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First M only event

Dannybuoy

By Dannybuoy
in Leica M (Type 240 / 262)

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Dannybuoy

Dannybuoy

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Bit nervous but quietly confident today. I'm official photographer at a charity Mozart concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London tonight. I'm only armed with my M and selection of Leica, Konica and Voigtlander glass. Recently sold all my Canon gear so this is the first big event I'm shooting RF only. I'm sure it'll be up to the job, just hope I am. Am set to do some portraits of Princess Michael of Kent and the sponsors too. A little nervous about that but hear she's an easy going lady. Will post a few photos in the week if anyone is interested in ripping them apar... I mean seeing them.

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anupmc

anupmc

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I was at a 12-hour music festival on Saturday with just the M and Apo 90mm, nothing else… In completely classic mode, my hit rate of good shots were so much higher than I've ever gotten with the M9 and the same lens :D... The M also handles very difficult lighting superbly.

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efreed2754

efreed2754

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You will be fine. I shoot a lot of concerts here at the university. Of course most with M9 but last two with new M and love having it. Much smaller than Royal Festival Hall though.

 

In addition to capturing the celebrities will you do the concert itself? If so where will they let you be positioned? Being more informal I sit in audience and wait for loud parts. 35, 50 or 75 usually do the trick unless full orchestra when might use my 24. Have shot in larger hall where 75 covered full stage from upstairs.

 

Of course Mozart's orchestras are smaller so easier to get everyone in when desired.

 

Definitely want to see your pics.

 

Ed

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jto555

jto555

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Bit nervous but quietly confident today. I'm official photographer at a charity Mozart concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London tonight. I'm only armed with my M and selection of Leica, Konica and Voigtlander glass. Recently sold all my Canon gear so this is the first big event I'm shooting RF only. I'm sure it'll be up to the job, just hope I am. Am set to do some portraits of Princess Michael of Kent and the sponsors too. A little nervous about that but hear she's an easy going lady. Will post a few photos in the week if anyone is interested in ripping them apar... I mean seeing them.

 

 

Good luck with the event! Canon and Nikon are very comfortable cameras to use at events, so the fact that you are a little nervous should mean that you will be trying harder to make it work for you. Always a good thing. I am looking forward to seeing the results.

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Dannybuoy

Dannybuoy

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So I'm sitting on the train platform on the way home. Initial feedback. I feel quite let down by my M. A few black screens after pressing the shutter. Loads of LV issues. A total freeze up. Lost of 'lens not attached' messages. It really has been a pretty ridiculous night and has really made me question why I have £10k worth of equipment that lets me down in the heat of the moment. But. I'll most likely forgive it once I see the files on my mac :-) will definitely post some pics up in the next few days.

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chris_tribble

chris_tribble

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So I'm sitting on the train platform on the way home. Initial feedback. I feel quite let down by my M. A few black screens after pressing the shutter. Loads of LV issues. A total freeze up. Lost of 'lens not attached' messages. It really has been a pretty ridiculous night and has really made me question why I have £10k worth of equipment that lets me down in the heat of the moment. But. I'll most likely forgive it once I see the files on my mac :-) will definitely post some pics up in the next few days.

 

Danny - sorry you had these problems. I hope I don't sound as if I'm being wise after the event, and hope that the following comments might be useful:

 

1. I would never try to cover this sort of event with one RF body. I see two as a minimum so that you can move between wide and medium easily.

2. I would never depend on an RF camera (even with LV) for longer telephoto work. I have specifically kept a 5D2 + 70-200 f 2.8 IS for this kind of job (along with an old but trusty Canon 300 f2.8)

3. Lens not attached issues and the like are unknown to me - never happened. BUT all of my lenses which were not Leica coded have had machined coding pits added and have been carefully marked. Both my Ms recognise them flawlessly.

 

I'm really sorry you feel let down by the system - I can feel your frustration. However, I also think you need to review your decision making for pro jobs. A pair of used Canon 5D bodies + a couple of L series lenses (24-70 f2.8 + an older non IS 70-200 f2.8) will do the job really really well. A single RF body and a couple of lenses is near perfect for up close reportage / documentary / travel. I use this combo all the time. But I would never consider depending on the single body for events (especially live performance).

 

I'm currently in Colombia on an assignment and I've brought along 2 M240s, Leica 21 / 28 / 35 / 50 / 90 + Canon 5D2 and 70-200 + monopod + tripod for video interviews. This all fits easily into a Lowepro backpack and I feel SAFE.

 

Hope you got some good shots though -- I'm sure you will have :)

 

Best...

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Paul J

Paul J

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Sorry to hear Danny - That is way too many things to go wrong on one shoot. You are right, £10K of equipment SHOULD be up to the task of taking a few photos. What use is a camera built for "the decisive moment" when there's a reasonable chance it will be locked up at the time.

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chris_tribble

chris_tribble

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Sorry to hear Danny - That is way too many things to go wrong on one shoot. You are right, £10K of equipment SHOULD be up to the task of taking a few photos. What use is a camera built for "the decisive moment" when there's a reasonable chance it will be locked up at the time.

 

Paul J - I get the impression that Danny was trying to do more than "take a few photos". Swapping lenses quickly, especially when they're non-Leica and maybe not coded (or manually coded with a sharpie) is a recipe for problems IMHO. The problem is that in real terms £10k of equipment isn't a lot of money. If I were asked to advise, I'd recommend two 5D3 bodies + 70-200 / 16-35 / 24-70 as a basic pro setup (if you add a decent flash + slaves) - and this would set you back the same £10K. If you have another £2K to spend then get an 85 1.2 for portraits - this is a remarkable lens. Really, if you want to start earning a living in photography (and have a strong young back!) I'd actually say this was the best way to go. Putting all your cash into a single RF camera + a mix of odds and ends lenses doesn't strike me as the best strategy if you're trying to make your way in a hard hard world. Me, I LOVE working with the Ms - but I also know their limitations.

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k-hawinkler

k-hawinkler

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Danny, I am sorry this happened to you.

Well, reading this I am firm in my decision:

No more Leica camera for me until Leica gets their act together, including QA.

My M9 will have to do for RF. There are so many reliable alternatives for FF out there.

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Leicaiste

Leicaiste

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So sorry to hear of your problems. Frankly it is exactly these types of let downs that have given the a7r an opening in the Leica community. A7r + 24-70 FE (if it's good) should do a stellar job.

 

The AF of the A7r may be disappointing in this type of situation.

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Leicaiste

Leicaiste

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I'm only armed with my M and selection of Leica, Konica and Voigtlander glass. Recently sold all my Canon gear so this is the first big event I'm shooting RF only.

 

I feel quite let down by my M. A few black screens after pressing the shutter. Loads of LV issues. A total freeze up. Lost of 'lens not attached' messages.

 

Hi Danny,

 

I am just curious. Why did you decide to use LV in this situation ? Why didn't you stick to RF only ?

 

Lucien

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wattsy

wattsy

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Tend to agree with Chris. There are jobs where a couple of M bodies and 2-3 M lenses can be perfect – especially when you know in advance exactly what you are faced with (and the kind of access you have, etc.) and you have a perfect understanding with the client regarding the type and style of photographs you will be taking. However, sometimes it is just easier to use a decent DSLR, zoom lens and flash to get the kind of sharp, well-lit photos of "VIPs shaking hands with fawning committee members, etc." (the grip n' grin photos:D) that the client sometimes wants. I know from experience that a single M body (you absolutely have to have a second body of the same kind for back-up) isn't always the right choice.

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jaapv

jaapv

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I am puzzled about the lockups; that is definitely not normal behaviour The lens not recognized errors are undoubtedly due to the quality of the coding on the non-Leica lenses.

I also tend to agree with Chris that for fast event shooting a minimum of lens changes (i.e. Two bodies or a zoom )is the way to go and that preparation is essential Fumbling around with lenses in a press of people is a nightmare.

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