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Just bought my first Leica - What are your best tips?


Beena22

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So yesterday evening I burned a hole in my credit card when I spotted an M9 with only 633 shots on it in Red Dot Cameras and it should arrive sometime on Wednesday. It's my first rangefinder and I have lusted after one for a long time. I currently own a Sony A7, which I shoot exclusively with rangefinder glass, so I'm used to being slow and considerate. It's still going to be a big shock to the system going from the big lump of plastic computing that the A7 to the pared back beauty of the M9 so I'm wondering what your best hints and tips are for making the most of it when it arrives. What should I look out for and how can I get the best out of it.

 

Lens wise I'm going to have to save for something decent after such a big financial outlay and I plan on getting a ZM Planar as I'm a 50mm kind of guy. I currently own - Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm, Jupiter 8, Jupiter 12 and Jupiter 3 and an Elmar-C 90mm

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Enjoy the new camera the m9 is a great piece of kit! As for tips...

 

High ISO isn't great, I try not to go above 640. If you need faster shutter speeds then use the exposure compensation to under expose and bring it back in Lightroom.

 

When fine tuning focus with a rangefinder rock your head back and forwards rather than fiddling with the lens.

 

Carry a spare battery especially when it's cold. Though one battery lasts loads longer than my Fuji battery did.

 

Get a soft release for the shutter button.

 

Shoot loads and share your pictures!

 

Rob

 

 

www.robertpoolephotography.com

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Thanks Rob. All good advice. I tend to rock back and forth now with the Sony to fine tune focus so that's something I'll carry across.

 

I need to get another battery. Good to hear they last better than the Fuji's though as I have an X100T and the battery life in that is pretty woeful. Are there aftermarket ones available that aren't as crazy expensive as Leica's own that are any good?

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I've got a Zeiss ZM 25 which is lovely but maybe a bit radical for early in your Leica career. But I want to suggest something - think about a second hand f2 Summicron 50. The Canadian ones from the 1980s are cheaper, irrationally, and if you buy the best you can afford you won't lose much when you swap sell or upgrade. They work really well on an M9

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I've got a Zeiss ZM 25 which is lovely but maybe a bit radical for early in your Leica career. But I want to suggest something - think about a second hand f2 Summicron 50. The Canadian ones from the 1980s are cheaper, irrationally, and if you buy the best you can afford you won't lose much when you swap sell or upgrade. They work really well on an M9

Thanks I have considered one but I think I prefer the way the Planar renders from what I've seen and a used one of those is several hundred pounds cheaper than a used Cron.
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Thanks Rob. All good advice. I tend to rock back and forth now with the Sony to fine tune focus so that's something I'll carry across.

 

I need to get another battery. Good to hear they last better than the Fuji's though as I have an X100T and the battery life in that is pretty woeful. Are there aftermarket ones available that aren't as crazy expensive as Leica's own that are any good?

Ah, I was afraid I was teaching you to suck eggs about the head rocking but I remembered thinking it was great advice :)

 

As for batteries, most people on here will say don't go for aftermarket ones. That being said, I picked a spare up from Leica Store Manchester for £30 and the one I got wth the camera (used) looks nothing like it so I'm guessing as least one is aftermarket. Had no probs with them.

 

Another great accessory I'd get is a Thumbie, like a lensmate etc but sticks onto the body with tape (and comes off no residue) rather than slotting into the hotshoe. It makes holding the camera feel loads better, especially one handed.

 

Check out Thorston Overgaads site for a massive guide to the m9.

 

Lens wise I started with a 50mm Summarit f2.5 which was a beauty for the price, you can get them used for less than £800. I traded it against a v5 cron this Christmas which is also a great lens.

 

 

 

 

 

www.robertpoolephotography.com

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The M9 will take a little getting used to. I use both an M9 and an A7. The Planar would be a great choice for the M9 - mine gives exact focus and overall performance is excellent. I also have a modern Summicron (v5), and results are very similar. The M finder is very fast at getting good focus, as you see the double images merging, and is better than an SLR in dim light. However, the A7 EVF with magnified view may be better at getting exact focus, especially with the Elmar-C, and even the Nokton Classic. The Nokton suffers from focus shift as it stops down, and while I used it a lot on my M9, I often noticed sharpest focus was just behind where I wanted. Even though the edges of the frame smear with it on the A7, my subjects tend to be sharper on the A7 due to the focus at working aperture.

Overall I prefer the M9, especially with 35-50 lenses. The A7 is a nice companion that I use for ultrawide (SLR lens), macro, and long lenses (250 & 400 Leica R).

Enjoy both!

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The M9 is a great camera but I just want to say: it is a rangefinder. You are coming from an A7 and this is easier: no problems with lenses with focus-shift or rangefinders that sometimes need an adjustment for back- or frontfocus. I see that you hardly have original Leica M lenses? If I bought this occasion M9 I would like to know immediately if the rangefinder is well adjusted and this can to my mind best be tested with original M lenses.

As said above, take your time to get used to the world of rangefinder and you'll love it in the end

Edited by otto.f
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I need to get another battery. Good to hear they last better than the Fuji's though as I have an X100T and the battery life in that is pretty woeful. Are there aftermarket ones available that aren't as crazy expensive as Leica's own that are any good?

 

In my experience, inexpensive batteries do work out as well as Leica's do. The best after-market batteries I have, PowerSmart DLA003.387, are only good if you carry two to make up for one Leica battery.

 

A tip regarding misrepresented products - the CE symbol. Here's the scoop. (The PowerSmart has no such representation, but is still not up-to-snuff.)

 

fake-CE-marking.jpg

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In my experience, inexpensive batteries do work out as well as Leica's do. The best after-market batteries I have, PowerSmart DLA003.387, are only good if you carry two to make up for one Leica battery.

 

A tip regarding misrepresented products - the CE symbol. Here's the scoop. (The PowerSmart has no such representation, but is still not up-to-snuff.)

 

 

The one on the to came with the camera (says for Leica M8 on). The one on the lbottom I bought from Leica Manchester last year.

 

www.robertpoolephotography.com

Edited by Robert M Poole
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Thanks for the replies. Some great advice coming from you all here. I will be keeping the A7 for light light work as well as tele and macro work but I wanted to get back to basics with my photography and the M9 seems perfect for that. I'm really looking forward to basically learning how to shoot again with a whole new method. I'm going to relish the challenge.

 

I would dearly love some Leica glass and that will happen in the future but it will take me a while to save as I'm not an affluent guy unfortunately.

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I would dearly love some Leica glass and that will happen in the future but it will take me a while to save as I'm not an affluent guy unfortunately.

 

You are inviting a curved ball here.. ..as well as my v4 35mm 'cron I sometimes take my late father's 50mm from 1939 he used on his iiib - vintage glass = 'different' rendering, true to your M9.. ..good value and you won't lose money! What's not to like?

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RE your Jupiter lenses. I read somewhere that these won't focus correctly on an M9 without shims. YMMV. If you already have a 35mm why not sell the X100T to fund a Leica 50? (i've not sold my X100 so I understand if you want to keep it because it is an awesome camera!)

ah the temptation. I had and sold an XPRO 1 which was a really good camera, but I'd prefer a Summicron.

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Hi Beena,

 

The position of the secondary RF image will tell you which way to turn the lens to merge the two images. Ex: Secondary image on the left, turn the focus ring to the right.

 

Ironic post in that I recently picked up Sony A7 to use as "film scanner" with a Leica BEOON. Out of curiosity I tried a few of my manual lenses. I was surprised how much I liked the A7. Focus peaking set to yellow/medium is fast and accurate, which focus mag when needed. I think the A7 is going to replace my Fuji X100 and Canon 6D.

 

Do you have any manual focus/settings tips for an A7 newbie?

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With M9 and 50 lens you will get a lot of space around frames. Learn how to use it as advantage. To me it was with busy streets and with sports. Where you could see what is happening and how it is approaching the frames.

If not already, learn focus scale on the lens, how kens tab is positioned and how aperture is related to DoF. It works best with 35mm lens. You have very good lens for it. But check it for focus shift.'in fact chech all of lenses you have with flocus target tripod and cable. At minimal focus distance and at infinity. From wide open until f8.

And think of M9 as film camera with film. You could have it in 400 for perfect clean colors or a 2500. Same for bw. Do not be afraid if 2500 looks grainy. Print from it on 5x7 and 8x10. You might become surprised as I'm.

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