Leica M9 is announced!

[Padaung]

The 10 year plan thing was a joke, to point out that this is going to take a while for me. By the time I have the money there might well be a M10, hope so because I will be first in line for it.

I'm sure there are people using Leica's for weddings and 'Wedding Journalism' (like me). The shutter clicks don't interfere with the ceremony for starters like an SLR would. It's as almost as though you're saying a £4000 camera isn't capable of shooting weddings.

I recently shot a wedding and wasn't allowed to photograph during the service, a 1Ds is kinda loud I guess, but while I could video the service, imagine the shots I could get via stills from a Leica?



Whats your setup? Mine comes to at the moment:

M9 = £4217,
50mm f1.4 = £1850
24mm f1.4 = £3162
90mm f2 = £1880

Total = £11,109

But the body and the 50mm to begin with!

Black M9 - £4217
21mm f1.4 - £3495
28mm f2 - £1965
50mm f0.95 - £5375 (I was being silly when I drew this up! The F1.4 would definitely be the reality).
90mm f2 - £1880

Total - £16932 (£13407 with the 50mm f1.4)

+VAT on all the above @15% (it will certainly be back to 17.5% by the time I'm ever near to purchasing). I would be putting this through as a business expense though, so this would be claimed back.

Incl VAT - £19471.8 (£15418.05)

Kinda like your idea for saving a few grand (and lens changing) and use the 24mm instead of the 21 and 28.

Anyway, I'm dreaming for now. This is the same self flagellation as going to the Mac store and fully speccing out a Mac Pro! Kudos to you for deciding to save for one, it'll be worth the effort/wait.

 

[wheelhot]

The 10 year plan thing was a joke, to point out that this is going to take a while for me. By the time I have the money there might well be a M10, hope so because I will be first in line for it.

I'm sure there are people using Leica's for weddings and 'Wedding Journalism' (like me). The shutter clicks don't interfere with the ceremony for starters like an SLR would. It's as almost as though you're saying a £4000 camera isn't capable of shooting weddings.

I recently shot a wedding and wasn't allowed to photograph during the service, a 1Ds is kinda loud I guess, but while I could video the service, imagine the shots I could get via stills from a Leica?

Ah, haha k, you really got me there

Nah, I didn't say a £4000 camera isn't capable of shooting wedding, just that I haven't seen any photographer (esp. during this generation) who uses a rangefinder to capture certain part of the wedding event these days, thats all

Yeah, a very good point indeed when facing such situation where we are not allowed to photograph during the service

As for me, guess I can only get a Leica like after 5 years or something, I still got Nikon stuffs to get first

 

[CrackedButter]

Black M9 - £4217
21mm f1.4 - £3495
28mm f2 - £1965
50mm f0.95 - £5375 (I was being silly when I drew this up! The F1.4 would definitely be the reality).
90mm f2 - £1880

Total - £16932 (£13407 with the 50mm f1.4)

+VAT on all the above @15% (it will certainly be back to 17.5% by the time I'm ever near to purchasing). I would be putting this through as a business expense though, so this would be claimed back.

Incl VAT - £19471.8 (£15418.05)

Kinda like your idea for saving a few grand (and lens changing) and use the 24mm instead of the 21 and 28.

Anyway, I'm dreaming for now. This is the same self flagellation as going to the Mac store and fully speccing out a Mac Pro! Kudos to you for deciding to save for one, it'll be worth the effort/wait.

Hey there, I never pay attention to the websites people offer in their signatures until I finish discussing whatever topic it is. But something motivated me to look at yours and I must say you got some impressive stuff on there. Well done.

 

[Padaung]

Hey there, I never pay attention to the websites people offer in their signatures until I finish discussing whatever topic it is. But something motivated me to look at yours and I must say you got some impressive stuff on there. Well done.

Cheers, very kind.

 

[Phrasikleia]

Hey there, I never pay attention to the websites people offer in their signatures until I finish discussing whatever topic it is. But something motivated me to look at yours and I must say you got some impressive stuff on there. Well done.

This comment made me look. Glad I did. Paduang, you must really have a way with people. It's rare to see so many very natural-looking people in wedding photos. It's obviously something you bring out of your subjects as a matter of course. Whatever do you say to them to make them so comfortable around you?

 

[Padaung]

This comment made me look. Glad I did. Paduang, you must really have a way with people. It's rare to see so many very natural-looking people in wedding photos. It's obviously something you bring out of your subjects as a matter of course. Whatever do you say to them to make them so comfortable around you?

Hi, again, thanks for the kind words.

What do I say? Rather bizarrely, not a lot. I tend to wait for those quick glances/expressions when someone is relaxed and not thinking about there being a camera nearby. They are the shots I prefer. I'm not so good on the actual formal posing of people, which is something I'm always working on. A friend of mine is the opposite - he is fantastic at posing people and at the same time keeping them relaxed, but finds the fleeting moments much harder to capture. We've given each other some help, but different aspects of photography come more naturally to each individual I guess. One of the reasons I love photography, we all see the same scene differently.

I always meet a couple before the wedding and will also have a little chat to the bride and groom (individually!) on the wedding day to say hello before I start taking pictures. After that, I hope people relax a little and I go about my business.

Advice from a colleague many years ago went along the lines that you are smiling for the couple. ie when the camera goes up to your eye, the last they see is you smiling and again when the camera comes down you are still smiling. They may not smile themselves, but a smile generally puts people at ease. Great advice I found. I find myself smiling away behind the camera too!

Aside from that, the usual business of knowing your kit etc so that when you do have a tricky situation (technical or awkward people) you may be stressed inside but on the outside you portray confidence in what you are doing.

 

[Pikemann Urge]

I shot a wedding in June with an M2 and M6 (film was Fuji 800Z). It was a semi-disaster because the groom didn't really think we needed too much planning. My fault for being so casual about that. Secondly, I didn't have a 50 and my 90/2 was not available when it should have been. All my fault although it was my first wedding. Good thing that I knew the guy and he didn't want to pay for an experienced photographer anyway.

Still, despite that, I felt so 'right' with the M. I decided not to use the D200 and I was 100% right. The Leicas really do shine in these contexts. I tell you, the 35 is such a great lens. Try it and you'll see.

I use mostly CV lenses. The 90/2 is of course a Leica unit. Those of you working on your 'dream' system might do well to consider the CVs. Even if I could afford it I wouldn't have all Leica lenses.

M9 though could be in the works. I love film (after trying to ditch it) and might just get another M6 or an M7.

EDIT: Charles, you rock, man, especially for not using Flash on your site - I tell you, if I see one more f***ing Flash site I'm going to kick the owner in the f***ing nuts.

EDIT2: Charles, you have such a great eye. I'm astounded.