richard_francisco

The SF24D can't do it. I've tried it myself before when a mate borrowed my flash to try on his M7. I remember reading the Leica catalogue that to use that feature, you need a certain Metz flash as they designed that feature with just that one flash.

I'm looking forward to this new camera. I'm quite excited to try what kind of low light photos I can make with its ISO performance and my Leica lenses.

Does anyone here have this camera? I recently got offered a brand new one that's still in the box at a very, very good price. Would you still consider this camera? Is it easy to repair? I know it's not a mechanical camera as its guts are electronic so my big worry here is repairing it in the future.

Thank you Alex. How and where can you get that wobble issue fixed? Do you have any recommendations?

All this talk about the 40/2 makes me want to look for one. The only other 40mm I know that's easily available is the Voigtlander 40/1.4 Nokton. How does Nokton compare with this lens?

I don't know how much they would be on the secondary market but I love my 50/2.5 summarit. It didn't get rave reviews but I love it's compact size and the photos I'm able to take with it. Come to think of it, I don't really see any of the new summarits in the secondary market.

Have you tried rangefinders before? Some people get into Leicas without trying RF photography first and are shocked to find out there are no auto features.

 

If it's your first, get the M8. What focal length are you after? On my M8, I'm perfectly happy with the 50mm summarit it came with. It's a very compact lens that most people do not seem to like.

 

On my M9, I use the 28 Elmarit ASPH which is very sharp.

 

I'm happy with both combinations and though I have the 35 cron and the 50 lux, I find them too big and heavy. My neck and shoulder are sore when I have these lenses attached. If you want to carry it all day, go for a small kit.

 

Good luck!

I use 2 large steel dry cabinets for all my gear. Well, aside from camera gear, I also put my watches, guns and gadgets in there. I keep the setting at 45% and it's been great all these years.

I saw the sunpak flash in a shop. It's about $50. Not bad in my opinion. You don't think it'd fry the camera's circuits? I want to buy it but I just want to make sure it doesn't ruin my camera.

I have the same exact camera and the same exact problem. It is a dirty sensor no question. I don't think it was cleaned thoroughly and you probably just moved the dust around. I tried cleaning mine and bungled it so I sent mine to an authorized Leica service centre, camera clinic in Melbourne. They cleaned it and it was like new again. These days, I don't bother changing lenses on my M8 and M9 for fear of this dust problem. I wish Leica would install an anti-dust mechanism similar to the Japanese DSLRs but I'm happy just as they are.

<p>I use the E39 filter for what Leica lenses I've got. The others that are larger... well, I just never bothered. I figured the lens hood is protection enough.</p>

<p>I'm just surprised that people actually tried this. What kind of vacuum cleaners did you use?</p>

I use a dunhill urban pouch. It's made of fabric and bits of leather and my M8 with its lens fits into it snugly. There is no padding though but there is a back pocket which I use to squeeze my passport, boarding pass into. I use this pouch for when I fly.

They are both quite different from each other and I think built for two different target markets. I guess the comparison was brought about by the high level of pricing but a better comparison would be to compare the Sigma product to a Nikon or Canon DSLR and not a rangefinder.

 

And speaking of Seikos, I'd just like to say that Seikos just have a stigma attached to them but make fantastic time pieces that are even priced higher than Patek or Audemars and keep better time. I collect Seikos and are just enamoured with their Grand Seiko line. I wish I could afford their Credor line.

I remember there was a device that would help limit the voltage from older flash units to cameras that can't take high voltages. They cost around $50ish here in Australia when I checked at a shop in Mount Gravatt. I know B&H photo stocks them. Buy that and you'd be able to use all manners of flash devices on your camera without fear of shorting out the circuitry in it.

 

I'm also using a Nikon cable when I use my SF24D on my M6. To augment the flash, I usually carry a couple of Metz 28 CS-2 slave flash units as well. I throw them around or mount them on gorilla pods when when necessary.

 

Good luck man!

 

I also have those old Vivitar flashes and I love them. I've used it on my M8 but stopped after I got scared that it might short it out.

This used to happen to me with different batteries. These days, I always fully drain a battery before I charge it. I've noticed a marked improvement in terms of battery performance and reliability.

I believe Leicas all have international warranties. If the warranty has expired, they will charge you for fixing it but there shouldn't be a problem. That time, they even wrapped my camera in new leather making it look brand new.

 

In Australia where I am based now, I had my Leica M8 fixed by camera clinic in Melbourne. As they are the appointed repair centre for Leica, they will repair all Leicas too but they will charge you.

 

Highly technical repairs will be done over at Solms. Singapore or Australia will take care of sending it there.

Schmidt marketing is the place to go. They're the distributor for Leicas in Singapore too and some other parts of South East Asia. They've serviced mine before. They're not fast but when you get it back, it's as good as new.

<p>If you're in Australia, Camera Clinic also isn't bad for repairs though I have never used them for lens repairs.</p>

<p>I got a V-Lux1 which I've used for years. I don't carry it around as often anymore as my camera bag is getting too heavy. It's the perfect companion to my M8 or M9 as it's got a 12x zoom. I won't recommend it for dark shots as the results can be grainy but at ISO100, it ain't bad at all. Here's a sample in a dark room.<br>

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5171178033_a23f73c62a_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480" /></p>

<p>After all that bouncing, the rangefinder might be in need of an alignment depending on how banged up it gets.</p>

<p><strong>Waiting at the airport...</strong><br>

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5171178487_b4f501d3a9.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></p>

<p>What're you planning on doing with it?</p>

<p>I read Ken Rockwell's reviews all the time simply for it's entertainment value. I think for reviews, our community's views and opinions here are more than adequate.</p>

It is interesting and I'm glad for this option to be available to us. I can't wait for the actual hands-on review.