Can anyone please recommend a book (or books) about the Leica system? I know that there are available, but none of my local book shops have them in, and will only order them if I am definately going to purchase.

Any advice greatly recieved.

Simon

-- Simon Coates (michael@scoates.freeserve.co.uk), July 03, 2001

Answers

You don't mention which system, M or R. I would assume that you want specific instruction on the actual camera and lens, but don't forget the general photographic skills that transcends the name brand of the camera you are using. There are many good non-Leica books to help you become competent in things like composition, exposure and theory specific to your area of interest, such as portraits or landscape.

As far as a Leica specific books, I have a lot of them but find that pick up the same ones over and over.

Leica Lens Practice by Dennis Laney ISBN 1-897802-01-3 A small but thorough book that is logically laid out. It goes from basic applications of lenses in certain focal lengths, (explaining uses for a focal length), to subjects, (stating a preferred lens for common subjects), to a complete breakdown of the Leica R and M lens systems. The last part of the book is a lens by lens explanation of every available Leica lens in both systems... warts and all. If a lens doesn't get good until two stops down, the book states this.

Leica Lens Book by Brian Bower ISBN 0-7153-0817-3 Another book on the lenses available from Leica for both systems, M and R. Some nice photos with technical information, some (subjective) narrative about each lens, but not the specificity of Laney's book.

Leica M Photography by Brian Bower ISBN 0-7153-0318-X Specific to the Leica M. Same size and look as the above Bower book... nice photos. Somewhat superficial if you are well versed in the M system, but not too bad. There is a section on using older lenses and buying second hand. If fact some of the photos that I like the best in the book were made on very old gear. Any one not familiar with Bokeh, need only look at the photo of the painter on page 61, which was made with an old 50mm Summicron... beautiful!

I have purchased the new books on the Leica M6 TTL by Jonathan Eastland and Richard Hunecke. After about 20 minutes, they both went into the book case and have not been out since.

BTW... your e-mail address indicates that you are from the UK. I bought most of my books in London. A very good book shop in London is W & G Foyle LTD. It is on Charing Cross Road. They have a section on Leica that is very large. You can read through them before purchase and see if they meet your needs.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), July 03, 2001.

Leica M Photography. By Brian Bower. David & Charles, 1995. This is similar in style to the Leica Reflex Photography book by the same author. The text is accompanied by mostly nice photos taken by the author with Leica equipment. Both books will provide a good introduction to photography and Leica equipment. But advanced amateur or serious photographers will find nothing new or educational in any of Bower's books!..........................................

-- Muhammad Chishty (applemac97@aol.com), July 03, 2001.

Hi Simon,

Leica Lens Compendium by none other than the infamous Erwin Puts. In West Sussex or try their site:

www.hovebooks.com

Cheers

-- Simon Wong (drsimonwong@hotmail.com), July 04, 2001.

Mr Puts also recomended "Miniature and Precision Cameras" by Lipinsky; last yera I got a copy in ebay, and is an interesting book on how small cameras are made.A book from 1955.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmnail.com), July 04, 2001.

The Art of Outdoor Photography by Boyd Norton (Voyager Press) Lots of good info with many if not most pictures taken with Leica SLRs. Highly recommended

-- Dante M.Torrese (dmt2@columbia.edu), July 12, 2001.