Commodity fetishism has put Leica in a tricky situation on Threads. Today, the brand faced backlash on its social media account, which boasts over 96,000 followers, after posting a message that romanticized owning their equipment more than many followers appreciated:
“Leica is not just a brand — it’s a lifestyle.
“It’s the reason people love taking our cameras out on the town.
“It’s the camera you want beside you in the passenger seat of your car.
“It’s the only piece of jewelry that can give back because you can gift an image.
“It becomes part of you.”
Leica is known for its high-priced lenses and cameras that can exceed $10,000 when new and are still costly even in the used market. The typical justification for the steep price includes the high quality of design, assembly, and materials, which contribute to the durability, enjoyment, and sharpness of the photographs these tools produce.
Additionally, Leica is recognized for its significant history (notably, the company assisted numerous Jewish individuals in escaping Nazi Germany during 1938-1939, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leic…). Recently, the brand celebrated a century by adding competitively priced 35mm photographic film to its product lineup: analog.cafe/r/film-photogr….
Leica has also collaborated with various other companies over the years, creating an extensive ecosystem of accessories, apparel, and more.
However, the social media post that portrayed the Leica brand as a “lifestyle” has triggered negative reactions among photographers.
“This kind of pretentious nonsense makes me want to sell my Leica,” remarked @fredrikplam.
“When the camera itself is romanticized more than the work it produces, when the focus becomes on posing with it, flaunting it, or treating it like an accessory or ‘jewelry,’ that’s when the tool overshadows the art. And that’s not the type of ‘lifestyle’ I’m interested in,” added @illkoncept.
“As someone who’s been shooting with Leicas for almost 20 years and has been published in LFI Magazine, I can’t express how cringeworthy this post is,” stated @dezfoto.
“This isn’t the flex you think it is... it makes Leica owners look like a bunch of posers more focused on appearance than the art itself,” commented @denizdemir.photos.
The criticism continues to grow, with nearly 600 responses on the original post so far: threads.com/@leicacameraus…
Leica’s social media team has been very active on Threads since their launch, quickly responding and sharing their thoughts on the Meta-owned platform. In an attempt to address the backlash, the company reinforced their stance:
“Ramon from the marketing team 👋
I wrote the post, so let’s discuss it. Two things can be true at the same time. It can be a tool and a component of your daily life. I’ve visited Wetzlar to see how these products are crafted and you’re right — they are engineering marvels.
But let’s be honest, I’ve never heard anyone call their camera ‘my precision instrument.’ However, a camera is part of your lifestyle if you use it daily to take photos.”
This effort, however, appears to have been ineffective as the number of comments criticizing Leica’s original thread continues to rise with more people discovering it.
#editorial🔥
The brand sparked controversy on its social media account, which has over 96 thousand followers, with a post that idealized the ownership of their gear beyond what their followers were prepared to accept: #editorial.