Leica M-E | The Meeting

[Duane Pandorf]

 

[Blow-in]

Enjoyed the Las Vegas set a lot - it's a new style for you.

Richard

 

[Duane Pandorf]

Enjoyed the Las Vegas set a lot - it's a new style for you.

Richard

Thanks Richard. It's a completely different animal. I've spent this week relearning with the new hardware. The Leica is really a "bare bones" camera.

One metering mode. Technically center weighted with more emphasis at the bottom of the metering area so the upper level (brighter sky in background) doesn't have as much influence on the scene.

There's only 27 menu items that you can customize with no sub menus. Other than the auto ISO menu setup, ISO has its own button on the left side of the LCD.

The shutter release has three detents. Barely touching it turns on the meter. Halfway down hold the exposure and of course all the way takes the picture.

4 profiles can be saved. Etc.

You here a lot of people talk about being able to see what's coming into the viewfinder before taking the shot. Well I was able to demo that in the photo with the yellow crosswalk meter. Looking thru the viewfinder I could watch the auto coming from left to right before taking the shot. Way cool

And then the major reason for the move is durability. The head of Leica USA has an hour video on YouTube hosted by BH Photo out of NY where he puts an M9 on the floor and stands on it.

 

[Tom Caldwell]

Have you stood on yours yet? (grin)

 

[Duane Pandorf]

Have you stood on yours yet? (grin)

Not yet! And I don't plan on it.

 

[AlbertTRAL]

Curious glow in this shot! I cannot see the same glow in the rest of the series in your blog...

...One metering mode. Technically center weighted with more emphasis at the bottom of the metering area so the upper level (brighter sky in background) doesn't have as much influence on the scene.

Is this a new feature of the M-E? I thought (never had a Leica) that the metering was 23% of the corresponding line frames area (or 2/3 of the shortest side) and completely centered in the frame...

 

[Duane Pandorf]

Curious glow in this shot! I cannot see the same glow in the rest of the series in your blog...

...One metering mode. Technically center weighted with more emphasis at the bottom of the metering area so the upper level (brighter sky in background) doesn't have as much influence on the scene.

Is this a new feature of the M-E? I thought (never had a Leica) that the metering was 23% of the corresponding line frames area (or 2/3 of the shortest side) and completely centered in the frame...

I stand corrected Albert. After posting the above and forgetting to change my mistake I watched YouTube video of the head of Leica USA doing a presentation on the Leica. In that talk he explained how the meter works and the area size it covers. Apparently it also is more sensitive at the bottom half of the metering compared to the top. The video is about an hour long and it was hosted by BH Video Photo out of NY.

By the way, I've sold my 35 & 40mm lenses to fund a 50mm e46 pre-ASPH Summilux that I found at Classic Connection camera in mint condition.

I just got home last evening from work and its on the camera now.

 

[JONIE]

Hello Duane,

congratulation for you new "hardware". Your first pictures are great (esp the one with the yellow crosswalk meter !).
I hope -and I am shure- you enjoy your new Camera.
I owned the M 8 but sold it, because I was "very angry" with Leica because of their M-development-politics. Leica promises a lot, but only seldom keep these promises. O.K.,some other camera-producer do so as well, but in case of Leica it was much more disappointing for me, since their products are sooooo expensive. That was the reason for me to move to Ricoh. But that is history now, and I do not want to bore s.o.

So, go ahead with your great camera and lenses and please keep us informed about your findings !

Best regards,
JONIE

 

[Duane Pandorf]

Hello Duane,

congratulation for you new "hardware". Your first pictures are great (esp the one with the yellow crosswalk meter !).
I hope -and I am shure- you enjoy your new Camera.
I owned the M 8 but sold it, because I was "very angry" with Leica because of their M-development-politics. Leica promises a lot, but only seldom keep these promises. O.K.,some other camera-producer do so as well, but in case of Leica it was much more disappointing for me, since their products are sooooo expensive. That was the reason for me to move to Ricoh. But that is history now, and I do not want to bore s.o.

So, go ahead with your great camera and lenses and please keep us informed about your findings !

Best regards,
JONIE

Thanks JONIE. I haven't given up on Ricoh but my GXR is definitely showing wear. I worried that Ricoh may not update the GXR or move all of their camera production into the Pentax line.

We'll see what happens.