Leica Reviews

as a neophyte to the world of safari and in preparation for what will be my first adventure on the so-called dark continent, i thoroughly evaluated all of the top-end (mostly euro) brands before selecting leica's 10x42 bn-series binoculars.

the leica bn-series binoculars are without doubt one of the - if not 'the' - finest binoculars you can purchase at the given price point (in terms of clarity, resolution, focusing precision, portability, build-quality, etc.), and are the clear favorite of many of the leading professionals, sportsmen and naturalists.

Just pick it up and you can feel the quality. It's no plastic lightweight consumer camera: this is a long-lasting metal bodied camera that oozes quality.
The lens is superb, and much better than the Minilux Zoom. The controls are in all the right places and will fall naturally to hand. The lens cap is automatic, so you can't lose it. Battery life seems fine. And Henri Cartier-Bresson uses one! End of story.
Actually there is one problem - it is so quiet that recently I wasn't certain that it was working when I was taking pictures in a busy bar. It was only when the film was developed that I found that I had a number of identical pictures. So now I hold it with one finger brushing against the side of the lens barrel so I can feel when the lens moves out to focus just as I squeeze off another shot. Seriously, for 'street photography' it is very unobtrusive so long as you turn off the flash. And because it's fairly small it fits easily into a pocket and also it doesn't intimidate people in the your pictures.

A very good friend of mine is a professional photographer. His reputation for excellence is well known in the US and is spreading into international circles. He can choose from the finest photographic gear available. A few years ago I hired him for a location shoot. He showed up sporting a Leica M7 35mm. My first reaction was, "Where is your Nikon or Hasselblad? These shots need to be great." He assured me that the Leica would do the job. The film came back and the photos were fantastic. Never forgetting that the results are divided between the quality of the equipment and the skills of the photographer. I do know a thing or two about camera equipment - I studied photography. I grew up in a commercial phography studio. The Leica M7 is now on my short list of outstandting cameras in the world. If you want the best, this is the best!