Open Letter to Leica — 10 Ways To Improve the M9 Rangefinder

[zlatkob]

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I can even understand some not wanting any changes, I just have a hard time thinking this is even a remote possibility.

 

Well, I am all for changes. Thus, I am going to continue my petition for simplification of the digital M ... monochrome sensor only, removal of the LCD, removal of the A mode, removal of 6-bit coding, removal of flash hot shoe, removal of all non-essential shutter speeds and ISO settings, shorter battery life, etc. In addition, the bottom plate is too easy to remove — it really needs a double-interlock to slow down photographers who are too eager to shoot. ;)

[IkarusJohn]

That doesn't mean that every customer knows what's best. There are a lot of cranks out there. You can listen to the customers, and you can choose to ignore them.

 

I wonder if people send emails to Gordon Ramsey explaining what he needs to do in order to compete with McDonalds - because from a financial point of view they are much more successful than him - and more popular.

 

I couldn't agree more, Steve.

[AlanG]

I bought my M9 for that reason, I don't want to be in that segment where everything look the same, like plastic looking "HDR" and the like!

 

Bernard

 

The challenge will be to innovate and not simply duplicate. Because there currently are no other digital RF cameras, Leica has a unique product today. They can expand on that distinction going forward, not minimize it. For instance, if a key feature is that it is smaller and lighter than FF DSLRs, can it be made smaller and lighter still? Can the rangefinder/viewfinder be improved or enhanced in various ways to draw additional users from DSLRs? While the price is a big stumbling block for some, is market penetration near its limit or is there anything else that could spur more to buy it? Can they design and sell additional lenses and accessories to the current user base?

[andybarton]

I must buy a copy of Sports Illustrated while I am here to understand what Alan aspires to with his Live View and 10 frames per second ethos

 

The guys that shoot sports don't have a creative bone in their body, I suspect. They do know exactly what makes the back page, though. And what makes the Mac's Trash can. That's what pays the mortgage. Not "creativity"

[mblaze]

The guys that shoot sports don't have a creative bone in their body, I suspect.

 

Oh please.

 

Are there any other categories of professional photographers in highly competitive fields you'd like to make broad and uninformed generalizations about, while you're at it?

[Red Dot Fever]

I think the main issue people have with the M9 is the sensor and how different it is in relation to other digital camera sensors.

 

Before the digital age Leica did not have to worry about making the film for their cameras as there were other companies that did that.

 

They had the best lenses in the best camera body (and still do with the M9) and the consumer had the choice of which emulsion they would like to put in their M.

 

Now with the digital age well an truly upon us, Leica has had to choose a sensor that is with the camera for the life of the camera. No changing of emulsions for different purposes anymore. There was another factor to consider when designing the M.

 

They had to find a happy medium that simulated the films of yesteryear as close a possible before the digital onslaught to keep their loyal purists happy so they felt comfortable with the transition from film to digital and to keep with the familiar Leica tradition as close as possible. Which is fair enough when you have invested thousands of dollars in a camera system and been shooting a certain way for decades.

 

From what I have seen the noise from the M9 rated at 400 & 800 iso is comparable to the grain of 400 & 800iso films.

 

Leica figured their lenses were made to be shot wide open (more so than the competitions lenses) and still maintain almost optimum quality and therefore they didn't sacrifice the other qualities of the sensor you would need to sacrifice in order to produce a low noise sensor to compensate for inferior glass. Their aim was to keep the sensor as pure as film without the need for filters and software to correct noise. Basically their quality lenses shot wide open are doing the work of what otherwise the low noise sensors in other camera systems with lenses shot two stops down are doing.

 

Cheers,

Ben

[andybarton]

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Oh please.

 

Are there any other categories of professional photographers in highly competitive fields you'd like to make broad and uninformed generalizations about, while you're at it?

 

No. Thanks.

 

"Will this get on the back page"?

 

"No"

 

Game over.

 

You can be as creative as you like, but if you miss that Bruins goal that wins the Stanley Cup because you're being creative, your editor won't thank you.

 

Tomorrow's chip paper.

 

Tough world on the back page.

[AlanG]

I must buy a copy of Sports Illustrated while I am here to understand what Alan aspires to with his Live View and 10 frames per second ethos

 

The guys that shoot sports don't have a creative bone in their body, I suspect. They do know exactly what makes the back page, though. And what makes the Mac's Trash can. That's what pays the mortgage. Not "creativity"

 

Geez, I can't believe a photographer would write that.

 

Walter Iooss Jr. - loser.

Neil Leifer - loser.

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=neil+leifer+ali&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=05M&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=0Sf4TZenDtP0gAfT44meDA&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1170&bih=600

 

http://www.google.com/search?q=walter+iooss+photos&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Qmh&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=Fij4TYHtK8fegQeysOH3Cw&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1170&bih=600

 

The Pictures: 50 Years Of Si Photography - 04.26.04 - SI Vault

 

David Burnett, a generalist, has done some great sports images. The one of Cal Ripkin waiving a towel (the Oriole baseball player) when he broke Lou Gehrig's "iron man" record resonates with me.

 

http://www.davidburnett.com/portfolio.html

 

And I've heard him speak that he was able to get this shot of Mary Decker because he positioned himself away from the finish line where many other photographers were located. No doubt this is just a lucky accident because he was blasting away at 10 fps.

 

http://www.pdngallery.com/20years/sports/03_david_burnett.html

 

Innovation -

 

http://sportsillustrated.asia/vault/article/magazine/MAG1031890/index.htm

[Guest opalmine]

can anyone tell me why this camera generates blank files with the images when its loaded into the computer? Doing a lot of opal gemstone macro with it. good results from the pics but always has these annoying blank pages with the images. probably a setting but cant find the reason. thanks in advance. Peter:confused:

[terrycioni]

Andy,

 

Just a minor correction, please get your fact straight.

 

"You can be as creative as you like, but if you miss that Canucks goal that wins the Stanley Cup because you're being creative, your editor won't thank you."

 

Cheers, Terry

 

 

No. Thanks.

 

"Will this get on the back page"?

 

"No"

 

Game over.

 

You can be as creative as you like, but if you miss that Bruins goal that wins the Stanley Cup because you're being creative, your editor won't thank you.

 

Tomorrow's chip paper.

 

Tough world on the back page.

[zlatkob]

The guys that shoot sports don't have a creative bone in their body, I suspect. They do know exactly what makes the back page, though. And what makes the Mac's Trash can. That's what pays the mortgage. Not "creativity"

When you photograph sports, just getting good images can be quite a challenge. And yet some photographers go far beyond that. No creativity in sports photography ...?

• Sport | David Burnett | Photographer
  
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[AlanG]

Maybe not everyone realizes that some techniques and equipment in photography were developed by or for sports photographers to solve certain challenges.

 

I think I recall a photo from an old Leica Manual showing Flip Schulke putting a screw mount Leica into an early underwater housing. I think he or someone else first attached a motorized Nikon in a housing to a surfboard.

 

Here's one of his uncreative sports shot.Image reluctantly removed for copyright reasons

[Rick]

Alan, that is art photography and it is creative. I'm not sure it is a sports shot, other than that it is a picture of the greatest boxer and promoter that danced in the ring. It is a much different photo than most sports photos.

 

But, I do see the other side of sports photography. There have been some classic creative photos that register with me as art. They just don't happen to be pictures from the sidelines of a super bowl. I do recognize these sports guys as super professionals at what they do, I just don't think it is that difficult to master sideline shots and I don't see it as too creative, that's all.

 

I also don't think that an artistic photo can only be taken with a RF. I could do much the same with either a SLR or a RF. But, for me, it is just easier to connect to the RF when I'm trying to be creative. So, I could do it equally well with either camera, if I had to, except if I had to sit on the sidelines at the Superbowl, then I'd choose the DSLR. But, then again, I'd rather blow my brains out the back of my head than sit through a Superbowl, so I might not be the best person to judge football photos as art.

[diogenis]

Ok ok enough with the creativity of sports already!

Apparently Andy would meant the bulk of sports photos and photographers who hunt them down using the machine gun mode. And yes I can't imagine creativity in there.

Because the fast pace won't alow for creativity. If you take a scene like the one you are showing us Alan, sure there is creativity, but this guy also don't perform "sports" of some kind, unless this is a new Olympic sport of how much more one can hold his breath

 

There can't be any creativity when one hunts for photos like a paparazzi or a goal. There is no time for that, because you hunt for that moment in time where the celeb will accidentally show some body part that shouldn't be shown.

[diogenis]

Actually this could be the proof about Bill's point about creativity and why a lot of people are reluctant in changing a Leica M: There is no time to be creative with dSLR when shooting in machine gun mode.

Of course some will say that you can always turn this feature off and get done with it, but I would counter that by saying that when you are carrying a gun, you will eventually use it.

[AlanG]

 

But, I do see the other side of sports photography. There have been some classic creative photos that register with me as art. They just don't happen to be pictures from the sidelines of a super bowl. I do recognize these sports guys as super professionals at what they do, I just don't think it is that difficult to master sideline shots and I don't see it as too creative, that's all.

 

 

I have no idea why anyone brought up creativity in the first place other than as a distraction. This totally misses the point of the post where I was saying that Leica used to be a player in the field of sports and now they barely are in it at all. They are not much of a player in newspapers any more or in commercial photography, or in medical or dental photography, macro, repro, forensic, biomedical, etc. I'm not saying they have to make the M do all of this, but they needed to reverse this trend or be happy to remain in a very small niche market that could be especially vulnerable due to being so small and susceptible to future competition. By making a digital M8 and then an M9 they made a couple of steps. The S2 is another step. And I think they'll be making a few more. I don't know if they can come all the way back to where they once were because their gear is so expensive it limits who can buy it.. But maybe they can.

 

The SI shooters have to work within tight limits at the Super Bowl and try their best to get some great and even different shots. Sometimes a job is just a job. I get a lot of assignments where I have to limit my creativity. But the shooters at SI are all first rate so I would never feel I am qualified to knock them in any way. And I feel much of their work is very creative as is evident if you look at the work by those mentioned by me and Zlatkob. Why do you think they have earned the right to be an SI shooter at the Super Bowl and many others haven't?

 

Separately, a long time ago I covered the Ford/Carter campaign here in DC. I couldn't get over how many photographers were there in big packs shooting these candidates mostly standing around and talking. A year or two ago I spoke with David Burnett about how he put up with this for so many years. And I learned that photographers such as David, look at it as the ultimate challenge to come away with something that is better or different than all of those other photographers got.

[pop]

But the shooters at SI are all first rate so I would never feel I am qualified to knock them in any way. ... Why do you think they have earned the right to be an SI shooter at the Super Bowl and many others haven't?

 

Could it possibly have something to do with the fact that those are better at that particular kind of photography? How would that prove whether they are more, less or differently creative than those who are less successful at that particular kind of photography? It also could be that they were more knowledgeable about the sports being performed and the preference of the audience, not to mention the preferences of the back page editors.

 

I greatly appreciate a baker who can deliver impeccable quality in time and in the optimal quantity. I wouldn't demand that he had to be creative as well. In some instances, creativity could turn out to be a handicap.

[AlanG]

Ok ok enough with the creativity of sports already!

Apparently Andy would meant the bulk of sports photos and photographers who hunt them down using the machine gun mode. And yes I can't imagine creativity in there.

Because the fast pace won't alow for creativity. If you take a scene like the one you are showing us Alan, sure there is creativity, but this guy also don't perform "sports" of some kind, unless this is a new Olympic sport of how much more one can hold his breath

I

There can't be any creativity when one hunts for photos like a paparazzi or a goal. There is no time for that, because you hunt for that moment in time where the celeb will accidentally show some body part that shouldn't be shown.

 

Images reluctantly removed for copyright reasons"This guy" happens to be Muhammed Ali training for a fight..

 

It has to be one of the best and most famous portraits of Ali and rivals the famous overhead shot of Ali and the other shot below. Not all great sport shots are produced during a game, and the post by Andy said that none of these shooters were creative. This shot of Ali in the pool is the essence of being creative and also capturing something special about the person. You probably do not even know that Ali trained underwater to improve his strength and speed.

 

Here are two of Leifer's iconic shots. (You'll see that some of the other photographers are using Leicas.) I think he was the first person to mount a remote camera over a boxing ring. Is that being creative?

[Rick]

Alan, I'm really not disagreeing with most of what you write. I just am not sure that Leica should chase the technology with the M in the direction that the DSLR makers do. I don't think they have to do this to stay alive. They just have to make their product, what they have now, technologically advanced. It's strength is in what it doesn't do.

 

And, I agree that I'm not good enough to knock the SI photographers, either. They are great at what they do. Same with wedding photographers. They deliver. I'm glad I don't have to do that. But, I do understand that a lot of what they do is the equipment. I also know that, like the wedding photographers, they can also be amazingly creative at what they do. They are pro's and I'm sure that most all of them can do both; deliver and be creative. You just happened to pick probably the most uncreative example .

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[diogenis]

Because in family shots, travelling, streetshots, a Leica M should be your first choice (except when cash is a problem), and because the M's creativity comes together with that ovf.