Pictures of Leica CM, as promised......

david_bolduc · January 18, 2004

Thank you Sandy for taking the time to post some pictures from the Leica CM. I too got to use one for a short period of time, and I was pleased with the results I got. In hindsight, I should have shot slides to get a better feeling for how the camera was exposing the film, but the fujipress 400 film that I had on hand is what I normally use anyway in my P&S cameras. Nonetheless, I thought the metering was quite good even in difficult backlit scenes like the one of the plane you took. In the end, though, I think many will consider the $1000 price tag a little steep despite the camera's nice build quality and excellent features.

petteri_pavas · January 18, 2004

A side comment on the picture enlargements on this string. Measuring and calculating gave me results that the first CM blow-up was about 42 times enlargement and the Olympus 28 times at least on my screen. So comparing them side by side is not a direct comparison. The diffent films chosen bring furher problems which already have been mentioned.

sliu · January 18, 2004

I agree that the "test" is not scientific at all. Photography is not a science any way.

I posted that picture from $80 Olympus (which is also a quick point and shoot, "unfairly" with better film and flash, processed by pro lab ;-) is just for fun. It is a lot of fun when you can afford a $1000 P&S. It is more fun when your $80 P&S can match the image quality of a $1000 P&S. But keep in mind the warning on the manual of Olympus Stylus Epic(page 98):

"This camera is not suitable for professional use or for use under severe conditions."

Perhaps a cheap camera like Olympus Stylus Epic can not afford future law suit by some professional photographers ;-) How about CM?

ted_clutter1 · January 31, 2004

I bought a Leica CM from B&H Photo sight unseen, even after reading the nasty assumptions by Leica Club Nitpickers on this PhotoNet.com page. After running about 10 rolls of film through the camera, I find it worth every penny of the $1,000 paid for my purposes. To correct some misperceptions and "apples and oranges" comparisons with chincy point and shoots in other reviews by complainers who have not even seen the camera yet, the Leica CM is definitely not a point and shoot - it is a compact camera. In actual use, I have observed the following:

1) Leica build quality - No disappointment here. My past compacts were the Yashica T4 (a truly amazing piece for the money), and the Contax TVSII (beautifully built, but larger than pocket size, and no variable diopter). The Leica beats them both, and I like the leather covering and other subtle Leica design accents. It fits the hands well; is comfortable (ergonomically correct) to frame and hold steady; the viewfinder comes up quickly and accurately to the eye; the LED display is simple and intuitive.

2) Compact, pocketable size, exactly the same as the venerable Yashica T4. The Contax T3 is smaller and offers many of the same features, but its size creates complications in use for those of us without pencil points for fingers. The Leica CM will fit into a dress shirt pocket easily. I use a small camera bag (Lowepro) that just fits the camera, and wear it around my neck, resting on my chest. This makes the camera instantly accessible, while affording a large measure of protection.

3) Clean, sharp viewfinder with variable diopter (which is not offered on cheap point and shoots). This is necessary for us "old farts" who cannot see very well through most point and shoot viewfinders. Since I have used SLRs for most of the last 40 years, I like to see through viewfinders clearly - without a variable diopter I am lost. The Leica CM diopter is right on!

4) Improved (coating) Leica Summarit Lens, proven on the Minilux for years as a superior piece of glass. The fixed 40mm focal length is perfect for my style of shooting. No matter what their defenders say, even the best zoom lenses are always inferior to the best fixed focal length lenses. Zooms also require more mechanization, add weight and are a major culprit in relation to battery drain. For most applications I like a moderate wide angle because it by necessity puts you into the action, which for me means better shots. If I need to "zoom," I use my legs. In addition, lack of a zoom requires less fiddling with the machine and more attention to composition and exposure.

6) Powerful flash for its size (GN 30 with ASA 100) that covers the picture area without hot spots and other problems. I have found exposure right on with the Leica CM flash, and in its various modes it works beautifully with longer exposures as fill light (including second curtain flash).

7) There are 15 shooting modes in all. This might sound daunting and confusing, but not the way Leica has worked it out. The five "most used" modes are available with a simple button push on the camera back and a rotation of a very conveniently located selector knob. With a little "dry run" practice, it becomes quite intuitive to select the mode you want.

8) The Leica CM has manual focus, which I have found to be right on the money. My only wish for the camera lies here - it would be nice if the focus wheel had a lock. But even if it is accidentally engaged, you can't miss the warning in the viewfinder. So no big deal.

9) The camera has aperture priority set by a very convenient and logically located thumbwheel. I currently am using the Leica CM in the flash off mode (when turned on).

10) Autofocus - this is one of the loudest complaints I read about the camera - its lag time when taking a picture. The Leica CM is no different in lag time than the Yashica T4, which admittedly is slow. When you press the shutter button (which is very smooth, by the way), the camera must focus before it fires. The complainers in this thread compare the CM to their autofocus SLRs or larger rangefinders, which is unfair. Those cameras innately have much more room for heavier and faster components. I believe the Leica engineers did their best with the CM. I also do not believe its "slow" response time is a big deal, because it still focuses faster than I can, and if you are shooting a moving object, you can always prefocus and hold with the "half button" shutter approach. While this also holds the exposure measured at the same time, I see few practical situations where this would create any real problem.

The Leica CM is a beautiful compact camera that I am sure will suit my needs. My only question is how it will hold up, but time will tell, and a 3-year warranty is a big consolation. My message to the complainers is: "Get a Life." If you don't like the Leica CM, don't buy it. But if you want a compact camera with its "big brother" features, a beautifully sharp lens, diopter viewfinder, etc., don't be afraid to spend the money. And I have to say it. Digitals are still crap with their fiddley camera bodies, extreme zoom ranges, memory cards too small for truly quality work, cost in time and money, etc. In fact, digital is the �Big Lie� out there now, as many who �went digital� are coming back to film for all of its advantages.

And my final point: How is it that so many of the complainers in this thread can form such egotistical, self-righteous opinions about a product they have never seen? And even more importantly, think that they have all the answers? The design and manufacture of a complex machine like the Leica CM (or any other professional camera) is a lengthy battle of concepts, trials, and detailed considerations by some of the best engineers in the world. For everything they do and choice they make, there are endless evaluations and group criticisms. Add to that the need to get the product up to speed and to market at a reasonable cost, and to design a manufacturing and repair process around it all. Think about it. Everything these so-called �experts complain about was more likely than not thought through several times and accepted/rejected for important reasons that their small minds cannot even begin to comprehend. For most �photographers,� the machine they hold in their hands is more of a work of art than anything they will ever produce with it.

ted_clutter1 · January 31, 2004