biglouis
Veteran
I am currently completing my fourth book of photography - with photographs taken over a period of two and half years in two ancient Jewish cemeteries in the East End of London.
I started out on the project determined only to use film - and indeed during the project I mainly used a Hasselblad 500CM and 50/f4 lens, as well as a Hasselblad SWC and two Fujifilm cameras, the incredible GSW690 and the more recent GF670W. But despite my desire to make this a film only project in fact I also used a (now departed) Leica M8 and 28, 50 and 90 Elmarit lenses, as well as a Sigma DP2M and now for a few final shots a Ricoh GR.
I don't know if this happens to you but this has happens to me when I spend time looking through my portfolio: you begin to appreciate the cameras you had and ask yourself the deep question, should I have sold/moved-on from that?
The camera I am having most nostalgia for is the Leica M8. The 28-ASPH lens gave a cropped eqivalent of 35mm and I use this particular fov extensively. As I reviewed the pictures from the project I am reminded of how beautiful the M8 sensor could be if it was not being stretched and how sharp the little 28-ASPH could be. In fact, the only cameras which I have subsequently owned which at the pixel level can compete with the M8 are my Sigma DP2M (side by side the Leica and DP2M are indistinguishable in IQ) and my GSW690 - which I contend has the best lens in the world permanently attached to it. For practical reasons the GSW690 is not really on a par because to get the best out of the film frames I really need a drum scanner which basically makes working with it uneconomic (which is why I eventually sold it).
Nostalgia is a funny thing. I spent an hour looking at the price of new and second hand M9s, M9-Ps and even considering the massive investment of the new M. I factored in owning the three lenses I like the most - actually not the most expensive in the Leica line-up. For example, I really rate the collapsible last issue Elmar 50/2.8, as well as the aforesaid 28/2.8 ASPH and what I consider to be the best value-for-money Leica optic, the Elmarit 90/2.8 last model.
But then eventually my head took over from my heart. Firstly, I am very lucky to own the Sony RX1. I would say that on a practical basis about 80% of all my work involves a 35mm fov. At the pixel peeping level the RX1 initially was not quite as good as my M8 with the 28/2.8 ASPH however I was staggered at the impact of moving to Lightroom 5 and working with ARW raw files made on sharpness and dynamic range of captures. I like working with the RX1 as much as I did with the M8 - it is small, discrete, nicely balanced in the hand and capable of results easily as stunning as the best from my M8.
Then, I also own both the Sigma DP2M and DP3M which are incredible cameras for landscape work, either hand held if the lighting allows or on a tripod if it does not. I have on my a wall a 30x20 single frame from a DP2M of the London skyline from Primrose Hill which outshines anything I could possible have created with the M8 or infact (as I have tried) with the RX1. Strange and quirky cameras but if you care enough about photography to invest time in it (as I did in any case shooting film) then the Sigmas are incredible value for money. And finally for the last two months I have been creating amazing results using the Ricoh GR.
So, why the hint of possible dissatisfaction and a desire to return to Leica?
I really miss not have a 50mm and UWA lens (at least 24mm and ideally 21mm). I like using 50mm for landscape work and I also like the sheer creative possibility of 21mm. I don't think I want more 'serious compacts', e.g. two more Sigma xM's with shorter and wider fov's even if they were available. I think I have reached the limit of my proliferation of serious compacts! So, a kit system is the way forward for me.
A second-hand M9 with just these two lenses would set me back at least GBP5K at present and therein lies the rub.
In a world in which you can now obtain an A7r or Nikon Df with their incredible sensors, let alone lens line-ups you could be very happy with spending half or at most two thirds the price of the equivalent Leica kit. I am not trolling Leica or complaining but it is a hard economic fact. Doing more sums, the Nikon Df with its kit lens and either the Nikkor or Voigtlander 20mm comes in at about £3K. I actually would not buy an A7r preferring to work with the A7 - as I know the sensor well from my RX1 - and that with the 55/1.8 and (say) a Zeiss C-21/4.5 is just a little over GBP2.8K.
My brief flirtation with a return to Leica lies crushed under the thought of the cost of one system versus the other. My musings also come to an abrupt end when I consider what I am going to use a new camera system for. I am quite satisfied with my portfolio (as evidenced in my Flickr stream) over the last 18 months without Leica, so apart from a desire to see the world with a slightly wider or slightly longer view there is not a tearing hurry or pressing demand - until perhaps I start a new photographic project.
Thanks for reading and if you have any comments on my musings I will be pleased to read them.
LouisB
I started out on the project determined only to use film - and indeed during the project I mainly used a Hasselblad 500CM and 50/f4 lens, as well as a Hasselblad SWC and two Fujifilm cameras, the incredible GSW690 and the more recent GF670W. But despite my desire to make this a film only project in fact I also used a (now departed) Leica M8 and 28, 50 and 90 Elmarit lenses, as well as a Sigma DP2M and now for a few final shots a Ricoh GR.
I don't know if this happens to you but this has happens to me when I spend time looking through my portfolio: you begin to appreciate the cameras you had and ask yourself the deep question, should I have sold/moved-on from that?
The camera I am having most nostalgia for is the Leica M8. The 28-ASPH lens gave a cropped eqivalent of 35mm and I use this particular fov extensively. As I reviewed the pictures from the project I am reminded of how beautiful the M8 sensor could be if it was not being stretched and how sharp the little 28-ASPH could be. In fact, the only cameras which I have subsequently owned which at the pixel level can compete with the M8 are my Sigma DP2M (side by side the Leica and DP2M are indistinguishable in IQ) and my GSW690 - which I contend has the best lens in the world permanently attached to it. For practical reasons the GSW690 is not really on a par because to get the best out of the film frames I really need a drum scanner which basically makes working with it uneconomic (which is why I eventually sold it).
Nostalgia is a funny thing. I spent an hour looking at the price of new and second hand M9s, M9-Ps and even considering the massive investment of the new M. I factored in owning the three lenses I like the most - actually not the most expensive in the Leica line-up. For example, I really rate the collapsible last issue Elmar 50/2.8, as well as the aforesaid 28/2.8 ASPH and what I consider to be the best value-for-money Leica optic, the Elmarit 90/2.8 last model.
But then eventually my head took over from my heart. Firstly, I am very lucky to own the Sony RX1. I would say that on a practical basis about 80% of all my work involves a 35mm fov. At the pixel peeping level the RX1 initially was not quite as good as my M8 with the 28/2.8 ASPH however I was staggered at the impact of moving to Lightroom 5 and working with ARW raw files made on sharpness and dynamic range of captures. I like working with the RX1 as much as I did with the M8 - it is small, discrete, nicely balanced in the hand and capable of results easily as stunning as the best from my M8.
Then, I also own both the Sigma DP2M and DP3M which are incredible cameras for landscape work, either hand held if the lighting allows or on a tripod if it does not. I have on my a wall a 30x20 single frame from a DP2M of the London skyline from Primrose Hill which outshines anything I could possible have created with the M8 or infact (as I have tried) with the RX1. Strange and quirky cameras but if you care enough about photography to invest time in it (as I did in any case shooting film) then the Sigmas are incredible value for money. And finally for the last two months I have been creating amazing results using the Ricoh GR.
So, why the hint of possible dissatisfaction and a desire to return to Leica?
I really miss not have a 50mm and UWA lens (at least 24mm and ideally 21mm). I like using 50mm for landscape work and I also like the sheer creative possibility of 21mm. I don't think I want more 'serious compacts', e.g. two more Sigma xM's with shorter and wider fov's even if they were available. I think I have reached the limit of my proliferation of serious compacts! So, a kit system is the way forward for me.
A second-hand M9 with just these two lenses would set me back at least GBP5K at present and therein lies the rub.
In a world in which you can now obtain an A7r or Nikon Df with their incredible sensors, let alone lens line-ups you could be very happy with spending half or at most two thirds the price of the equivalent Leica kit. I am not trolling Leica or complaining but it is a hard economic fact. Doing more sums, the Nikon Df with its kit lens and either the Nikkor or Voigtlander 20mm comes in at about £3K. I actually would not buy an A7r preferring to work with the A7 - as I know the sensor well from my RX1 - and that with the 55/1.8 and (say) a Zeiss C-21/4.5 is just a little over GBP2.8K.
My brief flirtation with a return to Leica lies crushed under the thought of the cost of one system versus the other. My musings also come to an abrupt end when I consider what I am going to use a new camera system for. I am quite satisfied with my portfolio (as evidenced in my Flickr stream) over the last 18 months without Leica, so apart from a desire to see the world with a slightly wider or slightly longer view there is not a tearing hurry or pressing demand - until perhaps I start a new photographic project.
Thanks for reading and if you have any comments on my musings I will be pleased to read them.
LouisB