From m9 to xp1 - u judge

GaryLH

GaryLH

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http://aphotocontributor.typepad.com/aphotocontributor/2012/10/digital-kool-aid.html

An interesting read from someone who has taken over 100,000 pictures using a m9.. Was even a Leica beta tester for m9. Ditched it and went back to mp, then bought a xp1.

From what I can figure out from post is the biggest thing that finally made him stop using the m9 was the battery and sd card related issues started to piss him off.

Just one persons experience and comments. I don't own a m9. So I cannot comment on his issues w/ it. Anyway an interesting read, judge for yourself.

Gary
 
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Just did a quick look at the page and realized it's Chris Weeks' stuff. Chris Weeks, if I remember correctly, has been around for some time - If he's the same guy I'm thinking of, some people consider him a pompous jackass while others consider him a very good and talented street shooter. I haven't read enough or seen enough of his stuff to make up my own mind so I have no opinion on him per se.

I'll hold off on reading this till this evening - when I can sit down and pay attention to it properly 🙂

Cheers,
Dave
 
Very interesting. I'm not sure why anyone would be an M9 these days unless they have boxes of spare cash they don't know what to do with...
 
Not really into street, so I have never come across his stuff. Kind felt after he finished bit*hing about m9, he went into here is what I like about xp1 compared to m9..

Gary
 
dcsang said:
Just did a quick look at the page and realized it's Chris Weeks' stuff. Chris Weeks, if I remember correctly, has been around for some time - If he's the same guy I'm thinking of, some people consider him a pompous jackass while others consider him a very good and talented street shooter. I haven't read enough or seen enough of his stuff to make up my own mind so I have no opinion on him per se.

I'll hold off on reading this till this evening - when I can sit down and pay attention to it properly 🙂

Cheers,
Dave
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He has indeed been around for a while and wrote a few fairly passionate articles about using film and Leica cameras before switching to digital Ms a few years ago. I have to say I have always enjoyed his enthusiasm and honesty even if he sometimes ends up eating his words a bit which can lead to the somewhat polarised views Dave mentions!

Though I cannot speak about M9 issues I did find the article interesting from an X Pro 1 point of view. Especially that coming from a film then digital Leica background he was very happy using the X Pro. Quite a commendation for such a (comparatively) reasonably priced camera.
 
boomguy57 said:
Very interesting. I'm not sure why anyone would be an M9 these days unless they have boxes of spare cash they don't know what to do with...
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I am intrigued by the monochrome, but not enough to buy one. I wish someone like Fuji would bring one out.

Places like maxmax.com can do a custom one by removing the filters in front of sensor. Their specialty is ir conversions. I found out about them lately from the xp1 image thread.

Gary
 
I have the X-Pro1 &, until recently, the M9 (sold to pay for the new M, not because the X-Pro1 is a perfect substitute--it's not IMHO).

Many of his points are fair, but he comes across as way too defensive about Leica & (stereotyped) Leica users, especially this Thorsten von Overgaard guy.

GaryLH said:
http://aphotocontributor.typepad.com/aphotocontributor/2012/10/digital-kool-aid.html

And interesting read from someone who has taken over 100,000 pictures using a m9.. Was even a Leica beta tester for m9. Ditched it and went back to mp, then bought a xp1.

From what I can figure out from post is the biggest thing that finally made him stop using the m9 was the battery and sd card related issues started to piss him off.

Just one persons experience and comments. I don't own a m9. So I cannot comment on his issues w/ it. Anyway an interesting read, judge for yourself.

Gary
Click to expand...
 
i remember reading his piece on what street photography is and not being very impressed by it and thinking he had a huge ego. and now, again, i must say that i'm not really impressed with this piece, nor the myriad photos used in it. (i'm obviously just a hobbyist, but his ego seems to outshine his photography.)
 
an interesting tirade! i wrote to C.W that in a way undeserved..
The Leica in any guise is a relic. A beautiful very well made relic.
I love my relics, M3,M6. Would i have bought the digital M8 and later M9?
No,No,No. Too expensive, noisy, full of vibrations, hard to hold in case of M8.
A entry level Canon t3 or Nikon 3100 rocket past the M9, with far superior features and AUTO-FOCUS. Are Leica's lenses better? Yes! Way better but expense for a bankster, gangster or one of much means but not the usual working pro. i know many here have them and enjoy. That is how it should be! Truth though is sometimes hard.
The images posted by CW were simply poor. Not bad but indifferent. Too much empty space, no area of strong focus.My opinion. i like stronger graphics. Read the article, it has some worthy points..
 
I believe Chris has done quite a few celebrity shoots, many of which I found quite good if memory serves me right. I find his X-Pro1 rant a little odd to the degree it kind of ridicules "outdated" manual focusing and Leica. If it's no longer his cup of tea, cool, but why bash those who think it's a great tool just because it no longer suits his style.

Then again, that's freedom...he has the right to speak and write as he likes. As for me...my Leica M8 outlasted by X-Pro1 but both lost out to my current fav...my Contax G2. It's all so personal really.
 
I don't think I've ever read an article with so much repetition. "You don't need an M9 to make great photos... M9 doesn't have AF..." No need to tell that thousand times more in one article.

We get it. We knew that before. Most of people probably knew that before he realised it.
 
This the same guy that has written in the past about how street photography could only be shot with film, with a Leica, only a Leica, bla bla bla bla Leica.. not street photography if its not a L........

Guess hes changed his mind..
 
Spring of this year called; it wants its comparative xpro1 vs M9 review back. Chris Weeks had almost half a year to write this review and all these months to take some nice pictures, and this is the best he could come up with? Uninspired decidedly digital looking bw conversions and a boring opinionated self-repeating rant. And he feels the need to mention his apparent disdain for Steve Huff, as if that somehow lends some credibility to his own ranting?

There are many valid reasons why somebody would prefer the xpro1 over the M9, but I see no reasons to turn to this review to find out what they are.
 
pieter said:
Spring of this year called; it wants its comparative xpro1 vs M9 review back. Chris Weeks had almost half a year to write this review and all these months to take some nice pictures, and this is the best he could come up with? Uninspired decidedly digital looking bw conversions and a boring opinionated self-repeating rant. And he feels the need to mention his apparent disdain for Steve Huff, as if that somehow lends some credibility to his own ranting?

There are many valid reasons why somebody would prefer the xpro1 over the M9, but I see no reasons to turn to this review to find out what they are.
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haha you really nailed it. Much stronger in tone than i may have written.

I think it is lousy for him to bash those of us who still prefer MF because as someone said, his style has changed. Bit of an ego for sure, but maybe a nice guy. I was unimpressed by his images too, but to each their own.
 
boomguy57 said:
Very interesting. I'm not sure why anyone would be an M9 these days unless they have boxes of spare cash they don't know what to do with...
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Ahem… I have to confess I owned an M9 and a Leica 35 mm lens but its now gone. An expensive experience but, I've lived the dream. I'm now an X-Pro1 owner with the three prime lenses and for my sins, a Nikon D600, 35 mm f1.4G & 24-85 f3.4-4.5G lenses.
While I enjoyed owning and using the M9, I couldn't get the hang of manually focusing with such a small focus screen.
Now, the X-Pro1 gives me the Leica experience but with a modern camera twist — it's how the M cameras should have been.
 
Apart from not having a single card issue with my Lexar Pro 16GB SDHC cards
and also never having experienced any battery issues (and "banding" what so ever)

I fully agree to Roger. ROFL 😀.
 
I had the xpro-1 for a bit
Lovely camera but doesn't come close to the M9 for a whole host of reasons

A Fuji X-E1 or a Nex6 is the best you can do for APS-C at the moment
My Leica lenses do look lovely on the Nex-5N, but still, nothing comapred to the output or workflow of the M9

Never had any issues with 2 M9s

Leica M workflow is good for some and not for others
 
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