History:
As my grandfather always used an M-Leica for his family and landscape shoots, so i think thats the reason why I always was addicted to the brand Leica.
Unfortunately I had to sell my Leica R-System due to financial reasons, when I built up my house.
After a long stop a friend of mine brought me back to photography and I bought a D700 with all that professional zoom lenses available.
After some street and event shootings, I became tired to carry around such bulky equipment; specially after shooting one day with the 70-200 I really had pain in my shoulder.
So the equipment again starts remaining in the shelf (only the Digilux 4 goes with me instead), but still I was studying test reports in the internet about new lenses.
Somehow I discovered your side and your love to Leica cameras. In the meantime i am regular visitor of your side and happy that you brought me back to the roots of photography.
I sold all my Nikon stuff and get the M9 with some of the optics you reviewed on your side. Since two months the M9 is with me now and the time of snapping and pain is gone
(still you can do great snap shots with the M9 as well).
Today I love the size and the simplicity of this Messucher camera. In the beginning I thought the manual focus could be a problem with me, but after some practice, 98% of my images where in perfect focus.
(I never reached this quote with the D700).
Story:
This year I went to vacation with my family to Corsica. So the best chance to test my new M9. In order to keep my bag easy going, I just took the APO Summilux 50 and 21 with me.
I have already done some great shots with with 50, but the 21 was new for me (it just arrived 2 days before the flight). After some tests with the external 21 viewfinder in the garden
of my house, I decided to leave it at home. Don’t use it, your nose will be not in line anymore. After some time of practice you will know how to frame without.
Corsica is a beautiful island to discover, especially if you look through the bright viewfinder of M9. The decent and moderate look of the camera, you will give you a much higher chance,
to be part of the scenery. With any other SLR you are the photographer taking pictures.
Thx Steve, for your advise, to go for such a stunning camera like the M9.
I not regret one minute having my SLR stuff sold off.
PS: If you decide to post this story, can you please correct my poor english language 🙂
All pictures with M9, APO Summilux 50 and 21 (mostly fully open), iPhoto and Aperture
Agree totally with you Gernot about the weight and bulk with a DSLR. Although I do miss having a lot of the Nikon gear, just being able to lightly carry the Leica stuff and using just the 35mm Summilux most of the time is just wonderful
Gernot, these are wonderful pics, shot with a great camera.
Thank you,Gernot for sharing your photos.I want to go to Corsica after I’ve seen this spectacular pictures.And I will tell you more,I can feel the wondeful atmosphere and the spirit of that island through the lense of your lovely M9.Pleasure.Thank you.
“I want to go to Corsica after I’ve seen this spectacular pictures.”
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, a bit of a house and people. Thats total corsica! You gotta be there.
Nicely done. Thank you.
Ditto on the Nikon weights. I have been carrying my M9 and couple lenses since January. I have never carry equipments on a daily basis for such a long period of time and I have not burn out yet. If I miss/cannot carry the toys that day for whatever reason I felt part of my body is missing. Sometimes I even carry it to the toilet because the morning sunshine casts some lovable light on the checkered marbles. On last count I have ran through 9000+ frames. This is how I justify spending the toy $$ to my spouse. Oh boy am I dedicated user !
That’s what makes Steve’s site so attractive. Great pictures and and experiences. Thanks for sharing.
Of course a 70-200 on a D700 is heavy silly. A nice 135 F2 and 35 f2 combo would have been much much lighter. Very cool shots btw.
Great shots and great inspiration!!!!
Gernot, Lovely daily inspiration and images!
Lovely Shots, great photos are about images like these, sheer pleasure!
I use an 18mm Super Elmar but never came across the problem with the ‘twisted nose thingy’, even when I know I have an extra ordinarily large nose. hmmm.
I always use the viewfinder because it really helps me get the right edges in.
and the images parallel. and i aint gonna not use it after $700. but the viewfinder if used without practice, gets all hazy and mirror-like sometimes when your eye is not on axis. Almost like they’ve used some crude cheap glass.hmmm.
nice pix, nice text.
i don’t use my 21 mm viewfinder anymore either. the grease on my nose used to make the rangefinder semitransparent and unusable. perhaps i should try to use my left eye with the viewfinder to get round the problem.
Nice story and great images! Nicely done.
Beautiful photographs Gernot!
I know exactly what you mean about shoulder pain; I have that when I carry my Canon stuff.