Camera Labs

Thanks for the insight into your reasoning guys.
Also, I would ad “individuality” as once you get to the point of understanding gear and photography, straying away from the pack and the prevalent lemming mentality is a natural progression for some.

Hi folks,

I sort of got the impression that this thread was for Leica owners to mill about in rather than as a general "why would you buy a Leica" discussion so perhaps that discussion could continue elsewhere. If I've got it wrong I'm sure a Leica owner will put me right...

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

@Bob - Thank you, you're exactly right. This thread was meant as a general thread for rangefinder or Leica users to chime in about gear, techniques.

As far as trying to explain why Leica, in all sincerity and humbleness, it's a futile exercise. One thing I'd be happy to do is hand over my Leica kit to you if you're around Seattle or Taipei. Someone passed on their Leica gear to me and this is the way I became a Leica shooter.

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

Hi Steve,

OK, I'll clean up this thread a bit then.

@everyone - apologies if your post has disappeared as a result.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

Thank you, Bob.

@Bjorn - What kind of lens set-up are you looking to get? Planning to start with a 50mm or 35mm? Leica, Zeiss or Voigtlander?

I shot with 21mm Zeiss the other day and found it to be quite nice. A bit wide for an initial lens for the M9, but the quality of build, rendering and price were all excellent.





Both shots were wide open at f/2.8. For half the price of the Leica equivalent it's a great value.

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

Hoping to get a 50mm Summilux with my M. Depending on how long it takes me to save up for the set, probably I'll buy an M10 with the 50mm. I might go for that camera anyway, not sure yet. If I do, I might even be able to get a 90mm Cron with it (or a 35mm Lux). I do have to get some accessoires though, bag, extra batteries, memory cards... the like.

That'd be my basic set-up though, 35/50/90mm. Would like a 28 and 75mm Cron and the 50mm Noctilux afterwards, but then we're talking many years from now...

- Bjorn -

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

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

On a somewhat related note: just got back from a Q&A session with famous Leica photographer Elliott Erwitt. Will post some snaps of him when I'm back home... Already a short video on my Twitter.

- Bjorn -

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

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

Having held the black M9 in my left and and the steel grey M9 in my right, I've decided I'll go for the steel grey one. Quite nice holding both of them, with 50mm Lux mounted...

Very nice salesmen at the Leica boutique in London, had a fun chat with them, about the camera, the manufacturing process, waiting lists (52 weeks for a Noctilux!!!). Great guys! I'll definitely go back there some day to buy a lens.

- Bjorn -

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

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

Meeting Elliott Erwitt, that's very cool. I would have liked being at that Q&A with him. His interview clip on YouTube is interesting.

The steel grey is a great looking combination on the M9. I like it better than the silver on the M8. I quite honestly would have been happy with either color especially with the 50 Lux...mmmmmm.

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

Hi folks,

I hope I'm welcome in this thread despite not having a rangefinder but maybe as a guest who has finally ("not before time," I hear you say) got his hands on an M9. Not for long, admittedly, but quite long enough to make a few settings changes and take a photograph which chimping showed to be reasonably in focus. Despite my hope to one day own a Leica rangefinder my initial reaction was to wonder what all the fuss is about.

But it's a funny thing that during my drive home, and while pondering the frustrations in trying to get rapidly to grips with a number of different cameras today at the FOI show, the light suddenly came on in my old brain box. The reason I was trying to understand what all the fuss was about is that the camera is fuss free and that's what one wants. Complexity is all well and good in a video game but not when one is taking photographs.

Manual focussing was straightforward, though it would need practice no doubt, and the camera feels utterly comfortable to use to the point where even after my own very brief experience I had almost forgotten it was there.

Maybe my initial reactions still seem very naive to an experienced Leica shooter and I'm sure the camera does have foibles I didn't discover but that's how my first hands on brush with a Leica M9 left me. I think I finally get it and understand some of the hostility in the Leica community to adding extra features which could so easily become extra distractions!

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

Hi Bob,

You are very, very welcome to join in on this thread. I'm quite happy to share and help build up a small rangefinder community here.

I really liked your analogy about complexity being great in a video game, but not when taking photographs. Well said. It's one of the main reasons I enjoy shooting a rangefinder. I like being engaged with the camera, but not distracted by too many buttons, dials and switches.

With regards to nailing the focus, two things have happened to help cure this frustration. One, I don't mind a mis-focused image as long as it doesn't take away from the overall feeling of the photo. Two, I've had a lot more practice now.

It's funny the way people become rangefinder shooters. Very frequently someone has a general curiosity about shooting a RF and then has an opportunity to shoot one. After the initial trial the curiosity usually grows and the person starts looking for more opportunities. This is why I would happily lend my M9 out to someone that wants to go shooting. One needs to have the camera in their hands, use it, play with it, experiment with it. Other Leica shooters did this for me and low and behold, now I'm a Leica owner.

Bob, next time I'm in your neck of the woods or vice-versa...mi camera, su camera.

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

Good to hear you finally had a chance to lay your hands on the M9 Bob! So? Are you getting one? From experience I can tell you it could take a while to save up for one of these beauties, but it'll be worth the wait!

- Bjorn -

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

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

Hi Bjorn,

I'd certainly like to get one but with a major telescope upgrade in progress I think funds may be a bit tight next year, especially as I'd like a Summilux 35mm to go with it!

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

Mmmmmm... I picked up a 35mm Summilux asph this weekend, it is perfect match for an M9.

Bob - Just out of curiosity what kind of telescope are you looking at? IIRC you have some amazing astro photography work.

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

Hi Steve,

Naughty - you're encouraging me to go off-topic but, hey, it's your thread! I've just ordered the bottom of the range ASA mount which on its own costs about as much as an M9 plus that Summilux. Later in the year I'll be spending as much again on a TeleVue NP127is (unless I change my mind) and a QSI camera. Not the best bang for one's buck, perhaps, in terms of aperture but I've opted for convenience and, with the mounting, some very high tech kit which I'll enjoy tinkering with.

OK, that's enough telescope time in this thread.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.