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 p.316 #16 · Leica M/X/T/S/Q/CL/SL Picture Thread | |
Thanks guys, glad to know the quick comparison was of interest to some. There isn't much out there about the ZM28 and it was one that always piqued my curiosity.
Ryan, I think those scenes work really well in B&W and the last one of the fountain has a really interesting feeling.
Great stuff Charles! I think I'm partial to the first one.
KL, I like the entire set and especially 1, 2 and the 'drive-by.' It reminds me of the last time I was in London... 10 years ago (time flies!), was shooting bulk rolled B&W, and the light in the last one of Big Ben feels very, very familiar.
Nice one corposant and Shaun. Kyle, that's very dramatic!
Luka, looks great. Agreed that the 28 Cron is very lush. The last one reminded me of Edward Burtynski's series on nickel tailings in Sudbury, Ontario. http://www.metiviergallery.com/artist_artwork.php?artist=burtynsky&artwork=client_installation_2
David: What type of photography would you do with the M9?
From a technical perspective, I've seen the greatest difference with wide angle lenses, especially compared to UWA zooms (though some like the Nikon 14-24 are very impressive). Part of that has also been much more consistent focus with wide angle lenses because rangefinder focusing allows me better control and therefore better consistency. There is also the benefit of smaller equipment, making it easier to move around and be less intimidating in certain circumstances. But I also agree with Joe that the process of using an M is very much part of the fun, and ultimately I think we all do this for fun, whether it's paid or not.
Depending on your clients, using a Leica could generate some cachet. In the short time I've used one on assignments along with my DSLRs, there have been a few occasions where the client knew what it was and was positively surprised to see one in person. If you're in the weddings and events business, you'll know that everyone has 5DIIs, D700s, 24-70s, 70-200s, etc... As superficial as it sounds, I think there is always a desire to differentiate oneself from the competition (or the average enthusiast), and equipment is part of that. Yes, clients hire you based on creative ability, but first impressions still mean something.
There have been some recent trends, such as the move back to super fast primes and shooting nearly everything wide open. It's a pretty common look and seemingly everyone has a 35 f/1.4, 50 f/1.2, 85 f/1.2, etc. Due to the cost of the M9 combined with the unusual rangefinder approach, it's quickly ruled out by most photographers, meaning that while the M9 is extremely popular by Leica's standards, it's unlikely that many will be found in common professional photography situations. While most clients probably can't see a difference in print, they can see that you're using a different system and are working in a different manner. The M doesn't lend itself to rapid shooting, rather, to careful shooting. One has to be more selective, which can be less intimidating for the subject and allow for more intimate interaction. Unless your clients expect to see big expensive looking 'professional' equipment blazing away at 10fps  Related to that, I've found M9 shoots a lot easier to edit. Many fewer sequences of nearly identical images (shot in my case usually to boost AF focus percentages) and more keepers. Well, maybe not more in the end, but a lot less chaff to sift through.
That said, the M9 is not an absolute necessity, just like many other things we buy. So why do we buy them? My feeling is if you want to try it, do it, otherwise you'll never know. Maybe it will work well for you, but if it doesn't, you won't incur a huge loss reselling it (my guess is you have at least 12 months before the M10 to make an easy exit).
From the Geneva archive (yes, there's more!)
First three: ZM50P, last three: ZM35C on the M9
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) and congrats on the M9-P purchase!
My favourite is the last shot
. Jokes aside, yes, there are some who choose the M9 purely for the quality of the full frame CCD sensor and Leica glass but I think the majority of Leica M users are not after ultimate picture quality, but rather the joy of using a relatively compact Leica M rangefinder to create or take pictures, me included.
