Should I take the M9 jump!

[Clive Murray-White]

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Bentley07 may have accidentally unearthed a very clever peice of Leica marketing, Richard is an undercover agent, first he introduces us to the concept of Leica dealers lending M8s to potential clients! and then takes us step by step through its character and lets us see what a worthwhile thing it is. The thread rattles along with a life of its own laready out to 13 pages so everyone in the world who even half thinks of M9 can see that this is a much more powerful thing than Steve Huff.

 

I buy an M8, Bently buys one too, I guess we're just the tip of the iceberg, 100s of M8s are probably being bought as I write, Canon and Nikon sales slump, and all the new owners are rushing in to their local Leica dealers wanting BRAND new lenses, this has the great benefit for the dealers of starting their personal relationship with each of us.

 

My guess is that there would a big dip in sales if Richard actually bought his M9 because there would be no reason to keep this thread going!! If he buys one we know he's not a Leica agent - if he doesn't we'll know he is!!

 

Sorry just couldn't help myself!! Clive

[RobertW]

Have you heard the expression "when hell freezes over?".

Hopefully the decision will come before that or the M10 is rolled out.

[phancj]

I'm not confused about cropping at all; I just don't like it. I feel strongly it should not be on the list of criteria with which to choose a serious camera, certainly not a digital M-body. That only means you concede up front your framing probably s*cks.

 

The camera-lens combo you choose should be the one that gently persuades (enables, forces) you to get the best out of you as a photographer. So if you can't get the "tele" shot because you didn't bring or don't have a tele, don't make the shot. Make the shot you cán make, as best as you can. That's actually what I would like about the M-body/35 or 50 combo; it persuades you to look, think aout it, maybe change your position, and only shoot what is a really good shot.

 

 

My 2 cts.

 

Purists may disagree, but having a shot and then cropping to have a great picture is infinitely better than no shot at all??

 

Also, sometimes the action is so quick and a split second decision means we cannot take our time to compose. Better to snap and adjust later, no?

[ThorkilB]

Clive, I feel almost sure that Richard actually is on his way of bying the M9 (Richard ??..), and he will continue this thread in a minute, to show us these nice pictures it will make, just until we reach page 100. (and the moderator has to allow to get all the pictures printed here)

[RobertW]

Purists may disagree, but having a shot and then cropping to have a great picture is infinitely better than no shot at all??

 

Also, sometimes the action is so quick and a split second decision means we cannot take our time to compose. Better to snap and adjust later, no?

 

My first choice is to appear to have put some thought when deciding what I want included in the frame, impact of ambiant lighting, Camera settings.

 

As you say there are occassions where this is not possible, howvever, other then situations caused by bringing the "wrong" camera to the event (sports, or fast action comes to mind), hopefully its rather rare that I can't be prepared.

 

Catching shots by accident, don't give me much satisfaction. Sure they're still enjoyable to look at, however, I find these to be rather embarrassing that I can't do it and it only comes about because I'm taking a lot of pictures.

 

This is probably why I still enjoy using film. Think more, shoot less (compared to digital).

[Clive Murray-White]

ThorkilB - Richard has gone a bit quiet lately - if he's not actually buying it I reckon he's looking at one

[MikeD700]

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Have you heard the expression "when hell freezes over?".

Hopefully the decision will come before that or the M10 is rolled out.

 

Check out this thread "Close to a decision" on a similar theme .Close to a decision - MVAgusta.net

1780 replies now, and the guy still didn't buy the d*mn bike.

[MikeD700]

Purists may disagree, but having a shot and then cropping to have a great picture is infinitely better than no shot at all??

 

Also, sometimes the action is so quick and a split second decision means we cannot take our time to compose. Better to snap and adjust later, no?

 

 

No, of course not. I try not to be a lazy photographer. Maybe I'm a purist. No shot is better than a bad shot.

[ThorkilB]

ThorkilB - Richard has gone a bit quiet lately - if he's not actually buying it I reckon he's looking at one

...perhaps the consideration goes...perhaps a Olympus E-PL1 after all (which not at all is a bad camera though) might be a reosonable conclusion, but he dare not...and he will miss this tread too much...so only for the sake of us, as the patient audience, he is now just forced to bye it...

[MikeD700]

I'll talk to him and tell him you all miss him and his indecisiveness so much...

[coup de foudre]

No, of course not. I try not to be a lazy photographer. Maybe I'm a purist. No shot is better than a bad shot.

 

no shot is better than even trying?

 

sheesh! isn't that a something that digital has given us -- the freedom to take a chance?

 

your defeatist (or elitist) attitude is passé not purist.

 

it may feel right to you but don't shove it down other's throats. i rarely crop myself but i don't think any less of those who do... and when i see a shot i take it, whether i have the perfect lens with me or not. i do not consider that lazy.

 

lazy is not even trying.

[MikeD700]

your defeatist (or elitist) attitude is passé not purist.

 

Trop de mots longues. I notice you have some difficulty in grasping the concept.

[RichardM8]

I'll talk to him and tell him you all miss him and his indecisiveness so much...

 

What are good friends for eh?...

 

 

Hi all,

 

No final decision taken yet. My dealer is looking at the availability of an M9 and a 35 Cron. Both are a big problem here. I am 'sold' on the camera but still don't feel comfortable about the more than considerable hole in my wallet that comes with it. Still struggling with this one.

 

I'll keep you all posted though!!

[sblitz]

too bad you don't live in or around nyc, there are plenty of both on the shelves at a number of stores.hard to find a 50 cron or lux.

 

went through same process as you, and am so happy with the m9 with 35 cron. resisting getting other lenses. first time have a digital camera with photos that look like film.

 

you will be happy .... good luck

[RobertW]

Check out this thread "Close to a decision" on a similar theme .Close to a decision - MVAgusta.net

1780 replies now, and the guy still didn't buy the d*mn bike.

 

Hey Mike all that proves is that there's a potential that this thread could cover a lot more ground before it comes to a conclusion which might be either:

• a decision to buy
  
• a decision not to buy
  
• a decision, not to make a decision and beat the 1,780 replies
  

Lets keep this thread going and shoot for 2,000. Doesn't matter any more if anyone discusses the OP's original query, lets just keep it going talking about anything.

 

How about buy M9 now or wait for Leica to introduce the Black Chrome and Chrome versions of the M9, when Leica figures it can snag a few of the undecided?

[RobertW]

Trop de mots longues. I notice you have some difficulty in grasping the concept.

 

Mike,

 

Tres bon!

Je ne c'est, vous parlez francais?

Etes-vous Canadiens/Francaise?

 

As they said in a James Bond movie "Your such a cunning linguist!".

[giordano]

Sigh.

 

And I always thought photography (pinhole shoebox, Hasselblad, Deardorff, Nikon D3S, Leica M9) began with getting the basics right for each shot.

 

Capturing the moment, correct exposure, correct framing and composition for the image you envisage.

 

Cropping.

 

Sigh indeed. It's amazing how many people think there's something inherently wrong with cropping. In fact there are only two good arguments against it.

 

1) Image quaity. In the old days, 35mm image quality was so poor that - for prints much over postcard size - it only took a very little cropping before image quality was visibly affected. More so for 110 or Minox; same thing with a 3 or 5MP digital camera. So 35mm photographers who cared about IQ got into the habit of little or no cropping.

 

2) Artistic integrity. In this case, to crop or not is a choice of the artist and deserves as much respect as his/her other choices.

 

Everywhere else: why care? The image one envisages may or may not be the same shape as the sensor: so what? Don't forget that Hasselblad actually marketed their 6x6 cameras on the basis that the images were suitable for cropping!

[Clive Murray-White]

I lost the best 35mm film camera I ever owned because of this cropping argument, my wife of the time was an exhibiting art photographer, and we'd bought a Rollei 2000 with stunning little Zeiss 50mm on it, we run a few rolls of film through, I take pictures of my sculptures and was amazed at the rendering qualities of the lens, wife comes in totally destroyed because the camera cropped off the sprocket holes so she couldn't print and prove that her images weren't cropped - very fashionable in the late 70's. So the Rollei got swapped for a Nikon with a hard mean lens on it.

 

Put more than two art photographers in a bar in those days and you could guaranty that the night would disolve into a fight to the death over "to crop or not to crop", the "not to crop" guys always have the high moral ground which just makes the croppers angry - the simple answer is - we're free to do what ever we like aren't we? What ever it takes to get the picture you want is cool by me.

 

Clive

[Guest malland]

...Put more than two art photographers in a bar in those days and you could guaranty that the night would disolve into a fight to the death over "to crop or not to crop"...

Clive, sounds like you live in the wrong neighborhood — suggest you move.

 

—Mitch/Paris

Paris au rhythme de Basquiat

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[MikeD700]

To all: I would expect the "cropping position" (which I expressed as purely my own view, not necessarily someone else's) to take this thread well over a 1000 posts.

 

 

I still don't get why someone would want a euro 5.5k body, complemented by a eur 2.5k lens, "suitable for cropping". I'm probably not broadminded enough.