Retraining of automatic DSLR user adjusting to the M10

[david.kize]

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I recently bought a new M10 with a 35mm cron ASPH and (yet to arrive) 50 lux.  Many years ago, I used a rangefinder for 25 years, but then for 40 years used mostly automatic DSLR cameras.

 

So now . . . I am back to my early photography days only this time with an M10.  And here are two experiences of the first two weeks:

 

1.  When I have time to think about what I am doing, I have found it enjoyable and successful to revert to a rangefinder, select my settings and composition, and then look at my photo results.

 

2.  When I try to take a quick photo of an instant opportunity--such as this morning a squirrel having acrobatic skills in settling in at one of our bird feeders--I find that I took the picture with the wrong aperture (depth of field) and focus setting.  This is because I have too often in the past relied on automatic program modes of DSLR cameras that autofocus, and select their own choice of aperture and shutter speed.  Immediately upon looking at my photo in Play mode, I saw the focus and depth of field problems, changed my aperture and focus point, and took a very nicely composed photo of . . . an empty bird feeder with a departed squirrel.

 

3.  So it may take a little while longer before I instinctively turn first to my proper settings or preset the aperture and focal distance to cover the needed zone of focus.  Too many years of defaulting to automatic programming modes on DSLRs....

Edited May 12, 2018 by david.kize

[Jeff S]

And you haven’t yet been caught with the lens cap still on?

 

Jeff

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[Anthonytc]

hello from London,

Your words could be mine !!! I have had my M10 since June 2017 with 28 cron and 50 lux.  So much fun and so much to practice again.  Photography has returned to us ??? 

 

Anthony. 

[Anthonytc]

BTW.  yes I have had the lens cap laugh also  .  no as much fun as my 1971 model...using it for a full day with no film loaded !!!

[Guest]

I recall a recommendation from a longer time M shooter .... longer than my 35 years ....

 

Always reset the lens to infinity after shooting ... that way you know where it is without looking 

and muscle memory will allow a fairly quick move to a closer focus if needed.

 

Bob

[a.noctilux]

David,

 

The squirrel was too far anyway, with 35mm lens .

 

I learn each day with committed errors (not only for photos).

 

...

And with time, I don't even rely on "A" automatic shutter speed chosen by the M10.

 

If the "cap thing" happens when "A" set, that means some minutes waiting for the shutter to close + same time for "noise reduction" function not possible to disable.

[Franky]

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Hi,

 40 years with SLR am DSLRs. In Oct 2017 I bought a m10 with an 28 mm cron and this year am 75 mm cron. Perfect photography with max fun!! So what should I do with my Canon system?

 

Franky

[LocalHero1953]

David,

 

The squirrel was too far anyway, with 35mm lens .

 

I learn each day with committed errors (not only for photos).

 

...

And with time, I don't even rely on "A" automatic shutter speed chosen by the M10.

 

If the "cap thing" happens when "A" set, that means some minutes waiting for the shutter to close + same time for "noise reduction" function not possible to disable.

If you do that again, switch off the camera and, if necessary, remove the battery - it's quicker than waiting 8 minutes.

 

These recondite tricks of old-time Leica shooters

[a.noctilux]

 

Thanks Paul for the trick "removing the battery".

 

I learned that the hard way, years ago with M8 ( oh, almost a decade ! time passed quite quickly).

Now I apply the trick to my M in place of waiting minutes .

Edited May 12, 2018 by a.noctilux

[david.kize]

BTW.  yes I have had the lens cap laugh also  .  no as much fun as my 1971 model...using it for a full day with no film loaded !!!

 

LOL.  This reminds me of the time that I lost a day of photography on a foreign vacation trip when my film WAS loaded, but the film-advance sprocket wheel did not catch the holes at the edge of the film strip.  So every "film advance" I made during the day did not pull the film out of its magazine one iota.

[david.kize]

And you haven’t yet been caught with the lens cap still on?

 

Jeff

I HAVE to my surprise done that--twice!  Fortunately, each time, I caught the problem before I actually took a photo.  But I had forgotten that you can see just fine through the optical view finder with the cap still on--unlike with an SLR camera where the view would be blocked by the lens cap. 

[TomB_tx]

LOL.  This reminds me of the time that I lost a day of photography on a foreign vacation trip when my film WAS loaded, but the film-advance sprocket wheel did not catch the holes at the edge of the film strip.  So every "film advance" I made during the day did not pull the film out of its magazine one iota.

I was in Washington DC once at cherry blossom time, with my Leicaflex SL, which I hadn’t used for some time due to army duties. I took many great shots, then back at base went to use up the film, and when the counter read 42... I realized why the advance felt so smooth.

[derleicaman]

Hi,

 40 years with SLR am DSLRs. In Oct 2017 I bought a m10 with an 28 mm cron and this year am 75 mm cron. Perfect photography with max fun!! So what should I do with my Canon system?

 

Franky

Having been a life time film Leica user (since 1969), I finally embraced digital with a series of Nikon DSLRs culminating with the D700. Stefan Daniel would scold me when I saw him at meetings, but then he would say he could not blame me as Leica had nothing to compete with. I was a advance tester of the M8, but couldn't pull the trigger with the crop factor and being a big wide angle user. I finally pulled the trigger with the M9 and I fell in love with photography again.

 

Once I had the M9, I never picked up the D700 again. After a few years, I sold it along with the really nice Nikon EF autofocus lenses I had acquired. I took a beating on the body, recouping about 1/3 of my original investment. Leicas certainly retain their value better, even the digital models! I kept a few basic Nikon lenses and my D300 just in case I needed it for long lens work.

 

My advice, dump the Canon system as soon as possible to recoup as much as you can from it, as I'm sure once you get hooked on the M10, you won't give the Canon a second thought. I skipped the M240 and sold my M9-P for the M10 last fall, and its great fun all over again!

[pgk]

I try to make it a habit to leave my camera at 'standard' settings - 1/250s, f/8, and base ISO, so that when I pick it up I already know what it is set too and which controls will need adjustment depending on the conditions. This saves time simply because I don't have to check what the settings are before adjusting them.

[bocaburger]

I've used SLR's and M's both 50 years, never had a problem switching between them and never contemplated selling out of an SLR system and going totally Leica. 

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm facinated to learn what DSLR is forty years old. I would like to ask OP which DSLR he used to take aqrobatic treerat in auto mode.

My wife still refusing to take even still object image with DSLR. The brand I used has only one automatic mode - picture ruined by camera automatics.

I finally was able to understand what ISO, aperture, shutter speed and DOF is only after switching to DSLR in 2008. Simply because auto was not working at all. Yet. It helped me to use film cameras like I never used them before.

 

Starting from M9, Leica allowed best automatic mode in full mode I ever need.

Auto ISO in full range. Freaking DSLRs (many) will still limit you on some very narrow auto ISO range.

[jaapv]

The Olympus OM-40  SLR (1985) even had electronic focus confirmation (a green LED lighting up when focus was correct) in the viewfinder.

 

The first DSLR was Kodak -1975.

The first Sony Mavica prototype - 1981.

1986 - Kodak again - this time a sensor in a Canon F1.

The first commercial Kodak DSLR -1991.

Nikon E2 -1995

[pico]

Habit is the only thing that keeps me out of trouble. I use lenses that have a focusing tab that I leave in a position suited to the lens. In two cases I had to add the tab (a lever, really) myself. l have learned that A-exposure setting is better than I am for sudden work; I just set the aperture to what I think I might want.

 

As much as I respect the aspirations of those who use no meter, no automatic exposure, I did that for fifty years and happily admit that Leica's metering is better overall for two M9s, two M7s.

 

Tri-x @320 asa, D-76 1:1, 15% under time. Life is good.

Edited May 24, 2018 by pico

[Whitford]

I recall a recommendation from a longer time M shooter .... longer than my 35 years ....

 

Always reset the lens to infinity after shooting ... that way you know where it is without looking 

and muscle memory will allow a fairly quick move to a closer focus if needed.

 

Bob

 

 

This x1000.

 

I still get slightly surprised when I raise the camera to my eye and my pre-focus is right on.

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