a single block of aluminum, giving it a sleek yet substantial look and feel. The Leica T is available with a range of precise, high-performance lenses, and has generously-sized touchscreen display with easy-to-use, intuitive controls. This particular model can also be dressed up in trendy colors, courtesy of an extensive range of accessories available.

The Leica shop in Greenbelt, as with the 50 boutiques around the world, offers more than just cameras and accessories. It is also meant to be a hub for photo enthusiasts to meet, and to learn. It’s an overall experience. Alfred Schopf sums it all up, “It’s all about the customer experience…We try to be the best in class. Not the cheapest, but the best.”

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Leica is located at Greenbelt 5, Makati City.