I am enjoying my M9 but it took a while. . .

[jamato8]

Looking out from our back porch here on Pohnpei. Image as seen, no enhancement of color or anything else.

Focussing has gotten much faster for me and while this image doesn't require fast focussing, many other have and it is starting to work out well now. A person here said some time back that focussing with the M is a bit of an art, to paraphrase. At the time I disagreed with him, now I apologize for he was/is correct. Even though I have used an M camera since the 1970's but for the past few years I have been using my Canon's much more with their auto focus and the speed thereof. A lot of my work requires speed of focus or the shot is gone so at first it was frustrating to really incorporate the M into my use as a regular camera, valued for its small less conspicuous size with which turns out to be much less imposing as illuminated the other day when after an even one of the guys there saw me and all I had was the M9, "Where are your big cameras?", implying, "where are the "real" cameras". :^)

So it goes. This image was shot with a recently obtained 25mm Biogan. I also purchased a screen saver after scratching the screen pretty bad. I got them for my other cameras as well though for the years of hard use, the 5D screen has held up remarkably well.

On the use of this lens, if I don't key in that it is a 24mm I get off colors in lower light and some strange banding. I am glad there is a method for using this lens.

90mm Summicron at f2.8, a grab shot as the girls moved around.

 

[ramosa]

Lovely capture. Great color and light, of course, but I also like how you have used the shoreline.

I agree that focusing an M is an art. Unlike you, I just got my first M about 2.5 years ago. I had never focused a rangefinder before (except for one visit to a camera shop). I have found that my focusing ability has improved consistently over time. In fact, just in the last six months, I read all sorts of comments on RFF about prefocusing and how it helps. What I mean is how you can often set focus before and benefit from it, especially when doing street photography. Some of the comments recommended shooting on the street without even bringing the camera to the eye. I couldn't believe it at first--but, with some practice, I have adopted this practice (when necessary), with pretty good success.

 

[jamato8]

Yes, sometimes the prefocus works very well. I did one that was not brought to my eye and by luck and prefocus, the eye, which is what I want if a person, was in perfect focus on a shallow depth of field. Normally though I bring the camera up as my work requires that I know what I am really capturing. Also if a person objects, I know it right away and I don't want to take an image of someone, unless it is of dire consequence, unless it is ok.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I love the second picture. Beautiful. The expression is perfect.

And the sunset is also beautiful.

 

[honeyhype]

That little girl's eyes are amazing.
Great shot!

 

[Harry S.]

I got a widesceen computer monitor recently and i never really appreciated it until I opened this thread! 🙂 Wonderful.

I love M9's. I tried not to. I wanted to tell myself my 5D2 was superior (possibly) and adequate. I should stop buying so many silly film cameras 🙂