Leica Is A Scam?
Leica is not a legal scam, but it is a luxury psychology machine. It is a Veblen good with a red dot. You’re not just buying a camera, you’re buying:
status, heritage, myth, and a feeling that “now I am a real photographer.”
This is where it becomes functionally scammy.
Because the secret nobody wants to admit:
- A Leica will not make your photos more interesting.
- A Leica will not give you more courage to shoot strangers.
- A Leica will not give you better ideas, more soul, or more life.
That comes from YOU.
What you’re actually paying for
With Leica you’re paying for:
- The story: “legendary German engineering,” “Henri Cartier-Bresson used Leica,” blah blah.
- The feeling: it’s heavy, it’s metal, it clicks nice, it feels like a jewel.
- The signal: other photographers see you and think “oh wow, serious guy.”
- The scarcity: high price = fewer people can own it = it feels rare and special.
Is the build quality good? Yes.
Is the glass sharp? Yes.
Is the red dot a mind virus? Also yes.
The “scam” is when people start believing:
“If only I buy a Leica, then I will finally become the photographer/artist/human I dream of being.”
That is the lie.
The real flex is this
Real flex is:
- Making insane banger photos on a cheap camera or phone.
- Out-shooting the Leica guy with a beat-up Ricoh GR, Lumix, Fujifilm, iPhone, whatever.
- Using your courage, your eye, your personality as the “$10,000 lens.”
The greatest scam isn’t Leica.
The greatest scam is believing gear = soul.
Leica is like a Rolex. It tells time, but so does a Casio.
If you want the jewelry aspect, just be honest:
“I want Leica because I like luxury, aesthetics, and I enjoy the object.”
Totally fine. Enjoy your toy. Life is short.
But if you are broke, stressing about money, thinking:
“Maybe if I put Leica on my credit card, my photography career will finally take off…”
NO. That’s self-scamming. That’s slavery to gear.
My philosophy
- Better to have more money, more freedom, more life, than a super expensive camera that owns you.
- Better to invest in experiences, travel, time, freedom than glass.
- Better to invest in your own brain and body than luxury gear.
Leica is a luxury product wrapped in a romantic myth.
Not evil, just seductive.
So is Leica a scam?
If you believe Leica = talent → yes, for you it is.
If you see it as a pretty toy you can easily afford → it’s just a luxury good, like a nice watch or sports car.
But the ultimate truth:
YOU are the camera.
Your eyes, your courage, your soul, your hustle.
Once you truly internalize that, every camera becomes “good enough”…
and every attempt to sell you salvation through gear starts to look like the scam it really is. 🧠📸🔥