I'm really impressed with these photos. You captured the essence of this event. Shooting with the 50 ASPH must have been sweet. What are your thoughts on the M9? I hear a lot of people were having issues with the frame lines and bad sensors. Have you had any issues with yours? I had a M8.2 and wanted to upgrade, but now I'm thinking I made a mistake in selling it. Though the guy I sold it to will get good use out of it. I'm wondering if I should wait for a M10?
I was on the list for a M9, but having spoken with a few people who owned the M9 and had issues with sensors and frame lines, they returned the cameras and switched to used M8.2 cameras. That's just a fact. I bought my M8.2 used, but it was still a lot of money. I was on a list for the M9 for 6 months! By the time they got to me, after speaking to my friends about their M9 issues, and reading about the bad sensors, of which there is a thread somewhere in this rangefinder forum, I am hesitant to get the M9, though I wanted full frame so badly. I heard there are some improvements to ISO and color files right out of camera, but seems to me a camera costing 7K shouldn't have any issues, and if it does, warranty or not, Leica should fix it for free. I know that my two Nikons were out of warranty when they were sent in for various issues, but were fixed for free. Leica's quality control isn't what it used to be. They should own up to that and fix the cameras. Also, I wasn't saying that the M9 wasn't as good as a D-SLR. Perhaps you're referring to someone else on the thread. A good photographer can use any camera. Not the issue. I wanted to know your experience about the quality control of your M9. You've had no issues. I'm happy for you. Others have. That's just a fact. I know two people personally who have had problems with their M9s, so much so that they were returned. These are die-hard Leica users. One still shoots film, and he has shot for National Geographic and behind the scenes on movie sets. I trust his opinion. I'm just asking other M9 owners as well to see if there is a pattern of M9 failures. This is not to say that I hate the camera. I love the camera. It saddens me to think there are issues with such an expensive camera. I was saving to buy one. I still have the lenses to use one. I'm just afraid to currently get one due to the problems. Again, I wish I kept my M8.2 at times. Seems to be the sweet spot for Leica Digital, even if it wasn't full frame. Sigh!
Interesting reflective moment for me looking at these pictures. I did a little bit of shooting at PAX a few weeks ago. It didn't have the same density of people in costume but I have don't really have an excuse for the quality of shots I came away with by comparison. I've have a roll pending development with the remaining shots but... I know I don't have anything in the ballpark of this work.
Granted, I was using a Retina IIIc (FP4 used for outdoor shots, though that turned out to be too slow for our Seattle weather) and a Canonet 17 (indoor, Tri-X pushed to 800 indoor) so quick grab shots may have been a bit more challenging (and shorter on light most of the time), but I totally failed at getting in close by comparison. I almost went back a second day to take more portrait shots than street photography, but still... looking at this set is a good challenge to myself.
Goes without saying, but excellent work!
As competent as I am at shooting a rangefinder for 17 years, I will choose my Nikon D3s any day if my life depended on getting the shot, in any situation. Anyway, didn't want to turn this into a SLR vs Rangefinder thread but it's related as I believe a lot of complaints have come from those more suited and comfortable with SLRs. While the internet is great for learning about others' experiences it can also provide a distorted view of facts and misinterpretation is all too common. This week I'll be making a Leica M9 review video and should be ready on Youtube within a couple of weeks. Hopefully it will shed some light on the camera for you.