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On Using The Monochrom As Your Primary Vacation Camera


johnbuckley

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Vacations are supposed to be memorable, and memories are in color, aren't they? And yes, we took along our M. But last week, visiting Jackson Hole for the 15th summer, we really wanted to see familiar settings in black and white, and it prompted some thoughts, which we hope you like:

 

http://tulipfrenzy.com/2015/07/07/on-taking-the-leica-monochrom-on-vacation/

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Nicely done John, as usual. I also took my MM2 to Tetons/Yellowstone and the images I was able to get on my first outing out there were memorable. Thanks for all your help.

 

While I was out there my Q arrived back home and I could not help but think it might be a dynamite travel camera for street as well as landscape use.

Edited by algrove
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Nicely done John, as usual. I also took my MM2 to Tetons/Yellowstone and the images I was able to get on my first outing out there were memorable. Thanks for all your help.

 

While I was out there my Q arrived back home and I could not help but think it might be a dynamite travel camera for street as well as landscape use.

Thanks, Lou, and glad you enjoyed the Tetons. As a friend out here says, it's hard to take a bad picture here. Cheers, and enjoy your Q, which admittedly tempts me.

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Nice images and some good points ........

 

I went on a Portraiture Teaching day recently and took my M246 and M ....... and found I was using the M246 all the time as the B&W images said something about the person and their character ...... whilst the colour images looked more like a collection for a clothes catalogue ....

 

All the others with huge Canons/Nikons and big zooms/long lenses were rather perplexed, although the tutors were rather more relaxed and viewed my double eccentricity on this occasion (Leica and B&W) rather indulgently as I have exhibited this deviant behaviour when I have gone before .....

 

...... surprisingly ..... despite repeated episodes of disobedience (failure to use a tripod, inappropriate focal length lenses, incorrect framing and odd viewpoints) my images now feature in a lot of their training material (with permission)  :p

 

....... and on the Falconry day I was the only one that got a decent close shot of bird in flight (with a 135/3.4)...... and I was the idiot with the manual focussing camera  :rolleyes:

Edited by thighslapper
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Nice images and some good points ........

 

I went on a Portraiture Teaching day recently and took my M246 and M ....... and found I was using the M246 all the time as the B&W images said something about the person and their character ...... whilst the colour images looked more like a collection for a clothes catalogue ....

 

All the others with huge Canons/Nikons and big zooms/long lenses were rather perplexed, although the tutors were rather more relaxed and viewed my double eccentricity on this occasion (Leica and B&W) rather indulgently as I have exhibited this deviant behaviour when I have gone before .....

 

...... surprisingly ..... despite repeated episodes of disobedience (failure to use a tripod, inappropriate focal length lenses, incorrect framing and odd viewpoints) my images now feature in a lot of their training material (with permission)  :p

 

....... and on the Falconry day I was the only one that got a decent close shot of bird in flight (with a 135/3.4)...... and I was the idiot with the manual focussing camera  :rolleyes:

Sounds great. Have not heard of this in the US although there must be some "portaiture teaching day" near here.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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Thanks John. Lovely inspiring stuff there.

 

I'll be doing just this in 2 weeks in Southern France with my MM246, which I'm collecting next week.  Can't wait - I have missed my MM since the day I sold it.  The poor old M-P will be coming strictly as a back up should the new addition have any teething problems.  It shouldn't I know, but my first MM died after 5 days (and was replaced immediately by my dealer)......once bitten

 

Regards

Edited by jcraf
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A few years ago, I decided to challenge myself and took only b&w film on two Leica bodies for a two-week trip to Hawaii. Hawaii in particular screams color, so I wondered what it would be like to take the color away. I had a great time.

 

I loaded 100 speed in one camera and 400 speed in the other and went from there. Sometimes it's really fun just forcing yourself into a different situation.

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Nice images and some good points ........

 

I went on a Portraiture Teaching day recently and took my M246 and M ....... and found I was using the M246 all the time as the B&W images said something about the person and their character ...... whilst the colour images looked more like a collection for a clothes catalogue ....

 

All the others with huge Canons/Nikons and big zooms/long lenses were rather perplexed, although the tutors were rather more relaxed and viewed my double eccentricity on this occasion (Leica and B&W) rather indulgently as I have exhibited this deviant behaviour when I have gone before .....

 

...... surprisingly ..... despite repeated episodes of disobedience (failure to use a tripod, inappropriate focal length lenses, incorrect framing and odd viewpoints) my images now feature in a lot of their training material (with permission)  :p

 

....... and on the Falconry day I was the only one that got a decent close shot of bird in flight (with a 135/3.4)...... and I was the idiot with the manual focussing camera  :rolleyes:

 

Can you share the joy of your photos with us?  Would love to see them.

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I've just come back from four days in Barcelona with an M Monochrom and Q.  The MM has a Summicron-M 50/f2 on it most of the time, occasionally a Tele-Elmarit 90mm/f/2.8 and a few shots with Zeiss 21mm/f2.8. 

 

Using both worked well, I probably used the MM two thirds of the time. Nothing screams colour more than Gaudi, and b&w does not do them justice and could be considered an insult, by I shot the Sagrada Familia and most interiors in b&w. 

 

So it was my primary camera, but it would not have suited me as my only camera.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Here's a teaser photo:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32229012@N00/albums/72157657306242229

 

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

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I just edited an album from my Germany vacation. I took my M9 and my MM. You can see the results and the ratio, which is highly in favor of the Monochrome here:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32229012@N00/albums/72157657306242229

Some really nice photos there, specially from the MM and 35 Summilux combo.

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Thank you. I think the picture you are referring to is my son at my grandmother's house with the balcony door providing some indirect backlight. That picture really shows of the midtones the MM is capable of producing. The 35lux is the collectible double aspherical. It is unfortunate that the prices have skyrocketed so much, but it is my favorite lens on the MM.

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I've been using MM1 as my main camera with 21/35/50/90 M lenses for numerous trips overseas during the past two years to cover people, streets and sceneries.

 

For colour, I used an A7 last year. It was not a satisfying experience becuase of the red shift limiting the use of lenses wider than 35mm.

 

Since my colour needs are only for I-was-here type of snaps, I am rather convinced now that a high quality, modern smart phone's camera would suit the purpose better.

Edited by a.cheng
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I just edited an album from my Germany vacation. I took my M9 and my MM. You can see the results and the ratio, which is highly in favor of the Monochrome here:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32229012@N00/albums/72157657306242229

Great series, looks a lot like the area around Bad Kreuznach where my wife is from and where I've used my MM a lot as well.  May I ask where this was?

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