Will M9 make you a better photographer?

arseniii

arseniii

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Do you folks think that M9 will help you to take more good pictures?

My reasonings that it will are:

1) It's digital! Hence, allows you to take as many pictures as you want and not to worry about the film cost. Thus, more photographic practice and more photos which leads to a higher chance of getting a good shot (statistically).

2) It is a "I got a new camera" inspiration, that will push you out to the street and will make you shoot shoot, shoot. Usually when I get new camera my film usage doubles for the next 2-3 month...
 
Also, from my personal experience I would say that the more i shoot the better results I get (statistics again). However, I know some film photographers who will think carefully before they shoot. Their pictures are less "random" but nicely composed and interesting to the eye. I would say they get about 10-15 great shots out of 36 frames. What's your approach?
 
It would definitely make me a 'poorer' photographer ... that much I do know. :p

I have an M8 and to be honest it gets little use ... two and a half years has realised around eight or nine thousand shutter acuations most of which have produced images that have been deleted either in the camera or in post processing. I still have every negative I have shot with film in that time, good or bad!

I think if I had a GRD or a Sigma DP-1 or 2 ... I would shoot a lot more digital! :)
 
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No disrespect but I think your questions are a little silly as they can relate to any camera, especially manual cameras, such as 'rangefinders'. Digital has made it easier for people to learn photography and capture better pictures, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're better phtoographers. Digital has destroyed the value of images, so I see no reason why the M9 would make any difference.

I am curious as to why you would conisder the M9 to be a camera of such difference. Maybe if it picks itself up, makes me breakfast in bed then goes to work for me......but other than that, it's gonna be just like any other camera on the market, a lightbox with aperture, shutter, lens and a sensor that many people will probably criticize, especially if it's made by Canon :)))))
 
The M9 will be a tool, like any camera. If it's functions meet your needs/style better than other existing equipment, sure it might help you. No camera will make a good photographer, that is left to skill, inspiration and creativity.

I for one am anxious to see what an M9 or Digital ZI might bring to the party.

Kent
 
Al Kaplan said:
The "I got a New Camera" feeling can as well apply to an old beater that you picked up last weekend at the yard sale for five bucks.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com
Click to expand...

Of course that's true It can apply to the new "future" beater. I feel the RD1, 5D, M8, and my other digi's have made me a better photographer. Mostly because I feel I can take the shot and not need to worry about having a frame available if a better one comes up soon. I think we all can recall seeing the counter at 33,34,35 etc.... When something interesting was happening. Having 200+ RAW frames along with extremely quick card (film) changes has surely impacted many photogs.
 
Al Kaplan said:
The "I got a New Camera" feeling can as well apply to an old beater that you picked up last weekend at the yard sale for five bucks.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com
Click to expand...


Maybe in the distant future someone will pick up a beater M9 at a yard sale ... take it home discover there's no appropriate technology left to make it all work and bin it!
 
Other than the potential "inspiration factor", no camera can make you a "better" photographer without some inner motivation. But this ought to be obvious to more than a few people here by now. A lot of good hardware has lain fallow beneath a crushing lack of vision.


- Barrett
 
aizan said:
no, but it will make you popular with the ladies.
Click to expand...

Surprisingly enough I know a few well to do ladies who all know Leica and are impressed by it. Average gals think I'm a poor person and give me money...maybe I should start stripping too! :D:dance:
 
leicashot said:
Surprisingly enough I know a few well to do ladies who all know Leica and are impressed by it. Average gals think I'm a poor person and give me money...maybe I should start stripping too! :D:dance:
Click to expand...
Now, now...if you actually buy an M9, having a few clothes left on your back will be trés sexy, believe me. ;)


- Barrett
 
amateriat said:
Now, now...if you actually buy an M9, having a few clothes left on your back will be trés sexy, believe me. ;)


- Barrett
Click to expand...

If I could ever afford to buy a Leica M9, I doubt I'd be able to afford to keep the clothes on my back, so stripping would come....ala natural' :eek:
 
Arnold Palmer once said regarding making exceptional shots (golfing shots), "the more I practice the luckier I get".If you lot can't see a photographic application for that analogy you aren't thinking about what digital can do, just what it costs to buy the camera. Just buy your digital camera, buy a 1tb hard drive (about £80 and good for 15,000 TIFF's or 66,666 .dng files, so no good reason to delete anything), and start making yourself lucky.Steve
 
Sort of, assuming its 24x36. I'll be able to use the focal lengths I've always used on film; and I'll be more comfortable; and that probably means better pics.

Cheers,

R.
 
The M9 will allow you to use wide angles with more speed. So instead of using the 24mm Elmarit, I could use the 35mm Lux Asph with same FOV. It does open some more room for extra creativity through selective focus. Also, with better high ISO performance, you will get some shots you can't with the M8.
So really, it opens new possibilities, but does not improve the photographer in itself.
 
250swb said:
Arnold Palmer once said regarding making exceptional shots (golfing shots), "the more I practice the luckier I get".If you lot can't see a photographic application for that analogy you aren't thinking about what digital can do, just what it costs to buy the camera. Just buy your digital camera, buy a 1tb hard drive (about £80 and good for 15,000 TIFF's or 66,666 .dng files, so no good reason to delete anything), and start making yourself lucky.Steve
Click to expand...

Just taking terabytes of pictures won't make you a better photographer. If it were true, I would tape the shutter release down on my digi SLR and let it fire away.

Taking pictures and learning from them is what will make you a better photographer. To improve, one needs to take pictures but also review them critically, especially with other people. Then take the ideas and lessons from that review and go take more pictures.

So yes in theory taking a zillion pictures will help you become a better photographer if you study and learn from each one. I myself don't spend as much time as I should learning from each roll of 120 (12 shots!) that I shoot. I imagine that the biggest factor to improvement is not the number of images shot, but one's dedication to studying those images, learning from them, and taking the lessons forward.
 
Digital system cameras are actually good for short learning cycles. So, for example, if you want to learn how / when to use the flash or estimate exposure / distance, it's certainly of help.

New cameras always get better in one or more areas, so it may or may not open new possibilities for you. The "new tool factor" can occasionally help as well. All that just helps in the sense of usage and exercise.
 
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