adamdewilde
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
|
uhoh7 wrote:
Hi Adam,
Forgive me, I missed it, once you sell all the Leica stuff where are you going?
Off Topic Warning.. You can skip to the bottom where I wrote a conclusion. Or not read this at all, since it's boring ramblings.
Well.. I thought I could jump ship to Fuji with their X-T2. I used it for a few jobs and couldn't get over the crop factor. So I am in the process of selling the whole kit (two bodies, six primes, two zooms).. Most items are sold already. Great system, great lenses.. Really great stuff. Nothing bad to say, just don't like crop factors (even mini-medium format bothers me a bit, more on this below).
So I made the mistake of impulse buying the 35ZA FE, 50ZA FE, 85GM and I'm a bit tossed as to what to do with the lenses as I still dislike Sony's body ergonomics. So far I have the A7rII and A7sII but I'm not happy with either body for different reasons.
AGAIN please note I still dislike Sony but..
The A7sII has a surprisingly good sensor. I like the colours oddly enough I didn't think I'd say that about a Sony cam (I still don't like something about this sensor and other Sony sensors, but I can't explain it in big boy words). But what I don't like is the lack of eye-detect AF and the CDAF only. It really shows vs the A7rII. In fact I'd hazard to say that the A7sII focusing is lagging behind other cameras I've used lately. Also face detect will almost never hit the eyes w/fast lenses. Yes, I know one should just use one point AF, or focusing and recomposing the centre point, but the way you switch the focusing points on the A7 series bodies is an ergonomic nightmare. Better to keep it at face detect with back button one point focusing. And just work around the terrible AF the best you can.
With the A7rII I'm completely happy with the AF performance all the way down till low light. The problem with it is I don't like the colours, and I have no need for 42mp files (that's where medium format steps in). And eye detect is so good it just works constantly, I don't even have to check focus when shooting portraits, something so reassuring about eye AF and the A7rII.
What I would have loved to have seen is a A7sII sensor w/CDAF and PDAF (eye detect) in a body with similar economics to the SL. Or at the very least with a little multiway knob dedicated to focus point changing.
Now with all this said I have two points.
1) Even if I sell the A7r/s II bodies I won't sell the FE lenses until I see what new body style Sony brings to market.
2) If Sony doesn't make a good enough body, I'd consider using two A7sII bodies 90% of the time and pull out the one A7rII only when I really need eye detect for portrait work that is a little more fast paced.
(FOR NOW I have a 2x 5D4 and L-primes for work, but I'm less than thrilled with the setup, it's a stop gap kit to pay the bills until I can sort out my life. And I will be selling ASAP. The Nikon kit is all gone btw.)
With that settled, move onto medium format. This also addresses j.liam's question.
I tried the X1D in the shop a few times. Then I tested one for around 3 hours (don't ask how). And I have to say that I'm less than thrilled.. I love the body ergonomics, I love the menu and the ideas that Hassy had.. I just hate how inferior all the tech feels. I hate that the camera isn't market ready, and I doubt it will be anytime soon (with the hardware currently residing in the awesome body design). I didn't even keep images made with the X1D because I'm just overall unhappy with the experience outdoors. However to Hassy's credit I do like their manual focus feel. As I've said before, I don't know why more companies can't get this right. Bottom line with the X1D and the firmware so far, you're loosing a lot to gain compactness and a semi medium format look.
To directly answer j.liam's question about the X1D to the M system. I actually like the forum factor of the X1D and I can see it as the perfect travel cam, much like the M is the perfect travel cam. But with the M you get faster lenses and 30+ unique rendering styles that it would be hard to consider the X1D as a replacement to an M.. And for most people if you like rangefinders you like rangefinders nothing else compares.
Now we have the GFX.. I have not tried one yet. I am excited for it as it could very well be the first time that medium format cameras acted and responded like FF cameras.. For the longest time I was tossed between a true full frame medium format digital camera (and working slow) or a FF camera and working fast. I found that although I loved the look of full frame medium format, I couldn't get over the slow approach to working (I'm not slow on my RF, I just think differently with it). Anyway, the fact that it's a mini-MFD camera bothers me a bit. BUT it's saving grace should be (from what I've seen in videos only) the fact that it works as fast as the X-T1 does, which is a fast camera if you take the X-T2 out of the equation. This is much like how I put up with the mini-MFD aspect of the S-006. Because the S-006 has great lenses, and a great sensor. I was willing to overlook the fact that you lost a lot to gain a little of the medium format look. Here with the fuji, you're loosing much less and still gaining a bit of the medium format look. Really the fuji GFX for all intents and purposes is as fast as most FF mirrorless cameras on the market today (the A7sII isn't a fast AF camera and the A7rII isn't a speed demon when it comes to usage and chimping etc).
I could always go back to full frame medium format. But the cost is to high and the pace is to slow to justify buying into the a proper medium format system again. I do however appreciate the look you get. I'd just rather stick with FF and fuss less as none of my clients demand medium format anymore. The craze is kinda over, now clients just want good results as cheap as possible. And the S-007 kind of killed the S-system for me, that and the poor service in general.
--------Skip to the conclusion----
With all this said.. I'm in no hurry to sell my Q or M-D + 50APO. Since they represent the fun side of photography. And for anything non-work related I can count on the joy I get from these guys. I'm sure the M10 would bring me a similar joy, but I don't see the point in spending the money since I quite like the unique no screen approach of the M-D. Also the M-D feels better in the hand than the M10 does... hahaha go figure. Though again, if any of this stuff sells, I'm not going to replace it with anything else.. I might just do something non-photo related in my spare time for once in 16+ years.
The Canon setup is not a joy, but a necessity for now.
The Sony lens lineup is maturing quickly and a lot better than I expected and if they just get the body design right on the next round I'm set. Even though again I'll stress I still like the M240 sensor better than the Sony sensors (and now I've used them all). I wish the lenses were smaller, but they're good, reasonably priced and focus quickly enough for me to not be bothered by the unexpected weight.
I will let the GFX and the X1D duke it out for a while.. I'll probably pick one up eventually, but I'm in no hurry work wise. So I'm glad to wait it out till 2018 if needed. I'm especially interested in the 110/2 GFX lens.
-----
And the piece of gear I've been avoiding talking about is the 50mm Summilux-SL.. Let's leave that topic alone for a little while. I'm working on something and will make a separate post about it when I can.
I will add that Leica Singapore is really trying to work things out and make things right with me. So as it stands right now, I wouldn't hesitate to buy an M10 from a service/reliability perspective (but that can all change as fast as the weather, as promises made and promises kept are two different things).. I just don't need/want the M10 right now to be completely honest.
Edited on Jan 30, 2017 at 12:47 AM · View previous versions
|
. Stock hasn't arrived yet. Don't know when it will, but hopefully soon!
