Hello from Germany – Hope my english is understandable
Dear Steve,
It has been almost one year ago when I decided to get a Leica M9 for one reason: To have a great camera always aside. My Canon 5D with R-lenses has been too heavy, and too big. Compact cameras were too slow in case of focusing. I love to know what my camera is doing, but if you want do change aperture and shutter speed manual, it’s just not comfortable. I didn’t regret the decision for the digital M for one second. What is of cause bitter, as you know, when you need to send you camera to service. First you miss your beauty, second you need to spend too much.
I started to shoot a Nokton 35mm and a Summicron 50mm. The Voigtaender has been a nice light lens I mostly took to during night shots. But with a 50mm Cron next to it you always feel that there is a real difference to a Leica lens. After the experience working with a Summilux 35 I had to have this lens. Now I a happy owner.
Right now I’m struggling with buying a Summilux 50mm. Yes I can get one, right now. Of cause it’s a magic lens but it is more heavy than my Cron and the focus ring is a bit sticky, what is pain especially when you wanna shoot people in action at 1,4. I need to focus with two fingers to be precise. Don’t get why they have the little grip – the Cron doesn’t have one either.
As you wrote once, the files are so rich (in my opinion no comparison to the 5D Mark2), you can really work with them a lot. I edit with Lightroom and Nik software.
Well, I send you some images because your articles about the digital M took me into the Leica land again. Now I have the camera, it is always with me. If it is an opening, a walk in the streets or countryside, a party or what ever. It is always captured in the best image quality I have seen by now.
Thanks for you enthusiasm for photography.
Kind regards,
Bernhard
You’ll find more images on certainmemories.net
Wonderful stuff. The one of the girl on the staircase captures the joy of the moment. Nice work!
I love the last two shots. Awesome.
……emotion and! control,brilliant
Thank you Steve for posting my pictures.
Thanks for all the nice comments and the critique.
My intention was to show ones more how worth it is to have a camera on your side which allows you to have images with a special kick and files you may do big prints, too.
Some do work as bigger prints much better than this web sized pics, especially the landscapes. (The park scene actually is shot in Zagreb)
If you see some focus issues, please click for higher resolution and you’ll be fine.
Quite a few really nice ones, not least the one with the little girl, and the last one!
Doff my hat, to you , sire! Stupendous! Keep up the good work!
The second shot is amazing.
Thanks, this was hard to catch. Really low light, they were kind of running to have fun on the dance floor, prefocus, f1,4. Luckily this worked out.
I love shooting atmospherical events.
I JUST WANT TO THANK Bernhard FOR SENDING US THE GLIMPSE INTO HIS LIFE IN GERMANY. IT SEEMS EASY TO FIND WONDERFUL PLACES TO TAKE PHOTOS. AND THE CAMERA AND LENS HAS BROUGHT US BEAUTY AND ART ALL TOGETHER. VERY WELL DONE. HIS OTHER SITE IS WELL WORTH LOOKING INTO.
So no contender in the world weight lifting championships then. Ok. Two of these images are bland, the other ones are really good except that in some, focus is horribly off. Focusing is still a difficult art to master, I’m afraid (as I well know myself 😉 ).
Superb, the child in the doorway in particular is a special shot….awesome
Bernhard, your English is good enough.
I have to agree about the penultimate shot. It’s great.
I am also a little surprised about your comment about product availability. It’s not something that I have experienced recently. Rather the opposite actually.
Very cool, i’m inspired.
Love the pictures. I think the first and third would be better in color as the people in the first one get “lost” with the b/w and the green grass of the third would make the white bark stand out more.
Love the last shot!. Great work.
Wonderfull shot of the little girl in the doorway! Great and natural posture… Congrats on your move from the DSLR world to the ‘rangerfinder-worldview’…. Also your choise of lenses are very nice indeed…