M9 under HEAVY use

[Paul J]

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I've just spent 10 days shooting in vietnam shooting up to 3000 photos a day. The camera worked flawlessly, perfectly and the results completely wowed the client. It was a total work horse in 40+ degree heat and severe humidity.

 

I took my Canon and Blad kits and didn't even use them once.

 

I can personally vouch that this camera is extremely reliable and didn't miss a beat.

 

I'm really of the belief that it's close to the perfect camera system. For this kind of work you just can't beat it. Ultra portable and ultra quality. The only upgrade I'm interested in here is a battery that is longer lasting.

[MarkP]

Thats 2.083 photos/minute, 60 minutes/hr, 24hrs/day:eek:

 

When did you get time to eat or open your bowels, or for that matter change batteries?

[Paul J]

4am starts. 11pm finishes. 5 batteries. 2 assistants. Lots of hard drives. 2 Hyperjuice 222 batteries for laptop.

 

6 stories over 10 days. 10 shots per story. Sometimes 20 shots, sometimes 300 per set up. What ever it takes.

 

Exhausting is not even the word. Very rewarding though. I live for this.

 

I hear so many times the Leica M is not up to this kind of task but it really isn't true.

 

ps delkin universal dual chargers are highly recommended! You don't have to keep getting up during the night with 2 of them.

[01af]

4 AM starts. 11 PM finishes. Five batteries. Two assistants. Lots of hard drives. Two Hyperjuice 222 batteries for laptop.

 

6 stories over 10 days. 10 shots per story. Sometimes 20 shots, sometimes 300 per set up. What ever it takes.

 

Exhausting is not even the word.

When shooting, say, 2,000 - 2,500 frames in a day then I feel very exhausted, physically and mentally ... and that's just one day, not ten of these in a row. And I use my DSLR for this kind of heavy shooting, frequently firing bursts at 5 fps (sports events).

 

Heavy M9 shooting (as opposed to DSLR shooting), for me, is approx. 400 - 600 frames a day ... which rarely happens. I never had more than 600 in a single day with the M9 so far; 50 - 100 frames is more like a typical day for me. So—I'm impressed. 3,000 in one day. Ten days in a row. Wow. I understand 3,000/day was your maximum, not your average, so—how many frames did you shoot in total in those ten days? What lenses did you use? Did you switch lenses frequently? Did you use only one M9 body?

[Paul Verrips]

I think it's an autofocus M9 with motordrive (5fps).

[Paul J]

When shooting, say, 2,000 - 2,500 frames in a day then I feel very exhausted, physically and mentally ... and that's just one day, not ten of these in a row. And I use my DSLR for this kind of heavy shooting, frequently firing bursts at 5 fps (sports events).

 

Heavy M9 shooting (as opposed to DSLR shooting), for me, is approx. 400 - 600 frames a day ... which rarely happens. I never had more than 600 in a single day with the M9 so far; 50 - 100 frames is more like a typical day for me. So—I'm impressed. 3,000 in one day. Ten days in a row. Wow. I understand 3,000/day was your maximum, not your average, so—how many frames did you shoot in total in those ten days? What lenses did you use? Did you switch lenses frequently? Did you use only one M9 body?

 

It really was a joy. I feel very lucky to be living my dream.

 

One Steel Grey M9 body

35mm Summilux 1.4

50mm Noctilux 0.95

75mm Summilux 1.4

 

The most used was the Noctilux and then the 35 Summilux. These are my two favourite focal lengths. I rarely used the 75 - I think 5 of the 60 shots in total. Having the frame line previews with the Leica is a massive benefit and time saver. I'm sure you understand swapping lenses is time consuming and dust gets in and of corse the risk of damage or dropping when you're in a hurry. 13261 shots in total. There were 10 days total, 6 of these were shoot days and 2 reccy days, 2 travel.

 

I will buy another M9 body or maybe an M10 soon hopefully. Not sure if I'll get rid of the Canons probably will keep it for when I need longer than 135 but it's very rare. Took my Canon kit more as a backup. It didn't get used though. The Blad kit didn't get a look in and I probably won't take it on my next trip job. It's there more to make the client feel better but once they see the Leica results on screen there are really no problems and mostly surprises and smiles on their part.

[Paul J]

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ps. I used to shoot a lot more with the Canons! About the same with the Blad.

[k-hawinkler]

Paul,

 

I would love to see some images.

Thanks.

[Paul J]

Hi K-H. I have some long nights of editing and post ahead of me! Can't post anything till it's out in print.

[chris_tribble]

Well done - although I don't rack up those kinds of numbers, in a weeks busy documentary work in education settings in Morocco recently, I was storing up 5-600 shots a day, and although I had 5D2 and long glass with me, the majority of the shots were Leica (28 cron / 50 lux) the majority of the time. However, I was working with two bodies - how you manage to get in that volume of work with lens swapping is a bit mind boggling. And I don't envy you the edit!

 

re your point on reliability, 2 M9's now both over three years old. Some brassing, but otherwise never skipped a beat.

 

Best...

[Jamie Roberts]

Well, I can take well over 1500 M9 shots per 10 or 12 hour gig (and it really does depend on the job) and I thought that was a lot!

 

Glad to hear the camera just kept on going in those conditions, though. Can't wait to see images when you can!

 

Agreed on the Delkin chargers; they're a real time saver.

[michali]

I'm so pleased to hear this! It mirrors my experience- over a period of 3 years I've used both my M9s all over Africa, South America, India and Antarctica, they've never let me down. I'm off to Namibia & Botswana at the end of this month for 3 weeks, once again I'm taking the M9s and 3 or 4 lenses.....not planning to shoot anywhere near 300 images a day let alone 3, 000 :eek:

[Olsen]

On my 6 weeks cruise I kept 74 GB of picture files. Most of it DNG+jpg., but also some DNG only, Guess I deleted about' 30% of the shots I took those weeks, along the way. Some shots where sorted away already during shooting by using the lcd. Some were sorted away every time I saved my shots on my Epson P5000. When I came home I had filled the P5000 full (but less than 80GB) plus a full 34 GB card and a few shots on my 8 GB back up card. Then I made a last deleting when going through the pictures again on my PC when at home again.

 

I would guess that I might have shot some 3000 + exposures through these 6 weeks. In cold and wet, cold and dusty and hot and wet climate. The M9 worked flawlessly. I had no backup. Like climbing the North Face without ropes. - Except for that my wife brought her Iphone along. The M9 never - never let me down. But my Sony video camera broke down - several times. Due to dust (in the Suez Canal) and due to humidity (at the Andaman Islands, Singapore and Tioman Island - puh!) Future video in a Leica M? Bring it on, please!

 

My Nikon binoculars were impossible to focus for some reason already at Mombay - they were four years old. Cathay Photo could not help. I threw them in a dust bin at Changi Airport before going home.

 

The leather strap of my Morice Lacroix watch just fell off my arm in the heat at Tioman. The glue 'melted'. I had a pocket watch from then on.

 

While my wife's Iphone worked off and on at Tioman so I kept my 5years old Nokia phone at the hotel room only. My black leather wallet fell apart in the humid heat of Tioman. - Bought a new - and better - one for 20 Ringit at the Tioman Island 'night market'.

 

So, the M9 & three lenses stood out as sturdy and reliable. Along with my sandals and t-shirts.

[brill64]

sounds amazing! you have an enviable work ethic. perhaps think about a back up for your m9...another m9!!

[Paul J]

THanks everyone, good to hear so many stories about the cameras reliability. I read so many things to the contrary that I was beginning to worry about my change over to Leica and having to rely on and continue using something that I was rather addicted to. Sometimes I wonder if it's the happy owners spreading rumours of distrust to stop people buying them, so they can have them all to themselves.

[skinnfell]

Thanks for the enlightening post. I would love to see some "behind the scenes" or some of the finished stories, but I suppose you have restrictions on this.

 

I have said it before and will say it again - I do not believe that M9s have more reliability issues than other brands, (just think of the 5Dm3 issues, Fuji white orb issues etc) it is just that every little thing, issue or non-issue end up on this forum with three exclamation marks behind it.

 

Also, if you get the exposure right, it is my experience that M9 files require hardly any postprocessing, whereas my canon files require quite heavy makeup to attain a look that will impress customers. That accounts for something when shooting several thousand files for each job.

 

Real life testimonies like these are few and far between and should be made into a sticky.

[skinnfell]

My Nikon binoculars were impossible to focus for some reason already at Mombay - they were four years old. Cathay Photo could not help. I threw them in a dust bin at Changi Airport before going home.

 

I know this is going to be salt in the wound but Nikon has a 25-year worldwide guarantee for all their binoculars, where they will either replace or repair your binoculars for $10 no matter the origin of fault, wether its your fault or not.

I used to work in a camera shop and a guy came in with a pair of binocs from the 70s which wouldnt focus any more. Nikon gave him a brand new one with comparable stats and he just paid the ten bucks.

 

Now thats what I call customer service....

 

Nikon Binoculars Repair Service

[Paul J]

I have said it before and will say it again - I do not believe that M9s have more reliability issues than other brands

 

I think the hardest thing for Leica is the fact that it is of a price where people think and actually demand that it is immune to fault and flaw and should have better IQ, or whatever, than cameras that are 4 years younger than it.

 

I find it peculiar that people somehow forget the fact that other cameras have only just caught up. Nearly 4 years later. You know...the M9 has such a weak sensor

[siglo]

I think the hardest thing for Leica is the fact that it is of a price where people think and actually demand that it is immune to fault and flaw

 

I think the price of a Leica camera evokes one of two "emotions" from new buyers\owners. Emotion is the key word here, so it has nothing to do with facts and specs. They either "feel" that the camera is precious and needs to be babied and taken care of like an exotic car. Or they feel that the camera is Armageddon proof and can withstand extreme conditions better than other brands.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[dwbell]

I think the price of a Leica camera evokes one of two "emotions" from new buyers\owners. Emotion is the key word here, so it has nothing to do with facts and specs. They either "feel" that the camera is precious and needs to be babied and taken care of like an exotic car. Or they feel that the camera is Armageddon proof and can withstand extreme conditions better than other brands.

 

Yup, add to that either "it's faultless in any and every way and cannot under any circumstances be improved upon", vs "load of sh*t for what it costs" conflict and you have...

 

....this forum.