The trip last weekend was nice. It was very adventurous for me, but everything went swimmingly. The biggest "problem", if it can be described such, was the breakfast buffet included in the room. I'm inclined to fully exploit such a feast to save a few bucks, at the expense of overconsuming and then suffering the consequences along the day.
I didn't plan it so, but having a breakfast at late morning, I did have good energy to stroll around until 7-8 pm when it was time for evening dinner. No problems with caffeine or sugar levels. However, not my usual way to stroll.
I already booked a new trip for myself. This time it's a barebones lodging that's 40 € cheaper per night, and includes no frills, no breakfast buffets. This 40 € difference pays a lot of breakfast and lunch at cafés that are more idyllic and stylish and varied. And I can have it at my own leisure, no rush.
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Photographically speaking, the main project was to shoot silver M + 50mm Nokton and see if it still has the magic. My goodness, does it ever!
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I think this is it, the main kit I'm bringing to Stockholm.
This lens never gets bitingly sharp but it has an "appropriate" and expected sharpness at f/8. Renders a very pleasant picture, has character even at such an aperture. Wide-open it gets more artistic in its character but this is something I can welcome, no problem. And it should go without saying that there's resolution at such apertures that allows even a heavy crop. This is not a poor, one-trick lens in the way the TTArtisans 50/0.95 is.
I believe a Panasonic will accompany the Leica. These days I'm accustomed to Olympus color and the 20MP images somehow seem more resolute than the 16MP Panasonic files, even though there never was an issue with the files of Panny. The sensor in a GX80 in its own way accompanies the Nokton's rendering, offering a certain old-timey film resolution, always providing enough but is able to forgive also.
The main competition might be the black M and the 50mm Summilux Asph. I'm going to run this candidate setup more here locally. I'm also giving the neglected love of my life, the 35mm Summicron V, some stroll time.
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But there's a looming dark cloud on my Leica life.
To cut the chase short, I believe I have well run out of Leica M honeymoon period. In this everyday realism, I take it for granted and I am being too loosey-goosey when I shoot it. It's the best way to focus par none, but the excessively good hit rate starts to reduce as I simply don't pay enough attention -- "I've always nailed the focus before". My hit rate is still excellent but there are some new WTF moments in the editing room when I see misfocused photography. Business as usual for other brands but this is new for my Leica.
Another, even trickier problem is how more and more shots are coming out blurry from shutter shock/camera shake! I've put 40k or even 50k frames through my silver Leica but I think the real reason I didn't experience this in 2019 is that I was under that honeymoon period and I paid more attention.
These days even 1/250 sec isn't always safe from shock (50mm lens). I don't believe the shutter has worn somehow so that it starts to produce shock, it's probably my own fault to a large part.
But for context, the black MP and the summer fling with the M9-P, both cameras are/were more shocky than my silver M, which has now caught up with them. Unfortunate development!
