Leica M11 – a field report after four months

[BackwashBob]

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On 5/10/2022 at 12:23 PM, Herr Barnack said:

You couldn't be more correct.  As Ernst Haas rightly observed:  "There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are."

We must take personal responsibility for our own photography, which IMHO is what the esteemed Mr. Haas was saying.

 

 

+1. These are just tools, albeit very nice and expensive tools. 

[hdmesa]

11 minutes ago, tashley said:

You are wiser than I…..

Just tired from having fought on both sides of the same war at one time or another  

[Herr Barnack]

17 minutes ago, BackwashBob said:

+1. These are just tools, albeit very nice and expensive tools. 

Nice is nice.  Everyone should have a little nice in their lives.

As for expensive, there is no doubt.  It's one of those "you get what you pay for" situations, though.

[tashley]

14 minutes ago, hdmesa said:

Just tired from having fought on both sides of the same war at one time or another  

I know - but the quasi-Buddhist stuff always irritates me… if people really feel that their cameras so far outstrip their talent why aren’t they in the Canon A1 forum?

[hdmesa]

1 minute ago, tashley said:

I know - but the quasi-Buddhist stuff always irritates me… if people really feel that their cameras so far outstrip their talent why aren’t they in the Canon A1 forum?

Trolls throw bait where the fish are I guess. For all we know, they're in the film forum right now arguing that analog is merely an affectation.

[adan]

3 hours ago, tashley said:

My assumptions are that there are three components to a great image: a great eye, the ability to choose and skilfully use the appropriate equipment, and the availability of equipment which is not itself a limiting factor to the image one wishes to make.

Thanks for responding with your assumptions. I was going to critique each of them (and some unwritten assumptions I read in that response as well), but what the heck.

Let's just say that there are 8 billion people in the world, using 7.6 billion smartphones with cameras (not to mention all the dedicated cameras). So I don't see anyone being competent to speak to what would "benefit"......."very many" (undefined) "photographers" (undefined) or declare that to be a "clearly true fact" ex cathedra.

Benefits lie in the eye of the beholder, not on tablets handed down from Bog. And photography is a very big tent, with no single path to "greatness."

Therefore I agree with the idea that many camera-users may not actually gain much from more improvements to their cameras (they have much bigger problems to solve in their photography, if they seek to be great)

But also agree that photographers who do need improvements, and can make use of them, shouldn't stop asking.

[tashley]

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7 minutes ago, hdmesa said:

Trolls throw bait where the fish are I guess. For all we know, they're in the film forum right now arguing that analog is merely an affectation.

Apostate! Of course it is….. 😂😂😂

[tashley]

34 minutes ago, adan said:

Thanks for responding with your assumptions. I was going to critique each of them (and some unwritten assumptions I read in that response as well), but what the heck.

Let's just say that there are 8 billion people in the world, using 7.6 billion smartphones with cameras (not to mention all the dedicated cameras). So I don't see anyone being competent to speak to what would "benefit"......."very many" (undefined) "photographers" (undefined) or declare that to be a "clearly true fact" ex cathedra.

Benefits lie in the eye of the beholder, not on tablets handed down from Bog. And photography is a very big tent, with no single path to "greatness."

Therefore I agree with the idea that many camera-users may not actually gain much from more improvements to their cameras (they have much bigger problems to solve in their photography, if they seek to be great)

But also agree that photographers who do need improvements, and can make use of them, shouldn't stop asking.

We find ourselves agreeing. 

[adan]

Wish there was a 👍 icon in the post responses.

[Olaf_ZG]

6 hours ago, hdmesa said:

Trolls throw bait where the fish are I guess. For all we know, they're in the film forum right now arguing that analog is merely an affectation.

So, now, somebody stating one doesn’t need a m11 for good work is a troll?

nice way to kill a discussion.

but ok, if you believe that you need the best gear in order to create your best work, so be it. 

I believe more that I need light, a muse, inspiration, feeling and such to create my work…

But then, I am a troll, those things think differently…

[Jon Warwick]

Clearly I think people have different needs, and camera requirements can be remarkably different to achieve an end effect.  Cartier-Bresson is often cited, and without taking anything away from his magnificent “eye”, his prints are typically very small and 35mm film is ample for outstanding image quality at that small print size. In comparison, and I bring him up because he was mentioned by tashley, people like Greg Crewdson (I’m a huge fan of his) has used 10x8 and now I believe Phase One because presumably the image quality of his 85”+ prints benefit from that resolving power and is part of the clean and detailed aesthetic he wants to achieve. If you go to a Crewdson exhibition, I see people constantly dart in and out in terms of distance away from his images, because despite being 85”+ a lot of the images’ meaning can be found in the smallest details that I think benefit from being resolved clearly.  35mm film or 24mp isn’t going to provide that as well, IMHO, however wonderful his composition. 

 

[budjames]

On 5/10/2022 at 10:27 AM, Herr Barnack said:

Not yet - still waiting for my name to rise to the top of someone's waiting list.

The M10R is an interesting camera too but for the same price as the M11, I would have a hard time saying no to the M11's upgrades.

I find it interesting/humorous how some people used to bitch about the M cameras not having BSI sensors and now that the M11 has that, it's become a non- issue to the complainers.  Even more interesting/humorous is the undercurrent of thinly veiled contempt for the M11 on this forum, which is dedicated to Leica cameras and lenses.  There's just no making sense of it, but the constant negativity gets old. Very old. 

There are apparently a lot of bitter, negative people out there - even in the Leicaverse.  What a sad way to live the one life we're given.

I own both the M10-R and M11. Now that I have shot for 6 weeks with the M11, including a 9 day vacation in the UK and Holland, I really appreciate the features of the M11. The M11 battery lasts all day long and the ability to charge it via USB-C is fantastic. I get to leave my battery charger at home - one less thing to pack.

The increased resolution of the M11 is crazy, especially when shooting with my APO Summicron 35mm, my favorite travel lens. All good. 

I think that I will be selling my M10-R soon.

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography.

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[KeyofG]

On 5/10/2022 at 6:02 PM, trickness said:

buy an 10 variant instead

Definitely get the M10R is buying new before they don’t sell it new anymore. The Best M IMO. 

[KeyofG]

7 hours ago, Olaf_ZG said:

So, now, somebody stating one doesn’t need a m11 for good work is a troll?

nice way to kill a discussion.

but ok, if you believe that you need the best gear in order to create your best work, so be it. 

I believe more that I need light, a muse, inspiration, feeling and such to create my work…

But then, I am a troll, those things think differently…

Anyone who just spent $9,000 on the Leica A7Mk11 is going to argue is the best thing ever, even if the only real difference is a bigger battery. 

Edited May 12, 2022 by KeyofG

[KeyofG]

6 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

 

Yes, the witty Germans at Wetzlar said "let us make ze new M11 model with just ze bigger battery" - and all them dumb folks fell for it and bought it. *sigh*

Pretty much 😅
 

lets not forget ze 60MP that nobody actually needs in a rangefinder for basically documentary, reportage and street. 
 

At 24MP you could already print wall sized. At 40MP it was perfection. 60MP is “Thatz eet? Only ze battery? Hmmm.., how about ze A7RIV sensor?”” Ha! Ze zucckerrzzzz

Edited May 12, 2022 by KeyofG

[tom0511]

vor 35 Minuten schrieb KeyofG:

Anyone who just spent $9,000 on the Leica A7Mk11 is going to argue is the best thing ever, even if the only real difference is a bigger battery. 

Yes, and anyone who has bought a A7MK10r is going to argue is the last real M, even if it includes as many chips and menues as the MK11 and costs nearly the same amount of money.

And I think its all fine, we can choose and get what we like. My personal vote goes for the M11 after shooting both for several months, but if there was no M11 I would be totally happy with the M10r (or M10) as well.

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by tom0511

[KeyofG]

9 minutes ago, tom0511 said:

Yes, and anyone who has bought a A7MK10r is going to argue is the last real M, even if it includes as many chips and menues as the MK11 and costs nearly the same amount of money.

And I think its all fine, we can choose and get what we like. My personal vote goes for the M11 after shooting both for several months, but if there was no M11 I would be totally happy with the M10r (or M10) as well.

 

I would be happy with a new iPhone. It should have a dedicated monochrome camera. 

[tashley]

46 minutes ago, KeyofG said:

lets not forget ze 60MP that nobody actually needs in a rangefinder for basically documentary, reportage and street

I’d like to apologise profusely for having my own use-case 😂😂😂

[tom0511]

vor 35 Minuten schrieb KeyofG:

I would be happy with a new iPhone. It should have a dedicated monochrome camera. 

A new iphone or one of the last real iphones (with a button?)

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[KeyofG]

5 hours ago, tashley said:

I’d like to apologise profusely for having my own use-case 😂😂😂

Need to crop a lot?