Leica M10 Ordered; What is about a lens

[hteasley]

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Jeff

This really isn't the forum for this, but just to say that organic farming is primarily a marketing creation. It uses a lot of chemicals and pesticides (contrary to what many think), wastes more water and land for lower yields, to deliver scientifically indistinguishable product. It's a bunch of woo.

[wosamko]

Wosamko, you are chasing up too many blind alleys. I’m a bit concerned that you have an idea, and it is running away with you!

 

I think you said your background was dSLR?

 

My story is that I had a Nikon F5 and some nice lenses. They all got stolen, so I set out in search of a replacement. At that time, the logical best replacment was a Canon 5D2. I held one in the shop, with one of Canon’s best lenses (an L something, or US. I think one of the lenses was huge and white). There were buttons everywhere (randomnly placed it seemed to me), lots of plastic and everything hidden in menus. I hid my head and thought to myself, why make something so simple complicated?

 

Subsequently I’ve had a Sony A7r (with matching lenses) and a Nikon d800e (a disaster of a camera, in my view). But they were for my reasons - the A7 had an awful menu system, random buttons and felt like a piece of soap in my hands (too small and slippery) and it performed badly with Leica lenses; the Nikon was vast, complicated and didn’t give me appreciably better images than the M9. Did I say it was vast and complicated?

 

So, what about the M9? I’d never owned a Leica; the shop didn’t have one for me to try - all I’d done was read about them. The appeal of the M9 was (1) Leica lenses, (2) direct control of focus, f-stop and shutter, with easy access to ISO and nothing else to get in the way, and (3) it’s delightful simplicity in a compact, well made package. Much like you, I hunted the internet and found that Meister in Berlin had a camera in stock. They were very hard to get in those days, and Meister were very helpful.

 

I was completely confused by the lens nomenclature, and could make neither hide nor hair of the choices. I went with Meister’s recommendation of a 35 Summicron ASPH (apparently Leica’s biggest selling lens at that time) - I eventually sold that lens for a reasonable price as I’m not a 35mm kind of guy. I find that focal length ... boring.

 

The reason for my little story is my experience when the camera arrived. I had used SLR cameras almost exclusively for over 30 years (like Godfrey, my favourites were the Nikon FE & FM series - robust and direct control). The M9 was a surprise. Unboxing it, and all that German engineering was a delight - my new toy! But then, I discovered the reality of the rangefinder (or reminded myself - I’d had a Canonet as a child). What you see through the focusing window is a fixed image; it doesn’t change with lenses; it’s just a plain window on the world. Focusing is split image only in the focusing patch, with no other focus aids. This came as an initial surpise.

 

In practice, it was remarkably easy to take a photo and forget to focus at all. But with practice, despite it’s inherent shortcomings, the rangefinder is a delight to use. What takes an image? First, get your ISO about right; second, if it matters to you, get your white balance right for the conditions (easy to do with a white balance card if you’re that much if a control freak, which I tend to be); third work out where to put your camera for the best composition and focus; fourth, chose the appropriate f-stop for the depth of field for your subject; and fifth, check that the shutter speed is not going to cause you problems.

 

The rangefinder is just an aid - a good aid, but irrelevant to image quality.

 

To me, this is the remarkable strength of the M system - fantastic lenses, and direct control of ISO, aperture, focus and shutter speed. Nothing else matters. You won’t get that purity of approach from any Sony, Nikon or Canon; but I do think you need to prepare yourself for a surprise - the M camera is a whole lot less than you might expect, but way more than you appreciate once (if) you get your head around it. Forget your justifications, forget your criteria, and take the time to understand and get to know your M10 when it arrives. It will surprise and delight you, if you get to understand it on it’s own terms.

 

Otherwise, the Sonys really are very good, they will give very good image quality and they might be more familiar and comfortable for you. I say that in all honesty.

 

John

 

(Sorry about the length if this - it’s late and my medication is probably interfering).

 

 

Hi John,

Thank you so much for your valuable reply and awesome details

"I think you said your background was dSLR?" Yes. (Never RangeFinder)

" random buttons and felt like a piece of soap in my hands (too small and slippery)" I like this example. You have great imaginations

"(Sorry about the length if this - it’s late and my medication is probably interfering)." No no no no, no worries. As Albert Einstein said : Time is illusion. While I was reading your reply I did not feel time as it was great and pure from your heart. I appreciate it a lot.

I don't think that I will have issues with the ISO, Shutter, Aperture. My issue is focusing the lens since it is blurry. In Nikon, It takes time to focus and make sharp images therefore I use autofocus.

Is it easy to focus the lens unlike Nikon? For example: It is easy and great feeling to use the manual gear in Ferrari BUT Terrifying in using manual gear in Dump Truck?

"You won’t get that purity of approach from any Sony, Nikon or Canon" You mean the purity and greater images in Leica more than Nikon, Sony and Canon? Or, Nikon,.. greater than Leica M10

 

Kindest Wishes,

Wosam

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[IkarusJohn]

Perhaps consider getting the external EVF if you have trouble focusing. But if you can, give the rangefinder a good try first. This camera is what it is. Forget about your expectations and your requirements and try to understand the camera and make the most of what it actually does so well.

 

There are way too many people fretting about what’s missing, what the camera doesn’t do and what they want in the next version - don’t join them.

[evikne]

Question regarding the shutter speed. Since M10 shutter speed is 1/4000, will ND filter will act as 1/16000?! I mean If I shoot with f2 and speed 1/4000 and the result is white image or extremely bright: What ND filter rating should I choose? For the lens Leica 50mm f2

 

I answered this yesterday, but I would just like to add that for a f/2 lens I wouldn't normally use an ND filter at all. In the very brightest light with ISO 200, 1/4000 and f/2.0, you may at worst get a 1 EV overexposed picture. But this is easily recovered in post processing from a RAW file. And you can recover more from ISO 200 than ISO 100, so there is no particular need to change the ISO either. 

 

And there is always the possibility to stop down to for example f/2.8 or more, if you really want to be on the safe side.

[stunsworth]

Zeiss lenses will be fine.

 

For a first Leica lens most people will choose either a 35mm or 50mm lens. People can't make that decision for you. I chose a 35mm, other have chosen a 50mm - there's no right or wrong answer.

[M11 for me]

Zeiss lenses will be fine.

 

For a first Leica lens most people will choose either a 35mm or 50mm lens. People can't make that decision for you. I chose a 35mm, other have chosen a 50mm - there's no right or wrong answer.

 

And some think of their mobile phone and choose 28mm like the Q.

[Jeff S]

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35 and 50 are still my most used lenses, since the 80’s. One needs to get out and shoot to figure out what works; doesn’t matter what others do or like.

 

Find out if you like the rangefinder experience and go from there. If you can’t demo or rent an M10, this can also be done by buying a relatively inexpensive M8 or M9, and selling it if you don’t bond. Most of your questions will be answered by doing, not reading.

 

Jeff

[stunsworth]

And some think of their mobile phone and choose 28mm like the Q.

 

True, but I'd be willing to bet that Leica sell more 35mm and 50mm lenses than 28mm.

Edited July 26, 2018 by stunsworth

[M11 for me]

True, but I'd be willing to bet that Leica sell more 35mm and 50mm lenses than 28mm.

My first 2 lenses were the . . . .

 

yes 28 Cron and 50mm Lux. The 35 I added a few months later. I think that if I do NOT photograph family or people then I mount preferably the 28mm. So if I had to get rid of either the 28 or the 35mm then I would keep the 28. For travelling or landscape I prefer that focal length. If necessary I still can crop a bit in Lightroom.

[microview]

FWIW, photographer/reviewer Ming Thein really dislikes the 35 FOV and is a 28 man!

[mmradman]

True, but I'd be willing to bet that Leica sell more 35mm and 50mm lenses than 28mm.

Ignoring special editions or finishes Leica M 28mm is sold in four flavours, only 50mm sells in more flavours - five, 35mm only three.

[Jeff S]

But for M8 users, which still include many, a 28 translates to a 37mm field of view.

 

With the M8.2, my favorite lenses were 28 and 50. With all other Ms, my preferred lenses are 35 and 50.

 

Jeff