GarethC

So if everybody leaves the plastic on and the plastic becomes all scratched up and nobody ever takes teh plastic off does that mean that soon Leica will start shipping M9's with plastic to protect the plastic?

And yet another contrarian view to follow. Just got back from a week in Mexico with 21-35-50. Used to love the 21-28-50 setup but thought I'd absolutely love the 21-35-50 coverage, I sort of did but the 50 pretty much lived on the camera. Used the 21 for a few landscapes. Interestingly, coming from an M8 I found that the 35 just got me TOO close to some subjects wanting to take their photos So the short answer is whatever you get now will change about a week after you start using it. I think I need a 50 Lux............

A couple of thoughts without trying to answer everything. The heft or weight may be as a result of your brain playing tricks, such a small package can't be that heavy can it? Sort of like picking up a great big box expecting something to be in there and it's empty but the opposite if you see what I mean. I came from slr's about 4 years ago but for me it was quite natural as I spent 5 years before that using the slr on manual focus. I will say that it is a quite different photograph making tool to an slr. You're more involved in making it as you have to do more but you tend to get alot more instinctive in that if it looks like it may be worth taking, take it!!! And I don't mean in the machine gun sense, the buffer on the M9 won't allow it thankfully, it forces discipline. The ergonomics really aren't bad, you have what you need, maybe not what you want coming from a dslr. The viewfinder is in the same place and the camera body is the same shape and he shutter releas is also in the same place so you're golden, it's all where it should be. Just practise carrying, holding, taking photos. A friend of mine just bought an M9 and has spent the last month carrying it everywhere, his man-purse I think. It's not the all round answer though, I still hve and enjoy the 5DMk2 and even have a D-lux 5 that sees as much action as any camera when the situation demands it.

It's funny, that's what I thought initially but then if you line them all up and don't take them all out every day, it's not that much in weight or volume. I know somebody who is taking infinitely more in volume in shoes alone to Mexico next week when we go

Maybe because the other issue is that the framelines can be relatively imprecise so now it turns into the beginnings of a shopping list

In fairness, he wasn't comparing, he was contrasting. It's funny, I have a D-Lux 4, M9 and 5D Mk2 and I kept the Canon for the video but now find myself shooting video with the D-Lux. I do enjoy the Canon for landscapes though, the experience of filters, tripod etc gets me more engaged with the landscape. The M9 just seems ot get me more engaged with everything else and chatting with a semi pro video shooter yesterday he was amazed that a camera with lens attached and 3 other lenses would go in a bag "that small" Horses for courses though. It's just that my landscape opportunities seem few and far between nowadays.

I must say Stephen, a picture really is worth a thousand words, the difference is noticeable even here.

OT but I like his style, not something I could look at for every photo but his pbase account showed that that was not all he shot. Great article too, mirrored in some of my experiences in buying an M8 in terms of shooting differently and it being such fun.

I'm with Seafurydriver. I find it far more convenient and faster to know what I'm shooting and guesstimate exposure if I need to than to know exposure and then guesstimate what's in the frame. My reality on a 21 is that I've preset focus and invariably exposure so I actually know them ahead of time. I don't know what I'm taking a photo of because I've always found a viewfinder on the M9 (external or built in) a tremendously valuable accessory

I'd have to disagree with pretty much all of that. I have an M9, I'm not waiting for a M10. Even when I had an M8 I wasn't waiting for an M9. I don't believe rangefinder users (Leica, Epson or film) really chase the technology and the funny little buttons as much as dslr users.

It's funny, while I was waiting for my M9 to arrive I sort of asked the same question, looking to pare down my lens collection. Mine wasn't a 35 vs 50 question but a 18 vs 21 vs 25 vs 28 vs 35 vs 50 vs 90 question (I had all of them) and the concensus was to get rid of the 18 and buy a 75. If you came here looking for help, you're in the wrong place We're all here to vicariously spend your money

Good luck getting a sharp or acceptably harp photo at 1/30 with a 5D Mk2, it's a brick in comparison.

This is hilarious, some users have got good piccies and big words covered. I thnk I'll go out and buy second Lux.

I agree wholeheartedly. I have just upgraded to an M9 from an M8 and have shot with a 5D and 5D Mk2 which is the current rig. I've also got a D-Lux 4. Each has a purpose and a reason for being. The D-Lux 4 is quite literally the camera when I can't be bothered to bring a camera. The M9 is the cary around and snapshot and street and kids camera and the 5D Mk2 is for landscapes. I find Liveview and the use of filters and a tripod a big thing for me with landscapes. I like putting a big stinking camera on a tripod and enjoying the entire process, almost savouring it. Those are massive over generalizations for my uses but you get the idea. Don't dump the Canon, it's a beautiful camera and takes beautiful photos. I forgot tilt shift lenses as well. Friday night brain dump over..........

I'm refusing point blank to use LR so that is probably going to be a hindrance to me. Good work on the FAQ Geoff. Jaap must be very proud of your efforts.