How Often Do You See This? A Customer Asks For More of an Older Approach

Margot MacDonald, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, 50mm f1.4

iso 800, f1.4, 1/125 sec

 

No, this isn't a plea for Nikon to make a digital SLR like the great old film SLRs of the past (ala Df). It's an open letter, started on the blog "Photographs By Peter," to convince Leica to continue making new rangefinder cameras with CCD sensors.

 

(Click Here) to read the post on Photographs By Peter. The author makes the statement that image quality from Leica's latest rangefinder, the M240 (with the first CMOS sensor in the M line of rangefinders) is inferior to the CCD sensor-equipped M9.

 

I won't enter that argument directly. However, I will say that I'm quite pleased with my M9 (which came out before the M240), and I'm not looking to upgrade at this point. There's a lot more than image quality considered in that statement, however. I can't go around making multi-thousand dollar camera investments every year or so. And, I am not in need of some of the really strong features of the M240, including live view and the ability to adapt many different lenses, including the now mostly-orphaned Leica R lenses.

 

So, for now, the M9 remains my most expensive camera, and one of my favorites.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Sacrilege! The M9 is Better Than the New M (240)?

 

Forest Art, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 Lens

 

Always on the lookout for new blogs, and especially those focused on Leica, I recently came across Prosophos.

 

Peter, the blog's host, is of the opinion that the image quality from Leica's CCD cameras, specifically the M9, is better than the new CMOS sensor in the M240. I am not necessarily of the same mind, but I do love my M9, and for very different reasons than I love my CMOS-based Nikon D700, for example.

 

(Click Here) to get started reading Peter's thoughts on the Leica CCD vs. CMOS topic.

 

Better and worse are very absolute terms. In art, absolute terms can be dangerous. To be fair, Peter is careful not to use them too much in his discussions.

 

I don't necessarily think either the M9 or M240 are better than each other. If you're shooting in the dark, or need to shoot video, the M240 is better. If you like the look of CCD images without AA filters, the M9 is better. If you're like me and still feel the weight of the investment you've made in the M9, guess which one is better?

 

One more thing, which I feel more strongly about, is the touting of all of the new features on the M240. Let's face it, folks, CMOS low light performance and video capability have been around for years now, and in a wide range of cameras, including other full-frame ones. Just not in Leica rangefinders. So, I'm not wowed by those features. And for me, the thought of an add-on electronic viewfinder (EVF) for a Leica rangefinder is just mixing two very different worlds. I'm completely at home with the add on EVF on my Micro 4/3 camera. Not so with the most pure of cameras in my opinion, the Leica rangefinder.

 

What would change my mind about the value of live view and add-on finders for the new M? Well, if I had a collection of R lenses, which can now be adapted and brought back to life, that would be a start. I'm not in that situation.

 

So, as always, different horses for different courses. And to end it positively, I still feel that my M9 is a camera that has no peer - not in my collection or anyone else's.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

I Succumbed to a GAS Attack - Lumix DMC-LX7

If you don't know what GAS is, it stands for Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Most photographers suffer from it. I have it bad.

 

You probably know that I'm a Panasonic Lumix fan. I've written about my favorite ultra-compact camera, the Lumix DMC-LX5 several times. Up until now, I have refrained from upgrading to the latest model, the DMC-LX7. Yesterday, I gave in and ordered one.

Image Source: http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/compact/lx7/index.html

 

So, if I'm content with the LX5, what made me do it? Well, first off, the LX7 comes with a Pana-Leica Summilux f1.4 lens, a full stop faster than the LX5's Summicron. With small sensors like the one in the LX5 and LX7, high iso noise is always a concern. With an extra full f-stop over the LX5, the LX7 will allow me to stay a full iso level lower, drastically reducing noise. The LX7 also has a CMOS sensor, rather than the CCD in the LX5. This may end up being a compromise, as CCD sensors can yield sharper images, while CMOS is better at high iso. We'll just have to see about that when it arrives.

 

(Click Here) for a nice review and table summarizing the other differences between the LX5 and LX7 on dpreview.com.

 

The other reason I bought on the spur of the moment? The LX7 is drastically marked down at Adorama. With a list price of $448, it is now available for $150 off at Adorama, for $298. Hard to decline.

 

Now, here's the only dilemma left for me - do I need the new DMW-LVF2 electronic viewfinder that goes with the LX7? Unfortunately, very unfortunately, the DMW-LVF1 that I have for my LX5 (and for my old Micro 4/3 DMC-GF1) won't work on the LX7. The new one, the LVF2, is supposed to be much better in resolution, but it's also larger. That matters on a compact camera like the LX7.

 

From my experience with the LX5, I do enjoy the LVF1. However, I would say that I more often use an old optical finder, a Russian model, with the zoom set to 35mm equivalent. This makes a great, bright, fast little street shooter out of the LX5; I expect to do the same with the LX7. So, for now, I'm not buying the LVF2. If I found out that the new DMC-GX2 Micro 4/3 camera (if and when it's finally announced) used the LVF2, then I'd be very tempted. It's not at all clear that will be the case. By the way, the LVF2 isn't cheap. It costs around $160.

 

There is a great set of information about the LX7 on Panasonic's website, including nice descriptions of the features, galleries of images, and a nice video of Charlie Waite using the LX7 to shoot in Holland.

 

(Click Here) to see the LX7 on Panasonic's site.

 

I have been sharing pictures from the LX5 occasionally on the getdpi forum. Some of us are making the transition to the LX7, and there's a relatively new link where others have shared some very nice LX7 images. I will be adding to this thread soon.

 

(Click Here) to see the LX7 image post on getdpi.

 

One final clincher for me? The LX7 uses the same battery as the LX5. So, I can use my existing set of batteries!

 

I anticipate writing my second e-book soon. The one I wrote on how to set up and use the Lumix DMC-G3 has been very popular, with thousands of downloads. So, I'll commit to writing one on the LX7 soon. I'll have to do it soon, as the next model in this line will undoubtedly come around soon. Stay tuned for that.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com