ianspector Posted February 9, 2010 Share #21 Posted February 9, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Dear Bob, I have pottered through your outstanding images in your gallery a number of times as you have a unique signature in your subject matter, I find it refreshingly innovative and technically polished. I have adored my D3 since its UK launch and do not find it too complex, I use many of its features, and believe that it has some areas of pure magic. Its focus system, its white balance and its exposure. How it manages to get this right just about every time must be using telepathy. I first read about the M9 the last week in November and had my own silver version three weeks later, together with a 35mm 1.4, 28 Cron and 90 Cron. Suddenly my shots had colour casts, were poorly exposed and out of focus. However, unlike my D3, my M9 goes with me everywhere. Reading on this site in the last couple of weeks led me to setting a manual white balance. I just shoot a sheet of white A4 and suddenly the white balance is as good as my D3. Also reading here about shooting manually I decided to ditch the A setting resulting in great exposures and no worrying about what had crept into the spot to throw the exposure. Many of the great street photographers did not shoot moving subjects at f/1. I started giving myself a break with the 90 Cron and for moving subjects stopping down a bit. One area that I have warmed to over the D3 is not being limited to the focus points clustered around the middle of the sensor. I actually love knowing that once I have set up the shot my exposure, white balance and focus is not going to be undone for me. I told myself that I am keeping my d3 as a platform for my 14-24, my 24-70, 70-200 f/2.8, 85 1.4, 600 VR f/4, 800 f/5.6 but in reality since the M9 arrived I have only used my D3 with the 600VR to shoot rugby and wildlife. Today was a real shock to me when, on reading of the newly announced 24mm f/1.4 Nikkor, realized that I did not want it. I would not use it because in that range I want my M9. Ironically I stopped using my 800 Nikkor as I found it too difficult to focus. I shot probably 1000 shots with the D3/600 on Sunday morning but I actually got more photographic enjoyment from the 72 shots I made with the M9 the day before. I love the fact that I can see the world around the framelines. I hate the sense of anticipation when opening up an M9 image and seeing if I nailed the focus or not. How the D3 manages to track focus on a fast moving object, amongst other similar objects on a gloomy misty morning is a miracle of engineering. Looking at your work there are many shots that one would never attempt with an M9, and I assume that you still have your D3 for that type of shooting. I get huge pleasure from opening up a crisp M9 DNG and see the resolution going on forever. I love the feel of it in my hands, the ease of use of the menu, those dinky little jewel of lenses (I get my Noct this weekend), the teutonic solidity of the engineering. I actually love the focussing action and the aperture setting. Within the same year I swapped my wonderful electronic air conditioned aircraft for a 1949 DeHavilland Chipmunk. At first I could not stand the terrible, random ergonomics. It seemed to do everything slower offer no automated support for anything, but slowly the hand ground brass knobs, the sounds and smells got into my soul. Now I cannot stand flying any modern aircraft. The parallels are interesting. Like any good pilot one should always have an escape route. And to go back from an M9 to a D3s or D3x or D4 will not be too financially painful. In summary, removing the automation from the M9, what little there is, actually made the whole shooting process easier not harder. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 Hi ianspector, Take a look here Struggling to fall in love with the M9. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
rickp13 Posted February 9, 2010 Share #22 Posted February 9, 2010 bob using some of your words to describe your site, i'd say that your 'standards are very high and there are some awesome images on your website'. when you next make some changes or additions to the site, perhaps you could add either a slideshow function, or a scrolling function (L and R arrows). there are a lot of images to look through, and jumping back and forth using the browser takes valuable time. cheers rick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacTZilla Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share #23 Posted February 9, 2010 Just curious--you mentioned the redeeming factors but what is it that you don't like? Thanks everyone for your comments so far. Hi Noah. Here's my moan list.... I find the camera digs in to my nerve under my eyebrow. (I have discussed this before - just my anatomy I guess) Screen is rubbish. Processing is slooooooooooooooow. Needs add ons to give a secure grip and they spoil the look. It's a dust magnet. (sensor) It's easily confused if you press a few buttons too fast. The 'enter' button should be in the middle of the cursor buttons (there's even a place for it) ISO performance is nothing special. Shutter button feels gritty. Battery life is poor. Metering is poor. Red edge problem. Auto WB is poor. Don't like the feel of the selector wheel. Other than that it's great B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacTZilla Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share #24 Posted February 9, 2010 PS: Bob, you gave link to street photography in your footer. So I belive, you are familiar with street techniques from past, aren't you? ;-) Hi Jerry. I've been doing photography for about 3 years now. I recently got interested in street photography and that's why I gravitated towards a Leica, partly due to the videos you posted as well. I was doing some 'street' even before I know it was a genre of photography. Lot's and lots to learn yet I know. Cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacTZilla Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share #25 Posted February 9, 2010 Yes, your Nikon D3. More seriously, do you take both cameras with you ? Hi Lucien. Sadly I had to sell the D3 and lenses to buy the M9 (and everything else in the house that wasn't nailed down) I do miss it. B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacTZilla Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share #26 Posted February 9, 2010 Bob, Having said that, I hope that you'll fall in the Leica camp - your street photography is a good omen. Alberto Many thanks for your very kind words Alberto. I hope so too. B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacTZilla Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share #27 Posted February 9, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hmmm, have you used analog camera before dSLR? Hi J. Nope. B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacTZilla Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share #28 Posted February 9, 2010 Dear Bob, I have pottered through your outstanding images in your gallery a number of times as you have a unique signature in your subject matter, I find it refreshingly innovative and technically polished. Ian Many thanks for the kind words and advice Ian. Cheers B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanyasi Posted February 9, 2010 Share #29 Posted February 9, 2010 I am new to rangefinders and just got my M9. It hasn't come easy. The focus and rangefinder take practice. Evaluating distance isn't that easy for me. And I find--whether it is true or not--that picking the right aperture and shutter speed seems to be more difficult and I generally should my DSLR manually (auto focus though) 90% of the time. But I am now in the habit of looking at the distance from the object when I get it in focus. In the case of the 35, I also working on internalizing how the tab position relates to distance so I can focus faster. That said, I don't think its the camera. Its me. I just have to develop the skills, like anything else. That comes down to practice. I will note, while walking down the street, I snapped a picture of someone in a store window that is a portrait. I nailed the distance/focus. Although it isn't my favorite photo of all time, I can see why people love Leica lens and the color reproduction is noticeably better and more accurate than with my DSLR (which isn't bad). I make those assessments based on gut. I am not going to start doing tests because I at some point, I don't care about all the nuances if the results are great. I keep thinking of myself as Eric Clapton when he was a teenager. You gotta sit in your bedroom for several months and let your fingers bleed and blister, but hopefully when you get through that, the results should be great. I will say, after using a 90 for just a few shots one day, I suspect that I will be using the Leica with the 35 and 40 most of the time, but I need to give the 90 more time. The 35 is the easiest of the three to focus quickly. Hang in there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacTZilla Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share #30 Posted February 9, 2010 bob using some of your words to describe your site, i'd say that your 'standards are very high and there are some awesome images on your website'. when you next make some changes or additions to the site, perhaps you could add either a slideshow function, or a scrolling function (L and R arrows). there are a lot of images to look through, and jumping back and forth using the browser takes valuable time. cheers rick Hi Rik. Many thanks for your very kind words too. Just click any image to view the next one in that gallery. When you open a gallery there is a slideshow option top left. The website is hosted by 1x.com and is based on a template so I can't change the functionality too much. Regards Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knomad Posted February 9, 2010 Share #31 Posted February 9, 2010 When I bought my first Leica (an M6) after years of shooting Nikon, the guy at the store said to "throw away your first two w eeks of shots, it will take you that long to see with a rangefinder." He was both right and wrong. I took to the RF fairly quickly and naturally, so within days I was getting shots that were adequate. But it was months til I was consistently getting images that I still use today, 10 years later. The Leica M is a completely different way of seeing, and the only way to get comfortable with it is to use it, a lot. You didn't get good with your Nikons overnight either... and the learning curve will probably be shorter this time because you already have that experience. Some people just can't make the transition to RF even after a serious attempt. For me, I'm never going back. It's opened up a whole new visual world for me, and today I use a DSLR only for macro or sustained fast-action work, and those are things I don't do very often. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonoslack Posted February 9, 2010 Share #32 Posted February 9, 2010 HI Bob I'm sorry you haven't fallen in love with your M9 Thanks everyone for your comments so far. Hi Noah. Here's my moan list.... I find the camera digs in to my nerve under my eyebrow. (I have discussed this before - just my anatomy I guess) Screen is rubbish. Shutter button feels gritty Don't like the feel of the selector wheel. Not much to do about these, but you'll probably get used to them. As for the dust on the sensor - it'll settle down after a thousand shots or so. the Performance, zooming, processing, formatting are all supposed to be improved radically with an upcoming firmware update (together with the red edges). Metering is never going to be like a D3, but you certainly get used to getting it right As for the white balance - use daylight in the daylight and take a manual reading in artificial light - it's a much better bet (I think it's a better bet with ALL digital cameras). I guess if you really don't 'get' it, then there is no escape, but it took me a while, now I use it almost all the time - even though I have dSLR as well. I guess the answer is to spend some more concerted time with it. Good Luck anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_lir Posted February 9, 2010 Share #33 Posted February 9, 2010 don't fret! soon you'll be looking back on your d3's images kicking yourself for ever using that body. i have to use a dslr for tele work, and aside from that i'm not into the images. i'm really not into the d3's images at all compared to my leica files. they're lifeless and dead. but i'm new to dslr's. i've only a couple of years with them. i don't recall which lenses you said you purchased, but trust me you'll soon fall in love. don't worry about the screen, youre right it sucks. don't worry about the wheel, it's generally useless. set your ISO to auto, set your parameters. i use 1/60th and ISO 2000. I use manual ISO and shutter speed generally when shooting stage work or any interesting lighting environment as the metering gets somewhat tricky in those situations. enjoy the glass, shoot wide open and never look back! check my flickr site (flickr.com/j_lir) for some interesting m9 frames, and m8 frames before halloween. make some prints and you'll be happy. i am, and i look at the d3 as a hammer really, it's just a tool, a heavy ugly tool... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted February 9, 2010 Share #34 Posted February 9, 2010 Hello Bob. I suffered HUGE buyers remorse after buying my M8 six months ago. I panicked! Went from being a fairly adept photographer, i thought, to not having a clue about how to get THE shot with a rangefinder. They are such different systems. Unless you are one of these people who 'get' rf's immediately, i do not think it's of much benefit to trial a rf for only a few days. It took me quite a while to understand how i felt about the camera. What makes some people rf people and others slr people? Anyway, I stuck with it. People on these forums really encouraged me with words and the passion you feel here for the cameras. Also some Leica M photographers are very inspiring for me. So, I put my slr away, until recently and the M8 goes practically every where with me. I feel relaxed with it now and allow myself to do street photography which i felt far too self conscious about before. I take fewer pictures with the M8 but i am amazed by the quality of the pictures with the 35 lux a and sometimes i take pictures i am quite proud of! The M8 has helped me to become a more confident photographer and so now i use both systems and want to upgrade my slr to a ff slr soon. So, after my 6 months Leica experience i feel at peace. I love photography and i love both rf and slr systems. The M8 has helped me to become a better more confident photographer. You CANNOT compare the systems. I will never give up my M8. At heart though i am an slr girl but my joy of photography would be really diminished without the M8 and count myself lucky to have both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 9, 2010 Share #35 Posted February 9, 2010 Rangefinders aren't for everyone, manual cameras aren't for everyone, the M9 isn't for everyone. If it's not for you, move on. I'd give it three months before making a decision though, if you're still not happy with the camera sell it and look back on it as a learning experience. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_R Posted February 9, 2010 Share #36 Posted February 9, 2010 Stay tuned, very nice blog - Steve Huff: Coming Soon, my Leica M8/M9/RF Users Guide | STEVE HUFF PHOTOS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roanjohn Posted February 9, 2010 Share #37 Posted February 9, 2010 Just remember that there are things where the M9 excels and things where the D3 excels. Shooting things that moves - D3............ Shooting candids and being stealthy - M9. Cold weather - D3, not hurting your neck and back for landscapes - M9. Everything is a compromise :-) I must say though, being new to RF photography myself, these tiny wide/normal M lenses are amazing!! edge to edge sharpness are heads above anything I've seen from my 5D. If you miss your D3, I would suggest buying a used D700 to compliment your M9 - then you will have the best of both worlds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aperture 2 Posted February 9, 2010 Share #38 Posted February 9, 2010 1-Smallest 24x36 2-Simplest operation 3-Best optics 4-Superbe quality build 5-Superior focus precision vs reflex for wides but also up to 120mm. 6-Instantaneous picture taking, you can froze the exact instant. 7-Wider view than picture in the viewfinder, you can anticipate/compose. 8-Deeper view than deep of field at maximal aperture of your lens as in a reflex. 9-Clearer view on low level light as you do not look through the lenses. 10-Extra precise focus control plus high apertures allow for super selective shots. 11-Last but not least...maybe one day you will be able to use the Nocti f 0,95 :-) ps: my sugestion is to subscribe to LFI and to buy one or two books about Leica and M system to get more technical, artistical and historical perpective on your fantastic new camera. Ps2: i m not an "old" rangefinder user - i m 42 and until 2 years ago I only used reflex / compact cameras. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdtaylor Posted February 9, 2010 Share #39 Posted February 9, 2010 If you miss your D3, I would suggest buying a used D700 to compliment your M9 - then you will have the best of both worlds. I've had my M9 for a little over a month, and have already started to adjust. But some one put it well above- you didn't learn your SLR/DSLR overnight. I started shooting my SLR/DSLRs 25 years ago, and looking back my skills did evolve over the decades- these thoughts help keep my frustrations in check (at least most the time). But the results I am starting to see are getting me more excited about using the M9. I like many, since I consider myself a fairly accomplished photographer, expected to just pick up a M camera and make beautiful photographs. As quoted above, I also stepped down to the D700, mostly for long telephoto work and the occasional event at might or indoors, although I seem to still have quite a compliment of lenses gathering dust- even contemplated selling my 200 f2 VR! Just doesn't seem quite as sharp after using the 50 cron. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom in mpls Posted February 9, 2010 Share #40 Posted February 9, 2010 10-Extra precise focus control plus high apertures allow for super selective shots I switched from DSLR to M9, but I must say that critical focus is hard to achieve so using very large apertures is challenging and far from easy. I love f/1.4, don't get me wrong, but autofocus on DSLR was easier, eg Canon 85/1.2, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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