What do I need for my M9 setup?

[parasko]

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Hi all,

 

Well, I took the plunge last night and paid online for an M9. I figure I have a bit of time before it arrives so I am seeking advice on setup accessories as I have not used a digital camera in 3 years:

 

1. My lenses: 35mm and 50mm Summicron latest versions-uncoded. Do they need to be coded to avoid vignetting?

2. Recommended sensor cleaning equipment? I have no idea about this so!

3. LCD screen protector recommendation?

4. Half-case recommendation?

5. I have Photoshop CS3. Is this suffiicient for processing?

 

Any help appreciated.

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[erlingmm]

Hi all,

 

Well, I took the plunge last night and paid online for an M9. I figure I have a bit of time before it arrives so I am seeking advice on setup accessories as I have not used a digital camera in 3 years:

 

1. My lenses: 35mm and 50mm Summicron latest versions-uncoded. Do they need to be coded to avoid vignetting?

2. Recommended sensor cleaning equipment? I have no idea about this so!

3. LCD screen protector recommendation?

4. Half-case recommendation?

5. I have Photoshop CS3. Is this suffiicient for processing?

 

Any help appreciated.

 

1: The manual lens menu will let you choose these lenses, but if you get them coded you can use automatic

2: Do a search in the forum, several useful methods

3: Not necessary

4: Look at Luigi at www. leicatime.com Crazy website, but very good cases, recommmend half-case with integrated grip

5: Yes, but Lightroom is good and sufficient, unless you are very familiar with layers etc.

[adli]

And Lightroom comes with the camera, no need to rush out and buy it.

[jaapv]

1. These lenses do not need to be coded or even selected.

2. 1.Giotto Rocket Blower 2. Giotto Rocket Blower 3. You get the general idea 4. Arctic Butterfly 5. If all before fails: Eclipse2 and Sensor Swabs

3. I think it is needed. I use Axmaxx protectors. Avoid foil that is stuck to the LCD with adhesive.

4. Leicatime (Luigi)

5. CS3 is fine, CS4 has only marginal advantages, but use C1 5.02 for RAW development.

[Ed_K]

There should be more than one earlier discussion on screen protector if you do a search here, another product by Giottos under the product name SP-8250 is also a good alternative among users here. I am still saving up for mine, and instead of going for the half-case i have decided on the ThumbsUp to get a better grip.

[parasko]

Thanks for your responses.

 

I will investigate some of these options further.

[carbonadam]

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Get a 40mm 1.4 Voigtlander. It's very inexpensive compared to Leica lenses. It's very fast and very small. Also the design of the Voigtlander lenses with silver and black makes them look good on either silver or black Leica bodies. And it is wide enough for multiple people and narrow enough for close artful compositions. I fell in love with it on my M8 where I was using it to imitate a 50mm and now I am still using it on the M9, getting full advantage of its true framing.

[parasko]

Thanks but I already have Leica lenses. It's the camera setup that I'm interested in at this stage.

[spylaw4]

1. They don't need coding. Using coded or selecting them in Manual setup will get the EXIF data right. Personally I would code everything for a number of reasons - ymmv.

2. a. A good sensor inspection loupe, and in ascending order b. Giotto Blower, c. Arctic butterfly, d. the DLC Sensor Cleaner, e. Sensor swabs - I use the packeted individual pre-moistened ones - great for travelling.

3. ACMAXX

4. Leicatime is the Rolls-Royce version - there are many others more affordable.

5. Lightroom - you'll get it with the camera.

[scc]

1. They don't need coding. Using coded or selecting them in Manual setup will get the EXIF data right. Personally I would code everything for a number of reasons - ymmv.

2. a. A good sensor inspection loupe, and in ascending order b. Giotto Blower, c. Arctic butterfly, d. the DLC Sensor Cleaner, e. Sensor swabs - I use the packeted individual pre-moistened ones - great for travelling.

3. ACMAXX

4. Leicatime is the Rolls-Royce version - there are many others more affordable.

5. Lightroom - you'll get it with the camera.

 

Agree with everything here. Especially the sensor cleaning tips. a) and are must haves..

Personally I use a cut-down iPhone screen protector on my M9, purely because I had one lying around, when it becomes tired looking, I'll go for the ACMAXX.

 

My only other difference is that I have no half-case. Instead, I got a Thumbs Up EP-1, which I would say is an essential accessory for improving the 'feel' of the camera in hand.

[parasko]

Great advice by all...

 

A couple of queries:

1. What is a sensor inspection loupe (shows how dirty the sensor is?) and where can I get one? Brand recommendations?

 

1. They don't need coding. Using coded or selecting them in Manual setup will get the EXIF data right. Personally I would code everything for a number of reasons - ymmv.

 

2. Is there a reason, apart from convenience, why you would code your lenses if you can still establish the EXIF data and there is no vignetting using uncoded lenses?

[scc]

1. What is a sensor inspection loupe (shows how dirty the sensor is?) and where can I get one? Brand recommendations?

 

I just picked up a Visible Dust sensor loupe (7x) - I can't fault it. Its a pretty simple device though, so I suspect anything with good illumination and a loupe optic would do the trick..

[smoody]

For sensor cleaning, I had to use a wet cleaning product my first time because the spots on the sensor were a bit smeary-oily. For follow-on cleanings (when the air blower won't work), I saw on one thread that someone said that a Leica repair technician recommended Dust-Aid Platinum, which is a sticky-tacky cleaner for really tough dirt. I purchased it but haven't had to use it so far.

 

If you use a wrist-strap and keep your camera on your hand all the time (like I do), then the Leica Grip is, in my opinion, a must. Combine it with the Thumbs-Up attachment that other people have suggested and even the heaviest Leica glass can be help-up at eye level for long periods of time.

 

I use the ACMAXX LCD cover and love it. It's nice to have something that rides above the camera LCD glass instead of on it.

 

As painful as it is, you'll probably want to buy an extra hood cap for your 35mm Summicron (retails in the $30s US dollars, cost of manufacturing can't be more than 50 cents). I've had mine pop-off a few times. The last time it happened, I retraced my steps five or six blocks backwards on one of the busiest sidewalks in NYC hoping to find it (I did find it -- and it was creased in-half but still usable). I now own an extra cap. It also fits my 28mm Elmarit, which also suffers from HCDS (hood cap detachment syndrome).

 

I just picked-up an Expo Disc for more accurate White Balancing and love it. I know, there are cheaper products out there that perform nearly as well (including the infamous Pringles Potato Chip can lid solution), but I also want to use it for metering and was willing to pay for (hopefully) greater accuracy.

 

A second battery is a must if you shoot prolifically in a cold weather climate. I use three-shot exposure bracketing when I'm street shooting so I burn through a battery quickly in 20F degree weather.

 

Finally, if you travel with the charger, I'd either pick up a shorter cord (I have one that is 12 inches in length) or use the Apple adaptors that can plug directly into the charger and eliminate the cord all together (as others have recommended on this forum).

[gpleica]

I'm the person who posted the note on the Dust-Aid Platinum recommendation from the U.S. (NJ) Leica head technician when I took my M9 in for cleaning a couple of days after I bought it (dust/grease from the factory or from the shutter breaking in? - who's to say). Note that the Dust-Aid is probably not what they used to clean my sensor, just what the recommended to me as one of the best ways to clean the sensor in the field, practically speaking. From the beginning, I've been using the Thumbs-Up in combination with the Leica Grip, adding a bit of non-skid grit tape (like the stuff you see on the top surface of a skateboard) to both. I sent some to Tim Issac for his opinion (the designer of the exceptional Thumbs-Up device - match Technical Services - Thumbs Up CS-3) and he agreed with my wife that it's a bit rough on the skin. But nevertheless I like it as it yields a very tight grip on the camera for handholding slow shutter speeds. I would add a Rocket-Blower and possibly an eye-cup from Tim. The second battery is a must - I am shooting in 12 degree F temperatures, time exposures at night under the stars, and for some odd reason the M9 battery is just not up to the task for long periods of time.

 

Geoffrey

[spylaw4]

Great advice by all...

 

A couple of queries:

1. What is a sensor inspection loupe (shows how dirty the sensor is?) and where can I get one? Brand recommendations?

 

 

 

2. Is there a reason, apart from convenience, why you would code your lenses if you can still establish the EXIF data and there is no vignetting using uncoded lenses?

 

1. You've got the reason. Visible Dust is a good one, although for travel it is a bit bulky IMO. Do a Google - there are others., I think mine came from Copperhill.

 

2. Convenience - it's one less thing to think about when changing lenses, and although the facility to label Profiles does help, one can still forget - I know from bitter experience.

 

3. We seem to be getting quite advanced so maybe the X-rite Colour Checker with its software should be on your list. Aids manual WB and profiling.

[rob_x2004]

Deep pockets or a tax writeoff? Phone your accountant.

[Steve Ash]

I recommend three batteries. One installed in the camera, second as spare and the third recharging.

 

Regards

Steve