Last Photos From my Leica M9 Before It Was Sent Back to Leica:

It’s only been three days, and I already miss my M9.  For those who don’t know, I had to send my M9 back to Leica NJ because I had a cracked sensor.  You can read more about it in my past two posts (the first post, and the second post).  Even with new cameras constantly popping out these days, there is something special about a Leica M9…actually something special about any Leica M that no other camera can match.  If you want to go back to the basics…where you are in complete control of your shot, the Leica M9 is your camera.  There are no electronics to get in your way, and while many may think it’s a hindrance, it is actually surprisingly liberating.  The Leica M9 really helps you just concentrate on your shot, and I think that’s probably the most important feature of the M9 to me.

But this is post is not about the Leica M9 (no matter how much I miss it).  Here are a few portraits I took before I discovered that my sensor was cracked.  Surprisingly, none of the pictures show the crack :).

The photos had no work done on them other then very simple adjustments with the sliders in Lightroom 4’s Camera Raw plugin.  All these photos were shot in natural light because…well…the natural light coming from the window was excellent :).  All these shots were taken with shutter speeds ranging from 1/25 to 1/8 of a second, and all were shot at F1.4 with my 50 Summilux ASPH.  There is one exception, and that photo was shot with my 75 Summilux.  It’s the last photo posted.

All the black and white photos were processed using Nik Software Silver Efex Pro 2. I had the first Silver Efex but the second version is a lot better in my opinion.

↑ This photo was shot with my 75 Summilux.  

I wish I could use the 75 Summilux more often because the signature of this lens is so unique, and one of the very best.  Too bad my copy focus shifts.  The 50 Summilux ASPH is great, and I love using it for portraits but you can get so much closer to your subject with the 75 lux.  It’s also great to be able to shoot at F1.4 so closely.  I honestly think that the 75 Summilux gives a more pleasing image than the 50 Summilux ASPH…at least with portraits.  I know a short telephoto is generally better for portraits.  What I mean is that the 75 Summilux is still current in terms of lens performance even to this day.

But since my M9 is at Leica NJ, I will be shooting more with my Fuji X100, so there will probably be no Summilux’s being used for quite some time.  I think that I will post a review of the X100 soon, and tell you my opinion about it.  I will also be posting stuff from the Fuji X-Pro1 as soon as I get it.  I wanted to maybe do a comparison between the Leica M9, and the X-Pro1 but unfortunately, sensors are back ordered at Leica so I might not get my M9 back for a while.  Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the photos, and thanks for stopping by!