I have never been a big fan of Leica. Don't ask why. But the images you guys are posting in the last weeks, especially the lux shots, are the most impressive photographs I have seen for a long long time.
As there is no way to purchase a M9 system in the moment, I could not resist from an offer from my camera dealer on a M2 with an Elmar 50/2.8 colapsible and 90/4 Elmar plus Leicameter (price was a steal).
Now, please tell me how I can make it to afford a Lux
joe88 wrote:
Hey KL, great set of pics with your DSLR gear! Thanks for sharing.
It proves the fact that although gear matters, the photographer is probably more important
+1
KL, great series of shots! I love the 50 Lux rendering! Fav is #3, but rest are excellent.
Ryan, really nice rendering with all the shots! Love the trees in the background.
Morpheus, lux's yes... not cheap, but then go try and find one!!! My choice was to sell all my DSLR to make is possible, and hey I have not looked back
Tobin, the 75 Cron AA is brilliant for focusing for portraits at or near MFD. It render beautifully, but as with all the lenses just make sure it is a well calibrated match.
rsolti13 wrote:
Thanks Charles/stedge. Stedge, what you say above is a big reason why I made the switch. I was walking around town with a bag on my shoulder carrying a D700 + Nikon 24 + Zeiss 100 + Zeiss 35/50....it was TOO heavy. I didn't take it everywhere, I literally planned to go out and take it. With the M9 it goes everywhere with me. The M9 + 35 Lux + 50 Lux + 90 Elmarit feel like they weigh less than the D700 + huge bag I carry them in alone. Not to mention the other beasts I would carry around. I never took my D700 out when we went to lunch...or casual walks because it was too big. Now that isn't the case. I have taken many pictures with the Leica that I just would not have gotten with the Nikon b/c the camera was actually there....Show more →
I found a bag at the local outdoors/hiking store that is about the size to hold a Canon 1D body. In it I can carry the M9 and 4-5 lenses, a couple batteries, memory cards, etc. In the end it weighs probably about the same as the 1D body (without lenses of course), but is an entire system for wide to near tele work that I carry around if I'm out. It's inconspicuous and means I can get a photo of whatever instead of wishing I'd bothered to bring along the DSLR.
Granted, one could do something similar with a m4/3 or NEX system, but those cameras won't hold a candle to the sheer image quality available from the M9 if and when you need it.
Another factor often mentioned, that I'm noting the more I use the M9, is that most people write it off as an old film camera. For some it's a matter of intrigue, as in, why you'd be shooting film instead of digital, but for many they just seem to ignore it after a moment. As a result I find I can carry on without being bothered, or as inevitably happens with the big DSLR and zoom lens, be asked how much it's worth. And in some parts of town, you know that's not what you want to have some people paying attention to.
Very nice series Charles!
And Luka too - glad that you're having more luck with the 75 Cron - the last one of the apartment buildings calls to me with the linear qualities and layering.
Ryan, lovely cemetery work. I also enjoy photographing cemeteries, though haven't posted any here because I haven't yet visited any with the M. The older the better. The new ones now are so often very boring. One thing I regretted not doing in NOLA a few years ago was to visit the cemetery.. just ran out of time (and the GF is superstitious).
Interested to see the 50 Cron/Lux comparison KL
LL - let's see some more!
Joe, you're putting that 28 Cron to great use, and it really seems to mesh with your PP as well. Very tempted to put it on the wish list. BTW, I tried the ZM28 about a month ago and was quite impressed with it, though it's not f/2. I wouldn't hesitate to get one. I also compared it against the CV28 f/2 at the same time and there is a big difference. The ZM is, well, very Zeiss.
Sorry if I missed anyone else, this thread certainly has been moving along!
Trying to catch up with my recent travel photos. Just processed this one and thought it would be suitable since it's a bench shot, in Lausanne:
Ron, thank you ....Great shot! Your PP is superb. The shot just stands out in colour and depth. Just goes to show again, nothing to do with the software, just the person driving it
Ryan, nice set with the 35Lux. 3 & 4 are my favorites.
Thanks Ron, and nice shot,! Always like your color pp and its very consistent. On the 28FL, have you considered the 28 Elmarit ASPH? I haven't seen or heard much about the ZM 28.
joe88 wrote:
Nothing wrong with those 75Cron shots. All nice but did you have to bump contrast up to 110%? We all know that this lens is not that contrasty, right?¨
No, nothing wrong, but nothing special either. There is something interesting going on in #4, but mostly that has something to do with the light. As for contrast, not 110% - more like 800%
Without adjustment:
With massive contrast increases in LAB mode in L & a & b channel:
To be fair, I have yet to encounter a Leica lens that has high contrast close up. Lux 50 ASPH shots also need a contrast boost, albeit not quite as large as the 75 Cron. And I don't mind it too much - M9 DNGs look like crap 90% of the time if you don't adjust black levels/contrast. Having to add a little bit more when using the 75 Cron is hardly a problem. Of course you do sacrifice some image quality in terms of increased noise when you play too much with the contrast..
Tobin28 wrote:
Are people using 75 Cron for portraits? How is it for focusing on faces with the M9? Any feedback guys would help me.
As for fousing, for portrait's it's OK although of course not quite as easy as a 50mm or wider. The focusing ring is good, but a bit to loose for my taste. If you can take the time to focus then you'll nail it most of the time. If you have to focus fast the probability of actually hitting focus is small. The 75 Cron has an incredibly small usable DOF at f/2. Being a highly corrected lens (especially for SA) the sharpness to blur transition is extremely rapid.
As the distance increases it becomes more difficult to nail focus.
Portraits is the only thing that I'd recommend the 75 Cron for without hesitation - it's really good for that where the neutrality of the rendering puts focus on the subject rather than how the lens draws it. For anything else I'd only recommend it if you want a lens that produces images with very high IQ without adding or removing anything to the image. If you want a lens that has a special drawing style, the 75 Cron is not it.
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Anyway, I've been shooting quite a lot the past two days (finally real spring weather!) but I have not had the time to process the images. Here's a swan shot though:
