jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Well, I have to admit I was actually nervous to see that I might get out of my new Leica CL. I enjoyed shooting it but shot a bit more than maybe I should have without getting the results back to correct any mistakes. I didn't have to worry...I took somedecent pictures, the spot meter (and everybody's advice as to how to use it), worked just fine and I got many, many more keepers per trip of the shutter than I get with my D300 (which I still love...it takes just outrageously good photos...but this is different).<br> It's amazing how much the return to film brings me back to the older, different satisfaction I took from photography when I was younger with my Dad's F3. I think a little more, shoot a little less, and really enjoy the process. I looooove digital, but it's like comparing apples and toasters.<br> I would say I am a convert and will be using the Leica very regularly now. Next step is a scanner...either a Nikon or the Epson V750...the scanning costs are going to get steep!<br /> Cheers,<br /> Jay</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Took this while wifey was driving...god bless her for putting up with me...</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>The tree outside our place before I got in the car for Thankgiving...</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougolupski Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Congrats. I miss my CL it went out for service (cla) two days ago. If I could make a recomendation though, if you are mainly going to shoot 35mm get the Nikon coolscan 5000. I just got mine this last weekend and I am floored by it. I had the 750 pro m with the AISoft software and I really wasn't very happy with the quality of my 35 scans. Plus I thought the AIsoft program had a pretty steep learning cuve.<br> Tell about the scanning costs, thats why I said the heck with it and bought a good scanner. I dropped off 12 rolls a few days before I bought the scanner and my lab for a high quality 12meg scan was 20 bucks a roll. I did the math and sold a few spare camera parts on the bay to pay for the rest of the scanner.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Taken on a walk out to Ram's Pasture on Nantucket Island. The lab lost my scanned CD's from the rest of this day...but there are at least 10 keepers on it. I know from the tiny proofs they include. Can't wait to see that Ilford 100 shine!</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>This is a tree at the end of my street. It is underneath a streetlight which causes intense flare that looks like the surface of the moon. It happens with every camera I own...</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>My living room. I have no reason to like this shot as much as I do except it came out of my baby Leica. If I have a daughter, I am naming her Leica...</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>This is the window in our kitchen looking out into the neighbor's yard...</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>This was my very first shot with the CL...save for the two clicks I made in the store without really knowing what I was doing (one happens to be a nice portrait of the chap that sold me the camera). I took this on the loading dock of EP Levine Photo on the way out.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjaminoliverhicks Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>I think that the Leica CL will be one of my next camera purchases, or maybe even a christmas present (doubtful but who knows). I need a small body for carry around purposes. How is the size? Does it fit well in your hands? These photos just make me lust over it even more.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Size. A bit larger than a Rollie 35. The 40 cron is flat like a 35. I would guess, heck I`ll look it up. Not in my catalog.<br> So a guess is 2/3 the length of an M. Much lighter.</p> <p>Get the Nikon scanner if you are serious. You would not put a 1/4" window in front of the camera. That`s a flat bed. Although the V700 is pretty decent for a flatbed.</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred_c1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>>If I have a daughter, I am naming her Leica...<br> Have a dog instead: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Ben, the CL is quite small...I carry it when I go running now in one hand, dog leashes in the other. I attach it to my wrist via a strap and hold it with my very small hands without a problem. The Summi 40 is a very small lens, and the package has just the right amount of heft. It feels perfect, just plain old perfect.<br> Doug, the problem is that I am shooting medium format again, as well, otherwise the Nikon would be great. The 9000 is a great scanner but costs 2200 bucks...the 750 is able to do large format, as well. If I was only doing 35mm I would go with the Nikon 5000. I actually just got negatives and transparencies back from a week spent with a Mamiya 7 (Mamiya 7 + Velvia 100 = HOLY GUACAMOLE). They are outrageous. One other thing...I have seen some absolutely stunning scans from an inexpensive PlusTek scanner, but it's Dmax limits shadow detail a bit. Still it scans at a very high resolution for a couple of hundred bucks.<br> I am bummed to hear you had bad luck with the Epson. Mostly I've heard positive responses. Maybe I should get a Nikon for 35 and MF and then a good flatbed for LF. We'll see.<br> These scans are the "proof scans" from my lab. They are crap scans...there is dust all over the negatives and they are very low resolution. Still I am pleased with the initial quality of the images from the CL. Scanned well with low ISO film, I see no reason not to up interpolate and make great 20x30 prints.<br> There are several shots I took wide open and they are actually pretty sharp and it was easy to focus. Or else I got lucky. Who cares...it worked!<br> I will post more when I get a chance.<br> Thanks to everyone for their advice with the camera and the spot meter. I am thrilled to be learning about another facet of photography with a great new group of people.<br> Cheers,<br> Jay</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicaglow Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Fred, I hope your dog lives longer than Laika<g>.<br> Jay, those are great shots. That 40mm really has the Leica glow<g>. I'm surprised how wide it looks in some of the shots, but it's closer to a 35mm than a 50mm I suppose.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Ben, the CL is quite small...I carry it when I go running now in one hand, dog leashes in the other. I attach it to my wrist via a strap and hold it with my very small hands without a problem. The Summi 40 is a very small lens, and the package has just the right amount of heft. It feels perfect, just plain old perfect.<br> Doug, the problem is that I am shooting medium format again, as well, otherwise the Nikon would be great. The 9000 is a great scanner but costs 2200 bucks...the 750 is able to do large format, as well. If I was only doing 35mm I would go with the Nikon 5000. I actually just got negatives and transparencies back from a week spent with a Mamiya 7 (Mamiya 7 + Velvia 100 = HOLY GUACAMOLE). They are outrageous. One other thing...I have seen some absolutely stunning scans from an inexpensive PlusTek scanner, but it's Dmax limits shadow detail a bit. Still it scans at a very high resolution for a couple of hundred bucks.<br> I am bummed to hear you had bad luck with the Epson. Mostly I've heard positive responses. Maybe I should get a Nikon for 35 and MF and then a good flatbed for LF. We'll see.<br> These scans are the "proof scans" from my lab. They are crap scans...there is dust all over the negatives and they are very low resolution. Still I am pleased with the initial quality of the images from the CL. Scanned well with low ISO film, I see no reason not to up interpolate and make great 20x30 prints.<br> There are several shots I took wide open and they are actually pretty sharp and it was easy to focus. Or else I got lucky. Who cares...it worked!<br> I will post more when I get a chance.<br> Thanks to everyone for their advice with the camera and the spot meter. I am thrilled to be learning about another facet of photography with a great new group of people.<br> Cheers,<br> Jay</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Ooops, sorry abou the double post. I didn't realize the first one went through as my browser gave a giant error message...sorry. Off to bed!<br> 8 more rolls to return to me on Saturday!<br> Cheers,<br> Jay</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger_michel Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>i love the CL. use it all the time. the zeiss 20mm biogon f4.5 is a great match fro the camera! </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vrankin Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>If you're not going to need that D300 anymore, you can just give it to me.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Howard, I have one (D300). Not seeing any use after the G1. Shipping could cost you a whole lot though! ;)<br> Jay, Do consider the 28mm possibilities on your CL. No extra view finders are needed!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Howard, I appreciate the offer. I love the D300 and it will continued to get a lot of use. The CL is not the best sports camera, I cannot use a 200 mm portrait lens on it, and it is not the best for super wide angle photography. Also, with the Nikon CLS and some speedlights, I can shoot anywhere on any street and get amaxing fashion photos out of it. So, for now, at leaset, I will hold onto the Nikon.<br> Should circumstance change and I find myself not shooting digital at all, I will certainly keep your offer in mind and you get frist dibs! ;-)<br> Thanks for looking, everybody!<br> Cheers,<br> Jay</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincenzo_maielli Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>I own a Leica CL, with an outstanding Summicron C 40/2. I use this combo mostly with colour slide films and i'm very happy. It's a little and very useful camera. A little suggestion for the Summicron C 40/2: the original 5.5 filter size it's same to 39x0.75 mm. The Nikkor 39 mm filters work perfectly.<br> Very nice shots, Jay.<br> Ciao. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 10, 2008 Author Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Grazi, Vincenzo.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopher_a._junker1 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 <p>Jay, you are off to a great start. Welcome back to film. The posted shot of your Dad looks like you nailed the exposure setting. Did you use the CL meter setting or compensate up or down? Because the CL is so light, I've bought and screwed on a Tom Abrahamsson large softie shutter release button. My CL shutter release isn't as butter smooth as the M's so the big button gives you better control of the release. I find it cuts way down on blurring at the lower speeds.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbm Posted December 11, 2008 Author Share Posted December 11, 2008 <p>Hey Chris,<br> Funny, I find the CL to be hefty for its size, which I guess shows I hve spent not realy time with a Leica M!<br> I overexposed a lot of the photos by about a stop or just under that, but the one of my Dad was really close to spot on. I would just take a reading of the face as a midtone figuring caucasian skin is a little darker than white but a little lighter than a true midtone (in my dad's case, anyway). So I would set the skin dead even then get the meter a stop under that and hope for the best. Could I have stretched that answer out any longer? Easier: I intentionally had to underexpose from the spot reading of Dad's face by a stop.<br> Is there a website I can use to find the soft release?<br> Cheers,<br> Jay</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Laur Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 <p>This has been fun to read, Jay. Great shot of your Dad. Your comments on keeping one foot in each pool (film, digital) reminded me of my own <a href="../nikon-camera-forum/00RMbi"><strong>ramblings in an earlier thread</strong></a>. I'm trying to picture you running with that camera in hand - hope you switch periodically so that you don't get lopsided biceps.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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