Leica TYP 109 for watch photography?

lucreative · Wed. 12:18pm

Hi. Venturing into a new discussion that's actually watch and photography related.

True story: My father-in-law had a break-in to his home a few years ago and had many of his watches stolen. One particular one, was an Omega Seamaster De Ville, Cal 563 166.020, gold cap, that his aunt gave him when he graduated from HS and what he wore when he moved to a new country, US. I happened to have one, a presentation watch that was engraved, that could potentially replace the one that was stolen from him for memory sake. I bought this at a decent price and the watch was in great condition, just the engraving on the case back which can be easily dealt with.

Just as a way for me to offer him the watch without giving it away, he wanted to give me his Leica TYP 109. It used to be a nice camera, albeit, 10 years old. Just wondering if anyone used this camera before and used it for MACRO shots for watch photos. I don't want to just store it away in my closet if it can be of actual use and better than my phone camera.

Thanks for this unique guidance. Much appreciated!

MRC · Wed. 1:46pm

I cannot speak directly of the Leica but it's a Micro-4/3 camera and I've had a couple of those. First it's guaranteed to do better than a phone camera -- bigger sensor, more sophisticated lenses, and of course a fairly big selection of lenses from three different manufacturers (Leica, Panasonic & Olympus) so it's not locked-in to one brand. The downside is that to get absolute best out of it takes learning what the options in camera settings are and to consider them carefully before pressing the shutter. As a point-n-shoot in good conditions it's still going to be fine/good though.

The package lens (Vario-Summilux 24-75mm f/1.7) has a good reputation, and a really good aperture by "stock" lens standards. It will shoot macro, but you also have choices of dedicated macro lenses in different focal lengths and prices from all three M4/3 manufacturers. My dedicated macro lens is a 90mm from Olympus, but that's for historical reasons.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in reviews is image stabilisation which is getting better all the time, and is the only reason I would consider the Leica 109 to be "old".

There is something tactile about Leica cameras, as well as the street cred they get you. Even in the 1990s my 50 year old Leica IIIf still had the feel of quality and for something small and discrete got a lot of admiring remarks. My vote is give a try, and if you don't like it I'll find a home for it.

lucreative · Wed. 2:20pm

MRC
I cannot speak directly of the Leica but it's a Micro-4/3 camera and I've had a couple of those. First it's guaranteed to do better than a phone camera -- bigger sensor, more sophisticated lenses, and of course a fairly big selection of lenses from three different manufacturers (Leica, Panasonic & Olympus) so it's not locked-in to one brand. The downside is that to get absolute best out of it takes learning what the options in camera settings are and to consider them carefully before pressing the shutter. As a point-n-shoot in good conditions it's still going to be fine/good though.

The package lens (Vario-Summilux 24-75mm f/1.7) has a good reputation, and a really good aperture by "stock" lens standards. It will shoot macro, but you also have choices of dedicated macro lenses in different focal lengths and prices from all three M4/3 manufacturers. My dedicated macro lens is a 90mm from Olympus, but that's for historical reasons.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in reviews is image stabilisation which is getting better all the time, and is the only reason I would consider the Leica 109 to be "old".

There is something tactile about Leica cameras, as well as the street cred they get you. Even in the 1990s my 50 year old Leica IIIf still had the feel of quality and for something small and discrete got a lot of admiring remarks. My vote is give a try, and if you don't like it I'll find a home for it.

Thank you very much for this detailed response. The "downside", is a big one for me.

Even though I do take a lot of pictures, I am a point and shoot guy who uses what I have on hand, my phone camera. I never really used manual adjustments and different settings to get the most out of each shoot and it will take some getting use to carrying a dedicated camera with me. However, it would be a different story if I get a setup ready for outside shots and macro shots for my watches. The camera feels nice and I like the tactile shutter.

Image stabilization is a big deal too. I mainly take pictures of my kids and they move around A LOT! I like to capture candid shots. I'll give it a try, but we'll see...lol.

Fallout Boy · Thurs. 1:56am

MRC
The downside is that to get absolute best out of it takes learning what the options in camera settings are and to consider them carefully before pressing the shutter.

This!

I still use (a bigger ful-frame) Leica SL with "vintage" manual lenses. I use it to "slow-down" and to learn more each time 😉.

Just use this camera as a new hobby with new aspects and relaxation..... open this door with this gift.

lucreative · Thurs. 11:21am

Fallout Boy
This!

I still use (a bigger ful-frame) Leica SL with "vintage" manual lenses. I use it to "slow-down" and to learn more each time 😉.

Just use this camera as a new hobby with new aspects and relaxation..... open this door with this gift.

Wait what? A new hobby in addition to watch collecting?

Fallout Boy · Thurs. 11:24am

yes, **creative 😀

nomen est omen

MRC · Thurs. 11:26am

lucreative
Wait what? A new hobby in addition to watch collecting?

Well, yes. But it does get you out in the fresh air more often.

pdxleaf · Thurs. 12:14pm

It's not the gear, it's the photographer.

I say this as one of the people who think if I only had better equipment then I'd take better photos. My Sony full frame proved that thought to be wrong (again).

As has been said, a great benefit of your Leica is that it may make you think about the process. That is fun in itself and opens a whole world. Watches are surprisingly difficult to shoot, which is probably one of the first things we discover as new collectors.

Setting up good light and a stable camera should produce better watch shots. Your Leica will help with this. Plus, watches don't run around like kids. (But with kids running around, it means busy parents, so you might not have the luxury of time for a new hobby.)

Another vote of encouragement to give it a shot.

Another thread: https://omegaforums.net/threads/leica-cameras-produce-some-really-awful-photography.145662/

Stewart A · Thurs. 6:33pm

From what I can tell from reading about this Leica Type 109, I think this is a great step up from a phone camera. Please excuse these comments if your camera is a different model/type. As mentioned, the lens is a very good lens and it shoots both photos and video. It appears to be a good street camera as well as one to capture great family pics (take a breath before taking the pic). One thing to note is that it appears you can shoot it as a fully automatic camera (using the "A" button on the top deck) and you can ease in to learning all the benefits of A, P , S and M as time permits. Another point to make is that it is essentially a fixed lens camera -- the lens cannot be changed. One issue with MFT is performance in low light, this may not a deal breaker for this model but you may need to make slight adjustments to accomodate. I currently have three Panasonic MFTs with a plethora of lenses. I love my MFT cameras and think this is a great way to initiate you into a fantastic, rabbit hole hobby --- as though we need another. Good Luck!

Here are a couple of links regarding using the Leica in the "modern world":
https://aboutphotography.blog/gear/is-leica-d-lux-109-worth-it-in-2020#google_vignette
https://www.bonevphotography.com/Articles/leica-d-lux-109/

and an older read:
https://www.slack.co.uk/2014/D-Lux.html

Leica TYP 109 for watch photography?

lucreative

MRC

lucreative

Fallout Boy

lucreative

Fallout Boy

MRC

pdxleaf

Stewart A

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