I Bought My First Leica… and It’s 90 Years Old

I bought my first Leica — a 90-year-old Leica III film camera — to see if it still works in 2025. From loading my first roll of 35mm film to reacting to the scans, this is my honest experience shooting vintage film photography for the very first time.

I finally got my hands on a Leica III rangefinder, paired it with a Canon 50mm f/1.8 LTM lens, and set out to test this classic piece of German engineering. The camera is dented, the rangefinder is cloudy, and it was listed as “not working”… but somehow, this 1930s Leica still managed to fire off shots and produce some surprisingly sharp photos.

In this video, I walk you through the process of loading the film, shooting portraits and street photography, and then reacting to the scans live on camera. Yes, there are light leaks. Yes, I misfocused more than a few times. But that’s the charm of shooting film with a vintage Leica camera that’s nearly 100 years old.

If you’re into film photography, beginner filmmaking, or just curious about old cameras, I think you’ll enjoy this journey. Shooting with this Leica made me slow down, be more intentional, and appreciate how far photography has come.

0:00 Intro
0:39 The Camera
2:27 Getting it Working
4:07 Photo-Walk
7:32 The Results
9.48 Conclusion

——— THE GEAR I USE ———

Sony A7IV - https://amzn.to/4k4Ylpb
Sony 24mm 2.8 G - https://amzn.to/4fEpRJh
Sony 24-70mm F2.8 GM - https://amzn.to/3YwZOwn
Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM - https://amzn.to/4diaNA0
Sony 85mm F1.8 - https://amzn.to/42PHO2T
Smallrig Half Cage for A7IV - https://amzn.to/4jQoY1y
PolarPro Peter McKinnon VND - https://amzn.to/3YwLzru
PolarPro Shortstache Everyday Filter - https://amzn.to/43mOfdS
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 - https://amzn.to/4mp5EdF
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Filters - https://amzn.to/4dd4Vb8
DJI Mic 2 - https://amzn.to/3YCvSyW
SD Cards - https://amzn.to/4m2BZqp
SmallHD Indie7 Monitor - https://amzn.to/4dibDg8
WANDRD PRVKE 21L - https://amzn.to/4iRB1KM
Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L - https://amzn.to/4iQ8zJ5
Peak Design Capture Clip V3 - https://amzn.to/43mPjyo
Peak Design Camera Strap - https://amzn.to/4kcZwmM
Peak Design Leash Camera Strap - https://amzn.to/3EJy9lh
Manfrotto Tripod - https://amzn.to/4iPMqun

What I use for colour grading: https://www.dehancer.com/
Get 10% off using code: STELLAR10

New Preset Pack: https://www.stellar-digital.com/filmw...

If you want to see more please SUBSCRIBE
Also, follow me over on IG   / craig_stellar  
and check out the website https://www.stellar-digital.com

#AnalogPhotography #RangefinderCamera #ClassicLeica #PhotographyForBeginners #FilmmakingJourney