A Field Report On Using The M (and Monochrom) On Safari

[johnbuckley]

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I just returned from a lovely week in Botswana, where I used both my M-240 and Monochrom exclusively. Since there have been previous threads -- from which I learned a lot -- filled with good discussion about the strengths and weaknesses -- mostly weaknesses -- of taking along a rangefinder, not a DSLR with auto-focus, I thought it might be helpful to file a brief field report.

 

Here are images either taken by the Monochrom (using either the 90mm Summicron, or the 50mm APO-Summicron-Asph) or by the M (principally using the Vario-Elmar-R 80-200 with or without the 2X extender.)

 

Black and white:

 

Zenfolio | John Buckley | Botswana In Black and White

 

Color:

 

Zenfolio | John Buckley | Botswana In Color

 

For the most part, I found that using the M with the 80-200 worked well. As a long-time rangefinder user, I found getting the hang of quickly focusing a long lens using the EVF was pretty frustrating -- especially as my 16-year old son, using his Canon D6, had long since gotten the shot and perhaps by now the rhino or leopard had moved on... But once I got the hang of using Focus Assist, and resting the camera on one of the bean bags offered for use on the cross bar of the open Land Rover we drove in, I could generally get the shot... if the animal was still there.

 

If the animal was close enough to be able to use my Monochrom with its shorter focal length, I was immediately relieved, and of course was able to focus instantaneously, because rangefinder focusing is second nature to me by now.

 

A bigger problem with using the M with the EVF, of course, was the long blackout period after the image was captured. I would hear my son getting shot after shot, but I'd still be looking in the EVF at the image just taken. The lag time really matters when you are shooting animals! And if I then had to use focus assist to get the next shot, well, there were a fair number of missed shots.

 

But I don't want this report to read as a long complaint. You see, it was a thrill being able to take my M on a safari with a prayer of getting long-distance shots. I didn't have to get a second system to be able to shoot long lenses. Ultimately, the M/EVF/long lens combination works. The 80-200 and the 2X extender gave me a pretty great 160-400mm lens to work with. And yes, while I found myself often going for the long lens, it was really nice to able to shoot animals up close with the Monochrom.

 

In summary, the M and Monochrom make a perfectly usable combo for a safari. The M and EVF is a kludge, but it does work. The successors to the M-240 and the current EVF really need to have a faster refresh rate, because shooting manually, not with auto-focus, is hard enough to pull off, and you don't need another delay in getting the shot!

 

All in, though, with the M-240, Leica rangefinder aficionados really can take their cameras on safari and, even as their DSLR friends and family get the shot quicker, still come back with decent images.

[jaapv]

All true - but practice makes perfect. Once you get into the stage that you are able to anticipate the behaviour of the animal, the speed advantage of the DSLR is far less important.

And yes - the Monochrom will enable you to get those special shots.

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[fsprow]

I bought an EVF and a R zoom for the M and a tried it on my last safari in Africa. I found it way too slow if animals or birds were moving and reverted to my Nikon SLR for such pix and my M or M7 for images around camp and in at the local villages. I traded the EVF/R lens in for other gear. I'm sure with practise I could improve my hit rate with the M/EVF but that's what SLR's were invented for.

[efreed2754]

Thanks John. Regardless of the hurdles, you captured some wonderful images. Congrats!

 

I posted similar experience in Alaska in July with M and 180 Elmarit. Whales never sit/swim still so tough to capture given EVF delays.

 

Like you was glad I could use M with rangefinder and R glass but in retrospect would have brought my 135 and cropped more. Never did use my APO 2Xtender.

 

Did you use double X much? Crop much? Loved the animals.

 

Ed

[johnbuckley]

Ed - I went thinking I would shoot the 90 on the M and leave the long-lens shooting to my son. Then I started shotting with the 80-200 and liked it. On the third day, there were elephants across from the camp and put on the 2X extender... And never took it off again.

 

Even harder to focus, but if resting on bean bags supplied by the camp, it really is a pretty great long lens. And fun to use.

[MarkP]

These photos are fantastic, especially those with the Monochrom. Do you think a 135 on the Monochrom would havr been of use?

[CheshireCat]

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Thanks for sharing.

Which R adapter did you use ?

Was it the APO extender ?

[johnbuckley]

Mark - thanks so much. Yes, I wish I had my old 135, which I traded in some time ago. I think it would have been useful, though the 90 is a champ.

 

Cheshire Cat -- I used the official Leica R adapter, and yes, the APO extender. I bought the APO extender some months ago in anticipation of using it on the trip, but then nearly left it at home as I calculated it would be too difficult to focus/not having a tripod/would have to shoot at f/8 or more, etc. And in the end I was very glad to have brought it.

[jaapv]

I bought an EVF and a R zoom for the M and a tried it on my last safari in Africa. I found it way too slow if animals or birds were moving and reverted to my Nikon SLR for such pix and my M or M7 for images around camp and in at the local villages. I traded the EVF/R lens in for other gear. I'm sure with practise I could improve my hit rate with the M/EVF but that's what SLR's were invented for.

That is always less than optimal, buying gear for a specific purpose like Safari, Especially when one is outside one's comfort zone, like long lenses on a rangefinder.

 

It will only work optimally if you give yourself a chance to come completely familiar with the gear to the point of handling it instinctively, and it can be unforgiving if one lacks experience with the wildlife. You are right that an AF DSLR is a lot easier in that case.

Edited August 18, 2014 by jaapv

[johnbuckley]

I took the opportunity to write up a slightly more in-depth report, with photographs, and posted it here:On Using The Leica M (Typ-240) On A Photographic Safari | Tulip Frenzy

 

Same conclusion -- it's a mixed blessing to take along the M on safari. But if you are a loyal M user, and don't have another system camera, it IS a blessing...

[bocaburger]

it's a mixed blessing to take along the M on safari. But if you are a loyal M user, and don't have another system camera...

 

I'm a very loyal M user but I wouldn't purposely press it into service where its limitations are most apparent, or spend my time practicing how to surmount them just so I could say I did. As for not having another system camera, if I can afford an M and lenses, a lightly-used 6D and EF 200-400L-IS wouldn't really break my bank, and I could always sell it on after the trip.

[jaapv]

After carrying a dual system on Safari for many years I can tell you that the M is capable enough to double for the purpose. It is in no way pushed to the limit, especially now that the heat niggle seems to be solved.

It is just a matter of being able to use it for the purpose. I think we all know that using an M comes with a learning curve, why shoul this aspect be different?

 

Being able to stick with one system is liberating.

 

Feel free to carry a ton of gear if you feel like it, but be prepared to leave your underwear at home because you cameras take up the weight limit of the light aircraft you wish to use.

 

Btw I find it quite insulting to use the phrase " just could say I did" I think the photographs we have seen prove that you should have written that you are not prepared to make the effort to learn to take good images in this particular situation.

Edited August 19, 2014 by jaapv

[jaapv]

I took the opportunity to write up a slightly more in-depth report, with photographs, and posted it here:On Using The Leica M (Typ-240) On A Photographic Safari | Tulip Frenzy

 

Same conclusion -- it's a mixed blessing to take along the M on safari. But if you are a loyal M user, and don't have another system camera, it IS a blessing...

 

Thank you for a nice review. And there is much that I agree with and needed to be said, especially in the second part.

 

I think there are two things that I would like t o say, though.

The question of using manual focus is not specific to using a rangefinder camera. By the same token you could say that using an R camera and film is a kludge.

I never felt limited by manual focus ans do prefer it over AF, but that is a personal thing.

 

The second one is the blackout time onthe EVF. I found that it is somehow linked to the SD card. One some cards it is indeed quite long. I haveit down to one second using Lexar cards,

but it varies per camera. It appears to correlate to the startup time.

 

It is not much of a problem IMO, though. It appears after taking the picture, not before, so how can it hamper taking it?

Wildlife photography to me is decisive moment photography, not motordriving and hope for the best,

something that you imply in your article as well.

 

Anyway, I think you are selling yourself short as the illustrations are quite good.

Edited August 19, 2014 by jaapv

[johnbuckley]

Jaap - thanks so much, and I appreciate your kind comments about the photos. I haven't systematically timed the length of time it took to refresh the screen and be able to take the next photo, but it felt like an eternity!

 

My point on the length of time it takes to focus is strictly that, as someone who has now spent a decade or more focusing with a rangefinder, I'm very fast and accurate with that device, but even when I had time to get the focus right using the EVF, I was never certain things were perfectly in focus, and often they weren't. So that's why I needed to use Focus Assist, which further slows one down. Surely, with practice, I'll learn to get it right, and quickly.

Edited August 19, 2014 by johnbuckley

[CheshireCat]

So that's why I needed to use Focus Assist, which further slows one down.

 

Did you feel limited by the Focus Assist area being fixed in the center of the frame ?

[jaapv]

N

Jaap - thanks so much, and I appreciate your kind comments about the photos. I haven't systematically timed the length of time it took to refresh the screen and be able to take the next photo, but it felt like an eternity!

 

My point on the length of time it takes to focus is strictly that, as someone who has now spent a decade or more focusing with a rangefinder, I'm very fast and accurate with that device, but even when I had time to get the focus right using the EVF, I was never certain things were perfectly in focus, and often they weren't. So that's why I needed to use Focus Assist, which further slows one down. Surely, with practice, I'll learn to get it right, and quickly.

 

My favourite trick: don't focus on the animal, fur is virtually impossible to focus on and even AF struggles. Use the structure of the grass next to the animal. Extremely accurate and fast.

 

As for the EVF blackout , I find it as annoying as anybody, so I have set my image review to hold shutter button, and the resulting review does not break the flow of shooting. Interestingly the cameras cuts the review as soon as the EVF is ready again.

Edited August 19, 2014 by jaapv

[jankap]

The second one is the blackout time onthe EVF. I found that it is somehow linked to the SD card. One some cards it is indeed quite long. I haveit down to one second using Lexar cards,

but it varies per camera. It appears to correlate to the startup time.

 

John, what cards did you use?

With my Ricoh there is no difference between 95MB/s and 30MB/s. Slow processor I think.

In either case between 0.5 and 1 second, for my feeling.

 

Nice series of photos.

Jan

[jaapv]

I found the differente bewegen Panasonic Gold 16 GB and Lexar pro 600 16 Gb cards.

[hockey44]

John,

Just curious how many shots to you shoot to get your 'selection'-- is this a 1 in 10 or 1 in 3 rate? Very nice work indeed. Ed

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Hallo,

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[johnbuckley]

Jan - Thanks so much. I was using SanDisk Extreme Pro 32gb cards with 95/ write speed. I don't think my problem was the card, but I don't know that for sure.

 

Ted - also thank you. Using both the M-240 and the Monochrom, I would say the ratio of pictures taken to pictures processed and used was about 10-1. And I learn of an amusing downside to having a DSLR that focuses instantly: while I took about 2300 images to have ended up with about 200+ I wanted to post online, and 12 that will be exhibited in a gallery show, my son with the DSLR ended up taking 11,000 images, and is still working through them!