GAS advice needed : M9 or 501CM ?

[icebear]

OK folks, here it goes ... GAS advice needed : M9 or 501CM ?

As almost 7k (USD) for an M9 is not really a bargain, there is a strong financial argument for a Hassey set with one body, one lens (60 or 80mm), WLF and 2 magazines. Looking at some posts of shots with the Hassey, I am just amazed by the quality that is appearant even in the tiny jpg files. But on the other hand I am pretty sure that I don’t even max. out the IQ potential of my Leica-M equipment. So does 6x6 make any sense 😕?

Before switching to my first M6, I used two T90’s that have been sitting around since and consequently been sold long ago. I’ve never been looking back other than the multi spot metering (so nice !!)

Am I getting into a mess when starting with the “cube” or is it worth experimenting?
Shall I
1. stick with what I’ve got (film M)
2. give the Hassey a try and resell if it’s not for me
3. continue saving for the M9 and hope a “user” will pop up in the classifieds with my name on it

I hope for some answers from the numerous GAS infected members aroung here ...

 

[Roger Hicks]

Of course it's personal but I'd go for an M9. The Hasselblad + 80 is wonderfully compact and well balanced, but put ANYTHING else on, and it's awkward. There's als an enormous delay between pressing the button and taking the picture (about 1/10 second) and I prefer eye-level to waist-level unless I'm in absolutely no hurry whatsoever.

Better still, stick with the film Leicas until you really can't resist temptation.

Cheers,

R.

 

[jbielikowski]

try to save for new M9 and dont buy it.

 

[Roger Hicks]

try to save for new M9 and dont buy it.

Dear Jan,

Even better advice!

Cheers,

R.

 

[JohnnyT]

Go for a marriage, you'll lose the envy or the possibility to buy anything. ;d

Joke 😉

 

[ruby.monkey]

Stick with the film Ms, save up for the M9, and then see again how you feel once you have the money set aside.

 

[Lauffray]

I must say I'm in the same position, a lot of my flickr friends do MF and their 6x6 look so tempting, on the other hand I recently acquired an M series and fell completely in love with it, so that I'm considering buying another. what to do....

 

[sprokitt]

If you have any intention of carrying the camera around I would go for the M. All of your lenses will work and the images are superb. I have and M8 and the M9 images are significantly better.

If you can wait a year or two I'm sure M9 prices will come down from the stratosphere.

 

[degruyl]

Bigger is better in film / sensor.

But I would go with a rangefinder if I were doing MF.

All that being said: I like the "save for it and don't buy it" idea. You could always buy 10 darkroom's worth of equipment for the price of an M9.

 

[Ronald M]

WLF reverses view left to right. Difficult to follow action.

You need a non existent scanner, and you need to develope film commercially or yourself. I have done C41 for 3 decades, but it is a pain in the xxx.

All done right, it is not much better than a M9 if at all. Full frame digital is simply amazing. For 8x10, an M8 will please you for sure.

Rent borrow a dslr or if you live in a major city, Leica has a very quiet loaner program.
Calumet in Chicago has one to loan. This is simply not advertised.

I have seen 8x10 low iso prints from a D3000 ($400 camea only) Nikon that look better than medium format in 8x10.
They actually need grain added so they look like a photo instead of plastic.

 

[FrankHarries]

If you are on GAS - buy both!! I shoot wit 35mm (M2) and a Hassi 500cm - just different shooting with diferent results. I never take the Hassi for spontanious shooting (like street), but prefer it if I have time, want to use it for setups like interior shooting, still-life and some portraits - the negs are just something else, the beat in my opinion every 35mm film. But still thats not all to it and it depends for what you want to use a new camera. And you have to decide if you want to go digital or get something else out of traditional film-shooting. (I myself use the Leica much more - I am seldom in the mood to hazle with the aditional weight of the Hassi.)

 

[parsec1]

Take the esteemed Rogers advice (another couple of bottles of ..Chateauneuf du pape Roger )or go see your Doctor and get some pills with 'pam'on the end of their name !

And .....Aaaaaaaah.. I beg of you.. please no more...from my missus !

 

[Phantomas]

You haven't lived if you haven't shot with 120. Quality of MF is in another league and then quality of Hassie shots with good Zeiss glass is in yet another league. I've got 500C/M and I LOVE it! couldn't live without it. If it was me I wouldn't think twice, go for a Hassie and save tons of money (and continue shooting with a film M camera).

True though - forget about using Hassie for street snaps. It's a slow camera, you need to take time to set and compose (the confusing mirrored image in the viewfinder). Part of the reason why Hassie shots are usually succesful, people give each shot at least some thought.

 

[emraphoto]

How about a blad of the scanner type? Keep what you have and see what 35mm looks like through one of them?

Keeping on top of a lot of film can be a bit of a chore though.

 

[Jamie123]

Buy the Hasselblad, forget the M9.

IMO, anyone who has to save up in order to buy an M9 would be ill advised to do so. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's a sweet camera but at a certain point reason has to set in.

You can get a nice Hasselblad set (501cm, 80mm lens, magazine) for less than $1'200 and since you're buying used and it's film equipment it will hold it's value fairly well. Buy it, try it and then sell it if you don't like it. The Hassy is cheap enough so you can hold on to your M gear while you try the Hasselblad.

Now regarding the negative comments about the Hasselblad, I guess that's what's to expect on a rangefinder forum. It's simply a matter of taste. Working with the Hasselblad is slower than working with a rangefinder but it's a slowness I quite welcome. I have switched from the Hasselblad to a Bessa III rf folder because I want to use the camera for travel and while I enjoy the reduction in weight, I also miss the process of working with a SLR and waist-level finder.

As for the quality, I think some of the previous posters are just dead wrong. While you might get comparable sharpness in small prints from the M9 or comparable dSLRs, you just won't get the same smooth gradations that you get with the larger neg size. The quality you perceive in the mf pictures you see on the net imost likely has nothing to do with sharpness. I have a Canon 5DII which is a pretty nice camera but it just doesn't compare to the pics I used to get from the Hasselblad.

 

[MatthewThompson]

Buy the Hasselblad, forget the M9.

IMO, anyone who has to save up in order to buy an M9 would be ill advised to do so.

The Hassy is cheap enough so you can hold on to your M gear while you try the Hasselblad.

Agreed on all counts. Wringing hands over a depreciating M9 would take the joy right out of ownership for me, especially if you had to scrimp and save to get it. The 'Blad is surely at the bottom of its depreciation curve. The WLF becomes second nature after a few rolls, and it's a big, beautiful way to compose.

 

[Vickko]

Get the Hasselblad and try it out. Or rent one. They are common enough that there should be plenty of rentals.

A Hasselblad is a very different shooting experience that the Leica, but once you get accustomed to it, it becomes very instinctive, and a Hasselblad is a superb camera to get into MF with. Literally is none better.

 

[BillBingham2]

IMHO.....Keep saving for the M10 and be the first with it!

B2 (;->

 

[Steve Bellayr]

In the history of photography the Hasselblad is an important camera. If you haven't shot with a medium format camera it is certainly worth the experimentation. The Hasselblad is good for land/city-scapes and portraits when you want large prints. It is IMHO not a stree camera. The Leica M9 although listing for 7k is truely around 8k when you add all the possibilities like taxes, cards, case, & does your computer/storage/printing sysetme need updating?

 

[Steve M.]

Give the Hassey a try. You can't beat the price, or as you noted, the image quality. But truthfully, you couldn't have picked two more dissimilar cameras if you'd tried. If you shoot B&W you would want the Hassey or whatever you have in film. But for color the M9 does a great job from what I've seen on the net. It's a bit of an odd comparison, format and cost wise.