In one of my latest YouTube videos I discuss a comparison I’ve seen pop up a few times this past year – Leica vs Fujifilm.
I’ve never owned a Leica but I love and admire Leica like I do Ferrari’s. They’re something I post on a vision board as something I dream about owning but I’m nowhere near being able to justify purchasing one.
Fujifilm on the other hand has been my camera brand of choice for the past few years, for many reasons. Their affordable pricing being one of the most important reasons. In terms of their X-Series cameras, you’re not going to pay more than $2500 or so for their flagship X-H2s. And of course there are a myriad of Fujifilm options below that price point. If you add used Fujifilm gear into the mix you can find a quality camera for as low as $250-300. For the photography I like to create these choices in this price range is a godsend.
Pricing for Leica cameras lives at the other end of the cost spectrum. The Leica Q2 and Q3 are around $6,000 and the SL2 & SL2s and M11 are even more expensive with the M11 coming in at about $9,000.
I won’t get into the history of Leica or how they manufacture their gear but I understand their pricing structure and really have no issue with it. They create premium products that rely on more human involvement in making them than any other camera brand. They price their products accordingly.
My main question in the video is “Who are these comparison videos for?”. It seems to me that very little crossover exists between Leica consumers and Fujifilm consumers. Are a lot of people on the fence about whether they should get a Leica Q3 or a Fujifilm X100V? How many people have the financial resources to justify such a choice?
It’s extremely possible I am the one who is out of the loop and more people are deciding on whether to buy a Leica or a Fujifilm camera than I think.
But it’s also possible that these videos are mostly a reflection of our never ending gear lust. I can’t tell you how many videos about Leica’s I’ve watched when I’m about as close to buying a Leica as I am that Ferrari. It’s fun to think about owning and it’s also cool to watch these photographers who do own and use them talk about them.
What do you think? Is the shared space, on a venn diagram, of Fujifilm and Leica consumers larger than I think? Or are these videos serving a different purpose? Are they scratching that itch that we get from our gear lust?
Check out that YouTube video and give me your feedback here or on YouTube.
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Truthfully, I get inspired watching Leica photographers because they often seem to have a different approach to photography. Most of them lack the gear lust so prevalent with other brands. Leica takes a slow approach to manufacturing and doesn’t release new gear with anything near the frequency of Fujifilm. Of course, Fuji used to take a slower approach as well… As a result, Leica users tend to have a much slower turn around with gear, which means they can focus more on actual photography instead of getting distracted by G.A.S. like me. So, while it is highly unlikely that I will ever own a Leica, I love that mindset and try to apply it regardless of the gear I’m shooting with.
I’m right there with you. That’s one of the reasons I love watching Leica videos as well. I’ve just be curious about these comparison videos because I feel in many ways it’s unfair to expect Fujifilm gear to compete with Leica. But I guess that it’s a discussion at all is a good sign for Fujifilm. But I totally agree with you that many Leica photographers are more focused on actual photography as apposed to talking about gear. I’m trying make more videos about actual photography, methods, techniques, ideas, etc. even if the YouTube algorithm punishes me for not doing more gear reviews lol.
I can’t afford either, so that solves the “which one?” problem easily! (To be fair I’ve had both company’s film cameras but wouldn’t base an opinion of their digital equipment on that.)
Lol I get that! They’re both great companies. If I could own multiple cameras from both I would lol
I think the overlap is the physical knobs and particularly the X-Pro line that resembles an M camera. I remember carrying around an XPro 1 and someone telling me I had a nice Leica. Other than that, I don’t see the comparison. I’ve owned numerous Fujis and Leicas. I currently own three Leicas. I laughed when I saw the comment above that Leica owners don’t have GAS :). Oh we still have it. The price doesn’t hinder us lusting over gear unfortunately. I know quite a few Leica shooters and we all have it 🙂
I been to London in June-2023, I use Fujifilm X-T30ii and my Nikon S9900 , but while I was there I start to think in Ricoh GR3 as a poket camera to replace the S9900. Leica is FAR away from my budget. The main issue with my S9900 is the slow focus and lens start at 3.7F . Once I came back and load the photos to a bigger screen I am really happy with almost 90% of the outdoor photos with the Nikon S9900. Thanks for sharing this video ..