I disagree.
Regards digital cameras, since I acquired the Leica SL and the Leica M-D, I have realized that I am done: I don't need any further 'improvements', I need to make photographs. Any further improvements are beyond my ability to take advantage of and are not worth wasting my energy thinking about. 🙂
I really want to believe you, but I don't. 😀🙂😀 I'm pulling for you though!
Just watch, it's for real. I have other things I want to do with my money, and photos I want to make.
Good for you. I'm content too and into photography more than gear too.
Time and change are a constant of life. Since this discussion in July 2017, a few things occurred:
- The Light L16, which I had ante'ed up for in 2015, was delivered in mid-December 2017.
- By mid-August of 2017, I had pretty much stopped using the SL in favor of the M-D for all but copy work, tabletop, and some long tele work. Turns out I do these kinds of things infrequently enough that the SL and its two spectacular zoom lenses basically sat in the closet unused, turning only about a fifty exposures in almost a year.
- Polaroid Originals acquired The Impossible Project and re-organized the product line, putting much more development effort into the film and offering just a simplified camera. This re-upped my interest in instant film again, I started shooting more Polaroid SX-70 and derivatives again, and I put money into a Lomo Instant Square. I've thoroughly enjoyed that, put money into the MiNT rangefinder instant and also into an Instax Square back for my M4-2 as well. More use for the M4-2*body would be good! It sits too much (as do my Nikon F and Leicaflex SL...)
- I returned to riding bicycles and motorcycles a great deal of the time, which means that I no longer have any will to carry heavy, bulky gear other than on very special occasions. The smaller, the lighter ... the better. The Light L16 plays into this beautifully, along with a very small light tripod.
The lack of use of such valuable gear as the Leica SL and its lenses is, to me, a waste of resources. I checked current pricing and found that the depreciation of this gear is such that if I sold it now, I'd have spent only a reasonably modest amount of money for its use in the two-and-some years I was using it. So: the SL system is now up for sale on consignment. That will return a hefty chunk of change to my bank account, but it leaves the gap of what to use for the infrequent macro/tabletop/copy work stuff.
One option is to switch those activities back over to my Olympus kit ... I have sold off a good bit of it, but I still own both the E-1 SLR and the E-M1 EVF bodies, a nice complement of lenses for the SLR (perfectly usable on the EVF as well), and a couple of EVF only lenses as well. That kit is more than competent enough for the niche uses, despite that I've grown accustomed to the 24 Mpixel standard as a baseline for my work. I might just stick with that.
Another option, because I've got the Leicaflex SL and a small remaining complement of Leica R lenses, and the Leica M lenses (for the M-D), is to use part of the SL returns to buy a Leica CL body. I've kept both the M Adapter L and R Adapter M mount adapters too. So I might just sell off all the Olympus gear, buy a CL body, and stick with just that and my R/M lens kit.
As said, Time and Change are a constant in life. Life changed a bit, I'm responding. My photography has changed a whole lot and is beginning to find a new footing, using mostly the same equipment I've been using for the past year or two (Leica M-D) and with the new Light L16 and instant film.
When Change stops, you're dead. Let's keep things changing for a while yet.
😀
G
iPhone 8 Plus
ISO 400 @ f/1.8 @ 1/120 @ 3.99mm
