[Leica] Which camera to take to Israel?

[images at comporium.net (Tina Manley)]

I think if you didn't take the Leica, you would regret it every time
you looked at your photos.
Have a great trip.  Israel is beautiful.

Tina

On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 2:46 AM, Peter Klein <pklein at threshinc.com> 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
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>



-- 
Tina Manley, ASMP
www.tinamanley.com