jbl Posted December 20, 2009 Share #1 Posted December 20, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) My interest in the Leica M got piqued with the announcement of the M9. I got my name on a list and started ordering lenses. The lenses came, I'm still waiting on the M9. Meantime, I rented an M7 and really got into it. I decided to buy an MP and I totally love the thing. This led to learning B&W, developing myself and scanning at home. I'm having a blast, meanwhile the M9 still hasn't arrived. The thing is, I'm not even sure I want to shoot digital anymore and I feel like my heart is saying Get another MP instead of the M9. Is this crazy talk? -jbl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 20, 2009 Posted December 20, 2009 Hi jbl, Take a look here how crazy does this sound?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
pleeson Posted December 20, 2009 Share #2 Posted December 20, 2009 I think you've answered your question. The photograph is the goal, not the method... Until you try that M9, at least! ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikkor AIS Posted December 20, 2009 Share #3 Posted December 20, 2009 Not crazy at all. Keep shooting film and get the second M.P. Go with you heart and mind. It's great to hear your souping your own B+W. There is something very special about the Lecia M film camera's and lenses. Gregory Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatter Posted December 20, 2009 Share #4 Posted December 20, 2009 You nailed it when you mentioned scanning. Not crazy, at all. I'm totally pro digital (Nikon and Hasselblad), and have been for years. Yet I still continue to shoot Tri-X with my M2's, scan the negs and output on an Epson 3800. I love the camera. No reason not to use the M-9 when it arrives, however. From what I can see.. it's a fabulous camera. It has nothing to do with "film over digital". That's a completely silly notion. Cameras don't create pictures... people do. I would caution re: film processing. It's not a good idea to dump photo chemicals down the drain.. for a lot of reasons (which should be obvious). In an increasing number of locations... it's now illegal. I broke down my BW darkroom years ago (want to buy a Focomat 1C..?). I process my own film, still; but I now do it in a rental darkroom facility here in NYC that is equipped to properly dispose of the used chemistry. I realize that you may not have access to something like this; yet there are still many alternatives to dumping raw, used photo chemistry down a drain... fyi. Enjoy CDM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rawcs Posted December 20, 2009 Share #5 Posted December 20, 2009 My experience is similar. I went to my dealer to handle an digital M again (I had an M8 but I didn't like it after a time so I sold it). In the display cabinet was an M8 and a M7. After holding both in quick succession I realised that the digital M is a brick compared to the analogue M. I bought a new MP and I'm very happy with it. I scan. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernmelder Posted December 20, 2009 Share #6 Posted December 20, 2009 You could donate the M9 to me when it has been shipped to you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AgXlove Posted December 20, 2009 Share #7 Posted December 20, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I think you've answered your question.The photograph is the goal, not the method... Until you try that M9, at least! ;-) Enjoying the process of creating the photograph is important too. That's why I use film and an MP. Some people enjoy working with cameras, film, paper and enlargers more; some enjoy working with computers, software and printers more. That seems to be the fault line of the film/digital debate. I will say that I have heard far more moaning about various issues related to digital than I ever did about film (hard drive failures, lost images, the cost of getting set up, the cost of the endless upgrades, storage and retrevial problems, future readability and so on). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
menos I M6 Posted December 21, 2009 Share #8 Posted December 21, 2009 jbl - don't worry, you are completely sane. I am a young amateur photographer, who started with Nikon DSLRs. About half a year ago, I got a used FM3a, as I was curios of film. Shortly after (2 weeks), I had a Leica M6 with 50 Lux. Now, I shoot mostly with an EPSON R-D1 and Leica film cameras. Just a week ago, I developed my 1st own film in the bathroom. There is very little, that attracts me to my locked in Nikon DSLRs at the moment. A few days ago, I decided myself for the film future. I wanted a second Leica body, and a M8 sounded very logical. Based on that, a little waiting and instead the purchase of a M9 was no fiction either. I bought a Leica M7 instead and plan, to upgrade my scanner and darkroom. I LOVE FILM! It really changed, the way, I feel about photography. It is more a handmade craft than just … click, click, click, download, print ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted December 21, 2009 Share #9 Posted December 21, 2009 Why buy an M9? Why buy another MP? Why not just carry on taking photographs? Or are you in some sort of competition with yourself to see how much money you can spend as quickly as possible? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted December 21, 2009 Share #10 Posted December 21, 2009 Those are of course valid questions. But sometimes you need to get the gear simply to find out that it isn't for you and there is no other way than spending some time with it. And other times it really does make sense to have more than one camera. And let's not even get started on collecting I generally feel better having spent a little extra for the experience than sticking to the tried and true and not knowing... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmk60 Posted December 21, 2009 Share #11 Posted December 21, 2009 I think that you should rent a M8.2 and see how the digital M feels like in your hand and heart, if you have not done so, before you make a possibly biased decision without trying both yourself. After 4 years of digital, I am reverting to films. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasw_ Posted December 21, 2009 Share #12 Posted December 21, 2009 Enjoying the process of creating the photograph is important too. That's why I use film and an MP. Some people enjoy working with cameras, film, paper and enlargers more; some enjoy working with computers, software and printers more. That seems to be the fault line of the film/digital debate....... This is a rather interesting statement to me, and you may be correct:) I share your attitude to using the film and a MP. However, I have to submit that the end print is the crux, the fault line for me, not the actual process, however much I do strongly prefer the analogue work flow over the computing work flow of digital. In my time on this forum and others, the general consensus is that the look of traditional wet prints and digital prints is where most photographers decide on the means to obtaining the desired look in their prints. That said, you might be correct about some photographers...I can appreciate those who would claim that the look of their images is secondary, in fact the enjoyment of the photographic process is primary, etc...so that they fall well within your description. It seems to me, though, that these are the few, the majority being photographers who view the end of their craft in the aesthetic virtue of their prints. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangur Ban Posted December 21, 2009 Share #13 Posted December 21, 2009 Utterly crazy. Get an M3 instead of another MP and try an original classic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundcontrol Posted December 21, 2009 Share #14 Posted December 21, 2009 Or, for the price of an M9, you could buy a couple of M3s, or M6s and send one to me since I can't afford to buy an M at all... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albada60 Posted December 22, 2009 Share #15 Posted December 22, 2009 I would stick to film. Maybe I'm a bit old fashioned but I still enjoy handling those M film bodies and self film processing and enlarging. While Kodak is making Tri-X I'll still be shooting my black and whites with this film in my Leica M's. All in all though I think the end result being the photo image is what's important so whatever camera gives you that best result in it's handling etc is what counts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatter Posted December 23, 2009 Share #16 Posted December 23, 2009 Yea.. that's nice, But,, understand.. Kodak will not be producing Tri-X indefinitely nor will you be able to process it... then what u gonna do... slick ??? There is a finite point where "film" will no longer be an option. But.. meanwhile.. people (not cameras) will still be taking pictures. Are you a photographer... or a relic ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatter Posted December 23, 2009 Share #17 Posted December 23, 2009 Yea.. that's nice, But,, understand.. Kodak will not be producing Tri-X indefinitely nor will you be able to process it... then what u gonna do... slick ??? There is a finite point where "film" will no longer be an option. But.. meanwhile.. people (not cameras) will still be taking pictures. Are you a photographer... or a relic ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
walt Posted January 21, 2010 Share #18 Posted January 21, 2010 whenever there is demand for something, there will be a need to fill it and someone making money in the process. film will stop when the demand for it stops. film will always be available and priced accordingly depending on the demand by users. you can still source 'standard' petrol for those old vintage cars paraded at car club conventions, but you will not find it at any of the service stations around your area in a hurry. you can still source unique engineered components for antique steam engines. the point is that as long as there are some of us collectively using film, the availability will never be an issue and there is no one on earth who can conclusively state that film has no future. it is more likely however that digital will disappear when 3D holographics/cybergraphics or an improved version of the digital genre revolutionise the look of 2D digital, where as film a true, tried and tested and beloved by many generations of photographers won't be likely to suffer from such an affliction. the passion for film is difficult to destroy, i don't think that the passion for digital will ever reach/penetrate to the same level. each to their own and enjoy taking photographs via whatever medium you prefer. kind regards, walt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgray Posted January 21, 2010 Share #19 Posted January 21, 2010 Yea.. that's nice, But,, understand.. Kodak will not be producing Tri-X indefinitely nor will you be able to process it... then what u gonna do... slick ??? There is a finite point where "film" will no longer be an option. But.. meanwhile.. people (not cameras) will still be taking pictures. Are you a photographer... or a relic ?? As long as they still make it, I can process it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted January 21, 2010 Share #20 Posted January 21, 2010 Utterly crazy. Get an M3 instead of another MP and try an original classic. Well I'm a relic as well, but I suggest getting a M2..., instead of a M3 and compact35mm lens... If you don't get the M9 soon you would be able to use it much before (10/10/10) it is superseded by the M10... Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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