Tools of the Trade - 35mm

While in Thailand I scoured every camera shop I came across looking to find something to replace my Canon G9 compact. While the G9 was an excellent travel camera, it was a little hard to use at times. When I wanted more manual control for focus it was a pain. The DSLR cameras available from Nikon, Sony and Canon were hard to pass up, offering every feature I needed and more. The price was good as well making it a simple choice of which manufacturer. That is until I found a shop in Bangkok called Camera Collection.

On entering the shop it was like a treasure trove of metal and polished glass. Hasselblad, Linhof, Leica, Alpa, vintage Canon and Nikon. A place lost in time... a very welcome alternative.
After having a look around and telling myself to think about the convenience of digital, I could not resist a Leica M3 and 50mm f/2.8 Elmar lens.


Built like a tank and a machined to perfection, the M3 has a legendary status. Eddie Siu, the owner was very helpful, understanding and was willing to do a good price. Many Thanks Mr Siu! I have since taken it traveling through Greece and India. A fantastic camera and so nice to use.