Jump to content

Did you give up SLRs for Leica?


Pindy

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 134
  • Created
  • Last Reply

"Did you give up SLRs for Leica?"

 

No, definitely not. Unfortunately Leica gave up their own (just about for me) affordable SLR/DSLR range and as I always believed the M8 to be a flawed camera, I had to go alternative brand DSLR, but still using excellent quality lenses (Zeiss).

 

This camera now serves all my needs from macro to long telephoto. I believe the M9 is now the camera the M8 should have been and sure I would definitely like one but having been dumped on once, I am reluctant to spend another wedge with this brand again, just yet.

 

Perhaps when the financial reports for the Leica company are looking a lot better than they do right now I may reconsider this decision, I certainly hope so.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I gave up large cameras for small cameras. The SLR vs RF is not the question for me.

It so happens that I got tired of using a 24-70 zoom lens that alone was bigger and heavier than the M8. Surprised that the M was sharper for landscapes than the Canon 1Ds. Never shot people again with the huge SLR combo. It is only telephotos that are missing, but I don't shoot sports or wildlife.

So the 1Ds sat unused for 3 years and was never upgraded. Never upgraded in part because I felt the lenses were not up to the increases in sensor size anyway.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I gave up large cameras for small cameras. The SLR vs RF is not the question for me.

It so happens that I got tired of using a 24-70 zoom lens that alone was bigger and heavier than the M8. Surprised that the M was sharper for landscapes than the Canon 1Ds. Never shot people again with the huge SLR combo. It is only telephotos that are missing, but I don't shoot sports or wildlife.

So the 1Ds sat unused for 3 years and was never upgraded. Never upgraded in part because I felt the lenses were not up to the increases in sensor size anyway.

 

Interesting. Landscapes and people are my two main things, so I can relate.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sure . Had Pentax in the 1960, 10+ Pentax lenses all new and tried to make a decent black and white print for decades and failed. Then a friend loaned me his M3. Same EVERYTHING and the prints were beautiful. I surely sold the Pentax gear within months and started a 25 year relation with Leica. Added viso and then R stuff.

 

I was lucky as the biggest Leica dealer in the USA was close to my work. It was a small shop, but did a big Shutterbug volumn. He ran two page ads in every issue. I tried most everything Leica had or made since 1950. The Leica rep and owner were buddies and a lot of demo stuff was funneled thru the store. Then Leica eliminated most all the reps, stopped consumer education for customers, tried to force a lot of stock on dealers putting him out of business and the big slide into the gutter started. Where we are today at 150 M cameras a month. It has been sad journey.

 

Now I have Nikon digital, but I took the M6 plus 35/50/90 for a walk two days ago. It was liberating. Bought a bunch of M cassetts, ABLON, and bench winder recently. I simply love it.

 

So I guess i am a hybred photog, part film and darkroom, part scanning, and part digital.

Photoshop is grand and it keeps me learning new things. My darkroom is quiet and peacefull.

 

Anything new from Leica is way out of my retiremeny budget. Honestly, the M8 or M9 stuff is not way better than Nikon`s offerings like the M film lenses were better than Pentax. So I am stuck in a hybred mode.

 

A digital reflex would have been nice, but that is not to be. S2, is simply crazy expensive. Specially considering the S3 and S4 will be out soon after. This stuff depreciates faster than automobiles.

Link to post
Share on other sites

My black 0.72 M6 TTL just arrived this morning, so off to lens-land hopefully before Xmas. When I started this thread, I expected a varied result, but not quite the variety I'm seeing here. Thanks again to all.

 

Though I haven'[t spent much time with the Nikon lately, I have a renewed interest in certain focal lengths. My favourite lens on Canons was the 135mm f/2. I think wangling the Nikon version would help things immensely.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Honestly, the M8 or M9 stuff is not way better than Nikon`s offerings like the M film lenses were better than Pentax. So I am stuck in a hybred mode.

 

I don't really see them as the same animal anymore, which is sort of the futility of this thread, in a sense.

Link to post
Share on other sites

No - but I've kept my D70 that I bought several years ago. I know it's hopelessly outdated now but I like it and it's capable of producing excellent shots. Getting a Leica has meant I've not been tempted to replace it with a newer, larger and more expensive model and I'll probably keep using it for a long time to come.

 

Getting into rangefinders has got me out of the SLR upgrade path.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I will never, ever give up my M6TTL and the 4 lenses I have for it........but I did trade my R 6.2 in on a Canon 5DMkII and a few of their "L" Series lenses. I kept an R 35mm f2, and the amazing 100mm f2.8 Macro APO, both of which I use with Novoflex adapters with the expected wonderful results. I've heard about very exciting results with the latest Zeiss manual focus, but electronically integrated ZE Series of lenses on Canon DSLRs and can't wait to get their latest, the f2.8 21mm. It's supposed to be an absolutely sensational lens.

 

I now have exacxtly what I need for landscapes, portraits, architectural, travel and my personal favorite....Motorsports. Learning to choose the right tools for a specific subject contnues to be a steep learning curve and a great deal of pleasure. I feel I'm re-discovering photography.

Link to post
Share on other sites

While I haven't given up my DSLR (D3) for Leica. In most any application that requires a focal length under 90mm I have. The only exception is for night time lapse photography, where instant feed back and freedom from reciprocity failure is still a God send. If an exposure is planned for over an hour though, I go back to film, but usually in medium or large format.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Asked by a friend to shoot some surfing, to the tune of 500-600mm, so there won't be any giving up DSLRs in the foreseeable future! Just a considerable downsizing, I should think.

Nothing wrong with putting a 400 or 560 follow-focus lens on the M8 (or M9) A surfer at that kind of distance to need such a lens should be a doddle to photograph with that combo.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...