The Leica Bug is Starting to Chase After Me Again:
Let me start out by saying that I love the Fuji stuff. They make attractive, reliable, and decently-priced products that produce awesome images. Plus, cameras like the Fuji X-E1 are just plain out fun to use. All the Fuji people seem to really care about what the customer wants as well. But I would be lying if I told you that I didn’t miss using my M9, and how excited I am for the new Leica M to come out.
Yes, I’ve been reading up on the new Leica M (here are some images from seekinglight.net), and I’m finally starting to feel some excitement for it. Funny thing is, a couple of months ago, I felt more excited about the Fuji X-E1 than I did for the new M because I wasn’t too happy with what was going on with my M9 near the end. My sensor had cracked but Leica did graciously replace it for free (check out my post about it). But then I had some issues with lens calibrations, and then the last firmware was kind of wacky (check out my post about it)…I don’t know, I just wanted to shoot pictures, and my Fuji stuff was always there ready to go out.
But even with a couple of issues near the end, I decided to order the new M. I’m a Leicaphile, and therefore, I am a proud Leica fanboy :). Trust me, it is extremely hard to crack the Leica addiction, especially since I’ve been using Leicas since I was 12. I put my M9 on consignment, and placed my order for the new Leica M. But I did have some fears; for instance, will this sensor crack? Will I need calibration (probably because I know my 75 Summilux is completely out of wack)? How will it actually perform? Well, in all seriousness, I expect the new M to perform better than the M9 even with the new CMOS sensor.
Ah yes, the CMOS sensor…there seems to be a lot of debate about this but in my opinion, I can’t imagine Leica coming out with a flagship M that is going to produce images that are inferior to the previous M. Why would anyone want to upgrade then? Why would Leica want to lose what it gained with the M9? I really believed that Leica did their research, especially since they know Leica owners are hypercritical, and they love the unique qualities of the CCD sensor in their M9s. I honestly believe that whether CMOS or CCD, the new Leica M will be better than the M9. CMOS has been used by Leica before in cameras, such as, the Leica X2. Does the X2 perform well? You bet. I had an X1 on loan, and the image quality blew me away. Again, I am still taking the “wait and see” approach but I honestly find it hard to imagine that Leica would screw up their flagship (Well, they did it once with the M5 but not in terms of image quality).
I guess what I’m saying is, there are a few things I don’t like about the new M like movie mode (I really don’t see a place for it on an M camera) but I’m not going to let the little things bother me because at the same time, there are a lot of cool things that I will like about the new M, such as, the ability to use R lenses. Plus, I love the M9 image quality, and if the Leica M is suppose to be an improvement over its predecessor, then I’m probably going really enjoy this new M :). I’m going to do what I’ve always done when waiting for a new photographic product to arrive in my hands; I’m going to enjoy the moment, and the anticipation. I’m going to dream about it like a kid dreams about his presents before Christmas. I’m not going to think negatively about it because I’m paying for it lol. Therefore, I want to fully enjoy the experience. I’m going to think positive thoughts about the new M, feel lucky enough to actually be able to own one, and I will definitely be posting images from it when I get it! I can’t wait to February! Take care everyone!
Can’t wait to see images from you using the M. I’m thinking instead of collecting M glass is to get a second camera, the X100s or the X2. Gonna read more about the X2 and wait for X100s stuff.
Hey Dane,
M glass is really a cut above from the rest, even in terms of build quality. I like to buy the brass versions of Leica lenses (the chrome or black paint versions) whenever possible because they’re built like mini tanks. The lenses are ridiculously expensive but quality is second to none. Plus, they last forever.
Yeah, the X100s sounds like a really cool camera. When I was first thinking about buying the X100, I was considering the X1 because I did prefer the image quality. But the X100 has all of the manual controls, and rangefinder-like usability. Plus it’s cheaper, and image was great anyway. But if I had some extra cash, I’d probably buy an X2. Maybe I’ll see if I can get one on loan from my dealer one day…But smart idea, wait until the X100s comes out. You check out the new X20? I’m a bit more interested in that right now…I wonder how it will do against the Sony RX100?
I just read the Fuji press release, I think I’m getting the X100s…But needs to do more research between RX1, X2 and X100s.
Yeah, the X100s does sound pretty awesome. The Sony RX1 sounds cool too but it kind of reminds me of a big point and shoot lol. From what I saw, image quality is awesome but usability is also something I look for. For instance, there is no built-in viewfinder, which is a deal killer for me, especially for that price. The Leica X2 is nice but you get a built-in hybrid viewfinder with the X100s. Plus, the autofocus is suppose to be pretty fast with the new X100s. All three have built-in lenses but for the asking the price of the X2 and the RX1, it would’ve been nice if you could change lenses. You have a hard decision, my friend :).
Yeah, both EVF are ugly attachment to RX1 and X2 and expensive. My setup I think now will be X100s and wide lens adapter. Then the XPro1 for environmental/regular portraiture using 35mm and the 60 macro. Or should I wait for the non macro XF lens?
Yeah, it’s crazy. The X2 EVF is somewhere around $700 driving up the price to $2700 with the body! Well, the X100s is coming out around February, right? Maybe you should wait for the new XF lenses, and see how they perform…the 56mm F1.4 might be pretty awesome. Also, don’t forget, Zeiss is planning on coming out with autofocus lenses for the X mount as well. For me, I think I want a new wide angle. I was thinking about the Zeiss 12mm that’s going to come out or maybe wait a while for the wide angle zoom.
$1299 for the new X100s. I guess that sealed it for me, so no RX1 and X2. The money I’ll save I’ll probably get the M mount adapter and and the 50 Summicron you recommended for the XPro1 for my portraits.
Good Dane! I totally think the X100s would be a better buy than the X2. I just sold my X100 today! I think you’ll really like the 50 cron. Tell me how you like the X100s when you get it!