Keep Contax G2 or sell to fund M-P 240/M-D 262 to use along with my M4?

[rubercoober]

Mods, feel free to move this if it's in the wrong forum.

Hey everyone!

Long post ahead - TLDR towards bottom if you wanna skip all that.

I've been obsessing lately over trying to get into a digital Leica. I've been shooting film for the past 6(?) years or so and still enjoy the process, the look, and the feel of using my M4 and my G2, but am starting to get tired of how long of a process shooting film can be. Particularly self developing black and white film and scanning using a V700 at my local photo studio (outsourcing color work).

I'm currently backlogged like 40 rolls of film that I haven't scanned and it's really bugging me cause I keep shooting and adding to that. I realize that shooting digital doesn't necessarily mean I will be any better with my workflow in terms of being behind/backed up on processing stuff, but the idea of being able to review images immediately/later that day is starting to become really appealing to me and feels like it would help me to work on my photos more often (and at home, instead of driving 20 minutes to the darkroom/studio and spending hours trying to scan film).

I am slightly hesitant getting into digital because I've never been happy with the results I get from digital straight out of camera, only with my experience using DSLRs. This is more an issue of weak post processing skills when it comes to Adobe PS/LR and could be addressed with some work. At the same time I've always been pretty happy with my film results straight away, with maybe some minor tweaks to contrast/levels.

It's been a consideration recently as I've been talking to my girlfriend about going on a 6-8 week backpacking trip to Eastern Europe and Russia this summer. Having a digital camera would be much more convenient in terms of output and being able to work on my images during off time while traveling. It would also save me space on having to carry a bunch of film and the cost of processing color film (although I'd still like to bring my M4 to shoot some color and BW film).

TLDR; Getting impatient with film processing, worried about keeping G2 up and running, considering buying into a digital M to stay in the same system and pair with my M4. Especially for traveling. Also considering just getting into a nice scanner to work at home instead. Driving myself crazy trying to make up my damn mind.

My options at this point are:

1)Keep both cameras and invest in a nice scanner to help with output at home (noritsu, etc), forget using digital entirely as I'm happy with my film results. Deal with how time consuming it is. Wait to deal with images til after trips.

2)Sell G2 to fund digital M. Have quicker output with my photos. Shoot side by side with M4. Have my cake and eat it. - M-P 240 has option of EVF/video and is cheaper than M-D but same sensor/buffer? $3k-3.5k

M-D 262 seems like a seamless transition from my M4 as I'm used to not having a screen and it would basically be like shooting film but with digital output (really appealing). More expensive though. $4k-4.5k
3)Sell G2, don't buy digital M and put extra money towards film costs/nice scanner//another M lens/leftovers towards travel fund?

Sorry for such a long post, thanks in advance.

Crossposted from reddit for more feedback.

 

[kknox]

I sold off a Fuji X-pro2 and a M6ttl and put the money on an M262. Couldn't be happier. I did keep the M2. So much faster, instant gratification. The battery life is great also.

 

[YouAreHere]

Summer is 90 days out. Is that enough time to sell your G2, purchase a digital M, get comfortable using it, and develop a reliable consistent processing workflow? To me, the backtracking trip puts unwanted pressure on the decision. So my advice is to do nothing until after you get back.

Have you investigated renting a digital M?

Also, you'll need at least one backup battery and a travel charger. And a card reader. And extra cards. I'm assuming you'll already have a voltage converter. If not well add that in too! By switching out the G2 plus lenses, are you saving weight or adding more?

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Ask yourself, do you get more “Keepers” from the M4 or the G2? For many people, the answer, if they are honest with themselves is the G2. Maybe not true in your case, but at least think about it. You won’t get enough for the G2 to come close to funding a decent digital M. Keep it; if you sell it I will hazard a giess you’ll regret it later. Contax G system is just too good to toss off in the scenario you are describing. IMO.

 

[Huss]

Summer is 90 days out. Is that enough time to sell your G2, purchase a digital M, get comfortable using it, and develop a reliable consistent processing workflow? To me, the backtracking trip puts unwanted pressure on the decision. So my advice is to do nothing until after you get back.

Have you investigated renting a digital M?

Also, you'll need at least one backup battery and a travel charger. And a card reader. And extra cards. I'm assuming you'll already have a voltage converter. If not well add that in too! By switching out the G2 plus lenses, are you saving weight or adding more?

M240 is sweet and very easy to get used to. Battery lasts forever. It will come with a travel charger. Extra cards? One card will hold the equivalent of 40 + rolls of 36 exp film...
So compare how much space the M240 + travel charger + extra card would take compared to a Contax G2 and 100 rolls of film. Oh, that camera would need batteries/charger too.

Aaand he will only have to travel with one set of lenses if he decides to take a film and a digital Leica.

 

[YouAreHere]

M240 is sweet and very easy to get used to. Battery lasts forever. It will come with a travel charger. Extra cards? One card will hold the equivalent of 40 + rolls of 36 exp film...
So compare how much space the M240 + travel charger + extra card would take compared to a Contax G2 and 100 rolls of film. Oh, that camera would need batteries/charger too.

Aaand he will only have to travel with one set of lenses if he decides to take a film and a digital Leica.

Whether the m240 is 'easy to get used to' is very subjective. Clicking the shutter is only the beginning.

Yes, one set of lenses is a definite bonus.

 

[rubercoober]

I sold off a Fuji X-pro2 and a M6ttl and put the money on an M262. Couldn't be happier. I did keep the M2. So much faster, instant gratification. The battery life is great also.

Glad to hear it!

Summer is 90 days out. Is that enough time to sell your G2, purchase a digital M, get comfortable using it, and develop a reliable consistent processing workflow? To me, the backtracking trip puts unwanted pressure on the decision. So my advice is to do nothing until after you get back.

Have you investigated renting a digital M?

Also, you'll need at least one backup battery and a travel charger. And a card reader. And extra cards. I'm assuming you'll already have a voltage converter. If not well add that in too! By switching out the G2 plus lenses, are you saving weight or adding more?

It honestly won't be a big deal if I don't have it in time for the trip, not trying to put pressure on myself in that sense. It would be nice to have though. I've looked into renting a digital M - the M-D 262 is the cheapest to rent and even for like a week, it costs about $300. It's a lot of money to put into renting a camera just to see if I'll like it. Granted, that's better than spending $3k and finding out it's not for me, so good suggestion.

I think the time between now and then would be plenty to do all that you mentioned above, and developing a consistent workflow for the trip isn't a huge deal - if it comes down to it I can always just wait to work on them later. Might be better for the sake of being present for the trip. That makes me think that sticking to film may be better in that sense...

And yeah, I've got a voltage converter hahaha. The accessories are the least of my worries though. I appreciate the input, waiting til after the trip may be the best option.

 

[rubercoober]

Ask yourself, do you get more “Keepers” from the M4 or the G2? For many people, the answer, if they are honest with themselves is the G2. Maybe not true in your case, but at least think about it. You won’t get enough for the G2 to come close to funding a decent digital M. Keep it; if you sell it I will hazard a giess you’ll regret it later. Contax G system is just too good to toss off in the scenario you are describing. IMO.

To be completely honest, I've probably had more keepers from the G2 than the M4, but that is a matter of owning it longer. The G2 was my first real nice rangefinder and I used the hell out of it for the year and a half that I owned it prior to the M4. I got super used to the autofocus system and shooting with it is super quick (although I worry that the meter/autofocus/aperture priority are making me a lazier photographer). Much quicker than the M4 at this point. Many of my favorite photos have been taken with the G2 - I have nothing but love for that camera. I especially love that I can shoot with one hand - that came in handy while I was in Indonesia, riding on a scooter, shooting from the hip while driving. It's also great for shooting action, and works really well for street photography. But both cameras have treated me very well.

My ideal camera in this situation would pretty much be a digital G with those amazing Zeiss lenses, a Leica style viewfinder, and the ability to have autofocus and real rangefinder coupled manual focus, not the roller wheel situation that the G2 uses. The Fuji X-Pro2 is fairly close to that, but the crop sensor is off putting enough, and I'm already invested enough in the Leica M system that it seems like a better idea to go digital M. I need to try and spend some more time with an X-Pro2 and see how I feel about it.

My concern is with the longevity of the G2 - earlier this past year it died on me while traveling in Indonesia due to some water damage. I had it completely cleaned out and overhauled, replaced everything that wasn't working in the camera. It cost me $550 to do this. It works beautifully now, possibly even better than before. But how long until it gives out on me again? I suppose I could buy another body, but is it worth it? How long will Nippon Photo Clinic continue to service Contax cameras?

That said, I have the beautiful black version, with a 45/90/flash, which fetches around $2k on average and would actually contribute a solid amount towards a digital M. If I can sell it, and one of my guitars that I've been planning on flipping, I think I can cover the cost entirely.

It also hurts to consider selling it because if I do get rid of it and regret it, it's pretty likely that if I buy another, it won't be in as good working shape as mine as it was overhauled recently. That's offputting for sure. And I have some emotional attachment to the G2, so that's making it even harder. But the M4/G2 combo is slightly redundant, and the Leica is likely to hold it's value longer, which is another reason I'm considering selling the G2 over the M4. I appreciate the input man.

M240 is sweet and very easy to get used to. Battery lasts forever. It will come with a travel charger. Extra cards? One card will hold the equivalent of 40 + rolls of 36 exp film...
So compare how much space the M240 + travel charger + extra card would take compared to a Contax G2 and 100 rolls of film. Oh, that camera would need batteries/charger too.

Aaand he will only have to travel with one set of lenses if he decides to take a film and a digital Leica.

Yeah this would save me a lot of space and be more convenient overall. I'm sure I wouldn't have any issue getting used to it - just the editing aspect. Everything else should be a walk in the park.

 

[merciless49]

I was in a similar situation years ago, when I got my first rangefinder - a Leica M3. I used it exclusively for daily/weekly shooting, for over a year, and really bonded with it. Then came a flurry of other rangefinder bodies, GAS, and pretty soon I had to sell the M3 and some other gears that were accumulated just to be financially sound again.

Long story short, I never felt that connected to a camera since. Had an M5, sold that, bought another. But still never felt that connected with it in use. Now I lucked out and am in possession of another M3, so I'm looking forward to keeping this one for the long term. You never know what you've got, until it's lost!

 

[rhl-oregon]

Get the M-D 262 if you like (and trust) the M4–and want to consolidate your shooting approach.

Minimal changes in shooting experience between the two: the digital readout in the finder, and the choice to use aperture priority. Switching between the M and the G is arguably harder, given the VF differences. Shooting my G1 is kind of like going to the optometrist.

You also can’t be tempted to chimp which, if you are as monkey-minded as me, is a considerable relief from small-screen editorial fidgeting after any (every!) exposure. I have other digital cameras with EVF/screens to scratch that perfectionist itch.

Good luck in the decision!

 

[Ko.Fe.]

2. I barely know about G2, but I know what working M4 is good enough.
If, no, then G2 will break, is here any one to fix it with available parts?

If film is clean you could digitize with M240. I even have seen Minox photos digitized with M9.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

To be completely honest, I've probably had more keepers from the G2 than the M4, but that is a matter of owning it longer. The G2 was my first real nice rangefinder and I used the hell out of it for the year and a half that I owned it prior to the M4. I got super used to the autofocus system and shooting with it is super quick (although I worry that the meter/autofocus/aperture priority are making me a lazier photographer).

I am willing to bet that if you had both cameras for ten years you would still have gotten substantially more keepers from the G2, because I doubt it really is a “matter of owning it longer” and, yes, the G2 does make us lazier photographers. There is a linkage there; it is just easier to get good photographic results with the G2, precisely because of the AF, the AE, the higher available shutter speeds, not to mention the one of a kind vf framing/auto parallax capabilities. It seems like a sin somehow, but there it is.

But, the M cameras are nicer as “things”, there is no doubt about that, so I understand your quandry completely, as I have the same one, minus the trip. I have both systems, and reason tells me that, if I was just concerned with photographic results, I would sell the Ms and all the lenses, and keep the Contax system, hands down. But, I haven’t been able to make myself do that, because I enjoy the act of shooting the M more than the act of shooting the Contax. Results vs. process.

I currently have the luxury of being able to keep both systems, but if finances forced me to sell one system off, the Leicas would go, in a heartbeat, because I’ve weighed the pros and cons for years. Just a personal opinion, and I can certainly see reasons for going the other way, which have already been enumerated.

Another suggestion for long term and travel system, keep the Contax, add the 35-70, sell off all the M items, and buy a Leica Q. Just kidding, sort of.

(and I hope it isn’t your only guitar🙂 Best of luck with your decision, and have fun on your trip. You’ll have a camera of some sort which is all that matters.

Keep my contact info if you decide to sell the G2 body and the flash🙂 I don’t have a black one yet😱

 

[Chuffed Cheese]

I often struggle with the idea of selling extraneous gear and putting it towards a simpler but more expensive solution.

The problem is that I like to shoot with the gear I have whether intermittently or not. The cameras I have are just fun to shoot with.

The struggle is real.

 

[jawarden]

Don't sell the G2

Don't sell the G2

To be completely honest, I've probably had more keepers from the G2 than the M4, but that is a matter of owning it longer. .... I got super used to the autofocus system and shooting with it is super quick (although I worry that the meter/autofocus/aperture priority are making me a lazier photographer).

Be a lazy photographer and have fun. Don't sell your tuned-up and fresh G2. There is nothing else like it in film land so try to be satisfied with the best, and use that thing until nobody is left to fix it. Then move on.

In your shoes I'd buy a scanner, as the lack of a quality scanner seems to be the main problem.

Don't sell the G2. Don't sell the G2. Don't sell the G2.

😀

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

You say you don't like the crop sensor of the Fuji system, but the X-Pro2 really is the closest thing to a digital G2 on the market. It's really stunningly similar, conceptually and design-wise. You could make that swap, lenses included, without any additional outlay, and with native lenses, the crop sensor becomes kind of a non-issue. You forget the specs and just shoot.

If not, though, I'd say go for the digital M.

 

[aizan]

agreed! if you switch out the contax kit for a fuji kit, you give up nothing in depth of field.

 

[Huss]

Yeah this would save me a lot of space and be more convenient overall. I'm sure I wouldn't have any issue getting used to it - just the editing aspect. Everything else should be a walk in the park.

You won't. The editing is also super easy. Believe me. It may take you about 30 minutes the first time to figure out how you want things to look. Go with the less is more philosophy and don't over-cook the images (the way some like to crank on the clarity and saturation) and you're done. But I'm pretty sure you've already got that figured out!

M240s are now in the $3k range or less. So worth it compared to stuff like M10s, M9s etc.

Where are you? If you're in LA you can swing by and try out mine (I'm not selling!) just to see how you like it.

 

[Mjd-djm]

Keep the G2, you’ll only regret it... and you can’t get it back. You can get a Leica digital anytime.

 

[d_c]

I've never owned a G2 so cannot comment on that dilemna, but I tried the scanner route and it didn't really work out for me. Even though the maths financially was there in terms of the cost of the scanner + a bunch of films + processing vs. a digital Leica, I found the overheads in terms of time were acting as a dis-incentive to shooting. Finding the time to sit and make proper scans, plus all the little bits of time sourcing decent film and sorting processing, plus the delay just waiting for the lab, meant that I was using other lesser cameras to take pictures for more immediate results.

In the end I kept my M6 and a handful of lenses, and sold the stuff I really wasn't using, to get an M262. I did think about the M-D 262, but in the end decided that the extra flexibility in terms of setup, which is possible because of the screen, was beneficial, plus I liked the idea of the slightly lighter camera.

 

[Fraser]

If the G2 breaks just buy another one, I'm not sure unless you have all the contax lenses how far selling it will help a digital M will go. Why not try a secondhand xpro 1 they are really cheap at the moment.