On Mar 6, 2014, at 3:37 PM, Bob W-PDML <[email protected]> wrote: > I am really interested in hearing everyone's thoughts about the MM as I > haven't made up my mind yet. I might still spend it on a trip, and take > pictures with the kit I already have.
Hey Bob, I have the M9, as you're well aware. The MM is virtually the same, other than the specialized sensor. Several of my local friends from the Leica community have MMs, so I've had the opportunity to shoot with one a little bit and see their photos. Between the M9 and your M8, differences in use are trivial … other than the larger format and some nuances of the controls and menus, you'll find it nearly the same experience. The MM's starkness is part of its endearing quality to me. There's little to distinguish it as a super special, fancy camera at all … it's all just plain black, just functional bits, and nothing else. It's the antithesis of camera bling. Most people just glancing at it will see a camera that could be a forty year old lump. Of course, the specialized sensor is really the whole deal with the MM. From what I've seen based on their photos, there really is a substantive improvement in what you can get out of it at the limits for B&W work compared to the M9 (or even M Type 240). Better tonal gradation, separation, acutance, etc. Certainly higher sensitivity, ameliorated somewhat by the need to use B&W filters to push your tones around with different colors. Optimal exposure and processing the raw files takes slightly different techniques compared to the M9. Oh yes: one thing I've noticed is that the MM is an ideal body to work with all those lovely *older* RF lenses from the '30s, '40s, and '50s … you know, all the ones that do weird things like color shifting and such with the M9. Some of those lenses were designed *long* before color film was popular and are best optimized for monochrome—they sing on the MM. If you love shooting B&W work and are willing to dedicate the money to a specialized body for that purpose, I think you would love it. Its use is very much that of shooting black and white film with a digital camera … intentionally limited, constrained by a monochromatic capture. That's part of its genius: constraints breed creativity. I'd considered trading my M9 and some money for an M Monochrom myself, I'd dig it a lot, but I decided to go a different way entirely - Leica R lenses on the Sony A7 is a better fit for my predilections. G -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
