[Leica] Digital M

[norman.c.aubin at boeing.com (Aubin, Norman C)]

Greetings all,

I'm taking a moment to de-cloak, as I usually just sit and enjoy the 
comments and
advise from the pro's, and the beautiful submissions of all, without feeling 
a need 
to speak out (tugging a forelock at Tina, Ted, and others).

I'm a hobby shooter, not a pro, so my perspective is that of the amateur, 
not the 
one of a person who makes a living doing photography.  Someday, in a decade 
or
so, that might change, but for the nonce it's the situation.

Digital has caught my fancy, in that it offers an alternative to standing in 
a wet 
darkroom to produce images.  As a means of capturing an image it still seems 
to 
fail in comparison to the raw quality available using the M camera.  Someday
the capture quality may compare, but I don't think it matches a good slide 
film
shot through a 35mm ASPH lens yet.

For many applications it may not need to, it suffices for the needs of the 
art director
or others, but in terms of pure technical capability it doesn't get there 
yet, IMHO.

Likewise, for many of the images I shoot for pleasure, a 5 or 6 MP image 
will provide
a good quality 8x10 enlargement, pleasing to me and my small audience.  

I take great pleasure in knowing that the only limitations to my images are 
the one's
I being to the table; the camera, lens and film all suffice.  If I scan the 
slide with 
appropriate care, I can get a file that, with Photoshop help, produces 
images that
match or exceed my 25 years of practice in the darkroom.

To me though, as an amateur who photographs as much for the process of 
capturing
an image as for the producing of an image, there is a certain magic in using 
an M
style camera.  I've used every format, most major brands, and tried many 
variations
on the theme, but the rangefinder FEELS right.  I shoot through the camera, 
it's 
invisible to me, but accomplishes best the thing I was trying to do - 
capture the
scene before my eyes.

If, and I hope its so, Leica does manage to build an M style digital body, I 
truly hope
they fit it within the form-factor of the current M, as that body and lens 
combo feels 
so right to me that I would object to having to learn a new way of handling 
a camera.

Likewise, I hope for a full size sensor, as I want both the technical 
advantages inherent
in the sensor, as I value the lenses I have.  I relish the performance of 
each of my lenses,
they give me what I want from a lens.  I don't want my 24 turning into a 36, 
I want it to 
be a 24!  I'd much rather have a 6MP full frame sensor in an M envelope that 
uses 
my lenses as they are than any thing else.  If it has more MP's, great, but 
frankly, I've 
seen beautiful work with 6MP.  More is better, unless it loses me the fit 
and feel of the 
M body and the use of my lenses as they were designed to be used.

If I need a god awful big image, say 30 x 40 inches, then I use my 4x5, and 
that's fun
too, but I use a 35mm for the convenience of carrying it about, and for the 
spontaneity,
not for the absolute large image quality.

I enjoy walking around with a Leica at hand to capture images the way a 
Leica does, 
easily and unobtrusively, and with the best optics in the world.  If the 
digital answer
to that is a compromise, it's one I won't accept.  I already have the best, 
I have a choice, 
and I opt to keep using what feels and acts like an M.  Equal the ease, the 
kinesthetic, 
and quality, or leave me out of the market equation. 
  
For those of you who are Pro; B.D. and others, I accept your reasoning and 
wouldn't 
disagree, what you say is valid and appropriate.  For the hobbyists amongst 
us though,
I wonder how many would give up the luxury of using an M camera for digital, 
if we 
had to  buy new lenses to accomplish what we already manage to do.  How many 
would
give up the fun of using a peculiar camera that produces such damn fine 
snapshots?

When this hobby stops being fun, when I have to struggle with the camera to 
enjoy the 
image, when I have to adopt the BIC lighter mentality to stay in the game, 
I'll sit it out.

Just my $.02 worth, but I had to add it to the pot!

Take care all, and best of light!

Norm