gb hill
Veteran
People say you are lucky, I call you a blessed man. I pity the M7.
robert blu
quiet photographer
Thanks you all for your very kind words, yes I have a "special" wife! Love her!
It helped that she's also a passionate photographer (maybe not very technically expert but she has a vision) and when we visited thanks to Raid the Leitz Park in Wetzlar last year we both were very impressed.
A friend ask me about my choice, I mean the camera not the wife I'll give you some details.
Basically I'm a film photographer beside the M7 I shoot the old Rolleiflex I inherited from my father, I shoot a Nikon FM2T, I shoot different Polaroid cameras. It's ok, I like the experience, the notion to have a limited number of frames available, the waiting time to see the results. It's all ok, but...
Since I have no more a darkroom since years the hybrid workflow is my way to go. Just replicating the darkroom operation, a little more contrast here, some burning there and similar operations, nothing too exoteric!
Now getting old I realized how precious my time is and the scanning time is becoming heavy. I'm also learning to draw and this takes time, you can shoot a bottle in 1/125 of sec but to draw it with pencils it can take two hours!
Moreover my excellent scanner, Nikon 5000 ED is more than 10 years old and I think it's not eternal, soon or later it could fail and difficult to repair.
So I started the research of a digital camera which had not to be computer like, complicated menus, or plenty of buttons. I evaluated various models, various brands but no one was conniving me at 100%, hmmm I'm difficult in my choices! But I like to have a strong relationship with my tools and do not like the idea to buy and sell, when I buy that is!
When I tried the M10 I felt it was very similar in my hand to my M7 and you already know how it went, thanks to my wife!
From the first days I can say it was the correct choice and I can use it in the same way I shoot film: select iso according to the ambient light, use aperture priority or manual depending on situation, single shots, rarely chimping only when the light situation is ...problematic, done...
Of course I'll still use my films camera...
Again thanks to you all for the nice and encouraging words!
robert
PS: for the friends who ask no, my wife has no sisters...and there is no Ferrari in our future...
It helped that she's also a passionate photographer (maybe not very technically expert but she has a vision) and when we visited thanks to Raid the Leitz Park in Wetzlar last year we both were very impressed.
A friend ask me about my choice, I mean the camera not the wife
I'll give you some details.Basically I'm a film photographer beside the M7 I shoot the old Rolleiflex I inherited from my father, I shoot a Nikon FM2T, I shoot different Polaroid cameras. It's ok, I like the experience, the notion to have a limited number of frames available, the waiting time to see the results. It's all ok, but...
Since I have no more a darkroom since years the hybrid workflow is my way to go. Just replicating the darkroom operation, a little more contrast here, some burning there and similar operations, nothing too exoteric!
Now getting old I realized how precious my time is and the scanning time is becoming heavy. I'm also learning to draw and this takes time, you can shoot a bottle in 1/125 of sec but to draw it with pencils it can take two hours!
Moreover my excellent scanner, Nikon 5000 ED is more than 10 years old and I think it's not eternal, soon or later it could fail and difficult to repair.
So I started the research of a digital camera which had not to be computer like, complicated menus, or plenty of buttons. I evaluated various models, various brands but no one was conniving me at 100%, hmmm I'm difficult in my choices! But I like to have a strong relationship with my tools and do not like the idea to buy and sell, when I buy that is!
When I tried the M10 I felt it was very similar in my hand to my M7 and you already know how it went, thanks to my wife!
From the first days I can say it was the correct choice and I can use it in the same way I shoot film: select iso according to the ambient light, use aperture priority or manual depending on situation, single shots, rarely chimping only when the light situation is ...problematic, done...
Of course I'll still use my films camera...
Again thanks to you all for the nice and encouraging words!
robert
PS: for the friends who ask no, my wife has no sisters...and there is no Ferrari in our future...
raid
Dad Photographer
Well said, Robert. I shared this story with my wife! She asked me ... what is the cost of an M10? Oh well. You never know.
robert blu
quiet photographer
A few weeks ago my wife and me during a road trip from Italy to North Germany made a stop in Wetzlar where I had the RF of my M7 adjusted. We got an excellent service and in a few hours it was done, kudos to Wetzlar Customer Service.
Meantime we made a visit to the Leica shop where I was curious to know if they had any refurbished digital M, maybe an M9 or 262 or...something just to try it. But we also ask to see and try the M10. You understand, the curiosity!
As soon as I had the M10 in my hands I felt it very familiar, like having my M7.
My wife asked me if I wanted it and my answer was ok, it's nice, maybe for my 70th birthday (in less then two years) it could be a nice present to celebrate.
But...
...she replied: if you are sure it's a good camera, the one you desire than buy it now. And use it! No need to wait two years.
End of the story: in the afternoon after some more thinking I placed the order
and now a few weeks later I am owner of an M10! Life is short, it's already late...
Now, and this is a little silly, I could have the M10 shipped to my address but we decided to drive to Wetzlar again to pick up personally! This makes the camera more...my camera!
Of course the first photo I took with the M10 had to be a photo of my wife
It's not a perfect photo, we both were feeling the emotion of a special moment!
robert
How much to rent your wife for a visit to the Leicastore to talk us into an M10?
Stephen
jcrutcher
Veteran
Robert,
Congratulations! I happen to agree with your wife, why wait life is short. Wonderful story and i can't wait to hear your opinion on the camera.
jim
Congratulations! I happen to agree with your wife, why wait life is short. Wonderful story and i can't wait to hear your opinion on the camera.
jim
robert blu
quiet photographer
noisycheese
Normal(ish) Human
Robert, you are truly blessed - not in having your dream camera, the M10 - but in having such a wonderful and understanding life partner. 18 or 68, time is short for all of us - tomorrow, next week, next month or next year is not guaranteed for any of us. We have only today.
Dorothea Lange once observed: “One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you’d be stricken blind.” Sage advice, that.
Dorothea Lange once observed: “One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you’d be stricken blind.” Sage advice, that.
robert blu
quiet photographer
Thanks for your words and for reminding me that Dorothea Lange sentence, not to forget, grazie
robert
Congrats Robert! That's awesome... enjoy it!
gunston
Established
very nice and touching short story for the M10 purchase. congrats !
robert blu
quiet photographer
One and half year later I say that I'm very happy to use the M10!
And of course I'm even happier with my a wife
robert
And of course I'm even happier with my a wife
robert
willie_901
Veteran
Congratulations!
Out to Lunch
Ventor
Lucky man. If my wife found out I had spent that kind of money on a camera, she'd sell me into slavery...
PaulDalex
Dilettante artist
Congratulation Robert,
I too dream of the definitive camera. The one I will keep for ever, no matter what the evolution of photo technology may be, and never buy another one.
May be I will stick with what I have now or, after studying and mumbling like you, I will find my last and only.
However, although I am older than you and I am sick, I lack your courage when it comes to to such big money and, if I will ever decide to make the plunge, I hope to spend way less (on the other hand as a hobbyist it is more difficult to justify such investments)
Nice photos and the look of your wife reveals a very nice person!
I too dream of the definitive camera. The one I will keep for ever, no matter what the evolution of photo technology may be, and never buy another one.
May be I will stick with what I have now or, after studying and mumbling like you, I will find my last and only.
However, although I am older than you and I am sick, I lack your courage when it comes to to such big money and, if I will ever decide to make the plunge, I hope to spend way less (on the other hand as a hobbyist it is more difficult to justify such investments)
Nice photos and the look of your wife reveals a very nice person!
Bike Tourist
Well-known
Good move, Robert! You mentioned the Nikon 5000 ED, which I also had once and liked very much. But stock agencies I dealt with thought any grain was an anathema, which influenced my decision to go digital. Now, you have the best of both worlds.
Still, I wouldn't be surprised to see you using the M10 and resting the M7.
Still, I wouldn't be surprised to see you using the M10 and resting the M7.
raid
Dad Photographer
One and half year later I say that I'm very happy to use the M10!
And of course I'm even happier with my a wife
robert
It was a great move by you and Simo to get the M 10 (for you).
You seem to love using it.
robert blu
quiet photographer
Yes, it's very natural and intuitive for me. Easy to use.
But...for our short vacation end of summer I felt the desire to use the M7 ! So three films: two for journey (outward and return) and one for the few days at the sea. It was nice to shoot film again!
robert
raid
Dad Photographer
I am now using film again too (in my M3)!