Joe, very nice set. I really like the airport shot.
Charles, very nice portraits - the second one works best for me. The first one has a bit too much 'clarity' added for my taste. Did you PP it for printing by any chance?
Heinz, nice sets with the Nokton.
Ryan very nice shots with the Planar. My favoite is #2 - very nice OOF rendering.
Armanius, nice portraits.
Joakim, nice shots with the 50 Lux - I really like the first one.
Gregory, cool set. I always find your shots intriguing, partly I think because our photography is in many ways exact opposite. Yours are sprawling, intense shots with strongly implied movement while mine focus on geometrical compositions, static with more than a nod to 2D graphic art.
Speaking of that, I'm running out of shots, but here are a couple more from the construction site set, with a strong emphasis on simplified graphic forms:
joe88 wrote:
My RF could be slightly off but my 35Lux ASPH and 50Lux are spot on focus wide open which is why I suspect its the 90 Summarit design. Leica checked my M9 calibration when I sent the camera in for repairs last Dec and they told me it was perfect. I did a test with a tripod and focus chart over the weekend on all the lenses (finally), that's when I confirmed that 90 Summarit and 90Tele-E front focuses wide open. My concern is that if I send the lens (or all the lenses) and camera back to Leica, they might mess up the RF or 50Lux ASPH calibration plus it will take forever and I don't have a backup M9. ...Show more →
You are aware that there is no way for all your lenses to be spot on unless you are just damn lucky or have them all calibrated. If you just send your longest lens in you're right, the rest of your lenses focus will be off. You can take brass tape and build up the cam easily enough to fix the front focus, I think. Then if your 35 and 50 are already spot on it's just the 90 that needs to be brought into alignment. Traditionally most people would just have their longest/fastest lens matched to their body and let their shorter lenses fall where they might. On film this basically works but it just won't cut it on digital.
My 18/35/50 are all spot on but my 90 Tele-Elmarit-M actually back focuses as much as an inch at MFD on the M9. I need to see if there is something I can do to fix it.
Nate, Leica does not calibrate a lens and body as a unique pair - they stopped doing that in the 1950's. There are absolute standards for both.
In my case after the M9 was calibrated it was spot on for my 18/28/35(Lux)/50 & 2x90 (Cron V3 & ASPH). The lenses that were off were my ZM 35, ZM 25 and 75 Cron. The former two were corrected by Zeiss and are perfect now as well. The 75 Cron was first front focusing, then they corrected it but then they messed it up again when it was in for a repair of the aperture ring. So now it's back in Solms to get its backfocusing fixed.
You can simply send in your 90 Tele-Elmarit to Leica and they should calibrate it correctly - even if they don't have your camera body. They don't always do this all that well in practice, so it might need two or three trips - but in theory it should be no problem.
denoir wrote:
Nate, Leica does not calibrate a lens and body as a unique pair - they stopped doing that in the 1950's. There are absolute standards for both.
In my case after the M9 was calibrated it was spot on for my 18/28/35(Lux)/50 & 2x90 (Cron V3 & ASPH). The lenses that were off were my ZM 35, ZM 25 and 75 Cron. The former two were corrected by Zeiss and are perfect now as well. The 75 Cron was first front focusing, then they corrected it but then they messed it up again when it was in for a repair of the aperture ring. So now it's back in Solms to get its backfocusing fixed.
You can simply send in your 90 Tele-Elmarit to Leica and they should calibrate it correctly - even if they don't have your camera body. They don't always do this all that well in practice, so it might need two or three trips - but in theory it should be no problem.
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Thanks Charles ...Show more →
I live in a world where 3 trips is completely unacceptable. I'd just sell the lens before I did that. It is my belief that there are inherent flaws in the entire mechanical system that without adjusting each lens you'll never have spot on focus with every lens. I rarely use the 90 so I was not so worried. I supposed I could send it to Leica.
TWoK wrote:
I live in a world where 3 trips is completely unacceptable. I'd just sell the lens before I did that. It is my belief that there are inherent flaws in the entire mechanical system that without adjusting each lens you'll never have spot on focus with every lens. I rarely use the 90 so I was not so worried. I supposed I could send it to Leica.
Unfortunately the reality is that until you get the system in order you'll have to tolerate long repair times and imperfect repairs. Leica quality control does not match the quality of their products.
A well calibrated rangefinder is extremely accurate, but you have to get to that point. Judging from other people's and my own experiences a too high percentage of M9's are not as well calibrated as they ought to be. So you have to make sure first that the camera is calibrated. Then there are variations in calibration when it comes to the lenses. It could definitely be better. Of my six Leica M lenses, I've had trouble with one while of my five Zeiss ZM lenses with two. So it's not just a Leica specific problems. However, after being sent in for calibration even the Zeiss lenses worked perfectly and there was no need for re-calibrating the body.
So there may be a few iterations back and forth before you get the system fully in order, but once that is done you won't have to worry about it. Should you drop your camera and the rangefinder gets knocked out of alignment, you just need to send in the camera body for calibration. It will then still work with all your lenses and most used and new lenses.
I have for instance compared my used 1983 90 Summicron-M V3 with my new 2011 90 APO-Summicron-M ASPH and they are in as perfect sync as one could want. I did measurements with a laser rangefinder and the deviation at 5 meters was no more than 2 mm - something I thought was pretty amazing.
I'm also amazed how Leica could miss a calibration so badly that a lens back focuses 30 cm at a distance of 3 m.. as they did with the last (unwanted) "calibration" of my 75 Cron when it was in for a repair of the aperture ring. And my case is hardly unique. Charles for instance went through a really long process until he got his kit in sync.
Interesting information. Thanks for sharing. I don't find any of Leica's modern products to be of any special level of quality. I wouldn't own any Leica film camera newer than an M5, aside from an MP3 and that's because I'm in love with the looks. My MP broke in less than a week. My older Leicas all had major issues. It's frankly unbelievable to me how Leica ever had a reputation for anything but making high quality lenses. My Nikon F has never seen a repairman and works like the day it came out of the factory. Same with my Nikon RFs I just sold off. Last night the red dot just fell off my 35 Lux ASPH for the 3rd time. Same thing has happened twice to my 50 Lux. How bothersome.
I continue to shoot Leicas because I love the look from their lenses and I love the feel and use of their film cameras. My M9 is simple a poor imitation of a Leica. Even my 'vulcanite' covering is already peeling off and I've only had the camera a matter of months.
You have to differentiate between quality and quality. Leica lenses and cameras are built like tanks.. tanks that have been assembled by moderately talented monkeys. The optical design and the materials used are all first rate but the assembly is definitely not.
Embracing a certain degree of masochism is part of the Leica experience, but if you want a compact FF camera and Leica M glass, or simply a digital rangefinder then there is no other choice. There was an interview with the Leica CEO a while ago in LFI and it's clear that they are aware of the shortcomings in the quality of assembly. Hopefully now that they are doing better economically they'll be able to address these issues.
I also agree that it would be nice if in the future an M10 would more have the feel of a traditional film Leica. The M9 is a bit too fat and too loud. The M6 is in my opinion just perfect - if the M10 could have that form factor and feel, I'd be very happy indeed. However, for me film is just something I play with - nothing I take seriously. For me it's not the M6 vs M9, it's the 5DII vs M9 and in 9 out of 10 cases I prefer the M9. For handheld use the latter feels much better.
Oh I agree with all of this except the part about the 5D2 or the M9. I won't even shoot a 5D so it's completely irrelevant. For me the choice is between film or the M9. Both get me the results I want, film probably I am more happy with, but the M9 is cheaper and instant.
My favortie leica to date was my M6. Never a problem and loved everything about it, although that shutter speed dial confused me in the beginning. The feel of it in my hand, the sound of the shutter, everything. I felt like I was a boss with that camera! I felt like I was creating things everytime I had it in my hands. I haven't really felt that with any other camera.
I love simple but effect design. I love shooting digital but I hate knowing there are hundreds of parts that could fail and leave me stranded or 3 trips to Leica just to be sorted. My M6 didn't posses these qualities. Battery dies, so what, keep shooting. That camera made me smarter and the M8 makes me more dumb, simple as that.
Twok, I am with you with the quality control of Leica. It would be nice for them to clean up their act in that sense. However, it is what it is and I love everything about my leica and lenses. I haven't had near the problems you have had. Dots falling off, vulcanite peeling, etc. The only thing that has really bother me, is a flimsy power switch on the M8 but they all do that. Like Denior said, with the Leica, we have to embrace somethings it isn't great at.
TWoK wrote:
Oh I agree with all of this except the part about the 5D2 or the M9. I won't even shoot a 5D so it's completely irrelevant. For me the choice is between film or the M9. Both get me the results I want, film probably I am more happy with, but the M9 is cheaper and instant.
Yeah, I think the experience will be different depending if you are used to digital or film. For a DSLR user a transition to an M9 is a real liberation in terms of form factor and overall feel. That is definitely not the case if you are used to film M:s. It was only after I got my M6 that I realized how crude the M9 was in comparison. Still, for me the real choice is between a DSLR and an M9 and (for handheld use) the latter is just wonderful to use in comparison.
Anyway, I suppose I should post some shots. These are of the midsummer sunrise in Stockholm. Relating to the discussion above, I think I actually chose the wrong camera here for the task as the 5DII has a more graceful handling of highlights (film would have probably worked better as well). Shooting directly into the sun doesn't really bring out the best of the M9.
Charles, very nice set!
shaunmlavery wrote:
My favortie leica to date was my M6. Never a problem and loved everything about it, although that shutter speed dial confused me in the beginning.
Yes, there are some improvements they've made. The larger shutter dial on the M9 is nicer and the viewfinder is definitely better (less flare).
Luka, your first one the last page reminds me of Malevich. I like it a lot.
Nate, wonderful set on the previous page!
Charles, the set from Wat Saket is great as always. You seem to have a really high keeper rate.
On the calibration issue it seems that I have been very lucky with my M2 and the two Leica lenses I got. As you know, both camera and lenses are 50 years old. They where owned by an old gentlemen who used the set from new until a couple of months before I got it and as far as I know never went to Leica for a service.
I had the system checked on a collimator and everything is 100% spot on.
Armanius - Excellent pics...my favorite is the 2nd portrait with the CV 50
Nate - nice to see some of your work over here. The second shot of the guy in red is awesome! I also like the panned car. I noticed that all of your shots at night were at base ISO with the 35 Lux...what a combo, eh? What film camera(s) are you using these days?
Charles - Excellent shots from Wat Saket! Great look to them and looks like a very neat place to visit
Luka - nice sunrise shots....awaiting your US pics I wish you would have shot some film side by side....would have been an interesting comparison
Heinz - nice reflection set! I like the last one best
Yes, the first shot had been PP'd for print 
