money burning a hole in your pocket? here's a solution. M9 + Noctilux

Paddy C said:
I cannot imagine walking around with $18K dangling from my neck.
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I drove an $80K car though heavy freeway traffic to get an oil change for a friend. Not something I relished, but after a time, you realize it's just a car, just money, and worse things could happen. Why obsess over something so meaningless? Insurance was invented for a reason. I'd have a harder time in the same traffic driving my own car if I didn't have insurance, and it doesn't cost maybe a tenth of that car. Even having insurance, I have less tolerance for disaster than the owner of the expensive car.

But I routinely drag my camera all across the earth as if it didn't matter. Seems to me losing my camera would hit me harder than someone able to finance a $15K kit.

That said, I was struck by how obviously the person selling the M9+lens was so clearly over their head. Or a liar.
 
40oz said:
I drove an $80K car though heavy freeway traffic to get an oil change for a friend. Not something I relished, but after a time, you realize it's just a car, just money, and worse things could happen. Why obsess over something so meaningless? Insurance was invented for a reason.

But I routinely drag my camera all across the earth as if it didn't matter.
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+1

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40oz said:
That said, I was struck by how obviously the person selling the M9+lens was so clearly over their head. Or a liar.
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I don't quite understand what you're getting at here when you say this person was clearly over their head or a liar! Over their head in what way or lying about what in particular? :confused:
 
About 20 years ago I was driving a Jaguar XJS V12 with about 1000 miles on the clock when I hit a wet patch on Mulholland in LA (overwatered lawn). It was interesting! The car was going sideways at about 45 degrees to the direction of travel. Fortunately it's a sweet-handling car and I managed to straighten it up. Even more fortunately, it belonged to Jaguar, not me: BMW once expressed surprise at my returning a car unscratched because "journalists always bend them."

But yes. It's just a car. Just as a camera is just a camera. If you've bought it and can't afford to use it, you don't own it: it owns you. Walking around with $18000 in cameras around your neck is no different (and I've done that, too).

The point is, it's a lot easier to do than to imagine.

Cheers,

R.
 
As to the question of "How can you afford it"- either find a job where the M9 makes a profit for you, such as photographing weddings, or one that it becomes an instrument required for the work. In either case it becomes how can you not afford it.

In the case that the M9 is for fun, not profit, then discretionary funds are required. A lot of people do not have funds for this, and even if they did - would not spend them on an M9. Next time you take a drive, look around at the number of $40,000+ cars around you. Guy up the street from me has a Lamborghini. Next door neighbor has a Harley. Lots of Lexus's and other expensive cars in the neighborhood. The difference in what I drive and any of them would pay for this camera/lens combo. But I have not had a car payment since 1982, just paid cash for new cars.
 
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I forgive anyone who spends whatever on whatever if they are able to use it to the full and are looking for more.However the endless wishy washy bokeh shots make me want to find the nearest thief and slip him an information pack.I might just lend him my car for the getaway.Now if you have the balls to wander around London at night with this kit taking the sort of shots this lens was designed for then youre one of the few that deserve it.If youre not then please sell it to me and make a huge financial loss,....you know you want to,.think of it as therapy.

p.s. i do realise that if someone was to buy a machine gun my philosophy might have its down side.:)
 
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I had great fun with my old f1.0 and M8 a few months ago in Zurich. I had just moved to a new city, was completely alone, and grabbed the combo to try and get a feel for the city at night. I doubt I would have been able to be as completely inconspicuous without such a fast lense. I called the series "Searching for the Swiss Soul (at night)", and though it's not strictly relevant here - wrong lense - there's a slideshow if you're interested:

http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=swiss+soul+at+night&w=7592660@N06&ss=2

I haven't had much time with the lense as I've been abroad without it, but as I took some photos this week - I very much look forward to the opportunity to do the same again with the f.095.

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It won't be for everyone, but I personally find my Noctilii my most go-to lenses... and on the M9 they're just a dream...
 
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snausages said:
Good point Roger. Yachts and Ferraris are also unnecessarily ostentatious.

I don't think the problem is with Leica. It's with certain products Leica offers. In fact, it's not a 'problem' at all. It's just that some people, many of them Leica users, think it's kind of funny to spend $18,000 on a camera and a lens.

I'm sure there are many fishermen that bristle when a yacht steers through their waters...
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Woke up this morning. Pelting rain. Got into my Ferrari in one of my 4-car garages. Put it in reverse and floored it. Forgot the boat was parked in the driveway. Crawled out to take photos for my insurance guy with the M9. Forgot it is not weatherproof. Mephistos in knee deep water leaked like a sieve. Kidskin leather no less. Depression creeping in when the alarm went off. Looked out the window and the Honda Civic is still there on the street. Elated, walked to office with a smile and a jig.
 
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