Val Posted July 2, 2011 Share #21 Posted July 2, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have 2 words for you MECHANICAL PERFECTION. MP If you have lenses is a simple choice. Get the MP load some film and use both with different lenses. MP is the best rangefinder in the world. To bad that M9 is not using MP design. Maybe M10 anounced for 2012 will. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 2, 2011 Posted July 2, 2011 Hi Val, Take a look here Second Body for Travel. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
andybarton Posted July 2, 2011 Share #22 Posted July 2, 2011 There are very few people shooting 75 rolls per month and even the most expensive processing is nowhere near $25 a roll over here. One can make any argument depending on the assumptions one makes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venkman Posted July 2, 2011 Share #23 Posted July 2, 2011 I am currently on a trip through the west coast US and took a M9 and a M8, thinking that with a lens setup of 15, 28, 35, 50 and 90 I would be perfectly covered because of the 1.33 factor of the M8. The result is that I shoot 90% M9 with 28 - it seems sometimes less could really be more. Dirk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesphoto99 Posted July 2, 2011 Share #24 Posted July 2, 2011 There are very few people shooting 75 rolls per month and even the most expensive processing is nowhere near $25 a roll over here. One can make any argument depending on the assumptions one makes. Depends on who you are. When I travel I shoot on average at least 2-10 rolls per day (on the high side if say one runs into a festival, etc) - even more now with digital. I've traveled through Asia with 150 rolls of 120mm and 50 rolls of 35mm on me and several camera bodies. It's a haul let me tell you, and besides the weight constantly worrisome. All depends on how serious you are about photography though (and this was just a personal trip though I am a pro). If you are just photographing the occasional landscape/museum/hotel lobby then by no means would this apply to you. For a roll of 35mm color film process and scan it's $19 with tax at my lab of choice (Panda) here in Seattle. A roll of Fuji NPH is $6.00. That equals $25. I've used Metro Lab in London on jobs before - it's much more esp with the pound to dollar as it is. Of course if you want to go the Boots/Costco route with your film be my guest. You can do it much cheaper. Buyer beware though. I'm not against shooting film at all, but I just wouldn't think of it as backup. It's too difficult to match the weight and functionality of digital with a film camera - in terms of weight, size, and the different number of types one might need to cover various iso's. And I've tried many of the various glorified p&s like the D-Lux, X1, and GF-1 and for me I always find them wanting and return to the digital M. I'm actually pondering this question right now as I have no backup to my M9. I could afford a second one but bookings are down and do I really want to have that much tied up in a body that sits most of the time. In hindsight I should have hung onto one of my M8's though I can replace one if need be for about what I sold mine for. Problem is when one needs to send a body back for servicing or if sensor cracks. The M8 is a great camera but if I was on a job that depended on iso 1600 then I would be screwed with an M8. What to do? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesphoto99 Posted July 2, 2011 Share #25 Posted July 2, 2011 There are very few people shooting 75 rolls per month and even the most expensive processing is nowhere near $25 a roll over here. One can make any argument depending on the assumptions one makes. Whoops, my bad. Only $16.50 a roll plus another 10% tax. http://www.pandalab.com/files/08-08_Fim-Processing.pdf And Panda are nowhere near the price of processing in NY, LA, or SF. Wish I lived in your universe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted July 2, 2011 Share #26 Posted July 2, 2011 Veteran traveler here. I hear you say "backpacking" and right away I recommend a good-quality compact. I do not backpack and I want the lightest smallest backup I can find with decent IQ. In my case it's a D-Lux-3, not because it's got a red dot but because it's got a good zoom range for me, and shoots RAW. It's been my backup since I had an M8, and so far has never seen duty. Although I have film Ms I wouldn't consider as a backup because scanning hundreds of negs would be torture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpitt Posted July 2, 2011 Share #27 Posted July 2, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) ... I recommend a good-quality compact. I do not backpack and I want the lightest smallest backup I can find with decent IQ.... I love film and use it for about 10%, but if I were backpacking I would also go for light weight and good IQ. My Digilux2 including zoom 28-90 f/2 is lighter than my M8 body and produces very good IQ. And it has two things an M does not have:1. Zoom capability. 2. Enormous depth of field because of the crop factor (4). This can be a great complement to a FF M9 with very shallow depth of field. If you keep the CHIMPing to a minimum it can do 500 clicks on one battery. Just my 2 cents... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavlister Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share #28 Posted July 3, 2011 A big thanks to everyone for your input. There have been some really helpful thoughts here that I have taken on board. Whilst I wrote wanting a second body as a backup/compliment, I think the main reason for having the second camera would be to use it alongside the M9 or to use it in an area which the M9 doesn't excel. I had thought about an M8 but that would have been more as a back up only, just more or less duplicating the M9...although great in a situation to avoid switching lenses! A film camera is great. It has that look that is so hard to recreate in digital and can go extended periods without having to plug it in somewhere to recharge. I was actually surprised at how few people recommended a film camera....maybe if I posted this on the film forum I would have got a different response The points people made tho are very logical. My film background is from surf photography and that was around 25 years ago and maybe my thoughts are still clouded back from then. Along with all the points people have brought up about carrying film, costs and scanning etc (things I think I had turned a blind eye to) maybe this isn't the best time to re learn an old skill....I am still very new to the M9. So I think although I would love to get back in to shooting with film again maybe now is not the time or place. Thanks also for the suggestions of other cameras, especially with the idea of compactness and the zoom aspect. This really got me thinking!!! I think at this stage though I am swaying toward the X100. People just seem to say such good things about it. I could use that and have the 90mm on the M9 for flexibility. Add the fact it is so good in low light is a real bonus. I had a play around with one yesterday and it really is very light and compact and can pick one up here in Bangkok for $950 Australian (after getting tax back at airport) which seems pretty cheap. Thanks again for all your help and suggestions cheers Gavin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted July 5, 2011 Share #29 Posted July 5, 2011 Why not look at a Panasonic 4/3 with an adapter for M lenses. I use the GF1 with great results. Its battery life is very long and accepts all my Leica lenses with the adapter. Look into 4/3 cameras. Also there's an article on Luminous Landscape about this exact subject. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
siglo Posted July 6, 2011 Share #30 Posted July 6, 2011 I bought an MP as a backup for my M9. I still shoot film, but not with leica, I have a couple of minolta SLRs for that. Now it seems like the M9 is the backup for my MP and I have been considering selling both my minolta film bodies. I say get an MP, you already have the lenses, it's a great camera, and you shouldn't "be scared to take it out at night in dodgy areas" because prospective thieves would think it's an old cheap film camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Posted July 6, 2011 Share #31 Posted July 6, 2011 My faithful back-up is a 5x7 Agfa with a 240 mm, f 4.5 Jos. Schneider & Co. Xenar with a bulb shutter release. Hey, Agfa was based in Binghamton, NY, were Rod Serling grew up…. the Twilight Zone is good enough for my photo skills! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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