Sell M9 and Return to Film Only?

[ktmrider]

For the past couple years I have owned an M9 and a couple M2's as well as half a dozen M mount lenses. I have been shooting them equally and honestly not very heavily. I use the M9 mostly for travel while trying to just use TriX in the film cameras.

And it should be noted that I have never posted a photo on the internet.

Now, I have a fair offer for the M9 and am thinking about taking it. If I do, I would be left with a (new) M5 and an M2. I would probably pick up a small cheaper digital like the Fuji X70, X100 or Ricoh GR for travel.

My question is for those of you who shoot a mix of digital or who have gone back to film only, do you miss having a digital camera in the bag? Do you regret selling your Leica M digital?

 

[Scapevision]

Go back to film.

 

[tightsqueez]

I've owned about six M9's over the years. I'd sell, buy another again, sometimes having two... but I ended up selling all of them when I got the Monochrom. Digital color just doesn't do it for me. I suppose I didn't put in enough effort to get the look I was after. The "look" is definitely there to be found but color is highly subjective; I'd rather scan a color slide and be done with it.

Anyways, long story short, I sold the Monochrom and regretted it for a year. Big time. Never thought I'd prefer digital black and white over film but I do. I'm not saying it's better, it's just different. And I like that difference.

So yes, I regretted it. And yes, I do have another Monochrom now.

EDIT: I'd say keep the M9. It's nice having an M-mount digital to stick your lenses on. Can't do that with the X70, X100 or Ricoh GR can you?

 

[Michael Markey]

I shoot a mixture of digital and film.
Whist I enjoy shooting my two film Leica I wouldn`t be without a digital camera.

A Richo GR is great for everyday carry and travel.

 

[SaveKodak]

This is really a workflow question I think. If you want to deal with the film workflow it can be (IMO) more rewarding than digital. There are still some dedicated 35mm scanners on the market that are affordable and very high quality (Primefilm XA). Personally I ditched my M 240 because there were too many compromises for a digital camera and the cost is too high to keep it around. I kept my M4 and 2 lenses and when I shoot with my Leica on trips I think I enjoy the experience a bit more. I'd say go for it! I am pretty biased against the M9 though. I've never understood the appeal of that clunker. But when we're talking about the M9 vs Portra 160, HP5, or Provia....uh yeah film wins for aesthetics.

 

[Gregm61]

I love shooting black & white film. Color today is a PITA with so few good labs to choose from. I wouldn't go back to color film over digital, no way, and I'd certainly not sell the M9.

You already have a good body for shooting film and I'd take an M9 for travel over any small, cheap digital P&S. I bought a new M262 earlier this year and have held on to my M9P, sending it in to get the new sensor in January. Got it back in Mid-May and still love using it today. I picked up a set of M9 profiles a while back for ACR from Huelight, which includes a great monochrome conversion.

I wouldn't do it, but that's me, not you.

 

[willie_901]

If you decide to pick up a X100, consider at least a X100S. The improvements in the S and T models are significant. Of course if you prefer to avoid adapting to S/T XTrans raw rendering the X100 would work.

For travel you might want to pick up one or both of the teleconverters. The teleconverters are high quality optics.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

To me carrying full digital body, in addition to film M is nothing but hassle on travel.

Small digital is very handy on travel if your main interest is with film. I used little Panasonic Lumix with Leica zoom on recent trip to Moscow . It was in the pouch on the belt. Easy to pull out by the hand stripe, take picture and place it back. M4-2 was on the neck stripe ready for something worth of the film. I took few hundreds snapshots and dozen of portraits with this little digital P&S.

This particular Lumix is in the rough shape after years of abuse from kids and me. Front element has big scratch, sometimes lens would't extract fully on the power on and battery, memory card door is gone. Yet, it gives good enough travel pictures. And battery needs charge only once a week with pictures taken daily.

 

[Vobluda]

Film is dead, keep the M and sell the M2s, eventually get Monochrom.

 

[x-ray]

I sold my M9 and never regretted it. I use digital (Nikons) in my work but 99.9% of my personal work is B&W film.

 

[aldobonnard]

Interestingly, leisure digital photographers will go to a great length of efforts in their attempts to mimic film rendering, but in the end that will never be nearly as good as the genuine original film.
Digital is useful and unmissable for professional photographers, but it is of little sense to pretend that film is dead. It just has become a niche of keen amateurs and passionate users, most photographers having gone digital, which is understandable and fully justified.
Yes, I own several digital rangefinders incl. a M and several film rangefinders..
and use BW and colour slide film for "importants" moments.

 

[waileong]

But you have a digital camera or two.

 

[jsrockit]

Interestingly, leisure digital photographers will go to a great length of efforts in their attempts to mimic film rendering, but in the end that will never be nearly as good as the genuine original film.

This only seems to matter to those who want the look of film, but the convenience of digital. Many people I know, that use digital, don't care that it doesn't look like film.

 

[ferider]

Sell the M9 and get a 240. Super reliable travel camera and prices are down. You will be able to shoot your slow and small lenses in the dark, and can leave your second body / film camera and bags of film at home. That's what I do anyways.

 

[ktmrider]

Normally, I don't mind moving cameras around (after 50 years still searching for perfect camera) but there is no denying that digital technology is great. Having said that I have been shooting film for fifty years and have never gotten into digital workflow (Photoshop is still an alien application).

And honestly color film is a pain these days. I remember when I went to color negative about fifteen years ago as Kodachrome was being discontinued. And I know the digital camera just keep depreciating.

Have an offer of $2500 for the M9 which is $500 more then I would get on a trade in.

 

[______]

Only you can answer the question for yourself. Others' experiences are not relevant.

 

[brennanphotoguy]

I shot Canon digital then hybrid Canon and various film systems and then swapped out the Canon stuff for Fuji stuff and then went all film. I don't regret it at all. The only reason I'd go back to using a digital camera would be for strictly work purposes and it wouldn't be fancy. If you don't post on the web and just shoot for yourself then use the stuff that makes you happiest or that you feel the most "connected" to. Grab something small and unobtrusive for digital stuff when you just have to have it if you really want to. A Ricoh GR will fit the bill and fit in your back pocket. I don't feel hindered at all by not having a digital camera. Anything I could shoot digitally I can shoot with film if I really want or need to.

 

[Huss]

Sell the M9, get the Sofort. Perfect combo of film and digital as like digital you can confirm your results almost immediately, but in doing so you have a real film print.

Sofort, it is the future of photography.

 

[BLKRCAT]

You're asking a totally subjective question and film people will tell you to go to film while digi people will tell you to stay with digital.

however...

Go back to film.

This.

 

[f16sunshine]

If you are staying with M mount lenses, why are you considering selling the M9 ?
These days it makes sense to have a digital body to compliment your film ones.
The M9 is a great fit. Keep it.