[Leica] Which camera to take to Israel?

[pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig)]

Peter,

At the end of the day Leica qualities aside it seems to be a decision between
"What's the point of having a Leica if I don't take it on a 
highlight-of-my-life
trip?" and your shoulder.

Ultimately ONLY you will know what the pain may be like and probably ONLY you
will have to lug it about.

Enjoy your trip,

Peter

On 30/09/2010 07:46, Peter Klein wrote:
>  It looks like we are going to Israel for 2 weeks later this fall. It will 
> be
> our first time there. We'll be spending the first week in and near Tel 
> Aviv and
> Haifa, sometimes on our own and sometimes with relatives who live there. 
> Then
> we'll take a weeklong bus tour around the country. We'll be moving around 
> quite
> a bit, mostly on foot or in buses. So whatever I take will be carried 
> around a lot.
> 
> I'll have a decision to make about cameras. I could take:
> 
>     * M8, 28/3.5 VC, 35/2 or 35/1.4, maybe 50/1.5 and/or 90/3.5 VC.  This 
> is
> what I usually travel with.
>     * G1, 14-54 f/4-ish  kit zoom, 20/1.7, and VC 90/3.5. This worked 
> pretty
> well for me on my recent Canada trip.
> 
> Right now, the heart is saying Leica and the head is saying G1. I have a 
> painful
> "frozen" right shoulder, which probably won't get better until next year
> sometime, so it's better to keep things light on my neck and other 
> shoulder. 
> I'm also developing a cataract on my right (shooting) eye.  So far it's 
> just
> softened things a little and lowered my visual contrast.  My glasses still
> correct my right eye to 20/20, so it's nowhere near the surgery stage.  
> It's not
> really hurt my ability to focus yet, but it has reduced my confidence.
> 
> In favor of the M8:
> 
>     * Higher image quality.
>     * If I want a big print for my wall, likelier to have sufficient IQ.
>     * Better low-light ability for family, dusk & night shots, or cloudy 
> days.
>     * Optical VF and no blackout, so faster to shoot and get what I saw.
>     * No issues with autofocus focusing on the wrong thing
>     * All the controls are where God and HCB intended  :-)
>     * What's the point of having a Leica if I don't take it on a
> highlight-of-my-life trip?
>     * Camera is insured
>     * I could take a fanny pack or photo vest to keep some of the weight 
> off the
> bad shoulder
> 
> In favor of the G1:
> 
>     * Image quality, while not Leica, is probably good enough esp. in 
> sunlight
> and 8x10-ish or less.
>     * Significantly lighter, smaller kit
>     * The 20/1.7 is a great lens; I'm still covered for reasonable lower 
> light,
> though not for true "available dark"
>     * Won't be changing lenses nearly so often.
>     * More versatile.
>     * The 90/3.5 makes a great almost-200m equivalent.
>     * Don't have to worry about focusing (except for the 90).
>     * If it gets damaged or stolen, it's not the end of the world.
>     * Built-in flash for family snaps if necessary, and for fill in the 
> bright
> desert.
>     * Won't have to worry about cleaning the sensor (dust-buster built-in).
> 
> What do you think?  There are some genuine trade-offs here, and I really 
> could
> go either way.
> 
> --Peter
> 
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> 

-- 

===========================================================
Dr Peter Dzwig