New to Leica....have not been this energized for a very long time!

[Altair]

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Hello Leica friends! Wonderful to be here finally!

 

A bit about me, my journey, my gear, and how i landed on Leica, a long time photography enthusiasts ( NOT a professional) and have been with Nikon for over 25 years since my first FM2 and 50mm Noktor. Love that camer. Anyway, never really had the funds or time during the majority of my life to pursue any of my hobbies until most recently and up to yesterday was the very happy user of a combination Nikon Z9 and Hassleblad X2D, the Z9 served as my wildlife, macro, and portrait setup with a 400 2.8, a 105 Micro, and a Plena lens set up. The X2D was a dream at street photography, landscape, and my main portrait lens with a 20-30 E, a 55V, and a 90V. I was ecstatic as far as results where concerned and for all intents and purposes did not need or want for anything outside of this setup. I have just started my dream lifelong photography project, which I will post about as a reply to this thread as an aside of who I am in terms of photography goals but I digress....the setup I had invested in was perfect for my passions and my project and both friends and family loved the results.

 

But Leica was always on the mind, I have always admired the brand from afar, both for the quality of the images and the quality of the cameras and lenses as well as the associated names that photographed with Leica but had always thought the M11 would be too difficult for me to use and would end up being an expensive frustrating mistake.

 

After some discussions online I leaned towards a Q3 to satisfy my need for a Leica in my life, which would be a backup and something my wife or family could use easily enough, and even ordered one online. The very next day, I put the order on hold and drove over 2 hours to another city that had a Leica store to see which I wanted, the 28 or 43 though i was leaning towards the 43. 

 

A Leica ambassador happened to be in the store, a well known local photographer, and we got to speaking about my backgrounds, goals, and what i wanted out of the camera. I asked him about his passion for Leica and why he shot a manual rangefinder today when he had the option of advanced autofocus. He handed me his own M11 and 50 0.95 noctilux and explained how it worked. About five minutes shooting at 0.95 I.found out why people where so enamored with the M11 and this lens specifically, it was jot as hard to get a successful shot even for a new comer and most importantly the magic that lens brought to the experience was unreal! The X2D and the 55v are spectacular but there is a certain joy that came when I landed my first portrait of that photographer with the store lights and colours providing a wonderfull bokeh in the background. That separation and the bokeh left me speechless. This was a world class natural light portrait and I had taken it with a rangefinder.

 

I left not with a Q3, but with an M11P, a 50 0.95, a 35 APO, and a 35 1.4 steel rim reissue. The 35 is supposed to be my hero lens eventually, the Noctilux my portrait lens, and the steel rim my dreamy creative street lens. I am beyond enamored with this Leica world and it feels like falling in love with photography all over again. I have done nothing but practice for the last 24 hours.

I don't know if this M11 will play a role in my project, but it certainly will offer up a new world of creative possibilities and enjoyment. It is very good to be here with you all and I hope to learn and be a constructive part of this community.

 

 

[Almizilero]

Welcome to the Leica world! That is a very nice set indeed! On the one hand, one could think those were very good salespeople, but on the other hand, you are an experienced photographer and avoided a lot of the buy/sell/buy that others (me included) did. I started with a Q and upgraded (in rather quick succession) to M240-P -> M10 -> M11-P. 

The 35 APO is an excellent one for all lens. But most important is the feel, isn't it? The drive to go out and shoot with these cameras and lenses. Even though I upgraded a lot in the past years, that's the one thing all Leicas had in common. I always want to take it with me when I leave the house. Just in case! (And also just in case, get a good insurance for THAT gear!)

Happy snapping! 

[Altair]

Thank you for the insight.

 

If it's one thing I learned about myself, it's just to get what I really want or stay away completely, which is in part of why I avoided Leica , in addition to having a mindset of a rangefinder could not do what a modern camera could, which is true and vise versa. For one thing, natural light portraits have now taken on a new meaning to me, for another, I am excited to travel the world and revisit cities i love like London and Paris with my new Leica eyes. Particularly excited to see Paris through the steel rim reissue.

 

I will be heading out to my local city tonight with the APO. I had promised myself I would stick.with the 50 Noctilux for a month to practice but too excited to do some classic street photography. Here I am, about to head out and do street photography with an M and a 35mm lens. ME! It was always the cool guys who I tried to emulate with my autofocus Nikons but now is my time. I feel very fortunate.

[Altair]

One if the first pictures I took as soon as I got home. This is what makes the Leica experience sublime in my opinion. The separation  between the subject and the background combined with the surreal painterly bokeh make for that magical feeling you get when you look down at a picture you have taken. Absolutely worth the effort and cost.

 

To be fair....my other cameras and most on the market have their place and strengths....but what Leica does really is magic.

 

Could someone let me know how I can post pictures without resizing them? The attached picture had to be modified and lost it's original look

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[LEGEND]

2 minutes ago, Almizilero said:

Welcome to the Leica world! That is a very nice set indeed! On the one hand, one could think those were very good salespeople, but on the other hand, you are an experienced photographer and avoided a lot of the buy/sell/buy that others (me included) did. I started with a Q and upgraded (in rather quick succession) to M240-P -> M10 -> M11-P. 

The 35 APO is an excellent one for all lens. But most important is the feel, isn't it? The drive to go out and shoot with these cameras and lenses. Even though I upgraded a lot in the past years, that's the one thing all Leicas had in common. I always want to take it with me when I leave the house. Just in case! (And also just in case, get a good insurance for THAT gear!)

Happy snapping! 

I am even worse. I had almost every year or two another Leica camera...
From M6  >  MP  >  M9M > M240  >  SL 601  >  SL2  >  SL2S  >  M10D  >  SL2  > M11  >  and now I have again SL2S with M9M... 

I have no plans in the near future to switch to the SL3 or again back to the M11.  I tried so many Leica cameras that I think it is 
enough for now. I always buy one, use her then sell and give little bit of money to buy next that I want.

Uf course moste of them where purchased used.
Only that I got new was M9M , SL2S and M11 but they also at some point got sold or exchanged for another model...
Leica cameras and lenses are my only hobby and passion in life so I can concentrate on them and photographing with them...

Leica photography is wonderful hobby but also very expensive one to...

Nikola

[Viv]

2 hours ago, Altair said:

Hello Leica friends! Wonderful to be here finally!

 

A bit about me, my journey, my gear, and how i landed on Leica, a long time photography enthusiasts ( NOT a professional) and have been with Nikon for over 25 years since my first FM2 and 50mm Noktor. Love that camer. Anyway, never really had the funds or time during the majority of my life to pursue any of my hobbies until most recently and up to yesterday was the very happy user of a combination Nikon Z9 and Hassleblad X2D, the Z9 served as my wildlife, macro, and portrait setup with a 400 2.8, a 105 Micro, and a Plena lens set up. The X2D was a dream at street photography, landscape, and my main portrait lens with a 20-30 E, a 55V, and a 90V. I was ecstatic as far as results where concerned and for all intents and purposes did not need or want for anything outside of this setup. I have just started my dream lifelong photography project, which I will post about as a reply to this thread as an aside of who I am in terms of photography goals but I digress....the setup I had invested in was perfect for my passions and my project and both friends and family loved the results.

 

But Leica was always on the mind, I have always admired the brand from afar, both for the quality of the images and the quality of the cameras and lenses as well as the associated names that photographed with Leica but had always thought the M11 would be too difficult for me to use and would end up being an expensive frustrating mistake.

 

After some discussions online I leaned towards a Q3 to satisfy my need for a Leica in my life, which would be a backup and something my wife or family could use easily enough, and even ordered one online. The very next day, I put the order on hold and drove over 2 hours to another city that had a Leica store to see which I wanted, the 28 or 43 though i was leaning towards the 43. 

 

A Leica ambassador happened to be in the store, a well known local photographer, and we got to speaking about my backgrounds, goals, and what i wanted out of the camera. I asked him about his passion for Leica and why he shot a manual rangefinder today when he had the option of advanced autofocus. He handed me his own M11 and 50 0.95 noctilux and explained how it worked. About five minutes shooting at 0.95 I.found out why people where so enamored with the M11 and this lens specifically, it was jot as hard to get a successful shot even for a new comer and most importantly the magic that lens brought to the experience was unreal! The X2D and the 55v are spectacular but there is a certain joy that came when I landed my first portrait of that photographer with the store lights and colours providing a wonderfull bokeh in the background. That separation and the bokeh left me speechless. This was a world class natural light portrait and I had taken it with a rangefinder.

 

I left not with a Q3, but with an M11P, a 50 0.95, a 35 APO, and a 35 1.4 steel rim reissue. The 35 is supposed to be my hero lens eventually, the Noctilux my portrait lens, and the steel rim my dreamy creative street lens. I am beyond enamored with this Leica world and it feels like falling in love with photography all over again. I have done nothing but practice for the last 24 hours.

I don't know if this M11 will play a role in my project, but it certainly will offer up a new world of creative possibilities and enjoyment. It is very good to be here with you all and I hope to learn and be a constructive part of this community.

 

 

You are most welcome here and I look forward to seeing your photos.

I have a Q2, M11 and Hasselblad X2D, so I get your drift, so to speak.

[Almizilero]

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vor 58 Minuten schrieb Altair:

I will be heading out to my local city tonight with the APO. I had promised myself I would stick.with the 50 Noctilux for a month to practice but too excited to do some classic street photography. Here I am, about to head out and do street photography with an M and a 35mm lens. ME! It was always the cool guys who I tried to emulate with my autofocus Nikons but now is my time. I feel very fortunate.

Have fun! Looking forward to seeing some of the results!

[Leica Filmmatic]

X2D and M11 is for sure a stellar combo!  True blessing to be able to own both. 

[JoshuaR]

While the Noctilux + Visoflex is definitely a nice setup, my suggestion is that you simply shoot the Noctilux through the viewfinder at less than f/0.95—say, f/2—and then slowly open the aperture more often as you become more proficient. The real joy of the M system is through the viewfinder; if you find yourself relying on the Visoflex 2, you might as well just get an SL3.

Four tips: 

1. You can fine-tune your focus by moving your body forward and backward, instead of using the focus ring.

2. You can achieve 'follow focus' by moving your body in sync with your subject as he/she/it moves, rather than trying to get things working with your fingers.

3. You can further fine-tune your focus by briefly tilting the camera, so that your focus patch is diagonal. This will bring new edges into view.

4. An easy approach to working with the rangefinder is to set a distance in advance on the lens—say, 1 meter—and then simply move yourself until the patch lines up, without even touching the focus ring. I often shoot my 50 f/1.2 Noctilux this way: set focus to 1 meter and then just stand a meter from my subject, then fine-tune by moving. A major step in mastering rangefinder photography is developing a reliable sense of how far things are from you—1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters, and s o on—so that you can start moving the focus ring before or while raising the camera to your eye.

[Dazzajl]

It’s always wonderful to see someone falling in love anew with their passion. Many congratulations on the new arrivals 

[Altair]

5 hours ago, Al Brown said:

Leica M truly is unique. Its iconic design and lineage dating back decades plus the emphasis on manual controls over auto-everything are a league of its own. Good choice and many happy moments with your M. But do not quit the M photographers' favorite medium format camera, the X2D - they go hand in hand like champagne and caviar.

Thank you for your kind words and thoughts.

 

Naturally I will keep and use the X2D, when I am asked what is my camera I don't think of the M or the Z9, I say X2D up to now. It is the camera that I produce the best results with but the M is a truly enjoyable experience with fantastic photos when it's done right and no doubt a very compact and easy to carry solution.

[Altair]

38 minutes ago, JoshuaRothman said:

While the Noctilux + Visoflex is definitely a nice setup, my suggestion is that you simply shoot the Noctilux through the viewfinder at less than f/0.95—say, f/2—and then slowly open the aperture more often as you become more proficient. The real joy of the M system is through the viewfinder; if you find yourself relying on the Visoflex 2, you might as well just get an SL3.

Four tips: 

1. You can fine-tune your focus by moving your body forward and backward, instead of using the focus ring.

2. You can achieve 'follow focus' by moving your body in sync with your subject as he/she/it moves, rather than trying to get things working with your fingers.

3. You can further fine-tune your focus by briefly tilting the camera, so that your focus patch is diagonal. This will bring new edges into view.

4. An easy approach to working with the rangefinder is to set a distance in advance on the lens—say, 1 meter—and then simply move yourself until the patch lines up, without even touching the focus ring. I often shoot my 50 f/1.2 Noctilux this way: set focus to 1 meter and then just stand a meter from my subject, then fine-tune by moving. A major step in mastering rangefinder photography is developing a reliable sense of how far things are from you—1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters, and s o on—so that you can start moving the focus ring before or while raising the camera to your eye.

Thank you for the great advice! I follow all your points except no 3. Not sure i understand how tilting the camera to change the edges is usefully?

[Altair]

Thank you to everyone else for the kind words

[JoshuaR]

1 minute ago, Altair said:

Thank you for the great advice! I follow all your points except no 3. Not sure i understand how tilting the camera to change the edges is usefully?

If you hold the camera horizontally and turn the focus ring, it's the vertical lines in the patch that you're lining up. If you hold it vertically, it's the horizontal lines. Sometimes it's helpful to line up both horizontal and vertical lines.

There's a good demonstration of the technique in this video.

[Altair]

Oh...regarding my upcoming project

 

I have always had a deep appreciation of finely made things and have strived to obtain samples and to experience the very finest products made by man. My coffee table book project is going to revolve around that, a collection of a target 25 to 30 items that represent the epitome of what man is capable of making, a celebration of hand made in an age of mass produced machine made forgettable disposable consumer goods. Things like a Patek Philippe watch, a Hermes hand bag, a Fine Cuban cigar, a hand made AMG engine, a beautiful piece of furniture, etc.

The book will be called Hand Made: A Celebration of the finer things in life.

In addition to attracting people who are interested in well made beautiful things, I dream.of producing a book that will also impress and attract people who enjoy photography. I loom forward to traveling with my wife to these locatioms! My passions combined!

The contents will be four two sided pages per subject item:

Starting with a landscape photo of the facility in which the item is produced on one page and an overview of its history on the other. 

A picture of the item in use in real life on one side and an explanation of why it brings people joy on the other.

A black and white portrait style photo of the hands that made the itne as they are working on an item and an explanation of the process on the other.

Finally, a macro photo focusing on a finer detail that makes the item so valuable.

I am almost there in terms of equipment, have an H2D with a 90v for the hand shots, and the 20-30 E for the landscapes, the 55 to do the situational in use shots. Also have a Z9 that I use for wildlife that will be used with a 105mm for the macro pictures. 

I wanted to share the start of this project, and wish you all the very best in pursuing your own dream projects. I hope to be back in 3 to 5 years with my completed book!

[Altair]

16 minutes ago, JoshuaRothman said:

If you hold the camera horizontally and turn the focus ring, it's the vertical lines in the patch that you're lining up. If you hold it vertically, it's the horizontal lines. Sometimes it's helpful to line up both horizontal and vertical lines.

There's a good demonstration of the technique in this video.

Great  video! Thanks for posting that!

 

Please share any resources you think are mandatory for a Rangefinder newcomer

[Jeff S]

4 hours ago, Altair said:

Please share any resources you think are mandatory for a Rangefinder newcomer

A lot of tips in the forum FAQ(s)…

 

Jeff

[lexffm]

Hello @Altair

welcome to us. I experience this energy that you describe again and again when I pick up the camera. Take it slowly as some have already said. The camera gives you all the options and "slows you down".

I don't think anyone has answered your question about uploading the pictures. In many photo threads you will find a short description of the steps at the beginning.

I look forward to your results and what would be better than if the camera became one of your objects in your project...

Best regards

Alex

[Altair]

9 hours ago, lexffm said:

Hello @Altair

welcome to us. I experience this energy that you describe again and again when I pick up the camera. Take it slowly as some have already said. The camera gives you all the options and "slows you down".

I don't think anyone has answered your question about uploading the pictures. In many photo threads you will find a short description of the steps at the beginning.

I look forward to your results and what would be better than if the camera became one of your objects in your project...

Best regards

Alex

Thank you for the advice regarding uploading photos.

 

Regarding using a Leica as a subject in the book, you read my mind! As a bonus I would have visiting Leica factory as an objective! 

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Tseg]

My son came home from University for Thanksgiving yesterday.   He rarely appreciates my varied hobbies.  On a table in my office I had a variety of cameras sitting.  I was on my phone, my son walks in, and wouldn’t you know, he glances at the table and picks up the M11 out of all the cameras while waiting for me  and tries to figure out how to use.  He couldn’t figure out how to turn on or focus.  I finished my call, walked him through the basics and he took some snaps.  I asked about his interest, as his graduation is approaching.  His response, “C’mon Dad, over the years you have given me a lot of items from your various hobbies.   You have to know I rarely use any of them….”.   Oh well, one of these years I’ll find something of mine that resonates with him.