Leica My Leica Kit - Joining The "Cult"

Any of you all have a recommendation for a strap? I will be using it as a cross body as I don't like things hanging off my neck. I was liking the "rope" type...will probably leave the strap attached at all times, so quick release is not a requirement.

Saw something like this and I think the style is close.

I'm thinking in the summer here it gets very hot and humid, so I tend to stay away from leather. I need something that I can wipe clean and is resistant to sweat.

If not a rope type, then a wider strap, again something long enough for cross body. Thinking that 120cm should be long enough for that.
 
I have always used cases and straps from Luigi


He has this on Eprey right now:

 
I swear by these:

Artisan & Artist ACAM-E38R Easy Slider Series Camera Strap

They're wide and comfortable, and they're also tough. The best part is they're adjustable in length by just sliding the D-ring up or down.

I actually own two of these, one in silver/grey and the other in black. I've owned both for years, they're permanently on my Leicas and have gone travelling in Japan with me. And there's still absolutely no sign of wear and tear on them.
 
Any of you all have a recommendation for a strap? I will be using it as a cross body as I don't like things hanging off my neck. I was liking the "rope" type...will probably leave the strap attached at all times, so quick release is not a requirement.

Saw something like this and I think the style is close.

I'm thinking in the summer here it gets very hot and humid, so I tend to stay away from leather. I need something that I can wipe clean and is resistant to sweat.

If not a rope type, then a wider strap, again something long enough for cross body. Thinking that 120cm should be long enough for that.
If you want a rope strap you might consider a company called Tuenne. I have one of their straps with Peak Design connectors, and I like it quite a bit. It sounds like you could get along without the extra complexity and cost of the PD-compatible version. Downside is that it's still twice the cost of the one you found on Amazon, but they come in a greater variety of colors.

- K
 
Congratulations on the new kit!

You'll probably experience some quirks, like the way a pre-M11 Leica meters. The metering is like a wide centre spot, where whatever is in the direct centre will be exposed well. If you use autoexposure, get into the habit of metering on what you want properly exposed.

Prior to getting the M9, my M mount lenses were the Zeiss 28/2.8, Voigtlander 25/4P, 35/1.4 v1, and 75/2.5. This kit did not cost the earth, and was varied enough to provide endless fun. Shortly after, I got a Zeiss 25/2.8 and Summicron 50 v5.

It is difficult to express just how much fun I got, and still get, from shooting the M9. Some say it is a slippery slope to later models, but the M9 has remained my favourite camera for the last 13 years. It's the one I reach for when I want that extra special something, particularly with the Zeiss Distagon 35/1.4 that i acquired much more recently. Maybe it's the CCD sensor and the colours; although I've been able to come close with my Panasonic S5.
 
I probably would still be fumbling through lens choices had it not been for @MoonMind help. He really was able to narrow down the choices.

Honestly, the Zeiss 35mm Biogon was one of his recommendations, but I could not find a used, well priced 50mm specifically from the ones he recommended to me. I saw the Zeiss 50mm f/2 Planar and it is well regarded. I might add some Voigtlander glass in there somewhere sometime - perhaps their 28mm or something longer 75mm, perhaps.
The Planar 50 is widely regarded as very close to the Summicron 50, so there's little point hankering after a Summicron if finances don't permit. I snagged my Summicron secondhand, which always helps.

There are very good reports about the most recent Voigtlander 28mm f2 and 75mm f1.5.
 
What is hyperfocal focussing?
I would honestly suggest Googling it as there are many ways to explain and I'm not sure how many of them are straightforward enough (not least this one) but I'll attempt an "idiot's guide" simple version. And please bear in mind I haven't had any coffee yet.

It's basically getting an image in focus through the calculation of depth of field, a calculation which is made via the settings of the distance and aperture markings on your lens. The sensor of your camera (FF/APSC/ whatever) is also relevant in this calculation.

Actually, the settings can be made internally in the camera if your lens doesn't have these markings, but doing this with MF lenses seems to be the most common method.

Rather than explain from head to toe, I'll just provide a few examples purely in practical terms as to how *I* use it.

Some examples of how I use this method with 35mm and 28mm lenses on a FF manual focus camera:

Lens35mm28mm
ApertureF8F11
Preset focal distance2M2M
Area to appear in focus1.46M to 3.18M1.11M to 9.99M

The setting of aperture and preset distance creates what's known as a hyperfocal distance which I haven't inserted into the above table as I don't concern myself with that; all I want to know is the area that will be in focus as a result of applying this method. As long as the subject is in the area to appear in focus, I can just snap the subject straight away. (In practical terms, whether or not you set a shutter speed is dependent on subject matter and how well one knows/ trusts their camera).

I only use this method with a rangefinder when I need to take a picture in a split second knowing it will be in focus (which is why it is engaged my many people doing street photography some of whom claim it is faster than engaging AF), otherwise I focus through the viewfinder. But the method is also used for landscape and architectural photography, which I personally find useful with a wide angle lens. Here is another example of how calculating the hyperfocal focusing on a wider lens can be applied to produce a useful area to appear in focus:

Lens21mm
ApertureF8
Preset focal distance5M
Area to appear in focus1.41M to infinity

The obvious question is how to calculate the area to appear in focus. Well, it's simply a combination of lens focal length, aperture and preset focal distance which does this and differing combinations of them result in differing areas that appear in focus. This is where I would encourage anyone unfamilar with this process to experiment as there is no substitute for experience however, there are free apps which will enable you to punch in differing focal lengths, apertures and preset focal distances that will tell you what will/ will not be focus.

I know this turned out to be long winded and for sure, much better explanations will follow this attempt but trust me, once you're familiar with this process it's done quickly and without much thought.

And in any event, if like 99% of the world you've got an autofocus cameral lens combination, don't worry about it! Although Fuji and Ricoh provide great tools for exploring this method of focusing further if you want to, the main purpose of it is for manual focus cameras/ lenses, be it film or digital.
 
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@rayvonn described both hyperfocal distance and zone focusing, the latter of which is what I use most often. Usually hyperfocal distance (the distance at which the focus zone is effectively halfway in front of, out to infinity, from the distance focused to) has usually felt too difficult for me as I have to stop down too far to get the hyperfocal distance close enough for street photography.

Zone focus is how I use both manual focus lenses (when in a hurry, such as shooting on the street) and the Ricoh GR (50% of the time probably). Estimating a zone that's close to where my subject should be and setting the lens to that, and then knowing roughly what my zone surrounding that distance is based on the aperture I selected, is a style that, when it becomes habitual, really speeds up one's shooting.
 
Did some reading and there is anecdotal murmurings that SD cards larger than 32GB can cause sluggish responsiveness in the M240. Anyone else heard of such? I have a 64GB card waiting, but if it may cause issues, I can swap that out with a 16GB from another camera. Just curious.
 
Did some reading and there is anecdotal murmurings that SD cards larger than 32GB can cause sluggish responsiveness in the M240. Anyone else heard of such? I have a 64GB card waiting, but if it may cause issues, I can swap that out with a 16GB from another camera. Just curious.
As a general rule, slower cards are the order of the day. People always seem to have problems with operating digital Leicas with super big super fast cards, and this includes the newest nine grand M11. So I followed Brian’s advice and got a couple of 16GB compact flash cards and touch wood performance has been perfect.
 
As a general rule, slower cards are the order of the day. People always seem to have problems with operating digital Leicas with super big super fast cards, and this includes the newest nine grand M11. So I followed Brian’s advice and got a couple of 16GB compact flash cards and touch wood performance has been perfect.
Thanks for that. It’s not like I need a ton of space anyway. I should be shooting less but more quality shots anyway! Lol
 
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