Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/05/30

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Subject: Re: [Leica] The new digital reality -
From: "Jim Laurel" <jplaurel@nwlink.com>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2003 10:40:34 -0700
References: <007601c32639$a0b5db90$0316fea9@ccasony01> <twig.1054258302.47321@mminternet.com> <005201c3266b$4e171e80$9cad5018@gv.shawcable.net>

Ted Grant wrote:
Er...that would have been me, Ted.  The problem I face now is that pretty
much all the work I do nowadays calls for a digital end product.  Clients
want the proofs fast, and sometimes I must deliver the final product from
the field.  No problem, you say.  Buy a Canon EOS1ds.  Well, it looks like
I'm going to have to do that...along with a 10D for backup.

Most of what I do is adventure travel stuff.  I'm away for long periods of
time in remote places where just getting around can be difficult.  In
addition, I photograph mostly people, and it is true that the small size of
the M is less intimidating to subjects.  So, the M camera has been ideal for
me.  It is the only compact professional grade camera still in production.
When I first started doing this kind of work a few years ago, I used a Canon
EOS system, which I carried in a Lowe Pro Magnum bag.  The first time I
tried to wade through a Middle Eastern souk with that thing, I knew it
wasn't going to work.  Switching to an M system carried in a Domke satchel
proved to be the ideal solution, and that's what I've used ever since.

Finally, to get the results I want requires extremely fast lenses.  The f2.8
maximum aperture of the pro zooms just doesn't cut it.  Sure Canon and Nikon
offer fast primes, but they are huge and, frankly, they're not the equal of
the M lenses.  A EOS1ds kit that gives me the result I'm after would
probably be three times the weight and bulk of an M system.

That's why a digtal M would be the cat's ass.  I hope someone figures out
how to build one without bloating it into a cartoon of a camera like the
1ds.

- --Jim

> There's the on going comments about an M digital that it would be the cats
> ass and I want one and .........blah blah!  What all these people don't
> understand is....... you can't make a digital M camera in identical
> configuration, certainly at the moment that'll do what many of us do with
a
> film loaded M whatever model one owns. Yep some day.  Maybe.

- --
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In reply to: Message from "bdcolen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> (RE: [Leica] The new digital reality -)
Message from "Michael Chmilar" <chmilar@mminternet.com> (Re: [Leica] The new digital reality -)
Message from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> (Re: [Leica] The new digital reality -)