Too much gear! M10 help this..?

[LondonL]

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Hi all, in need of some advice and insight into your own gear situations. I have too much gear..! I hate having this much gear and I need to slim things down so I can focus on making pictures and telling stories, and having just discovered the pure beauty of the M6 experience I need more of it..! Could the M10 solve my problem?

 

Below is a list of what I have and it’s purpose:

 

Sony A7iii - 35mm f2.8, 85mm f1.8, 24-70mm f4. My do everything and anything camera. Love love the AF, but don’t love how technical and clinical it is. Not using it much at all recently due to other gear.

 

Canon G5x ii - used specifically for one project and its perfect for that. Can be ignored for this post.

 

Ricoh GRiii - my go anywhere when I want small and compact. Usually when out with the family or when our not doing photography as a priority. 

 

Leica Q-P - first foray into Leica and was immediately blown away by the quality and simplicity. 28mm is not my favourite, would rather it was a 35mm but it is what it is.

 

Leica M6 - CV 35mm 1.4 and soon to add 75mm summarit. This is a recent purchase and I’m again blown away. Back to film, the experience of a rangefinder, the simplicity, slowing down... everything that is well documented about the M is just soo true. I’m in for life..!

 

The issue now. Too much gear. I shoot lots of documentary work, family stuff and occasionally some street. The gear I’m 100% keeping... M6, GRiii and G5x. So really it’s all about what to do with the A7 and Q-P.

 

I would miss the AF for family (young kids) and 85mm for the A7, but I was thinking of perhaps adding an M10 to replace the A7 and Q-P. I love the idea of having a 35mm and 75mm for the M6 and M10 as a film and digital setup. The biggest question and thing that’s not instantly making me do this is AF and whether an M10 would be sensible for young family. For everything else the M6 has convinced me that I can do everything with a rangefinder other than quick speed of capturing kids.

 

Anyway... would be great to hear your advice, your thoughts and what you use. Great to hear your story with gear.

 

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[robsonj]

You need more gear😀. Honestly I to have alot of gear also, but my photography moods change, admittedly I’ve loved the mood that takes me to the Leica for a while now, but I wouldnt sell my Sony, Olympus, Ricoh, Fuji gear either. That said, I don’t know if I’ll buy any more bodies either, I feel like things have reached a level of maturity for me.

[T25UFO]

Maybe not so much too many cameras, more a case of too many systems.  

I love the rangefinder, but it's not that good for fast moving children.  Auto focus was my answer - Leica SL2 with 75mm Summicron is perfect.  I usually couple this with a Q2 - the combination of 28mm and 75mm, and not having to change lenses is perfect for me.  I thought about the 35mm Summicron for the SL2, but the Q2 doesn't take up any more space in the bag than an additional lens.

My rangefinder itch is scratched by M10 Mono.  I've always thought Leica rangefinder cameras are first and foremost B&W.  I've paired down to just one lens - the 50mm APO.  The resolution is so good you can easily crop to at least 75mm.  Wide angle B&W will be taken care of by a Q2 Mono when it arrives.

Edited December 6, 2020 by T25UFO

[Dr No]

IMO:

M6
M10
keep your 35, 75 and buy a 50.

Done. Get rid of the rest. I didn't miss AF for my kids.

[Mikep996]

Nobody can tell you what YOU should do; only YOU can do that...

 

I'm fine with one camera (M10) and a few lenses AND I never go out with more than one additional lens.  But if you need multiple systems/LENSES to do what you like to do, then that's what you need!

 

[didier]

1 hour ago, LondonL said:

The biggest question and thing that’s not instantly making me do this is AF and whether an M10 would be sensible for young family

I am in the same situation. A long time M user (several M film bodies and M10M), I added a SL a few years ago, and kept it for that very reason.

It is all the more so a good option as you can use M lenses easily on the SL, just get on autofocus Lens for you kids.

Maybe your Q-P could do what the SL does for me : one autofocus / color camera, and Ms...

[a.noctilux]

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NO to the OP title.

[jakontil]

Dont worry the AF, you would live without one for the sake’s of its experience and results...

 

i have m10-p and m10-D with xpro3 but the latter is rarely used 

i replaced my A9 with the m10-p at that time 

[cboy]

To Op wait til sl2-s comes out to replace the A7 QP. In the meantime sell the gear you wish to replace. Then also get sigmas new dg dn lens coming out - 35mm f2, 65mm f2 & 24mm

Im pretty sure the sl2-s is a more than good compromise to the A7 & QP.

All the best

Edited December 7, 2020 by cboy

[Herr Barnack]

@LondonL -

Quote

Leica Q-P - first foray into Leica and was immediately blown away by the quality and simplicity.

Keep the Q-P.

Quote

Leica M6 - CV 35mm 1.4 and soon to add 75mm summarit. This is a recent purchase and I’m again blown away. Back to film, the experience of a rangefinder, the simplicity, slowing down... everything that is well documented about the M is just soo true. I’m in for life..!

Keep the M6 and CV 35mm.

Sell/trade everything else and get an M10R or M10 Monochrom, depending on whether your primary interest is B&W or color.

The only amendment might be to keep the Ricoh GRiii as a back up camera.  I would still probably sell/trade the GRiii and carry the Q-P as my all-around, every day camera.

That would be my course of action.  YMMV.

[Erato]

6 hours ago, LondonL said:

Hi all, in need of some advice and insight into your own gear situations. I have too much gear..! I hate having this much gear and I need to slim things down so I can focus on making pictures and telling stories, and having just discovered the pure beauty of the M6 experience I need more of it..! Could the M10 solve my problem?

Remark: omit long request descriptions from OP.

 

You'd need to dive deeper and try to understand how the zone focus works seriously(AF alternative skill sets) in order to get your family's precious moments and documentary-worthy scene record perfectly. M10 series plus Summicorn or Summilux should be able to fulfill your requirements.
Meanwhile, shooting kids might not as challenges as dogs and cats.
According to my experience, the M10 series is more than enough to address your needs.

It's a beautiful release of your heavy load.

FYR: 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Erato

[astrostl]

FWIW I've done fine w/active kids simply focusing a rangefinder, no zone focus.

The only time I really zone focus is when I turn a 21mm into a point-and-shoot at f/8.

Edited December 7, 2020 by astrostl

[Guest Nowhereman]

I would keep the M6, the M10 and the GRIII. Someone above stated that rangefinder focussing is too slow for children, a statement that I've seen many times and that remains incomprehensible to me: all you have to do is set an aperture of f/5.6 or smaller and zone focus — this is not an issue for the M10 with it's excellent performance at least up to ISO 6400. You can also use the M10 with a copying stand to camera-scan film shot with the M6, with better results than with most scanners.
________________________
Frog Leaping photobook

[Mute-on]

Ditch the Sony.  All your other cameras are either fixed lens compacts (zoom on the Canon that covers the Sony FL), or compact system (the M6). 

I suspect you gravitate to compact cameras, as I (and many others) do. Time with children and family does not easily lend itself to bulky camera systems and lenses.  In fact, there are very few circumstances in which smaller is not better for sheer convenience, comfort, and utility. 

As you said, you aren’t using the Sony anyway.  Set it free

Oh, you don’t need an M10. Pure GAS talking. You already have a digital Leica, and two more digital cameras on top of that. Better to buy an M2 and put your 35 on that, and the 75 on the M6, not that you need to add another body .... I just like my M2 (and MP, and M4 ........  )

Edited December 7, 2020 by Mute-on

[Frase]

This is what I would do Keep the sony with the 24-70 get rid of the sony 35mm and 85mm and replace with 80-200 or sony equivalent. Get rid Ricoh and and CV 35 don't get a 75mm go for a 50 to use with the M6.

The sony is work horse ish camera with two lenses that will cover most things, Leica Q is carry everywhere camera (if you want something smaller use a phone) a bit of film photography you have the M6 with a 50mm and don't buy a M10.

Or if you want an M10 just buy one.................

good luck😉

 

[LondonL]

Many thanks everyone for the helpful replies.

Very interesting to hear that a few of you have not had any trouble focusing and capturing young kids, which is documented elsewhere as being especially tricky. Zone focusing, yes for sure that is what I do with the M6, but not always good for low light indoor images.

One decision which I've pretty much made is to move on the A7iii and lenses. Its gathering dust and 9 times out of 10 I'm going to grab the M6 or Q-P instead, only using the 85mm is where it wins.

My dream 'minimal' setup would be M6 and M10(P,D,R?) with 35, 50 and 75. Then the GRiii for a pocketable high quality compact. Thats it! My only worry or concern about doing this is the capturing fast moving kids and whether long term I can live and love manual focus 90% of the time. I think yes, but who knows? Maybe keep the Q-P for the AF and when I'm feeling lazy as a backup.

Thanks again for the helpful replies 😀 

[a.noctilux]

Going further than my short answer

in your shoes, I'd go for one second hand M10 , use it a while then the answer will come.

I'm happy with my plain M10, nice M but need to complete it with other Ms ( for Monochrome use for example )  or other systems, even if I don't need AF.

[Mute-on]

The key to capturing fast moving kids is to wait until they slow down or stop ....

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Hallo,

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[Ouroboros]

On 12/6/2020 at 8:17 PM, LondonL said:

The issue now. Too much gear. I shoot lots of documentary work, family stuff and occasionally some street. The gear I’m 100% keeping... M6, GRiii and G5x. So really it’s all about what to do with the A7 and Q-P.

 

 

 

You've answered your own question, haven't you?

 

 

[LondonL]

4 minutes ago, Ouroboros said:

You've answered your own question, haven't you?

 

 

My question is in the last paragraph of my opening post. Take a look