Comments on: Leica M9 Lessons

By: RB

RB — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:10:14 +0000

Sounds like fun and no worries – I think people who worry about that crap are idiots. Most of them have nothing to fear and the ones that do have something to “worry” about are also idiots because they can probably make more money in an infringement suit (assuming there is money being made and there isn’t who cares) than on the image in the first place.

Feel free to do whatever you like but that would fall under fair use anyway no matter how I felt.

By: Jason D

Jason D — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:04:36 +0000

It went well. There’s not much to argue in your explaination of depth of field scales and their practical use. Our instructor is pretty cool and open to ideas and concepts outside of his own.

Rare, I know.

We are encouraged to bring in outside materials like your website, as well as books and magazines to discuss in class. We upload our assignments to Flickr where each student has a personal website as well as a private class group where we discuss projects and each others images. Our instructor also uploads our assignments to our class page. We meet twice weekly at the college to work on projects and shoot in-class assignments.

I didn’t realize that we may be in violation of copyright laws by discussing an article on your website in class. However, we do not reproduce or print anything, we simply view the site on the lab computers or projector and discuss the topic at hand. Hope you don’t mind. We will not include your website if you prefer.

By: RB

RB — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:34:41 +0000

Jason,

You are welcome – how did that discussion go?

I might need to put up a disclaimer to do what I say and not to discuss in academic settings as it has the potential to make instructors very mad if if contradicts what point they are trying to make

By: Jason D

Jason D — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:19:31 +0000

RB,

Thanks again for the great post. We discussed this post in class today along with our discussion of DOF.

By: RB

RB — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:37:36 +0000

Michael,

All I can say is just have fun, relax and have fun. You only need to run about 10,000 exposures to get a good feel for it again .

In all seriousness – just take it with you with your fav lens when you usually wouldn’t carry a camera and when you are using the “appropriate” gear. Snap a few images as inspiration hits you or after you are “done” if inspiration doesn’t strike – see what happens? Maybe a pleasant surprise – don’t sweat it if it’s not.

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:29:53 +0000

I loved using the M3, and over the years I’ve produced a few memorable images, but I never felt as though I was really good with the camera. I wanted to be, but I wasn’t. So I used it less,
and I got worse.
And now you’ve gone and stirred it up again.
M

By: RB

RB — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:08:44 +0000

Michael,

Glad you enjoyed the semi-rant regarding auto-focus disguised as educational material. Based on the few images that I have seen of yours I would guess you might be more comfortable in SLR/View camera land – Not from a style standpoint but from a subject matter preference standpoint.

As you said – the right tool for the right job. One thing I can demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt (at least to myself) Is that I take way different images with my rangefinder than with my look through the lens cameras. More than that – not only do I approach and do things differently my subjects do as well. Even in the most formal of settings – studio type work – not candid. The same subject same light same day images with my Hasselblads are so different than images from my Leica – at the same perspective – totally amazing.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:53:27 +0000

RB
Your definition of the Leica’s strengths is perfect. And anyone who is interested in the new M9 but has not previously used a Leica Rangefinder should take it to heart.
“Normal sized things, that are relatively close to you”. Perfect.
Documentry Photography, Street Photography, News, Photo essay, candid portraits, Photojournalism etc is where the camera excells.
It’s not for Macro, studio, sports, telephoto or anyting that requires perfect framing (wysiwyg). Although any Leica collector, might be quick to whip out a visoflex & a 270mm Telyt and all manner of breathtakingly beautiful,surgically precise attachments and accessories (all with impossible to remember alpha only code names) that are testaments to german precision and ingenuity in fitting a square peg into a round hole.
In my mind, the perfect Leica kit is the one you described; two bodies with different finders optimised for the 35 & 50 f/2 summicrons and a little 90 f/2.8 elmarit in your pocket.
The only other lens I might consider is one of the 21′s with a separate optical finder.
In my experience, the single thing that most folks don’t get, is that a Leica becomes a better picture taking device when used with FEWER lenses.
As you know, if you shoot all the time with a 35 or 50, You begin to see like the camera. You almost develop brightframes in your eyes. The picture is 90% framed while you are lifting the camera to your eye.
The other benefit here, as you have pointed out is that you can zone focus, very effectively. If you are using a 50 focused at 6 ft, you autofocus with your feet (reverse autofocus?). You get very good at estimating what 6 ft. looks like, and you get very good at predicting what will be in the frame before you raise the camera to your eye.
The single focal length gives your work a point of view, a perspective.
Modern zoom lenses are terriffic tools, but I think they make it harder to develop your eye.
I use mostly prime lenses, but I do own some good zooms. Using the “data mining ” technique that I learned on this site, I went back and looked. When I do use the 24-70, 90% of the frames I make are at either 24 OR 70. I use it like 2 primes.
I think I learned that from the discipline of the leica.

One additional little piece of leica attention to detail: some Leica lenses (My 50 f/2 Summicron included) have a focus button on a tab that extends out from the lens barrel. Your finger falls on it when you pick up the camera. It is spring loaded and has an infinity lock. You always know without looking when the camera is set at infinity focus. The really brilliant part of this design is that I new while the camera was at my side that if I pressed the tab and rotated to the 6:00 O’clock position my camera was at 10 feet, 4:00 Oclock, was 6 feet etc –all without ever looking at the camera. All on a camera & lens made in 1954.
This is why there is so much reverence and mythology surrounding Leica. They are THAT good. But like most great things, they are specialized,and they make no excuses for being so.
If your style of photography, coinsides with Leica’s strengths, there is nothing better, if it does not, buy a different camera.
Oddly, the M9 is the first Leica that is somewhat of a bargain.
When I bought my 1DsIII in 2007, the body was $7995 (now $6995). When Nikon priced the D3x at $7995 people were Shocked (???) So at $6995, it will be the first time in history that a Leica is the same price or cheaper than a top of the line SLR. And Leica’s build quality will be superior.
Having said that, I don’t plan on buying one. Despite my fondness for the camera, and all it has taught me, despite it being an Objet d’art that has to be seen close up and held in one’s hands to be appreciated, it doesn’t fit with what I do now.
I love looking through the taking lens, I love and use a large variety of lenses, including tilt/shift. An slr is better for my work.
It’s actually been true for a long time. I kept my M3 when I bought my first Nikon F but I’ve always done my best work with an SLR (or other Ground Glass based cameras).
But the Leica taught me a great deal, and this site has rekindled the desire to load Tri-X through the bottom of a camera and to squeeze a shutter that no one hears but me.
Good teachers cultivate curiosity.
Thanks RB

By: RB

RB — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:21:25 +0000

Ps.

All shots 50mm summicron and M6 on Tri-X developed in XTOL (blah… Go for D76 or if a bit more adventuresome Pyro or Rodinal)