I’ve been asked this question a lot since I started shooting a Leica.  It is often one of the first questions that comes up when I get together with other Leica shooters.  The answer has typically been a rather short, 2 years.

Suddenly this picture shows up when I’m going through some old scans.  I think I’m around 13 or 14 when this was taken so now it’s time to revise my answer.  I guess the next time I’m asked this question I’ll have to say that I’ve been shooting a rangefinder for almost 30 years.

If I recall correctly, the camera around my neck in this photo was my father’s Canon Canonet QL17.

Though not a rangefinder, this photo recently popped up when my father sent me a batch of scans.

One thing I have to say is that my father was a huge influence in my photographic life. He was constantly putting cameras in my hands.  Thanks, Dad.