Point-and-shoot Leica M setup!

[legine]

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If I had seen the above title I would have probably dismissed it as rubbish too.

A bit of background to that sweeping statement.

Back in 2013, for me the digital dark ages, I got back into photography.

I say get back, I never really left. At work I used a Bronica ETRS medium format for product shots etc. 

I needed to get back to the habit of always having a small, half decent camera always handy. 

The black box of choice was the nifty little Ricoh GXR. We really enjoyed our 18 months together. 

At the same time my brother was shooting with a full frame Canon 5D. 

By comparison my files were no match for such a lovely if ungainly bit of kit.

After a crash course in digital basics I began to appreciate the benefit of a full frame.

And the reasons for the GXR limitations, ISO noise, slow MF/AF etc. 

 

I needed a camera with fewer fiddly buttons, something less fussy, more engaging, and preferably with manual focus.

Full frame, especially for prints larger than A4. The conclusion was arrived at very quickly. To just one. 

The learned in your number might say it was obvious from the start. The Leica M9.  

Hang on though. Me, with a Leica. The mere thought of such an expensive tool made me sweat. 

A hell of a liability. Would I be too scared to use it. 

My long suffering whispered ‘Shrouds don’t have pockets’ That was all the encouragement I needed. 

Nipped up to the lovely folks at Red Dot Cameras, Old Street. London.

Ivor kindly let me muse, drool and play with the huge assortment of new and used stock.

I was about to plant my hard earned on a used M9 when he showed me the then new M-E.

A light bulb moment. An even more minimal design. No frame line preview lever. No USB ports.

Perfect. Loved it. But only for another 18 months. (there’s a worrying time line developing here)

You’ll probably recall the very wet winter of 2013/14. The font of our house is exposed to the strong coastal south west winds.

Continual torrential rain lashed into the brickwork and mortar. Plasterwork in four rooms on that elevation ruined.

The suggested remedy was to hang tiles on the affected upper half of the failed brickwork. Work commenced.

Temporarily, the alarm box was removed. The only house on the street without one. So we were burgled. 

My whole Leica collection gone. We were both away for no more than 30 minutes.

At this point I have to say, AXA, the insurance company and the Hampshire Police were extremely helpful.

 

I really hadn’t planned on a second bag of kit in such a short time. 

The replacement: M240, ‘Cron 50. Summarit 35mm, handgrip loop and base, Billingham bag with pad and a whole lot of other accessories.

Which brings me to the reason for this amateurish piece. No hard fast rules here, offered as my experience in the pursuit of compromise.

So if I were starting again, the alarm box is back up on the wall by the way - then as now, my everyday go-to kit: (see photos)

 

Half case: Don’t like the extra bulk/weight. Cotton slip bag + lens cloth/wrap.

Camera bag: Never liked using one. Prefer a jacket patch pocket.

Camera strap: On the rare occasion needed then the hook+shoulder loop from leicagoodies.com

Handgrips/Wrist straps: Single ‘sling’ cut down/modified ‘Double Sling’ from leicagoodies.com

Lens: 35mm my all rounder. I have a Summarit 35 but prefer the much shorter Voigtlander Color-Skopar Pan 35mm f/2.5 (PII) perfect for subjects as diverse as classic autos and landscapes (see: http://www.theclassicpostercompany.com)

Lens hood+Cap: Hoocap.

Body grip: Self adhesive thumb grip

Total Weight: 880g

Optional lens: 90 + 21 in small neoprene/velcro pouch on a back-to-back M ring.

 

Moral: Travel light. I could have saved myself hundreds of pounds on unused kit. 

So after four years, three cameras and a bag of accessories I’ve arrived full circle with my preferred point-and-shoot setup.

Not perfect, but to date the smallest lightest I can get away with*. 

Ensuring that ’M’ is always to hand.

 

*New M10 at 60g lighter!

 

[legine]

...photos. Sorry.

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[Peter Kilmister]

Welcome to the forum @legine. That you for sharing your experiences with us. Next time your alarm fails borrow an English Bull Terrier. They will let thieves in but never let them leave. That way the police arrive and find all your gear and the culprit.

 

Years ago, as a teenager, I lived in Birmingham and we never had an alarm. We had a romany bull terrier and we were the only house in the road never to be burgled. Years later my father died and his funeral was at the local church. The press printed his funeral arrangements. On the day, during the service, someone climbed over the back gate. Little did he know that we had left an English bull terrier loose in the garden. He soon was seen by neighbours to be scarily scrambling back over the fence. No intrusion. Job done.

[legine]

We had a terrier. The 'Border' model. He would have been useless. English Bull next time then.

Your rough justice anecdote did make me smile. Thanks Peter.

[Rangefinder]

This story reminded me to call my insurance agent Monday with the values of my Nikons, Leica and assorted equipment.  So sorry your home was burgled. 

 

Mike

[legine]

Don't put off that call Mike. In my case payout very slightly exceeded recorded value. I often hear stories to the contrary. Possibly because the claimant was unable to supply receipts etc. My records were stored in the cloud (and a couple of memory sticks away from the house) plus serials logged with Leica. Receipts from Reddot of London were also available for the record. Oh, and thanks for the sympathy. I missed the intruder by a minute or so. I could smell (his?) sweat by the still swinging rear door keys. Lesson learned - no spare keys left in the house now. I was bloody angry. My wife was upset. Irreplaceable sentimental heirloom pieces gone forever. You can always replace camera gear though.