Eric Kim on M9

[CGarrard]

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My article: Then his (he puts a small blurb about the M8 in there).

 

I disagree that the M9 is the most affordable though used. I've seen M Typ 262's for less, another excellent camera. I don't think the M9 is going to go down in price, so I agree there. I think it will go slightly up in price because of its more classic qualities and unique sensor. Law of supply and demand- as the supply goes down and demand goes up, so doth price

 

http://photographic-central.blogspot.com/2017/09/leica-m8-rangefinder-diary-of-realigned_4.html

 

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/08/01/now-is-a-good-time-to-buy-a-digital-leica-m9/

 

 

[Ko.Fe.]

His article seems to be self-serving. This guy tells absolutely nothing new. In fact, he repeats something known for almost decade about M8. 

"Rotten sensor" is cooking show terminology and technical level .   

 

Yours, while talking about M8 in 2017, is pleasing in comparison. It feels solid. It comes from person who knows what he is talking about. 

 

Personally, I purchased and sold M8 in 2017 as well. M-E does it better for me. Even if I have to deal with progressing corrosion on the sensor glass.

 

M9 goes under 3K$ USD now and for some time already on common sale sites. I never seen M262 to be so low. Where have you seen M262 under 3K$? 

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[CGarrard]

First of all, thank you so much for those kind words. I'm glad the article has value .

 

I've seen the M240 and M262 both as low as 3k on various Leica Store used outlets online. There are quite a few of them in the USA.

 

I have an M9 arriving, ironically, at my doorstep today. I plan on writing a part II version of the M8 article. I liked the 262 quite a bit, did a review on that too, before I really went full in on Rangefinder shooting. I appreciate the newer M's with more bells and whistles quite a bit, but for me I seem to "need" less distraction and be forced to deal with less capability in order to get my best photography out.

 

 This is all a major transformation to me and it feels absolutely permanent. Whether or not Ill keep the M9 remains to be seen. I do appreciate the differences between it and the M Typ 262.

[Ko.Fe.]

I checked your M262 review and you wrote about 550D as well, I'm still using 500D, so I know about 09/10 DSLR point . It will be very interesting to see how you will feel after M8, M262 with M9.

I know couple of users who decided to stick with M9 after trying M240...

[CGarrard]

500D nice. I have the 50D, same sensor, good cameras- no soul but they get the job done. I look back on all my articles now previously written before the M8 and my new path in rangefinders and see all that I was missing. Certainly M's can't do everything, but no other cameras today can give you the same experience.

 

I've shot a few frames with the M9 already. It's like the M8 and M Typ 262 got married and had an M9 child . I prefer the look and limitations of CCD vs. CMOS. I see no practical advantage of resolution going from 18mp to 24 really. I sold the Typ 262 and actually enjoy shooting with the M8 more. I like the challenge of it, it's not a forgiving camera, you have to be sharp and work for a great shot. These days the experience to me is just as important as the final image. I can make nice images all day long with my Canon 6D, but I won't enjoy the experience or challenge as much as the M's.

 

I'm looking forward to part II with the M9. Hopefully I'll have something worthwhile to contribute to the pool.

[Archiver]

Eric's early articles about his M9 experiences weren't the best.  I disagree with a lot of his points, as many of them are subjective, and he generalizes a lot.

 

For example, he said that he bought the M9 thinking it would make him a better photographer, but it didn't, and in a month it was gathering dust on a shelf.  Then he generalizes that this will be everyone's experience.  Interestingly, my experience was the complete opposite.  Buying the M9 made me a much better photographer than my Canon 30D or 5D Mark II because I had to previsualize, think about exposure, work with primes instead of zooms, and I ended up taking the best images up to that time with it.  And seven years on, it is still my favourite camera.  So Eric fell for hype without understanding his own nature.

[Sailronin]

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Having shot a wide range of cameras (from 8x10 view cameras to Nikon, Hassy, and Leica S) the M9 remains my "go to" travel camera. It has serious limitations as do all rangefinder cameras but living within those bounds forces me to think more  about the image I'm trying to get.  

It's absolutely the wrong camera for someone wanting to "run and gun" shooting on continuous or for someone needing long lenses or macro capability.  Eric complaining about the buffer filling at six shots illustrates his lack of understanding of this camera. Get a Nikon D3 and shoot 200 continuous shots if that's what you need but in many years with Leica digital, going back to M8 in my style of shooting I've never had to wait for the buffer.

[mantelknopf]

I think it is Eric's special view on the camera from the perspective of a street photographer. If you read his recommendations like pushing ISO high, close exposure to 8 and get close to the objects, I can understand his opinion. However, that is a special view and not a broad one

 

 

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[Ko.Fe.]

I never hesitate to use f8 for family pictures and bump the ISO. It is interesting how world revolts about "special view" including photography.

 

I started with my family FED-2 in eighties, f8 was norm for everything, even with slide ORWO DDR film. If not enough light, it was norm to use flash and f8.

I'm still using it this way as preferable and secure method to get picture with normal view, not bokeh only to look at concept. It is still normal to have f8 for portraits, because how else you get group portrait in focus. It is norm to use f8 for landscapes.

And f8 is the normal aperture where most and many of the lenses performance reveals. 

 

Eric is good teacher and as most of the good teachers he tells nothing new. It was Winogrand in seventies who told his students what f8 and 1/250 is good for street photography. It is known fact as well what Tri-X was pushed @1000 by many known street photographers to be able to maintain f8 and 1/500, 1/1000 to freeze the moment. By now most of their photographs are  barely the "street" photography, but time, era snapshots, true life documentary...

 

From ten+ years from know, what is going to be more valuable on the image, bokeh at f1.4 or documented moment of life?

[mantelknopf]

That depends on your Approach and Taste!

 

 

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[Sailronin]

It was Weegee who when asked the secret to great photographs said "f8 and be there..."

[parsod]

CGarrard I really enjoyed your article on the M8. I have the same experience with my M9 which I use in in parallel with some Nikon cameras. I always appreciate getting back to simple and minimalistic rangefinder. After using my Nikons for a long time a took the M9 with my on a recent trip to Rome and must say I really liked getting back to the more "manual" way of working with the Leica. Not only a pleasing experience taking the photos it was also great working with the files from the M9 in post. Fantastic quality in the files from the CCD in combination with the Leica lenses. Can't seem to get a similar feeling from the Nikons. Thanks for an inspirational article!

Edited September 29, 2017 by parsod

[frame-it]

https://petapixel.com/2017/05/16/eric-kim-proves-value-fallacy-seo-photographers/

[Denys]

It was Weegee who when asked the secret to great photographs said "f8 and be there..."

Brilliant! And, if they're still not great enough - you're not close enough! :-)

[raphael]

From ten+ years from know, what is going to be more valuable on the image, bokeh at f1.4 or documented moment of life?

Thank you, Sir. Thank you very much.