[Leica] G2 and Leica M

[Douglas McLernon <dhwsmc@eircom.net>]

Hello  Christiane,
I subscribe to the Leica and Contaxg groups and saw your enquiry.The 
Leica with the f/1.4 looks a good buy at the price  to me although I 
recently sold my f/1.4 as I seldom used it. Faster lenses and low 
noise are the main advantages of the Leica system. The Contax, of 
course, offers automation and much more sophisticated features. 

I have a G2, G1, 21mm, 28, 45 and 90 as well as 2 M6s and a M4-P with 
24mm, 35, 50,75 and 90. I have had Leicas for more than thirty years 
and received my first one as a  "secondhand" gift  from my father 
when he bought a new one.

Both systems,as others on the list have mentioned, are well thought 
out  and have good ergonomics. Because I wear glasses I have  
correction lenses in the Leica's  view finders while the Contax has 
the adjustable, but significantly poorer finder. I find that I can 
hold the cameras more steadily  if I press them to my forehead rather 
than try to look through the finder against my glasses.I don't find 
it difficult to work with the two systems although I tend not to use 
them together very much. For a year or two I didn't trust the Contax 
automation but I find it very reliable and I believe it was just a 
reaction to new technology on my part. "

The lenses  would rate as even to me on subjective evaluation. The 
Contax transparencies seem a bit cooler across the lens range on a 
side by side comparison on a light table but it doesn't worry me.

 The older I get the less equipment I seem to carry and I think this 
improves my pictures as I concentrate on the image and not the gear. 
On our last  holiday I took  a GR1 and a Minilux (28mm and 40mm lens 
respectively)  for transparencies, my wife has a Minilux zoom for 
colour prints. I used to lug two or three bodies and 5/6 lenses and 
really didn't end up with any more "keepers"
Regards,
Doug
Dublin Ireland