rcoles Posted July 25, 2010 Share #1 Posted July 25, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) My wife and I have recently returned from a trip out west. This was my first opportunity to travel with the M9, so here are a few observations. The M9 was so much easier and enjoyable to use than my DSLR’s , I stayed focused on the subject not the camera. Workflow reality: 1: Save your basic or default settings and after each use return to those settings. 2: Never remove a memory card without immediately putting another back in and format that card. 3: Likewise with the battery. This way the camera is ready for the next opportunity. No missing, unformatted or full cards, no missing, weak or dead battery, no wrong starting settings. So you always know the camera status. One of my favorite features is the ability to have a preview of the last image by not releasing the shutter button, after you have checked the image and histogram release the shutter button. If you don’t need the preview for a shot just release normally. I found getting the focus correct the toughest task, exposure and composition are easier. Landscape focusing is easier than closer objects. Moving objects are the most difficult. Using DOF tables or programs work if you have time to refer to them, so I often depended on the DOF scale on the lens. Zone focusing also works as long you use the proper f-stop. I was trying to get use to shooting wide open, something I did not often do with my DSLR. Here the focus is more critical. My results were mixed, but I will keep working. People were also hard for me; I guess it was because of the time it took me to focus. I used ISO 160 as the basic setting and up to 800 for indoors. I had 3-lenses: 35 f/2 ASPH, current 50 f/2 and 90 f2.8. The 35 was used most of the time, the 90 got a little use. The 50 was not used. For landscape and general shooting f/5.6 & 8 were the most used. I did manually bracket when DOF or light conditions were tricky. I used a tripod for about 20% of the shots primarily in the early morning and late evening. I used the self-timer @ 2s and not a cable release for longer exposures. The initial shot was captured in Aperture Priority and adjusted as needed. The lens was set back to Infinity between shots. Basic settings: ISO: 160 White Balance: Auto Compression: DNG Resolution: 18MP Lens Detection: Auto Advance: Standard Self Timer: 2s Auto ISO setup: Lens dependent Sharpening: N/A Color Saturation: N/A Contrast: N/A Bracketing: 3/ -/0/+ / 0.5EV Exp. Comp Setup: Setting ring & release button Monitor Brightness: Standard Histogram: Standard / Clip+ Folder Management: LEICA Auto Review: Release button/Histogram Auto Power Off: 5 min. Flash Sync: N/A Auto Slow Sync: N/A Color Management: sRGB DNG Setup: Uncompressed Acoustic Signal: Off Language: English USB Connection: PTP Firmware: 1.116 Here is a link to some of the images: MobileMe Gallery All of these photos were captured with the 35mm f/2 ASPH lens. The processing up to this point has been done in Lightroom 3, mostly a little exposure, other minor adjustments, some straightening, spot removal and cropping. Several were processed into HDR using Photoshop CS5 or B&W using Lightroom. Your comments are welcome, being new to Leica I need all the help I can get. Thanks for all the helpful advise leading up to this trip. Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 25, 2010 Posted July 25, 2010 Hi rcoles, Take a look here Results of First big trip with the M9. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
msk2193 Posted July 25, 2010 Share #2 Posted July 25, 2010 Bob, Thanks for sharing a great series. I am happy as well without my heavy DSLR bag, but the M9 bag keeps getting heavier! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aesop Posted July 25, 2010 Share #3 Posted July 25, 2010 ...great results for a "starter", Bob - you appear to have a good eye for spotting potential shots. Your compositional skills are also not to be sniffed at (nice use of space and colours), and I am pretty certain that your focusing technique, with specific regard to people, will improve with time. Well done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted July 25, 2010 Share #4 Posted July 25, 2010 Bob, I think you have a good eye for a photograph and your shots have appeal and impact so thanks for offering us the pleasure of viewing them. The cost and effort you obviously went to to produce these photographs and the resolution and detail offered by your Leica equipment is unfortunately not supported by MobileMe. I was distracted by the degree of pixellation on screen and I gave up on the slideshow. Might I suggest that, to do justice to your work, you consider another website that allows you to upload less compressed images that will reveal the detail that is contained in your photographs? I really enjoyed your photographs and I hope you post more. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalkadan Posted July 25, 2010 Share #5 Posted July 25, 2010 Robert - they are bloody terrific. What's all this stuff about focus? They are spot on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted July 25, 2010 Share #6 Posted July 25, 2010 Bob - Good observations, even better photos. However, I encourage you to always place one or two photos directly on the Forum to lure us into clicking through. Many of us will not click through without incentive to do so. Oops! I just realized that this is not in the photo forum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caimi Posted July 25, 2010 Share #7 Posted July 25, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Some really great images. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
d2mini Posted July 25, 2010 Share #8 Posted July 25, 2010 Bob, I think you have a good eye for a photograph and your shots have appeal and impact so thanks for offering us the pleasure of viewing them. The cost and effort you obviously went to to produce these photographs and the resolution and detail offered by your Leica equipment is unfortunately not supported by MobileMe. I was distracted by the degree of pixellation on screen and I gave up on the slideshow. Might I suggest that, to do justice to your work, you consider another website that allows you to upload less compressed images that will reveal the detail that is contained in your photographs? I really enjoyed your photographs and I hope you post more. Pete. I agree, some great shots but man does apple compress the images to such a poor state. I stopped using them years ago because of this. Sign up for a smugmug or flickr account. Looks like a great trip. Don't you just love the freedom of the M9 vs the big heavy dslr? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFV Posted July 25, 2010 Share #9 Posted July 25, 2010 One of my favorite features is the ability to have a preview of the last image by not releasing the shutter button, after you have checked the image and histogram release the shutter button. If you don’t need the preview for a shot just release normally. Bob That one I did not know... Great to learn something new everyday. Great pictures, almost surprising being your first excursion with the M9. I guess this is what happens when you "think" before you shoot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sm23221 Posted July 25, 2010 Share #10 Posted July 25, 2010 Nice shots, seems like you got the hang of it. It's a shame your photos are so compressed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
newtoleica Posted July 25, 2010 Share #11 Posted July 25, 2010 I use iWeb to publish galleries from my Mac. It's more flexible than posting straight via mobile me and you can choose a better resolution for the images. Nice shots. You have a great eye for composition. I'm also a week into Leica, having used a Nikon D3. Positives - blown over by the image detail and the lens quality. Simply amazing. and so small and light yet 'solid'. Not so good - still a bit slow with focus, but since people seem to not notice the little M9, I'm largely getting away with it! It's no D3 though as regards ISO800+ or sensor bloom and smearing around bright light sources at night. I will probably keep a D700 and 28mm f1.4 for after dark but sell the rest of my Nikon gear eventually to finance more Leica glass (35 lux asph v 1 and 75 cron so far) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFV Posted July 25, 2010 Share #12 Posted July 25, 2010 I use iWeb to publish galleries from my Mac. It's more flexible than posting straight via mobile me and you can choose a better resolution for the images. Nice shots. You have a great eye for composition. I'm also a week into Leica, having used a Nikon D3. Positives - blown over by the image detail and the lens quality. Simply amazing. and so small and light yet 'solid'. Not so good - still a bit slow with focus, but since people seem to not notice the little M9, I'm largely getting away with it! It's no D3 though as regards ISO800+ or sensor bloom and smearing around bright light sources at night. I will probably keep a D700 and 28mm f1.4 for after dark but sell the rest of my Nikon gear eventually to finance more Leica glass (35 lux asph v 1 and 75 cron so far) Welcome on board! The focus will come second nature once you get the hang of it. Its just a mater of flight hours. Eventually it will be a piece of cake. The night issue could be fixed by a Noctilux... or some LR3 tweaking. In any case the sensor of the D3 is as good as it gets provided the current state of technology. Also, macro photography is a weak point with the M-System as is Tele-Photo. So it is smart to keep one DSLR around for just in case. I my case, I only use the Nikon for macro and focals above 90mm and have little complaints. One question though; What will you do once you are not new to Leica anymore? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwelland Posted July 25, 2010 Share #13 Posted July 25, 2010 One question though; What will you do once you are not new to Leica anymore? My experience here is just when you think that you know about Leica gear and how to use it, someone will come along and raise the game further so that you feel like a newbie again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 25, 2010 Share #14 Posted July 25, 2010 A nice series. As far as can be judged from the low-res examples you posted, the gamma on seems a bit off on quite a few of them. If you have not done you should calibrate your monitor. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcoles Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share #15 Posted July 28, 2010 Everyone, thanks for the kind and helpful remarks. Based on several comments about the image compression on me.com I started a Smugmug site. Here is the link: Robert Coles (vaphoto)'s Photos- powered by SmugMug. Let me know if this is better. Jaap: I did redo my monitor calibration and had to make a number changes. Thanks Thanks Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 28, 2010 Share #16 Posted July 28, 2010 Bob, the pictures posted on the Smug Mug site are fantastic. I agree with pretty much all of your observations on the OP. I agree that a card goes in right after the card comes out because you can end up shooting all day with a blank card slot and not know if you never chimp back at your pictures or you could leave the house without a card. Also, 35 seems to be the one lens kit. Welcome. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcoles Posted July 29, 2010 Author Share #17 Posted July 29, 2010 Bob, the pictures posted on the Smug Mug site are fantastic. I agree with pretty much all of your observations on the OP. I agree that a card goes in right after the card comes out because you can end up shooting all day with a blank card slot and not know if you never chimp back at your pictures or you could leave the house without a card. Also, 35 seems to be the one lens kit. Welcome. Thanks for your comments. On this trip I did shoot for about 2-hours one morning before I realized there was no card in the camera. I won't make that mistake again. Of course, they would have been my best pictures of the trip. I checked out your Venice pictures, very nice shot selection and composition, but most of all I loved the warm colors you captured. Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted July 29, 2010 Share #18 Posted July 29, 2010 Bob - I have learned something important: how you can set the review to "shutter" on, or whatever the trick is that you learned, posted, and now have taught me. Thank you! And damned, aren't the Tetons glorious? I have a gallery on the Zenfolio site below of Jackson/Yellowstone images. Greatest place on earth to be in the summer. Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richfx Posted July 29, 2010 Share #19 Posted July 29, 2010 Bob: Excellent photos- color, composition and light are beautiful. You're off to a flying start with the M9. It will only get better. Rich Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wieni Posted July 30, 2010 Share #20 Posted July 30, 2010 Good pictures but a lot of pixels to see in slideshow mode. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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