Ryan - I haven't used the 50 Planar a whole lot yet, so don't have a very strong feel for it. Wide open it has a slight bit of glow to it, at least when shooting something near minimum distance. By f/2.8 it's very sharp and also seems to have the typical Zeiss contrast. I think it's my M9, but I definitely have issues focusing it accurately near wide open at farther distances.
Here are a few:
This one I think was at f/11. The foreground was quite underexposed, so in LR did a quick Fill Light and some other tweaks. Once I get home I might try a bit more fiddling with two separate optimized conversions in Photoshop layers..
The following two at around f/4 and note that the dark edges along the left side of the columns in the first image are shadows and not excessive post processing or strange lens/camera artifacts.
The last one is the CV 75 f/1.8 around f/4, maybe f/5.6. I don't remember... Again, the foreground was quite dark in order to retain good exposure for the sky. Shot at base ISO, I was able to lighten the foreground around 1.5 stops or so. As Luka has exhibited very effectively with his Egypt images, and others, the M9 really does allow a lot of shadow recovery at base ISO. In this case I didn't use Fill Light because it resulted in a nasty hard edge to the transition between sky and skyline, but instead dodged the foreground selectively.
These images might still be a bit on the dark side... I'll probably revisit them once home and on my main system, but for now like the feel.
Also, my apology for not commenting more specifically on the excellent images shown here lately. Traveling means less computer time and many other things keeping me busy...
rscheffler wrote:
The last one is the CV 75 f/1.8 around f/4, maybe f/5.6. I don't remember... Again, the foreground was quite dark in order to retain good exposure for the sky. Shot at base ISO, I was able to lighten the foreground around 1.5 stops or so. As Luka has exhibited very effectively with his Egypt images, and others, the M9 really does allow a lot of shadow recovery at base ISO. In this case I didn't use Fill Light because it resulted in a nasty hard edge to the transition between sky and skyline, but instead dodged the foreground selectively.
Thanks! Ryan, the 18 is the Leica. Great shots, the portraits are really pretty, as usual! Ron, I like the third one there, the detail. Charles, love that diffuse light. There are good shops in Boston and NYC that have some used and new lenses in stock, and a good, active leica dealer should be able to help you source stuff...although it can certainly take some time.
I am anxious to test this 75 and post some more images for you as well, but I'm up to my eyeballs in pre-production work. Fear not, however, as that means I'll be out shooting for the next few weeks...whether I'll have working internet or not, who knows?!
Ron, your still images are quite nice, that 75 shot has a certain very nice character about it. Have you guys done biz from Camera Quest on VGT?
Without an actual order system, I just wondered how smart it would be to just drop PP funds his way, not knowing inventory and delivery dates... I emailed about availability, but have not heard back yet. Edit, I talked to Stephen at Camera Quest.
Thanks Cory No I didn't crop on this shot but thanks for the feedback. And congrats on the 75Lux. I like those two "street" shots best. Good catch on the second coming. Are you going to use the M9 for your boat shots soon? Share some pics.
Ryan, two excellent sets! Good catch on the last brick shot on the first set and love that fountain shot on the 2nd set.
Ron, nice shots. Wonderful lighting and comp on the first one.
3D.Doug wrote:
Ron, your still images are quite nice, that 75 shot has a certain very nice character about it. Have you guys done biz from Camera Quest on VGT?
Without an actual order system, I just wondered how smart it would be to just drop PP funds his way, not knowing inventory and delivery dates... I emailed about availability, but have not heard back yet. Edit, I talked to Stephen at Camera Quest.
Doug, I have purchased a few things in the past from CameraQuest. Stephen Gandy is a very reliable person to use. It is kind of odd how he has his 'store' but you will most definitely get your product.
Ron - I love everything about that 3rd column shot. Colors are fantastic!
yeah, I have only heard good things about him, my only question was availability Ryan, but he's made that clear. I am considering trying toe 50 1.1 nokton, for one to have fun, for two to even see if I like the 50mm focal length and will USE it that much. I figure given resale of something so cool as this lens (last one here sold in days) dangit 3 days ago! I didn't see it, I had my buy sell set to "selective".
His store is what I would call "run on HTML" style.
RZetter wrote:
I'm curious, does this apply to the M8 as well?
Not sure because I've never used the M8. Perhaps someone else can comment on this?
Thanks Charles, Ryan, Doug, Joe. Yes, Luka, fascinated by the columns... I can't get enough of them. It seems the 19th Century architects in Munich/Bavaria were very attracted to ancient Greek design... or perhaps more accurately, their patrons were. There are two monopteros (round temples) in Munich, one of which is the one pictured here in the Englischer Garten. Then there is Königsplatz with the Propyläen, which was the subject of the earlier column photos. Königsplatz has an interesting history, including with Hitler and the Führerbau, his headquarters in Munich, which still exists as a music school. It's the twin building of the one I posted earlier with the many vines growing on it, and the view down the street during sunset...
And for something a bit different...
Trains!
M9 with ZM 21 & ZM 35C
For train buffs, the above image shows three variants of the Deutsche Bahn ICE Intercity-Express train. In the foreground is the ICE T2, which tilts on tight turns to maintain higher speeds on non high speed lines, in the middle the most recent ICE 3 and in the background the more wedge-like original ICE design from the late 80s and early 90s.
Apparently the oval door windows are unique to the ICE trains in the DB fleet...
An ICE T2 with a regular regional train beside it.
Ron, great shots!!! Superb composition, lines and colours
Doug, Cameraquest is excellent. Initially I had purchased a number of lenses from him, as I was on the steep learning curve, and my budget was totally blown. Nothing has changed other than I am a Leica lens convert, at least with the M9
I'll post some pictures, but I have to complain a bit first
I've been talking to Leica now for a couple of days in a row trying to get them to calibrate my camera.. They are very friendly and try to be helpful but really not the easiest outfit to deal with. I ordered an 'express repair' which means that you pay a bit extra and they fix your camera within two days. In theory that is.
First contact was with a guy whose English was as bad as my German. We managed in the end to reach some form of understanding and he understood that I wanted an express repair and that I wanted them to arrange an UPS pickup. He tells me to write "express" on the package, fine.
A couple of hours later I receive the shipping label - quick work on their part. So I lovingly package my M9 into a box with the necessary forms inside and with two more papers - one general description of what I want and one simply labeled "Express repair" that I put on top. On the repair forms I write that I want an express repair. After I tape the whole thing up and attach the label I write "Express" all over the package:
No room for error there, or so I thought.
Next day I call UPS, just to very the pickup time and that they got the address right. As it turns out they had it registered but I was supposed to call them to order the pickup. The Leica guy had told me that they would pick it up between 14:00-17:00. Furthermore the service they had ordered was UPS Standard - two days delivery to Sweden, rather than the one day UPS Express. Doh!
Anyway, UPS comes picks it up and two days later, yesterday morning at 9 AM it arrives at Solms. I check their repair tracking. Nothing.
Today I call them, they check and confirm that they had received it. They are very surprised that I want express repair on it - they had no idea. Doh! One phone call, two emails, a package decorated with "express" all over it, the request for express repair written on the repair form and on an additional note and they did not understand that I wanted an express repair!
After a bit more discussion this time with a woman who spoke considerably better English, I managed to get them to process the camera and now it's labeled as 'in repair'. I also told her I wanted UPS Express for the return delivery. She said that it was UPS Express that they used for express repairs. I'll have to call on monday and see that they have not forgotten about the "express" part again. I really need it by Wednesday as I'm going to Lofoten (Norway) on Thursday.
Anyway, I had to get that off my chest
Right, a few pictures. Here are some test shots from a week or so ago with my first tests of the 90 Cron III:
Very nice shots. Congratulations on the 75 Lux. What an amazing lens. Love to see more shots your new Lux!
Nice shots. 
