jaapv
RFF Sponsoring Member.
😕😕Been shooting one for four months now. Fine camera....
For whatever it's worth, I absolutely LOVE my M9......I also have a D700 and a few others and still can't figure out why, but since getting the M9 my photos have become better on ALL my cameras. Could have something to do with forcing me to slow down and think rather than auto-everything available on all my other cameras.
This-ones-better-than-this discussions seem absurd in general as there are better uses for certain tools. You don't play basketball in fishing waders and I doubt that there is any camera that is everything to everyone. Nikon and Canon (remember, I own those too) are plastic stuff you can buy anywhere. Leica rangefinders create a feel not only in the pictures they take but the whole ownership experience. To try and compare a Nikon/Cannon to a Leica M-series is like comparing a one-off Rolls Royce to a Pontiac......yes, the pontiac probably outperforms the Rolls Royce in a lot of areas, it's faster, it's cheaper, it has a longer warranty, whatever....but even a 50 year old Rolls Royce catches your eye driving down the road while the 50 year old Pontiac is just a soul-less car.
I am new to the forums but am amazed at how many non-Leica owners seem to post trying to do these comparisons against their DSLR's when it's just a totally different animal. If you're happy with your Nikon or Cannon, GREAT! I've found that everything from Holga to Hasselblad has a unique niche and each brings something different to the table with none of them being perfect.
I will not invest in a camera made by a company that is not financially stable, least of all a $7000 camera.
A crop camera M8 is out of the question.
Drew this is very well put.For whatever it's worth, I absolutely LOVE my M9......I also have a D700 and a few others and still can't figure out why, but since getting the M9 my photos have become better on ALL my cameras. Could have something to do with forcing me to slow down and think rather than auto-everything available on all my other cameras.
This-ones-better-than-this discussions seem absurd in general as there are better uses for certain tools. You don't play basketball in fishing waders and I doubt that there is any camera that is everything to everyone. Nikon and Canon (remember, I own those too) are plastic stuff you can buy anywhere. Leica rangefinders create a feel not only in the pictures they take but the whole ownership experience. To try and compare a Nikon/Cannon to a Leica M-series is like comparing a one-off Rolls Royce to a Pontiac......yes, the pontiac probably outperforms the Rolls Royce in a lot of areas, it's faster, it's cheaper, it has a longer warranty, whatever....but even a 50 year old Rolls Royce catches your eye driving down the road while the 50 year old Pontiac is just a soul-less car.
I am new to the forums but am amazed at how many non-Leica owners seem to post trying to do these comparisons against their DSLR's when it's just a totally different animal. If you're happy with your Nikon or Cannon, GREAT! I've found that everything from Holga to Hasselblad has a unique niche and each brings something different to the table with none of them being perfect.
Dear Ronald,
So you don't drive a car, because the motor manufacturers all look a bit shaky, and you keep your money under the bed because we all know about banks? You paid cash for your house because you don't trust mortgage lenders? And you are absolutely confident that Leica is not 'financially stable' (whatever that means)?
Cheers,
R.
That reminds my to try Photoshop 3.0 with some M8 pictures.
Dear Richard,Drew this is very well put.
Nothing to disagree with at all. However I should also like to add that changing one's equipment (what ever it is) from time to time is refreshing and can improve your photography. This might be a new lens a new format or a new model. It all helps to see similar scenes differently and that is the fun of photgraphy. Certainly buying an M9 will change one's photography as will a Holga! Price to impact ratio it becomes an interesting debate.
Personally I always have itchy feet and change my gear constantly. The rule for me is always buy high quality and at a good price and there is very little to loose on trade in. (I have bought and sold my Hasselblad gear three times now and it has cost me very little to do so.)
Best wishes
Richard