Camera Labs

Hello Gordon, Mods, members.

It's been a while since I have been around the CL forums. My camera equipment has change dramatically over the last 2 years. I was wondering if there is much of a Leica or rangefinder community on the boards? Any rangefinder users

_________________
Leica M9, Nikon D300s, Leica X1, Canon S95, Zero Image 6x9

I think I've seen two M9 users before, and I'm sure there's others who use film rangefinders. There's a number of Leica enthusiasts though,myself included. And some, like me, are hard at work saving money to buy a rangefinder!

- Bjorn -

_________________
Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

Hi Bjorn,

That's a good start. I have been a CL member for a number of years, and would love to see more Leica talk. Getting into a digital M is a great value right now with the M8. Even with the IR issues and all the detractors, the M8 is a wonderful way to test the rangefinder waters.

Do you think there's a chance for creating Rangefinder sub-forum It might bring in new traffic. I'd be happy to help any users with questions and resources.

_________________
Leica M9, Nikon D300s, Leica X1, Canon S95, Zero Image 6x9

Though I personally like the idea of a small subforum for rangefinder cameras, I can see why we might not get one just yet. There's only a small number of users who use or are interested in the system, and so the section would be a little quiet. For now, you'll see a couple of Leica-related threads pop up in this section.

Can I ask you what colour M9 you got? Looks wise the steel grey one is the only one on my mind, but from a rational POV, the black version would be the better option for street photography, which is what I'll use it for. If you got the steel grey M9, what is your experience so far? Is the M9 drawing much attention? I guess the same applies to the black version. I just want to remain as inconspicuous as possible...

I'll be stopping by Leica's Mayfair boutique during my short trip to London next week, do a quick side-by-side comparison.

Being a student, it will be a while before I can share my rangefinder experiences, but as Alex from CL said to me once: "things that are worth having are worth waiting for", and that's certainly true for an M9!

- Bjorn -

_________________
Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

Understood. I imagine a rangefinder sub-forum would be a little slow, not enough traffic yet.

I bought the M9 in black. This was a tough choice though. My M8 was silver and I really liked the throw-back color pattern of black leather and silver body. Funny you asked about the colors. I took a very informal survey of colleagues and 100% said they prefer the silver over the black. Mostly because it looked as they said, "old fashioned." However, I wanted my camera to be as discrete as possible and black just made more sense. Black is not as 'flashy' as gray or silver, but I didn't want flash when I'm shooting on the street. As far as being discrete on the street I think the black M9 helps a little, but not as much as body language.

The M9 is a treat worth waiting for. It's a beautifully made machine. Without going into too many details, photography for me also happens before taking the photo. And interacting with the M9 is a big part of that enjoyment. The huge view finder, the visceral feel of the aperture ring, the smooth focus throw, the notchy shutter speed dial and the mechanical click of the shutter release are unique to the M9.

_________________
Leica M9, Nikon D300s, Leica X1, Canon S95, Zero Image 6x9

I've tried the M9 in the Leica store at Taipei

its great, extremely well built, but costs 30% more than my Canon 1D Mark IV which is quite much xD

_________________
http://www.AnderssonPhoto.com
Cameras: Leica M8, Nikon FE-2, Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 40D
Lenses: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm 1.4, Ultra Wide Heliar 12mm 5.6 ASPH II, Nikkor AI-S 28mm 2.8, Canon 24-70 2.8L, 85mm 1.2L II, 300mm 2.8L IS, TS-E 45mm 2.8, Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro
Canon 1.4x/2X TC II, Canon 580EX II X2, Gitzo + Manfrotto.
Wishlist: Leica Monochrom, Summilux 50 ASPH, Voigtlander 35mm 1.2 ASPH II

Thanks Steve! Getting the body language part right is hard enough for a tall fella like myself, so I'm quite sure I'll get the black M9. Still want to compare them side by side though, and where better to do that than a Leica boutique!

I have shot a couple of frames with the M9 during my summer stay in London, and I fully understand what you're saying. It just feels, as many photographers say, like an extension of your arm. Such high quality engineering! I'd say it's worth that 30% over the price of a 1D MkIV, even though it's one insanely expensive camera...

What lens are you using at the moment? I read you were considering the Summicron line, but which focal length?

- Bjorn -

_________________
Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

whats the difference between Summicro and Summilux?

is it like as in Canon non L vs L ?

_________________
http://www.AnderssonPhoto.com
Cameras: Leica M8, Nikon FE-2, Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 40D
Lenses: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm 1.4, Ultra Wide Heliar 12mm 5.6 ASPH II, Nikkor AI-S 28mm 2.8, Canon 24-70 2.8L, 85mm 1.2L II, 300mm 2.8L IS, TS-E 45mm 2.8, Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro
Canon 1.4x/2X TC II, Canon 580EX II X2, Gitzo + Manfrotto.
Wishlist: Leica Monochrom, Summilux 50 ASPH, Voigtlander 35mm 1.2 ASPH II

It has to do with maximum apertures:

Summicron is f/2.
Summilux is f/1.4.

And:
Noctilux is f/0.95
Summarit is f/2.5
Elmarit is f/2.8
Elmar is f/3.8 to f/4 (Super-Elmar, Macro-Elmar, Tri-Elmar)

(all figures related to current line-up)

- Bjorn -

_________________
Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

No not at all Don.

All Leicas are made to the highest standard and to be sharp at every and any aperture.

The names are to do with maximum aperture. I think Summilux is f1.4 and Summicron is f2.

The trade off is size and weight mainly, but also I used to feel that some Summicrons are sharper, not sure if that is still the case.

_________________
Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

Currently I have the 50mm Summicron practically glued to the body. It's the current version, optically speaking, but is not 6-bit coded. Personally I think it's a great place to start with the M9. I enjoy street shooting and like the subject distance I get with the 50mm more than a 35mm. On the M8 I used the 35mm more often.

I'm working towards a 28mm Summicron, 50mm Summicron and 75mm Summicron line-up. This would make a tiny, lightweight, well-spread lens collection. I won't start thinking about the Summilux line for a few more years.

Mint condition 50mm Summicrons can be picked up used for around US$1100.

_________________
Leica M9, Nikon D300s, Leica X1, Canon S95, Zero Image 6x9

I do agree with Steve 50 Summicron its a good lens to start with M System at least a bit bargain compare to 50 Summilux & better than 50 Summarit ( Though its cheaper than Summicron BTW)

As for the proposal Rangefinder owner sub forum could be interesting at least there are very few of CL Members got owned rangefinder camera obviously the older film ones.

_________________
Soon.....

I just have to ask.
Other than the history and the presumed status that a Leica brand bestows upon a person, what are the “real” advantages to owning a Leica?.
Also, what do you guys consider superior in image quality detail, build or technology (other than the fixed lens reality) over say the new Fuji x100?

http://leicarumors.com/2011/02/15/fuji- ... ison.aspx/

Like Steve mentioned before, the shooting experience is worth something too. The camera's wonderfully engineered, much more enjoyable to shoot with than a DSLR, IMHO. There's no features you don't need, just the things that are essential. It just gives a more involved feeling. Looking though the viewfinder that lets you see more than what the lens projects on the sensor. Not having your face all covered by a huge camera. The quietness of the camera, it's inconspicuous looks. And the IQ of course.
Many people say you either get why people buy a Leica rangefinder or you don't. I can't say why I get it. I just know it's the best tool for what I do. Even on a student budget...

Superior over the X100? M9, S2. Just kidding. The X100 seems like a great little camera, with better features than the X1 from Leica. It looks kinda cool too, albeit not as nice as the X1.

- Bjorn -

_________________
Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux

**What are the "real" advantages to owning a Leica?**

I tread very lightly as I attempt to answer this often loaded question. I've seen too many people trying to defend why they bought a Leica and it's virtually impossible. Many people are ready to throw out spec sheets: mega-pixels, screen resolution, fps, high ISO, gps, etc... Spec wise, the Leica will lose every battle. Even IQ wise it's too subjective and can't be broken down into numbers, graphs and MTF charts. To quantify an M9 or any other camera for that matter is not an accurate representation of what it's like to shoot that particular camera. Each camera has it's unique attributes.

OK, the "real" advantages for me are the way I interact with the camera while shooting. I like the feel of the camera in my hands, I like the highly precise movement of the dials and the reassuring click of the shutter release. I like having a full frame camera in a small body. I like the size of the lenses compared to traditional SLR lenses. I like being responsible for the focus, ISO, shutter speed and aperture. I like the way the world looks through the huge viewfinder. I like the fact that there's never any black-out time when you release the shutter. In a superficial sense, I like the look of the camera. ( Yes, I know that is a terrible thing to say, but I want to enjoy the look of my gear.) The difficulty in explaining all of this is that someone can come back and say this is why they hate the camera, it's all so subjective.

The best way for me to answer this would be to hand over my M9 kit to you for a month and check back with you at the end and ask your opinion. There is nothing I could write in a forum response that will convince or explain why people choose to shoot Leica. Many people, family, friends, colleagues ask why and sometimes it's just easier to say, "I've always wanted a Leica." I didn't want to say that here, because I wanted to try and give an honest and genuine attempt at answering the question.

About the X1 vs the X100, it's hard to say. I haven't handled the X100 and it was not an option for me when I bought the X1.

_________________
Leica M9, Nikon D300s, Leica X1, Canon S95, Zero Image 6x9