Quality vs Convenience:Leica CM

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Warren69

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I am going on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise in September. As much as I don't like carrying a camera bag while traveling, I was planning on bringing my Bronica RF645 with 45mm and 65mm lenses. I recently acquired a Leica CM; I bought it to have a quality point and shoot. I received some E100G slides from street shooting in Pittsburgh and a day trip to Yosemite. The image quality was far better than what I expected (much better than what I'm accustomed to from my Olympus system).

I am now torn over which camera to bring along on my cruise. The Leica CM was extremely convenient, particularly when walking through Yosemite. However, I know the projected images from the Bronica are superior. Always having the Leica CM on my belt has much appeal compared to my Bronica in a shoulder bag.

I realize mine is a nice problem to have, but any advice on how to resolve this?

Thank you. Jerry
 
Bring both

Bring both

Warren69 said:
I am going on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise in September. As much as I don't like carrying a camera bag while traveling, I was planning on bringing my Bronica RF645 with 45mm and 65mm lenses. I recently acquired a Leica CM; I bought it to have a quality point and shoot. I received some E100G slides from street shooting in Pittsburgh and a day trip to Yosemite. The image quality was far better than what I expected (much better than what I'm accustomed to from my Olympus system).

I am now torn over which camera to bring along on my cruise. The Leica CM was extremely convenient, particularly when walking through Yosemite. However, I know the projected images from the Bronica are superior. Always having the Leica CM on my belt has much appeal compared to my Bronica in a shoulder bag.

I realize mine is a nice problem to have, but any advice on how to resolve this?

Thank you. Jerry
Click to expand...
On every holiday, trip I go, I take two cameras.
A nice compact in my jacket/belt pocket.
(usually a Rollei 35 or Sony T series with Zeiss Tessar lens)
A larger more powerful dslr in my backpack.
Reserved for those meaningful, extra nice or scenic shots only.

Then I will unpack on the spot and set up.

Cheers, Manfred
 
I would agre with Manfred. Its always a good idea to have a couple of cameras. Even more so if they are different format. Where you are going I'm sure you will come across some scenes that deserve MF over 35mm to capture that great detail, light, etc. So, I'd take both, but if you are determined to take just one - I'd say take Bronica.
 
Warren69 said:
I am going on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise in September. As much as I don't like carrying a camera bag while traveling, I was planning on bringing my Bronica RF645 with 45mm and 65mm lenses. I recently acquired a Leica CM; I bought it to have a quality point and shoot. I received some E100G slides from street shooting in Pittsburgh and a day trip to Yosemite. The image quality was far better than what I expected (much better than what I'm accustomed to from my Olympus system).

I am now torn over which camera to bring along on my cruise. The Leica CM was extremely convenient, particularly when walking through Yosemite. However, I know the projected images from the Bronica are superior. Always having the Leica CM on my belt has much appeal compared to my Bronica in a shoulder bag.

I realize mine is a nice problem to have, but any advice on how to resolve this?

Thank you. Jerry
Click to expand...

Jerry,

Yes....send me your ticket plus traveling & expense money and I will do some in depth analysis for you. Upon my return I will submit a full report.

Best regards,

Bob
 
A MF camera is great for planned shots, not so great for spontaneous ones. Bring both. Use the Bronica for landscapes, seascapes, use the CM to capture action and informal shots.
 
I use the Leica CM as daily compact camera. Is a very tremendous camera, with excellent and complete features and very sharp lens. Erwin Puts tell that the Summarit 40 mm f/ 2,4 work as the 35 ASPH.
Ciao.
 
The CM has got the same lens as the Minilux, slightly retro styling, and some minor changes to the controls.

The Summitar lens is what makes the camera so good.

And it fits in a jeans pocket, or in a neat pouch case with belt loop, or in a normal business type case.

If the cruise ship is stopping at Barcelona, Cairo, Istanbul and so on I'd take the Leica compact for sure.
 
I have a MiniLux and use it for colour neg or slides, along with an M camera and lenses with fast B+W, while on vacation/trips. If there's enough room, a MF camera with slower B+W film for those special scenes that may be enlarged, is taken along as well.
 
We haven't heard from Warren about what he chose to take along, and I expect he may be having a great time cruising the Mediterranean even now. Hope he'll report back, and with a few pics!

I'm facing a similar sort of choice, whether to take the RF645 with 65 and 45 along to Puerto Rico in November, or a 35mm RF kit. As I see it, the Bronica is fast & responsive, fine for spontaneous shots, but its drawback is the f/4 max aperture and lack of a really wide lens.

I could gain 2 stops by taking, say, the Minolta CLE with 40/2 and 28/2 -- having comparable fields of view to the Bronica lenses -- and a 21/2.8 for those very wide times. I'd want to be using slower film as much as possible, reserving fast film just for dim light, maybe in a second body.
 
The Leica CM have the same Summarit 40 mm f/ 2,4 lens as the previous Minilux, but the multi coating is improved. The shutter is different, with many more choose in shutter times, the finder is slightly better, the design is more beautyful. The CM, now discontinued as the CM Zoom, was entirely made in Germany. The Minilux was builded in Japan for Leica company. Anyway, also the Minilux is a great 35 mm compact camera.
Ciao.
 
The only bad thing I heard about CM was that it was not immune to E02 break down like many Minilux had been plagued. And even worse, no one can repair it! That is because Leica does not provide the CM shutter part any more! So, CM users (including me), take good care of this baby. Once it breaks, it dies!!
 
cant go wrong with a cm, that is one hell of a lens on that camera. I personally would never go on a photo trip even to the other side of town with only one camera in tow. Two is my rule, but then again I dont have a bronica to lug around either. My kit as of late usualy has a bessa r2a and a ricoh grd, small and good for the streets. If im going the the countryside then a medium format TLR and my canon 20d ususaly with my bessa as well. Its all good but woe is the person who only takes one camera and it breaks.
 
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