In an era in which high-speed, high-megapixel, mirrorless cameras with AI processors continue to push the boundaries of what's possible, why is everyone turning to these technically inferior, simple little cameras from a 135-year-old camera company?

Leica cameras are vastly more expensive than their Sony, Canon, Nikon, or even Fuji counterparts.

So why would anyone overpay for one?

The answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think.

There's also one reason that no one else will admit.

So let's get into it.

In our current age of fast-paced consumption of digital media, there's been a trend back towards old becoming new again.

Baggy jeans of the 60s and 70s are back in.

Vinyl album sales have risen for their 17th consecutive year, and film photography has actually returned to the forefront.

Well, no brand is better placed to capture this trend back to the future than Leica.

They've been making the world's best film cameras since the mid-1800s, and despite technology advancements and the transition to digital, Leica has always stayed true to their roots.

Leica had stopped producing film cameras in 2002, but they were always popular.

That changed in 2022 when they decided to re-release their most popular film camera, the Leica M6.

No doubt understanding this increased demand for the nostalgic feel of film, and offering folks another chance to buy one in a mint condition if they're willing to sacrifice one of their left kidneys to get their hands on one.

One of your left kidneys?

You only have one left kidney.

A kidney.

People love the Leica M6, a clone of the same camera that they released in 1984.

As an aside, if you love Leica film photography, give my man Jacob here a follow before he blows up and you can say you were there before it was cool in true film hipster fashion.

Now, film aside, even Leica's most recent digital cameras still give the feeling of shooting film.

They still give that feeling of nostalgia, both in the images that they produce and the act of shooting with them.

Whether it's the newer Leica M line sticking with their range finder focusing system, or even the compact Leica Q line, they still give you the opportunity to capture that nostalgia while keeping you grounded in the digital age.

Now, I can already hear you rushing into the comments saying, but Cal, what about Fuji?

Fuji has film emulations.

Fuji has a similar dial layout and feel to film cameras.

Yes, I agree.

Fuji does have all of those things.

I've made a video about this and I certainly will be making more.

Many people are buying Fuji cameras.

Interest in Fuji is at an all time high.

Fuji is technically the highest selling camera from manufacturer, but that's only if you include their Instax cameras.

I get all of that, but this video is about Leica and I'm sorry, but if you've ever shot with a Leica, you know that it's worlds above Fuji in all of the intangibles.

So let's talk about that.

So the further you get into photography, the more it becomes a job.

I don't know about you, but when I first started photography, it was purely as a creative outlet.

I was working 50 hours a week at a demanding tech job and photography was my escape.

Maybe that resonates with you.

Now, photography and videography and making these videos on the internet is my full-time gig.

And even if it's not your full-time gig, the rat race of social media has undoubtedly made you feel like it's more of a job.

So whether it's actual professional work or just the social media grind, the more work you're doing in the world of photography, the more you're going to gravitate towards having the best tools to help you get the job done.

The best tools more and more are these high-end mirrorless cameras, the Sony A1s, the Canon R5s, the Nikon Z6s, or even their Pro Cinema Lines.

These are all fantastic cameras, but they're tools.

They're like a hammer.

They help you to get a job done.

They help you to build something, but they aren't particularly inspiring and they aren't what you want to gravitate towards when you're looking to escape the day-to-day grind of your job.

Cameras are kind of boring these days.

There was a time not so long ago that many of them were not so great.

So we had to fiddle with them and make them work for us to get that extra 10 to 15% out of them.

Nowadays, they all just work really well.

And like a hammer, you might even say they've become stale.

Now, Leica, on the other hand, a Leica isn't really a tool.

I mean, technically it could be, but I like to think of it more as an instrument.

Leicas are simplified, easy to use, have no frills, and allow you to focus on the art of photography rather than menus and frame rates and dials and burst modes.

In the same way that your favorite guitar might inspire you to go out and play a tune, a Leica inspires you to go out and make some art.

It even inspires you to look for art at times where you'd otherwise not be looking for it.

And the compact nature and rugged build quality of them allows you to take them with you everywhere.

I've said this before on the channel, but I call my Leica Q2 my moments that matter camera.

It's meant to capture the moments in between, the moments with my friends and family.

Most of them aren't ever published anywhere, definitely not social media.

They're more likely to go on this little digital photo album on our bookshelf or hung on the wall.

Using a Leica brings back shooting for the fun of it.

It's a departure from that work that you're so inundated by, the backlog of client edits that you have to get to.

Those kind of disappear when you're shooting with a Leica, partially because Leica colors don't really require much editing anyways.

Now, the Leica gear itself won't make you a better photographer in the same way that a one-of-a-kind Stratocaster isn't gonna turn you into the next Jimi Hendrix.

A Stratocaster is like a nice guitar, right?

I haven't played guitar since high school.

I don't know why I keep on going on with this analogy.

A Leica isn't gonna allow you to get more work.

It isn't even going to improve your ability to capture things you otherwise couldn't, except insofar as you'll have it with you more often.

But it isn't supposed to do any of these things.

Instead, it reignites your desire to take photos again.

Not because you have to, or because someone's paying you to, or because you have to feed the little like junkies of Instagram, because you want to.

And to all you Fuji bros out there, I'm sorry, I tried the X100V and it just didn't do it for me.

Okay, we're gonna have to talk about the 5.5 million pound elephant in the room that everyone's thought about, but no one has outright said it.

Whether you're one of the PM fanboys or not, his aura is undeniable.

Pete is the biggest influencer in the space.

So when he started shooting on the Leica Q2, and then the Leica SL2S, and then the M6, and then the Q3, it was bound to have an impact.

Peter McKinnon has inspired an entire generation of creators to pick up a camera for the first time.

So now that he started talking about Leica, it's bound to get many more folks interested in trying the system.

You can lament this all you want, but I think it's great that it's reintroduced a historic brand, a new way of shooting, and a return to tradition for an era of creatives who previously only thought about shooting the same old bangers, or making things cinematic, or getting that crispy, epic B-roll.

Now, Leicas aren't without their downsides.

While all of the Japanese camera manufacturers are focused on the cutting edge chips and autofocus technology, Leica isn't having any of that.

Their autofocus in their cameras are pretty poor or even non-existent.

Their video specs don't leave anyone inspired, and their image stabilization looks like something out of the early DSLR days.

There's plenty of reasons for you to rage in the comments about why Leicas are stupid and a total waste of money.

I get it.

For one thing, they're fucking expensive.

I've sat here and lectured you about the feeling, and the nostalgia, and getting inspired, and you might think to yourself, why on earth would I pay $5,000 to $10,000 for a feeling?

And like, you're right.

They're overpriced.

They're an aspirational brand, and you're paying for that.

They are incredible cameras, and they bring you back to the roots of photography.

Should you get one?

Probably not.

But if you want to relight the spark, and you have the budget for it as a fun camera, I think you're gonna be pretty pleased.

And if you're pleased with this video, click on the like button and consider hitting subscribe.

I make new videos about cameras and content creation every week.

So until next week's video, I bet you'll like watching that one next.

Peace.