New M-D owner...

[ncpaladin]

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Hello all,

I finally made the addition of a digital M to my equipment (2 M6TTL's, a .72 in silver, and a .85 in black).  The M-D arrived today.  I read through the manual and downloaded/updated the Adobe software.  This will be an interesting experience.

I chose the M-D because I really wanted (years ago) for Leica to come out with a digital back for the M film cameras, and it is the closest thing to that idea.  Perhaps I am a bit of a luddite.  And I really did not want a screen and a bunch of menus on the camera.  My wife's Lumix is full of that stuff, neither she nor I use many of the features.  I have a Lumix point and shoot that has gone with me when I travel, often it has been an aside camera to my M6, just to handle snapshots or odds and ends where I didn't care to waste precious film.  I have an iPhone also, and since it is on my person or nearby whenever I leave the house, it is often used as my camera.  So when it comes to video (extremely rare use) or panorama (pretty rare, too) the Lumix or iPhone will suffice.  The simplicity of the M-D and the lack of a screen to worry about (would the screen survive for a dozen or more years?) make it the best one for me.  I handled the M10 at the Leica store in Munich a few weeks ago.  I really liked the size, and it is a very clean design.  Maybe one of those in a few years?  Or a Monochrom...  I would still be shooting film regularly if not for the cost and time factor.  I have exercised my cameras, but have not shot a roll of film in over a year.  The cost of the film, shipping them to NCPS, development and scans, etc was more or less coming in at a dollar per shot.   I plan on keeping 1 if not both of my M6TTL's, for when I have a jones to shoot more film.  I definitely needed to get back in the saddle.  So here I am.  Sorry for the rambling!

 

Perhaps some of you can chime in on a few things.

 

1) Any particular half case found to work best with the M-D?  Any to avoid?  I have multiple cases for the M6's (Leica, KameraLeder, Luigi Crescenzi) and various should straps (Leica, Luigi Crescenzi, Eddycam)  The Eddycam is the best should strap for me.

 

2) Grip?  Thumbs Up?  I have large hands and can put a death grip on the camera, but I have found it easier if there are solutions for a sure hold.

 

3) Anyone tried the Adobe Creative Cloud App for the iPhone and some sort of a wifi or other SD card reader to process the photos in the field?  This could be handy when traveling to share photos sooner than after returning to my iMac at home.

 

4) I have in my lens group, a 35mm Summilux from about 1980, the one Leica warns against putting onto a digital M.  It was my first M lens.  Anyone here have this model and had sent it out for CLA and cutting back the inner barrel?  Can they code this lens?  Or is it too old?

 

Thanks for reading my drivel!

 

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[easy_action]

I really like the Thumbs Up on mine - the camera feels so much more secure in my hands, and the finish is almost indistinguishable from the top plate of the M-D.  Combined with a Footprint leather wrist strap that's all i need.

[a.noctilux]

I think so that M-D is the nearest film M experiences (for long time M user film/digital in my case).

 

About some months before the launch of M10, I almost ordered one M-D.

Then I bought M10 in place of M-D for it's thin film M size thickness.

 

But the M-D continued to haunt me, so I bought one M-D some months after M10 (foolish ).

.

M-D is heavier than film M (M-A 583g, M-D 686g ready for action).

So I use M-D with Leica nylon strap and tend to use light lens on it.

 

The thick body is good for secure handling and digits can be placed anywhere at the back lcd-less.

No case.

 

 

I quote myself, here from post #24:

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/281440-m-d-discontinued/page-2

 

 

 

a.noctilux

 

M10-D was on my wish-list before buying/using M-D.

 

Now I doubt if I'll buy one (M10-D if that's the new name) as:

- nothing I can complain about the M-D

- I appreciate the looonnnggg battery life of M-D, maybe less with the will-be-released M10-D

- the handling is as good as can be with some time using it, no need of thinner body

 

- my next step would be later M-10 Monochrom, better yet if it's available with no LCD screen

 

Edited June 28, 2018 by a.noctilux

[totocaster]

Congrats on M-D! I got one myself for very similar reasons as you and I'm totally in love with it.

 

1) Any particular half case found to work best with the M-D?  Any to avoid?  I have multiple cases for the M6's (Leica, KameraLeder, Luigi Crescenzi) and various should straps (Leica, Luigi Crescenzi, Eddycam)  The Eddycam is the best should strap for me.

 

 

I've seen only one M-D specific case online, although have no experience with it → https://www.classiccases.co.uk/product/leica-m-d-camera-case/

 

2) Grip?  Thumbs Up?  I have large hands and can put a death grip on the camera, but I have found it easier if there are solutions for a sure hold.

 

Since M-D has no screen, I started to put my thumb near the ISO dial. Works very well.

 

3) Anyone tried the Adobe Creative Cloud App for the iPhone and some sort of a wifi or other SD card reader to process the photos in the field?  This could be handy when traveling to share photos sooner than after returning to my iMac at home.

 

I use Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader both on iPhone and iPad Pro. It works great! Transfer speed is really good, specially on iPad Pro which supports latest USB3 speeds. However there are couple of quirks:

 

1. Previews from M-D are pretty bad, skewed and very low resolution. Once you import them into Lightroom (or Snapseed, Darkroom, etc) they become just fine.

2. iOS forces you to import to Photos app first. (Might be non-issue for you, but I'd better send RAW files to directly to Lightroom and then export selects to Photos)

3. WiFi cards are pain to use, both convenience and speed-wise.  

 

Hope you find things above useful.

[plaidshirts]

Although I’ve seen cases made specifically for the m-d with the iso dial cutout, i got a Leica m240 case and i like it. Because the camera is already a bit bulky having the back exposed makes it a little thinner. It allows me to see the little led light that would otherwise be covered.

I also have a thumbs up grip as well and recommend it.