rscheffler Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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KatieInTexas wrote:
NOW RYAN; you and I have talked back and forth about lenses, and you know I am partial to the CV lenses like you; but DAMN that 35 1.2 and 50 1.5 II look AMAZING. I thought that I could get away with the few I have now, but now I know I will need another lens. Just need to see which I need first. I am thinking a good 50mm ... I have the 28 1.9, which will be close to the 35 1.2 for now; but am sure I will be investing in some more good CV lenses. You know I covet that 21 1.8 you have... I have a totally cheap 50 that I can use for now, as well as a 15, 28 and 90. I sorta have all the bases covered, but that 50 and 35 ... wow.
So do you guys use cases or half cases with your Leica? I know the thumbs up is a necessity, but do you keep your body in a case for protection? I haven't carried around a $4K body before, so I will be wary of marking it up! ...Show more →
Sorry, I'm not Ryan, but can't resist.
What is your definition of a good 50mm? It's a focal length where you have an abundance of choices, but that can quickly narrow depending on your requirements.
I'd suggest first getting the camera and seeing how your existing lenses pair with it. There's a good chance they'll look a bit different than what you were used to seeing with the Bessas. Also, the latest CV lenses, like the 21/1.8 and 35/1.2 II seem to be in a different league technically than many of their earlier lenses. In the 21mm lens review I did, inspired primarily by the 21/1.8, the CV holds its own against Leica and Zeiss. But I'm not sure I'd say the same about some of their other lenses. And it will probably be on a lens by lens basis. I haven't tried the 28/1.9, but did compare the 28/2 against the ZM 28mm and was not overly impressed by the CV.. In general, my finding is the CV lenses are lower in contrast and quite gentle in feel and rendering. Some also aren't overly sharp across the frame (if that is important to you). At the other extreme, in terms of image character, are those from Zeiss's ZM line. Leica's lenses float around between the two in terms of rendering, but probably have the highest across-frame sharpness consistency of the three brands. Also worth exploring are the many older lenses from Leica, Nikon, Canon, Konica, Minolta, etc., Many offer characteristics seen as technically inferior now, but can subtly enhance images in ways modern lenses will not.
As for half cases... I think it depends on how you shoot with the camera. If you shoot a lot, to the point where you're changing cards and batteries frequently, then the half case could be annoying. It also will add just that much more bulk. I agree with Mitch. The camera will not suffer, other than cosmetically, without a case, but definitely get a Thumbs-up or Thumbie add-on. I also wrap the neck strap (from Domke in my case) a few times around my wrist. And combined with the Thumbs-up, makes it very easy to use the camera. You kind of have to forget it's an expensive camera and just use it (that's what insurance is for). It does bug me to read comments by photographers (not Leica owners in particular) who hesitate to use their cameras for meaningful events, trips, etc., because of the equipment's value. Why did you get it in the first place?! Defeats the whole purpose, IMO.
Battery: keep in mind you get about 300-400 shots on the battery. The way the camera is set up, you'll get shut-down warnings well before the battery reaches zero (probably closer to 25%). Whereas I can shoot my Canons until about zero, with the M9/M-E and it's somewhat archaic electronics and possibly questionable power management system, you're probably best to swap out batteries once they're in the 50% range. While you can use them below that point, and the latest firmware has apparently better power management capability, the camera may behave somewhat haphazardly. And before you do anything of value (such as paid work) be sure you've tested and used your memory cards in the camera because it can be somewhat temperamental about brands and specific card models... At least that used to be the case. It's possible the later firmware versions have somewhat remedied this. Over time I've learned that it's best not to rush the camera, such as by immediately reviewing images while the red light is still flashing, especially if it's digesting a sequence of many images. The more 'rushed' it is to multitask, the greater the probability of it locking up, becoming unresponsive, etc.. And if that happens, you'll have to pop out the battery for a hard reset.
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