• Categories
• Tips & Inspiration
• Reviews
• News
• Events
• Features
• Buying Guides
• Competitions

Making the switch to LEICA by photographer Dave Couldwell

Making the switch from a camera brand that you’ve used for years can be a nervous experience for some.

Photographer & member of the Leica Society, Dave Couldwell has been sharing his experiences with us about why he made the switch to Lecia, and how he found it.

I used to be a motorcycling racing photographer using Canon equipment. I started in 1997, going fully professional in 2001, covering British Superbikes and some World Superbikes if the rounds didn’t clash.

I stopped in 2013 because the team and magazine rates got too low which meant it wasn’t financially viable anymore. At that point I sold most of the equipment and purchased a second-hand Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and a 24-105 lens.

I continued with photography as a hobby, making portraits, street photography, some land and industrial ‘scapes, and the occasional wedding.

When in 2022 I lost my father to Covid, I inherited a small amount of money.

I really fancied a Leica Q2 Monochrom but could never afford one until I got the inheritance. I used to shoot a lot of black and white film in the 1980s and 90s as I was lucky enough to have converted a bedroom into a darkroom, so I like monochrome images, but at £5,000, it was a lot to put on a camera I had never used.

Instead, I bought a second-hand Leica Q for £1,500 to see what it felt like in my hand and what the images were like. I was very impressed with it, so much so I bought the Monochrom.

• The original LEICA Q

In 2023, I was diagnosed with the starting of Parkinson’s disease, so that was a bit of a shock.

I had a crazy thought: I would do motorsport photography again, but using a Leica.

I needed some kit, so I bought an SL2-S due its fast focusing, a Leica SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 lens and a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports.

There are two motocross tracks within 20 minutes of my home in Doncaster. I practised at one when I first got the SL2-S just to see if it would handle the speed of the bikes. I found it was very much like the Canon 1D Mark IIs that I used to use, except the file size was a lot larger on the Leica.

• Shot using a Leica SL2-S +Leica Vario Elmarit SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH | 1/250s, f/4.0, ISO 400

It worked well after some user error.

Once I was used to the camera and the Sigma lens, I bought a season pass for Donington Park for 2025. The track is only about an hour away from home and there is always something going on there.

The only problem is there’s a large catch fencing around the circuit now so you have to shoot through the fence, which means the images are not as clear as they should be, also focusing through the fence is tough.

I find shooting cars at Donington easier than bikes. I went to one of the Superbike meetings and really struggled with shooting through the fence. I tried all different settings and focus modes on the SL2-S and it still struggled to grab focus on the bike, also I was using the Sigma at the 600mm end even on a monopod I found it hard to hold the focus point on the bike.

• MotoX sidecar racing. Shot using a LEICA SL2-S + Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports | 1/1,00 f/5.3, ISO 400

As I’m 67 now and it is 12 years since using a long lens maybe my hand eye coordination is slower now?

But I will return and will be purchasing a 2026 season pass for Donington as I really enjoyed my time there last year.

• A McLaren 720S GT3 Evo at the British GT Championship at Donington Park. Shot using a LEICA SL2-S + Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports | 1/800 f/6.3, ISO 200

About the Leica Society | Guardians of the Leica Legacy:

Dave Couldwell is a member of the UK Leica Society. This article was originally published with their Winter 2026 issue of their digital magazine.

The Leica Society is a platform for any Leica enthusiast who wants to collaborate with like-minded Leica photographers. Depending on where an enthusiast is on their own Leica journey. Members can tap into or contribute to an introduction to Leica’s brand, benefits, and equipment.

One of the key objectives is to research all aspects of Leitz and Leica history and of their products. Then to share such knowledge with their members, good communication is of the highest priority and importance. To achieve this, they publish a digital colour Magazine, three times a year, and send monthly email updates. There are also meetings and local events during the year, to which all members are welcome.

The Leica Society UK caters for all ages and abilities. Whilst membership includes professional photographers and Fellows of the Royal Photographic Society, it also includes many more amateur and hobby photographers. To join the Circles or take part in the annual exhibition, you don’t even have to own a Leica camera. It is only required that either the camera or lens used was a Leica product. Many Panasonic cameras have Leica lenses, and Leica lenses are also often used with adapters on other makes of camera.

Tap the button below to learn more about the Leica Society.

Learn more about the LEICA Society

See LEICA products

See pre-owned LEICA cameras

We hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, why not read some of our other articles:

Why Leica Cameras are worth the cost

Leica SL3-S First Look Review

Tips to help improve your Sports Photography

Tips on how to Photograph Motion

Tips when taking photos of Motorsport

Share this post:

By Park Cameras on 02/03/2026