Going "serious" : Fuji x100f or Leica M6

[agfa100]

I am going to come in from left field, how about either a new Sony A7 or a used A7s and use your Pentax lenses. I am a long time M shooter with film I stayed with film as long as possible but I was just too lazy to get into the darkroom. I have a used Sony a7s that I use a ton of old manual focus lenses on and I am very happy. 12 meg's and full frame are a great combination, I can shoot in low light with no problem my file sizes are not huge and I can make prints at any size up to 13 x 19 that look fine, my printer won't go any larger. Have fun
wbill

 

[olifaunt]

Have to disagree here. Street Photography has always been to some extent about firing off a lot of shots, even in the film days.
Robert Frank shot 28,000 photos over two years which was narrowed down to 83 for the Americans book. Moriyama was recommending his students shoot something like 18 rolls of film a week (may even have been a day...).
Vivian Maier and Gary Winogrand left behind stacks of undeveloped film after they passed away

I think firing off a lot of shots at stuff that may be interesting, and then discarding the ones that didn't work is part of the process of a being a better photographer. Experience doesn't change this, just means the quality of your discard pile is higher.

Well yes and no. If you look at Winogrand's (at least his NYC work) or Frank's contact sheets, you can see that they shot with thought and/or artistic instinct all the time; there are no throwaway shots, basically all their shots are keepers to you and me. Like strength training, things should be as easy as they need to be, but no easier, or you could actually regress. I think that's why using my digital camera makes me worse. I fail to see how someone who is taking a while to finish a roll because of lack of worthwhile photo-ops in their surroundings would be helped by a digital camera - there wouldn't suddenly be more worthwhile photo-ops. They may be better served traveling to a bigger city for a few days where they can shoot more. (That's what I am forced to do because of where I live.) A second film camera for pushed Tri-X for low light, now that I would like to have, for sure.

 

[ptpdprinter]

Well yes and no. If you look at Winogrand's (at least his NYC work) or Frank's contact sheets, you can see that they shot with thought and/or artistic instinct all the time; there are no throwaway shots, basically all their shots are keepers to you and me.

You really should order a copy of the book of Magnum contact sheets. Lots of mediocre images surround the iconic ones. Looking through it gives one hope.

 

[tuanvinh2000]

all decisions are reversible. 🙂 get the M6 first since it helps to slow down. slow down helps to produce better photos. if you dont find you enjoy it, sell the M6 at no loss and get a Fuji X100 whatever version is cheaper. i bought my m6 and never regret it.
i'm agreement though film/digital doesn't matter as much as disciplines, subjects,... but first get the camera out of the equation so you dont have to question why your camera is not good enough.

 

[Archlich]

You really should order a copy of the book of Magnum contact sheets. Lots of mediocre images surround the iconic ones. Looking through it gives one hope.

Mediocre photos don't void the artistic intention involved with every shot. It's just very hard to get the end result right, since it's in the field.

I plainly have no idea if you could think so fast with a 20fps machine.

 

[danielsterno]

I agree. Don't overthink it.

100f then hunt around for an M6- my 100f never leaves my neck as a daily journal- M6 is a nice to have when u have the funds-done over think it.....

 

[Guth]

Lets assume that one does not have a visual preference for the end result produced by either film or digital. I would think that one of the keys to any type of photography, not just street photography, would be using a camera that you are personally comfortable with when taking photos. This would include things like ergonomic factors, simplicity/complexity of available controls, lens options, personal budgets etc..

If you find a camera that you are able to buy into from both a functional and an emotional standpoint then you'll likely be more primed to create the kind of images that you want to make. There are no guarantees of course as the camera won't do this by itself. But if you find a camera this is a pleasure to use then you'll likely get more enjoyment out of the process of capturing images with it. That's more likely to result in a positive effect on the photos themselves. Everyone has their own philosophy when it comes to life, likewise there's no need to have the same camera, format, or approach to photography. Ideally, creative pursuits should bring out the differences in each of us more so than the similarities.

In the case of the OP, none of this is to say that the cameras already owned aren't the right ones to use. Perhaps the camera side of the equation has already been figured out. Many times in creative pursuits the best option is to completely step away from it for a set period of time. Coming back refreshed with a renewed interest has it's advantages as well. Best of luck to you!

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Even recognized street photogs not always machine gun it.
I could instantly recall three.

To understand low light street exposure digitally light meter app is good alternative, IMO.

 

[Dogman]

All this debate over what works better for candid photos is meaningless. Set a small aperture. Zone focus. Look for something interesting to photograph and take pictures. Use digital, film...whatever. You use both the same. No difference.

Look at classic "street" photography (Jeez, I hate that term!) and you'll find they almost always had lots of depth of field. Leica rangefinders might be appealing but they aren't easy to use for follow focusing. Just go with the zone and click away. You can do the same with the X100 and XPro series--focus manually in a zone or autofocus a point and lock focus and then look for an interesting subject.

The decision over an M6 or an X100 series Fuji should be based on other factors since both cameras can be utilized in identical manners.

 

[mod2001]

For zone/prefocussing imho nothing is faster than a lens with a focus tab if you know which position of the tab represents which distance, so normally on the way of the camera to my eye I was ready with (pre) focussing (plus adjusting the shutter speed if necessary) and ready to shoot directly, works btw also for moving subjects to some extend if you start adjust the focus in the same direction as the objects move, means if the object comes towards you start at infinity and adjust accordingly. Something I really miss on my T3, my fix focus there is usually set to 3m but if I need other distances, especially much closer I have to activate the AF via the AFL-button.

Never had a X100, so no idea how fast you can switch between the different types of focus. I would probaly prefer the X-Pro with a manual lens and focustab for this if you go digital.

Juergen

 

[olifaunt]

The Leica-type focus tab is ideal for zone focusing on the fly. You can focus by feel in an instant even before the camera is to your eye, no need to even check the rangefinder patch once you are used to judging distances. Preselecting zone focus with an X100 then being restricted to subjects that fit in that zone doesn't seem as flexible. Autofocus may be more flexible, but it depends how good and fast it is - and it can frustrate the photographer's intention if it focuses on the wrong plane in a layered composition.

 

[teddy]

It's easy. If you are having G.A.S then just get an M6 and a 35mm Summicron.

 

[robert blu]

It seems me two points were mentioned by the OP: possibility to shoot in low light and possibility to have the result in a short time.

In my opinion digital is the best option. Fuji, Pen F , M9 or other is up to personal taste, and finance.

robert

PS: of course we all know, myself included it is possible to shoot film in low light but considering the film cost you need to shoot 24/36 frames before developing and it can take time, as the OP mentioned.

 

[leicapixie]

I have read all the answers and advice..sigh.
If you want not need a Leica M6, it's on your head!
The cost of another MX, Me body w for Leica will be less than a filter.
Shooting crazy high ISO is only possible with digital..
My original Pentax Optio made images in darkness. , noisy but view-able .
Contrary to what one reads, high ISO on digital can be very noisy even now!
Are you a pro photographer that has to work in the dark?
Flash can open up a new world.

If you go film, there's cost of scanner, developing equipment, chemicals, time to learn about developing and scanning..
Scanning a very poor way to show off film results as against printing in darkroom.

I often left Leica at base not risking damage, weather, bad company, flying debris as stone, bricks and bullets..
Nikon my main cameras also left at base..
Used my old Pentax system as cheap to replace!

Read about services and cost of maintaining a Leica..:bang:

 

[mod2001]

If you go film, there's cost of scanner, developing equipment, chemicals, time to learn about developing and scanning.

as he wrote, he's not shooting much, means a Plustek 8200 for 100$ used does the trick, developing equipment is easy and cheap to find for around 20$, chemicals dito if he chooses a developer which lasts long. Learning developing depends on, I use Diafine, easy task. Scanning, yes, take some time but as does post processing with digital.

Scanning a very poor way to show off film results as against printing in darkroom.

Lets say not the best way, but firstly, you can scan now and print later in the darkroom the best shots when the kids are grown up (or in my case when I'm retired), secondly, the results you can get with a good printer and paper are absolute fine. Not to forget that for many people its easier to process the scanned photos in LR or PS than to reach the same result in a darkroom, this needs far more experience and practice. And this only for b/w. Color is a total different story.

Read about services and cost of maintaining a Leica..:bang:

To be fair, in case of an analog Leica, you should also read about price stabilty and longevity 😉 both, lenses and cameras. I used my M6 nearly 10 years w/o any service and its still running after I sold it 3 years ago to a friend, btw for 200 bucks more than I paid (used) for. Who cares there about probably 1 time in a decade occurring maintenance cost. And before you ask, no it was not on my shelf, I shot around 2000 films with it and didn't treat it with 'special' care.

Juergen

 

[jsrockit]

Well yes and no. If you look at Winogrand's (at least his NYC work) or Frank's contact sheets, you can see that they shot with thought and/or artistic instinct all the time; there are no throwaway shots, basically all their shots are keepers to you and me.

I like them both, but no photographer has ever made all keepers.

 

[ptpdprinter]

You really should order a copy of the book of Magnum contact sheets. Lots of mediocre images surround the iconic ones. Looking through it gives one hope.

Mediocre photos don't void the artistic intention involved with every shot. It's just very hard to get the end result right, since it's in the field.

That's good to know. It describes me, and most everyone else, perfectly.

 

[mod2001]

I like them both, but no photographer has ever made all keepers.

True, but their consistency is nevertheless quite impressive, hence their success at the end.

Juergen