M stands for Mama and Moscow.

Ko.Fe.

Ko.Fe.

Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
Local time
8:25 AM
Joined
Jul 14, 2013
Messages
10,880
I went to see my parents in Moscow. Father still works, mother quit two years ago at the age of seventy five. She worked at same medical college for about fifty years with hour and half one way commute. My parents are children of War and they were young after War. They are one of those people who worked not for money.

My mother gave me gift, Leica M-E. I was able to find one and last one at Moscow store, sitting on the shelf, new for the price of used.

U57736I1476112632.SEQ.1.jpg


Mama checking Aleksey Myakishev photobook "Kolodozero"

U57736I1476112631.SEQ.0.jpg


And I'm still using FED-2 which my parents received as the gift for wedding.
I own to my parents, big time...
 
Now you have a dilemma Ko.Fe!

As an ardent darkroom printer, what do you do! Can you get the prints you want from this new gift?

I hope you had (are having) a great holiday back 'home'.
 
Great story and great acknowledgement of gift(s) from your parents Ko.Fe. I wouldn't have thought of Moscow as a place to buy new Leica cameras, even though I got an excellent 1951 Jupiter-3 from there via eBay. How things have changed!
 
Thank you all for wishes and great comments!

As for Michael question, I have no plans to use M-E instead of my Canadian Leicas.
M-E is to serve as compact digital FF in addition to bulky Canon DSLR gear which I use for family, friends and local events pictures. My wife and mother-in-law likes it sharp and in color and so do viewers on local community forum :). I like it as well on family pictures. Eyes and lips are rendered very naturally and dimensional.

I have tried M-E just once for the street and went back to film M. I checked M-E bw and it just not for me, as any digital bw. And I don't like to deal with cameras operated by batteries for street photography.
One of the street pictures I took in Moscow with M-E.

L1000052.JPG



For two weeks in Moscow I used iPhone for panoramas and video, little and old 8MP Panasonic Lumix to take quick pictures of the city architecture, family-friends snapshots, while M4-2 was the camera for what I personally like most. Which is candid and street portraits of people.
I used six re-loadable cassettes. Already developed four. Checked negatives with viewing loupe and it feels right, ready for darkroom prints.
 
Ko.Fe. said:
I have no plans to use M-E instead of my Canadian Leicas.
M-E is to serve as compact digital FF in addition to bulky Canon DSLR gear which I use for family, friends and local events pictures.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, if you are just using a lumix and iphone for digital stuff then why bother with an ME at all. Why not request an MP or MA? If film gives you the fizz then I don't see any harm in getting a nice body to enjoy rather than have a digi body that won't get the usage it deserves.
 
BLKRCAT said:
Just out of curiosity, if you are just using a lumix and iphone for digital stuff then why bother with an ME at all. Why not request an MP or MA? If film gives you the fizz then I don't see any harm in getting a nice body to enjoy rather than have a digi body that won't get the usage it deserves.
Click to expand...

M-E was the present which I received at Moscow. It was under very low price for new camera, "fitted the bill". No other new M cameras were offered as low as M-E price. It was the last new M-E sold in Moscow.

I have three ELC film M cameras already. MP, MA are just no need, no fizz to me. I also have 28 (ELC), 35 and 50 mm Leica made lenses.

And I'm happy with taking family pictures more often than street pictures (even if street is my personal interest). Just yesterday I went hiking twice, once with mother-in-law, two daughters and friends and second time with my wife. I have seen many people with big DSLRs and I was glad to be able to have smaller FF and true RF. I quit taking FF DSLR rig on hikes few years ago and sold it earlier this year. Too big and heavy even for home use.

Later yesterday I looked on big screen at the color pictures taken under bright sun and blue sky ... believe me... DNG files from FF CCD sensor gives portraits I haven't seen before. It is sharp, almost macro sharp, yet buttery like paintings by same time. Fizz was well present. :)
 
Wonderful Story !!!

though I recommend a change in Thread Titlte:

" M stands for Mama, Moscow, and M-E " ;)
 
I dunno Ko. I find myself using my film and digital M's at about the same rate. Its been that way for a while now. I bet you'll be walking with one foot on each road from now on. Don't worry, its easier than you think. The Leica M handles so similarly whether its film or digital, so you'll enjoy using them both just fine. I do.

Sounds like you have great parents. Great parents are a real blessing (yes, I have some too). Now I strive to be a great parent. Its not always easy.....
 
I understand your reluctance to use Digital M.
I'm pretty sure that your Mother's gift will grow on you.
The Canon is enormous, so soon the M-E will go in it's place.
Leica cameras are jealous beasts.
They don't like other cameras in the bag.:D
Enjoy and use with pleasure.
Your recent BW prints are fabulous.
 
I was talking with mother on previous week. She wants me to take good family picture to have it as print at home. I'm still learning what is good family picture.
Took family pictures this week, while I took week off from work.

35689172574_ab835e01ff_o.jpg



35715180973_77b3dae8d0_o.jpg



This week on one image with blue bright sky I discovered what in addition to one tiny worm shaped spot on the sensor I have now more.
Some are worm shaped, some are more less straight lines in different directions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom