Well, it has been about a year... (Selling my Leicas)

[mike dixon]

Good to hear from you, Jack.

[._._z]

<i>autoeverything prevents me from being fully engaged in the exposure. Yes, I use

aperture or shutter priority modes and select my aperture or shutter speed based on

what I�m shooting, but I did not bother to take the time to meter selectively and

instead rely on the �evaluative� meter built into the camera. </i> <p>

 

That's like complaining about the wind in a convertible... when you choose to leave

the top down. Jack, you prevented yourself from "being fully engaged" -- nothing

stopped you from metering selectively and shooting manually. It's not the camera's

fault.

[mr._kenny]

great points jack. i just unpacked the grand dame of color paper processors -- the durst rcp-50 -- and it's no fun moving that 90+ pound processor around. the whole time i was shoehorning that beast into the 'darkroom' i kept thinking 'epson 7600, epson 7600!' the investment was minimal for me though, so i thought i'd bite for the durst, b/c color feels natural to me right now. <br />

i went with analog color for a few reasons:<ul>

<li>wet color gear is cheap right now compared to an epson 7600 + mf scanner</li>

<li>it's pretty easy to print color with a processor, in my experience, and with my demands</li>

<li>i wanted to see how big prints work for me before i go and blow $3500 on a full blown color system</li>

<li>the two systems have roughly the same per-print cost -- recurring costs are very equal, if not cheaper in wet color if you take good notes and have reproducable methods. </li>

<li>if i had a digital camera i liked to work with, and that felt as good as the leica gear i have, i'd be more into a digital workflow.</li>

<li>my professional use of photoshop tought me that i don't like photoshop, including CS.</li></ul>

i'm under no illusions that digital is more accurate and more convenient, but it's not cheaper for me, and i'd rather invest travel and myself to get good photos.<br />

but good to see you again, stop by anytime and pay a visit, you're welcome here as an honorary guest!

[albert knapp md]

jack: We will miss you as you are one of the originals. From your

post, however, I sense that you are truly torn and would not be

surprised to see you back in hte near future. Good luck and

please stay in touch with your "glorious band of Leica brothers

(and a few sisters)" to paraphrase Lord Nelson and

Shakespeare.

[peter_mackay2]

Ditto. Nice to hear from you - I've waited for that report for a long time.

[jay bee]

Jack - glad to hear from you again and BTW your old 90 TE is alive, well and taking nice pictures - in color to boot!

[jim_mcbride]

Al Feng: shame on you!

 

Jack Flesher: I'll save your post and re-read it anytime I am tempted to sell my Leica

stuff (it hasn't even come close to happening yet). BTW, I own/use a digital P&S which

is great for casual snapshots, but will never replace my Leicas.

[bruno_menilli]

Jack

 

Thanks for your post!

 

It will be very interesting to hear what you have to say, when (not if) you buy back into Leica, to explain the differences you then realise, in using the two systems.

 

Regards

 

Bruno

[jason]

thank you for the imfo.i like the results of film and as i do my own B/W i have no need of "custom Labs". Color is better served at my local lab.Slide film observations by one reply,my own thoughts.

If you need great color..use slide film and a good projector.

i in a way have slowed my use of "M"s as i once more use my old Nikon F system...i think i shall write much more about that!

i know it not acceptable here but maybe my personal experiences may

benefit some folks considering a film camera.

Digital cameras for me are way too slow in exposing,feeling of not being involved,no directness..I guess in a way my Eos was that way too. I gave the system to my daughter. I took back my original Nikon F

and the many original lenses.Strangely my photos are getting better!!!

I miss the smallness and better weight of my M3/6 but i can afford lenses.Lots of lenses.Its been 2 years...so soon my total thoughts.

[raymond_tai]

Thank you Jack. Digital is getting to be quite irresistable and I have been thinking

about switching to a Canon for color and leave film for b&w. You have helped me

make that choice.

[dayton_p._strickland1]

All of this begs the question, at least for me, is why do high

quality digital cameras and lenses have to be so large? If Canon

and Olympus can make great little digital point and shooters with

fast zoom lenses (G5 and Oly 5050) why can't someone PLEASE

make a quality manual focusing interchangeable lens digital

rangefinder camera? Having used both M cameras and Nikon

SLR digital cameras I feel Jack's pain. I want the precision and

feel of a M-rangefinder with the flexibility of digital color control

(white balance) and adjustable sensitivity (ISO changes). Now,

is someone out there in the vast camera making world

listening?

[james_.1]

I love color slide film. Provia...mmm...

[sandy.]

<P>Jack,

 

<P>So, can we expect to see you come back here more often now?

 

<P>I don't think you'd remember, but when I first participated on this forum, I was quite frustrated. You told me to have patience, hang around and I will enjoy it at the end. Well, here I am, still hanging around. I thank you for that, Jack, and for all of your subsequent advices, be it digital or film.

 

<P>In case you are wondering, I am riding with your enthusiasm in this forum. I share with your joy and aggrevations. Just remember : You have a loyal follower.:-)))

 

<P>Very best regards,

<BR>Sandy

[nesrani]

Jack's decisions are his own business and I have no comment to make on thsm. I do see quite a few people saying that using Leicas slows them down, though - they see it as a positive thing. Well, I've never found that. The leica is as fast to use as anything else (except for high speed motor drive applications, of course), at least I find it to be so. Until you get to the end of the roll. But even that doesn't slow me down very much, at least imo.

 

It doesn't take long to set up the exposure with a manual camera, and then you can shoot to your heart's content. Even slide film has enough latitude to make an approximate reading perfectly adequate. Maybe some people worry too much about the exact exposure? I don't know.

[travis1]

Never liked the look of digital pix and never like working with their viewfinders. The M is the fastest drawing and most reliable camera to use IMO. Add great lenses to it, can't ask for more..

 

 

Jack, you can always use both. There wasn't really any dilemma to begin with. ;)

[Alex_Es]

Welcome back, Jack! Thanks for the honest observations. Please get an M and some lenses.

 

I like to combine film and electronics. For the first time in my life I actually have a dark room of sorts. It is my computer and scanner + Photoshop 7 and Photoshop Elements 2.

 

I think digital is neat. I just cannot bring myself to buy those big, heavy and expensive professional digital cameras that I know will be outdated in a few years.

[bill_g2]

<p>Jack,

 

<p>I don't post often, but I remember when you sold off your Leica equipment and read your comments above with interest. I appreciate that you took the time to stop by and give us the update, especially knowing that it is such a controversial topic.

 

<p>I'm just starting out with digital. The learning curve is both steep and expensive. Now capturing a color image is only the beginning. I have so many things to learn about post processing. IMO, the time and effort that goes into creating the final image is similar to processing and printing my own B&W.

 

<p>And yet, my M6 stays for now. I'll make the decision on what to do with it after the novelty of digital wears off.

 

<p>Best of luck to you. Thanks again for the update.

[jackflesher]

Thanks for all of your kind words and thoughtful responses. The level of decorum, class and comradeship that exists on this forum is truly amazing! Being able to participate regularly here again may just be the best reason to get another Leica ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

[godfrey]

Interesting sum up, Jack.

 

In 2002, I bought a Sony DSC-F707 and sold my Leica M kit for a Hasselblad 903SWC.

I've never regretted it. The Sony F707 and later F717 let me see in ways that the Leica

never did, so did the Hasselblad. In the latter half of 2003, I've sold the Sony and

acquired a Canon 10D kit. I have shot no film at all this year, and have gotten more

good photos per session than ever before. The 10D lacks for very little in my

estimation and is now my 99% do it system, although I will not sell the 903SWC as it

does things that no other camera can.

 

I'm happy to be free at last of the film and processing burden. Now I can concentrate

on seeing and working with the photographs.

 

Godfrey

[rico_tudor]

I thank digital for getting me back into photography but -like Fazel- I largely reverted to film after a year with the D30. Digital conspires to distract me from the pure picture-taking moment, what with the batteries, camera modes, blinking lights, and the god-awful weight. I currently enjoy the Contax manual-focus SLRs, but am ready to sample the rangefinder way. I settled on Leica M after long thoughts about the Contax IIa.

 

Jack may yet return here!

[MTC Photography]

Jack, I think you may sell your current digital cameras in a year and buy newer digital camera, because by that time your gear will be oudated.

[jackflesher]

"Jack, I think you may sell your current digital cameras in a year and buy newer digital camera, because by that time your gear will be oudated."

 

Martin, while your basic assessment is indeed correct -- that digital gear is rapidly outdated and replaced by newer, improved models -- the gear I now own has taken me to the point where updating is not mandatory to make great images. With my 4MP 1D I can generate superb 24x36 prints, far better than anything I could ever do with a 35mm optical/wet system. (Though a quality scan of a 355mm neg/trns is indeed superior to a 4MP digital original.) And my 11 MP 1Ds generates images that are equal to quality scanned MF film. So yes, my gear will soon be outdated and its value will plummet, but it will still be quite capable of generating great images.

 

I simply point to the Leica M as an example -- it has survived the onslaught of automated SLR's and even automated RF's that you don't have to go through gyrations to load film into :) Why? Because it works "as-is" for the folks who use them. Perhaps a better analogy is that of the Nikon SLR; can an older F3 or FE take as good an image as a new F5 or F100? Certainly... The current breed of DSLR's is no different.

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

[patricks]

Jack, great to have you back and I do hope we see more of your over here from now on. </p>

 

Much of I wanted to say have already been said by Marc, Peter and a few others. The bottom line is that as much as we enjoy our (most Canon) digital equipment, it does take away of of that old tradition of making exposures. Also, carrying around a DSLR on a trip and worry about back-up, which of the gazzilion options/choices to use sometimes prevents oneself from envision and/or capturing good photos. Lastly, I'm not a street shooter myself so a lot of those M advantages fall between the chairs for me personally but I couldn't imagine taking a photos like the one below if I had to take up my 10D, fiddle with options/selections, and shot a series of photos without disturbing the involved parties. </p>

 

<center><img src="http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1922709&size=md"></center>

[roberto_watson_garc_a]

Jack, nice to know from you, and what´s good about this is that you´re making pictures, no matter what with, I just made a trip with Tom Gallagher and his wife Arleen; to Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz in Mexico and unrust my leicas and my bones, what can I say I love to M, 28/35/50 were my companion and 50/100/400 and 3200 asa film my material, you won´t believe this but I just used the bulk of Ilford film you send to me.

It was great doing photography again, nice to know you haven´t stop, go on even if those are pixels. Regards my Friend. Roberto

[patricks]

<a href="http://www.fredmiranda.com/hosting/showgallery.php?cat=500&thumb=1&ppuser=6545">Jack's gallery on Fred Miranda</a>