[Leica] My next Leica camera is a Sony A7

Sat Nov 1 18:24:12 PDT 2014

Gee Geoff,
Like many threads here this one wandered, and I was answering Mark with my
second post, not Frank.  The Sony does not have a built in flash, and thus
misses Frank's mark.

I'm aware of which company has the birthday.  I lived Wetzlar when it was a
much younger company and I was barely a teenager.

I don't make digs at Leica.

I wish they would make a full frame camera the size of the A7s, with live
view, capable of using my R and M lenses and all the other lenses I can
use.  I wish it had the same controls my M9 has, instead of the stupid
layered menu of the Sony.

As it is, I get usable ISO into the tens of thousands, absolute silent
shooting, and a few other advantages, that I have trade for.

I still love my M9.  I would buy a 240 if I could afford it, but I doubt I
would use it for the live view.  The viewfinder on the A7s is just way  too
much better than the M's add on contraption a'la Olympus.

On Sat, Nov 1, 2014 at 7:13 PM, Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Speaking just for me, that's not quite what Frank started the thread with
> though, Sonny.
> "Looking for the ideal camera:  Lots of pixels, EVF, accepts Leica glass if
> possible, AF when I need it, MF and attendant focusing aids otherwise, not
> $8K, takes SDHC cards, great and dependable metering system, Full Frame,
> not
> a cropped sensor, etc.  Built in flash is a bonus."
>
> The only point I meant to make is why not just talk about the camera, if
> Leica doesn't make something that suits? Leave out the implicit little dig
> at Leica that seems to come up. There's certainly nothing in their product
> range that fits Frank's ideal there.
> Guess who's 100th anniversary it is this year.... not Sony or Fujifim ;-)
> or we might be the SUG or FUG perhaps!
>
>
> Cheers
> Geoff
> http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman
>
> On 2 November 2014 09:55, Sonny Carter <sonc.hegr at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Except that a Leica R lens operates with more ease on an A series Sony
> than
> > it does on any yet built M Leica.
> >
> > The A7s seems to have also solved the problems of wide angle Leica and
> V/C
> > M lenses relative to real world use.
> >
> > It is not with humor or irony that I report this. It is with observation
> > and experience.
> >
> > On Sat, Nov 1, 2014 at 6:37 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > On these points of rhetoric I agree whole heartedly here with Geoff.
> > > I don't see the positive point in declaring that a camera which we can
> > get
> > > to fit a Leica lens on it is a Leica camera. There is no humor or irony
> > in
> > > it that I can tell.
> > >
> > >
> > > On 11/1/14 7:22 PM, "Geoff Hopkinson" <hopsternew at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > A good title for this thread might be:
> > > > My next camera is a (fill in the blank whatever you want) ;-)
> > > >
> > > > speaking only for myself. My next Leica camera will be a Leica
> camera.
> > > > I haven't worn out current ones yet though but 16000 images and
> > counting
> > > so
> > > > far in 2014.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Cheers
> > > > Geoff
> > > > http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman
> > > >
> > > > On 2 November 2014 09:03, Jim Gmail <jplaurel at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> A7 is not optimal with wide M-mount wide angle  lenses, is it? Your
> M9
> > > >> will still give much better results shorter than 50 or 35mm, no?
> > > >>
> > > >> Sent from my iPhone
> > > >>
> > > >>> On Nov 1, 2014, at 15:49, "Frank Filippone" <red735i at verizon.net>
> > > wrote:
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Looking for the ideal camera:  Lots of pixels, EVF, accepts Leica
> > glass
> > > >> if
> > > >>> possible, AF when I need it, MF and attendant focusing aids
> > otherwise,
> > > >> not
> > > >>> $8K, takes SDHC cards, great and dependable metering system, Full
> > > Frame,
> > > >> not
> > > >>> a cropped sensor, etc.  Built in flash is a bonus.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> What got me hooked was the EVF, and especially the enlarged EVF....
> > It
> > > is
> > > >>> addictive to be able to focus with a magnified view.   I noticed
> this
> > > on
> > > >> the
> > > >>> Fuji XE-1 I have, but the time delay from pushing the button and
> > > >> something
> > > >>> happening was too long .  Maybe a XT-1 or XE-2 would have fixed
> that,
> > > but
> > > >>> then I would have had a cropped sensor, and I am a WA type of
> > person..
> > > >> Not a
> > > >>> great combo.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I have an M9.  It is a great camera, but focusing is not optimum.
> > > Lenses
> > > >>> over 90mm are really hard to compose as the VF is pretty much a
> Hail
> > > >> Mary at
> > > >>> that stage.  Some would say, go buy an M(240).  It offers a similar
> > set
> > > >> of
> > > >>> specs as I want.  Easy to say, hard to part with the money for the
> > > >> M(240).
> > > >>> And the next iteration of Leica is bound to be yet another $1K.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I just received my new Sony A7.  Had a cheapo Leica M to Sony mount
> > > >> adapter
> > > >>> hanging about, just in case I eventually bought the A7.  Slapped
> on a
> > > 50
> > > >>> ASPH Lux.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> The benefit of more pixels is primarily the ability to NOT carry a
> > long
> > > >>> lens.  You crop the image.  Saves weight.  Saves money ( no lens to
> > > >> purchase
> > > >>> ).  I was not terribly into the pixel count issues, it is a nice
> side
> > > >>> benefit as I very rarely carry a long (over 75 or 90mm) lens.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> When the opportunity presented itself, I decided to try out the A7
> > over
> > > >> the
> > > >>> XT-1.  ( used, thanks to Doug, and his friend)
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> The image quality, with the A7 + Cheapo ( $12) Adapter + that
> LENS!!!
> > > >> And I
> > > >>> am just blown away with the resolution.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> At roughly 200 yards, at F2 ( and probably 1/8000 of a second) I
> was
> > > >> able to
> > > >>> distinguish a hawk sitting on the electrical poles near the house.
> > For
> > > >>> reference, the hawk was most likely 12-15 inches tall.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> At about 6 yards, same exposures setup, I was able to distinguish
> the
> > > >> marks
> > > >>> on the head of an old, crusty, 6 penny nail in my fence. Focus
> > accuracy
> > > >> is
> > > >>> astonishing.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Metering is superb.something Leica's pseudo spot meter lacks.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> There is basically no delay from pushing the button to getting the
> > > >> shutter
> > > >>> to open.  Even in magnified focusing mode.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> This kind of change does have its downsides.. My LR V4.4 will not
> > read
> > > >> the
> > > >>> Sony files, but Adobe DNG Converter fixes that;  There is no in
> > camera
> > > >>> correction for vignetting nor "distortion" ( as if Leica's pride
> and
> > > joy
> > > >>> mainstream lens needs too much); there is no EXIF file data to
> > remember
> > > >>> which lens you had on at any time ( which would not be at all
> > important
> > > >>> except for operations of vignetting and distortion correction.)
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> The camera does not have the same solid feel as a Leica ( any Leica
> > > >> short of
> > > >>> the CL and maybe the P+S models).  It will probably die faster
> than a
> > > M3
> > > >>> would.. Then again..
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I need to become more familiar with the operational buttons, and
> > menus,
> > > >>> however, I was able to get the camera working a bit more like I
> want
> > > it.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> I wish more than ever that I had a fleet of Leica R glass, but not
> a
> > > >> single
> > > >>> one was ever in my kit.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> It is not going with me tonight to shoot some fun fotos of a adult
> > > >> birthday
> > > >>> party.  No twinkle flash.  Then again, nothing really is ideal.
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Frank Filippone
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Red735i at verizon.net
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> _______________________________________________
> > > >>> Leica Users Group.
> > > >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
> information
> > > >>
> > > >> _______________________________________________
> > > >> Leica Users Group.
> > > >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
> information
> > > >>
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Leica Users Group.
> > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Mark William Rabiner
> > > Photographer
> > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Leica Users Group.
> > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Regards,
> >
> > Sonny
> > http://sonc.com/look/
> > Natchitoches, Louisiana
> > 1714
> > Oldest Permanent Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase
> >
> > USA
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

-- 
Regards,

Sonny
http://sonc.com/look/
Natchitoches, Louisiana
1714
Oldest Permanent Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase

USA