Durability of black paint

[Rick]

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charlesphoto99... What a great site you have. I recognize a lot of those Seattle venues and have been to them a lot. It is amazing to see the dates on those pictures and realize you shot them on film! Very nice and well done. Were they shot with M cameras? By the way, at first I thought I might be looking at Charlie Cross' site until I looked at your bio. (He was such a weakling he probably couldn't hold a camera still enough to take any pictures as good as yours).

[j_lir]

i'm quite impressed with the finish.

 

the only wear marks after constant use and abuse since halloween are from bashing into my other bodies i wear when working. i tend to have at least 2 others on me, a d3 and either a m7 or a xpan. those are the only marks, even the strap is not wearing at the paint like it did on my black chrome m8.

 

it's still new though, we'll see what happens!

 

i got a m8.2 baseplate to match the finish i thought, however that has held up like crap and is all brassed out. i'm quite disapointed!

[batmobile]

...

 

I would never use a half-case. To me they slow things down, clutter up the camera and serve no real purpose. But again that's a personal preference, and the idea that a pro can't use one is positively idiotic. A pro uses whatever works best for his or her needs.

 

Ditto. When I first bought a M I got a half case. As soon as the pace picked up I realised what a bind it was. It slowed me down enough to matter and so I stopped using it. More than the speed was the fiddling. I dont like fiddling when I am concentrating on other things, or at least want to. I shoot film so it is much more of an issue than with a M9! My film change routine is:

 

• Rewind, Remove base plate and put in pocket, remove used film into film dedicated cargo pocket.
  
• Tighten new roll to be sure I can instantly confirm correct loading with the rotating rewind axle.
  
• insert new film, attach base plate, wind and check OK and off I go.
  

 

Pockets are important to my routine to ensure nothing is dropped into mud, or worse. A case kinda needs removal and some can take some fiddling (a real pain when fingers are cold) and somewhere to put the darned thing. if I am standing in snow, mud or sewerage (!) it means pockets, or bags etc. A nuissance.

 

Where I do use a Luigi half case is where I know the pace will be slow and I can control when I change film, say any time around 30+ frames and it is extremely cold. I will use doing street shooting when exceptionally cold as I prefer to use bare hands and it keeps my pinkies in better shape than bare metal.

 

With a M9 if you have decent battery life and a large capacity memory card, surely its no real issue to use a case?

 

All my Ms have stood up fine without a case but show wear to the finish. I dont use mine as a wrecking ball and look after them. it amazes me how some people are rough thinking that the heavy wear pro look is somehow desirable. I use them as I need but avoid clonking them about as the last thing I want is a damaged lens or RF alignment.

 

Pictures matter - so whatever works!

[charlesphoto99]

charlesphoto99... What a great site you have. I recognize a lot of those Seattle venues and have been to them a lot. It is amazing to see the dates on those pictures and realize you shot them on film! Very nice and well done. Were they shot with M cameras? By the way, at first I thought I might be looking at Charlie Cross' site until I looked at your bio. (He was such a weakling he probably couldn't hold a camera still enough to take any pictures as good as yours).

 

Hey thanks Rick. No most of those were taken with Nikons. The one of Eddie in the back of the bus was with an M6. I got an M2 in 1992 but didn't really get on with it and couldn't afford an M6 until '95. Things were a lot tighter back then!