gdrank

When I decided to buy a Leica (an M9P), I visited the local distributor's shop. He had in stock a silver one. I've got it. If he had had a black one instead, I would have bought the black. You're gona love it regardless of the finishing... Cheers G.

Thanks Karl! And a lovely concert it was. Very original, highly recomended place for anyone visiting Maputo. Different bands every night, always a good photographic oportunity G.

Gil Vincente bar, Maputo, Mozambique, local reggae band.

Well, you haven't had your passport stolen. That's what gave the 3 months compulsory waiting. Even if you had, for most countries people I've met its not a big deal. Greek law is what it is though.. Additionaly, if in the next 5 years my passport gets stolen again, Greek law says "that's so suspicious" and it will be 1 year compuslory waiting this time.

Spent in main Indonesia (Sumatra and Jogja) 3 years after the tsunami so I speak the language and feel kinda confortable there. Bali is a bit different though... I was in Bali last summer, 2nd day of my arrival, planned to stay around for some R&R for a couple of months. They broke into my appt around 11pm Saturday night while I was out and they left with two bags. The laptop bag and the camera bag. Camera bag included (not realy bazooka zoom..) a 5Dmk2 with a16-35 and a -whoops- 85/1.2. Had rent a "local" Balinese aptmt in traditional compound to feel natural and save money. Next time I'll go for the touristic EUR 700/month! Funny thing, I had bought a safe already that day but didn't use it yet... My backup drive had falen and broken at home before I travel (tried 3 IT guys, none could retriev a single byte..) and I had with me the only copy of 2 years photos in another harddrive plus the selected ones in the laptop. Botom line was, I didn't feel sorry for "images" lost, but more for photos of good times. I would feel more sad if I'd lost my old film photos from college years that fortunately are in real photo paper and none is interested in them! I didn't care about either camera or laptop. Realy. reason is that my pasport was in the bag as well that made me run to the embassy for leser passez and get repatriated imediately. Also wasn't allowed to leave home for three months until new passport was issued. That was a time theft. Worst kind of theft. Cheers G.

It has become very interesting! I know there's no "right" answer; its the personnal recommendation / preference of each one I wanted, the actual users, and more importantly the reason behind each recomendation. Thank you for that! Filtering out responses, in my case I guess I realize it doesn't matter if its 50 or 35. Its a decision that will not be taken after carefull and extensive analysis; its a decision that I just take and make it work afterwards (as in at least 2/3 of all decisions in life...). So I'm not stressed. I've eyed a 50mm that I will buy if its still available next week that I will be. If its not, I've also eyed a 35.. I'll hapily work with any of them and I'm confident it will become my favourite! Can't wait to take the streets..

Thanks Dopel, bpalme. Bpalme, didn’t think of it the other way round. Yes I assume the seller however has ways to eliminate risk, as you mentioned “signature confirmation” (although I have no idea what it is…), insurance. My question was for the buyer’s safety – the one that sends the money in the first place. I understand paypall is as safe as it gets. For bank trasfers as Dopel notes, its getting to know the guy and see from there…

Hi all, I'm also new to the forum and want to buy items from the clasified section. I haven't ever purchased anything from a private seller online. What are the risks in buying something from the clasifieds, to be dhl-ed to you (none seem to be close to my location...) I mean, appart from getting an item that may be not as "mint" as you expected.. In case the seller asks for wiring the money and then dissapears...? Are there any preucations in place to avoid that? Is paypall the safest solution? (haven't ever tried that too...) Thanks a lot! G.

Thanks again! Re 90mm tele: Michael, your point is clear, I appreciate that. My thoughts / reservations on teles are: · Size. One lovely aspect with the Leica is I can get a Summicron or even Summilux (pre-asph 35mm) with a UV filter for element protection and throw it in my small shoulder or waist bag. The 90mm take some more space… · Focusing speed and accuracy / tiny 90mm framelines as well as narrower DoF? – wich – as you point out - is something someone can surely overcome after sometime with a lens however… · Actual subjects: I assume the tele lens is appropriate for journalism / news photographers since the space they give allows discreet shooting. I mainly want to interact with the subject / people around the subject – as Peter notes -. The subjects I want to picture do not usually have to do with “pain” or the “tragedy” unfolding. Unicef is already doing good work on it. In every village in crisis struck countries in Africa or Asia or even in refugee camps, people still work, commute, get married, set up places of worship and pray, set up coffee shops, bottle stores and markets, play football and have parties, sing and dance and get drunk (which is fine unless they carry kalashnikovs ), attend their herds or cultivate gardens, give birth and have funerals, follow customs and festivities etc etc. That’s where I can be into and make pictures at. And thats just the half of it. I don't spend all mytime in the field - capital cities, weekends off, R&Rs, coordination bases are in nearby areas where I can shoot classic "new countries and cultures" pictures... I would consider 90mm for portraits and the narrow angle of view that will help me in keeping composition simple, discarding surrounding distractions, not for its discretion. SP12, thanks for that, I’m sure you know what you’re talking about. There are two issues making me wana stick to Leica lens: · Size, as mentioned above, and · Reliability. I want a lens to be reliable always. Then, I do not really want or have the time to do in depth review of all options and then decide confidently on the best. That’s difficult. I prefer make a fast decision first and make it work afterwards. Leica glass is supposed to have the reliability I’m looking for, so I’ll stick on it. Better to find out later that I got a bad deal than a bad lens… Now, yes, Summicron is what I’m after and pre-asph will be fine I guess! M10. Ok, I guess I’ll be travelling on the 10th, thus no time to wait. If M10 finally comes out… bad luck. Bad deal I guess, which is better than no camera for 3-4 months! Cheers all, George

Farns, Very interesting aspect in deed! No, I don’t have the nerve of the photojournalist (or at least the nerve that is required by the photojournalist).Not even trying to get it. My asset is that I stay long enough to get acquainted with people and places. I’ll never go first time to a site starting photographing people (apart from general shots on areas affected for work purposes etc). As soon as I’m seen and usually known, I can visit areas, enter houses or camps and shoot. I’ll most get around the human aspect of the subject than the “news” side. I want to bring the example of the last Pulitzer photo: Dude! This guy just raised the camera and shot! I’m very much aware it’s his job, and certainly have sent out the message intended clearly throughout the globe, helping people see, understand, care; I thank him for it. The fact someone was there and just shot a picture and published it has been discussed a lot in my circle of work however. That, I wouldn’t do. Fortunately we have photojournalists that will! (off topic, but hot topic…) Cheers George

Thanks in deed all for your welcoming and advice! You do know you are right, all of you, although you may disagree in points. I understand I’ll need to take lessons of composition through contemporary images as well as paintings, be it 13th century or newer, I’m on it… Re learning with automatic cameras: I do know how to expose correctly. I’m aware of most technical issues in shooting with a camera. Been through seminars back in the college years and even had my own darkroom for a while. Still have my 70’s pentax TTL back home that I can confidently use. What I learned however was mainly technical info to capture various kinds of shots that although very useful did not include the “art” part of making an image, the composition side. That’s what I’m lacking in. I like being in control of a shot, wouldn’t go to an automatic. Being in control and manually generating a shot is fun; the resulting image is not everything, the “game” itself counts as well. Then, M9 is an expensive tool, why not a nexus? I like being honest. We live in a consumer society; everyone loves expensive and high end, masterfully crafted toys / tools. This toy will help me give in to photography, while a nexus might not boost my enthusiasm that much. Check Overgaard, he describes it in a more diplomatic way, disguising it to the “love factor” for your camera . Many people might get by and be motivated only by the resulting image. Their will is probably stronger than mine. Me, I like the game around it. I probably go through complicated issues on a casual manner – please comment as desired; critically, even better! Reading your advice I’m on to get the first lens available. Looking now for a used Summicron, 50 or 35, pre-ASPH most likely, whichever is found first, with 50mm preferred if both are found. I’ll be home for just a couple of weeks, so I can’t miss the chance. Although I get the points on 75 & 90mm and learning composition, (thanks people) I’ll pass for now, since they won’t give me the chance to get into the scene as much as wider lengths will.. I’ll also try to see whether I can get a distance mentoring / advising scheme that can organize my progress (apart from you in the forum I mean!) I’m a humanitarian aid worker, finding myself in various disasters / crises, man made or natural, planning operational response often before the photojournalists arrive, and always sticking around longer than they do… That, together with the travelling to new places aspect, always give me subject to work on, just need to learn how to capture the essence of the subject and show it outside. In addition, while my job is not the most stress free in the plannet, having something personal I like to get involved to and struggle with –photography in my case- helps in retaining sanity. Cheers George

Friends, I’m just getting into Leica with an M9. And I need a single lens to come with it, 35 or 50mm (for now). My work has me travelling a lot in Africa, Asia, Pacific and South America spending only 2-3 months per year at home. Got a bulky DSLR and a bazooka-zoom 2 years ago but I finally didn’t really like carrying it with me often or pointing it to peoples’ faces. I addition, my mistaken –consumption driven- belief that good equipment will give me good shots resulted to only a couple of -lucky- nice pictures in those 2 years. Maybe they did me a favour when they stole the whole gear from me, one night in Indonesia, together with the external disks of all images of that period (back up inclusive)… haha! So I’d like to get it right this time and stick to the basics. My question is not purely Leica related but about learning photography in general. I want a lens that will help me learn composition – that’s the main objective at this point. I love shooting all kinds of photography, colour or b&w, apart from –tele- wildlife & sports. I’m mainly intrigued by the artistic aspect and messages implied in images. So, · Although I find 35mm and wider angle perspectives very attractive while the 50mm seems more monotonous and restricted, I know I underestimate the 50. I then hear & read that the 50mm’s narrow perspective will help me get the basics on composition easier than the 35mm. What’s your take on that? · What’s your take –leica wise- on first lens for everything? (been through Rokwell, Overgaard, Huff that point to 50 Summicron). My jaw dropped when found out that a new lens, Summicron or Summilux, takes 6 months to a year to arrive!!! · I will of course have to shoot shoot shoot to get better; any other advice is appreciated! Cheers G.