Mixed Feelings (Part 1)
Mixed feelings. There is probably no better word which can describe how I feel today. I kept pondering about it all day at work, and then some more on the bus home after a 14-hour work day. I feel happy and grateful that things are going well, that I have goals and dreams and I am slowly but surely doing steps to achieve them. And yet here I am, with mixed feelings. It's not often that I feel like this. But don't get me wrong. It's not at all a feeling of sadness or depression, but more a feeling of indecisiveness.
Three weeks ago I have decided with fervor that my next camera will be a Leica M9-P and that I will do whatever it takes to get it, even if it will take a year of two of saving and being frugal. On the bright side the plan really made me reevaluate my economy and take steps to avoid overspending, so that I may be able to save a few thousand kroner every month. It did not come without its challenges though. And the challenges did not come in the form of me wanting to back to my old ways (I cannot for the life of me imagine myself going out clubbing and spending thousands each month drinking and taking cab rides), but rather in the form of my colleagues, both here in Norway and abroad, pelting me with suggestions of ALTERNATIVES!
And these suggestions and arguments become more and more logical and practical as they come along. The most recent suggestion, believe it or not, was to go back! Apparently selling my EOS 5D Mark II was a big mistake and I should go and purchase one since the EOS 5D Mark III is fast approaching release and prices of the Mark II are at an all-time low. The main argument was: I focus mainly with just the center AF point and the only thing that the Mark III purportedly improves upon was the AF (now with 61 AF points instead of the 9 on the Mark II) and a slight ISO boost. The EOS 5D Mark II, along with the "non-L" 50mm f1.4 and 85mm 1.8 primes, will still provide me with a light enough camera for work and leisure, AT 1/4TH THE COST OF THE LEICA M9-P WITH THE 50MM SUMMICRON (F2.0) LENS! A fraction of the cost, you get two FASTER lenses instead of one, the same full-frame advantage, higher resolution, and unrivaled high ISO capability (6400 against the M9-P's 2500). At this point of the argument I was just speechless. Because even though I knew I WANTED the M9-P, my friend was right and there wasn't really any rebuttal on this one.
And then came the biggest argument ever. STAR TRAILS! With the M9-P making start trail photographs would be next to impossible. Ok that is a bit overdriven. It would, however, be tedious and questionable with the M9-P not getting good scores in the noise department. I love star train photography and one of the goals I want to accomplish this year is to make my own set of star trail photos (look it up on Google if you want to know what star trail photography is as well as see some AWESOME start trail photographs. In order to not infringe any copyright laws I have decided to not "borrow" someone else's star trail photograph).
Nope, even as I write this I still cannot think of a counterargument, other than "it's a Leica". Sure it's valid, but is it practical? Am I being impractical?
Photography is probably one of the most egoistic things that I do. It's about me. Of course there are the jobs every now and then, but I take photos because I LOVE to take photos. My heart and my spirit dwell in each and every picture that I take. Does it really matter if my camera is outdated, a bit hefty, and...common? It doesn't really matter does it? As long as the camera captures the image as I see it and yields clean sharp images then not so much more is really needed. And I would still definitely prefer a full-frame camera (I know the advantages of full-frame and I really do think it's best). As long as I do what I do, I really don't need to give a rat's behind as to what kind of camera the other guy has strapped on his shoulders, whether or not its better than mine. It's not the camera you are carrying, but the pictures you take.
Come to think of it I do miss my EOS 5D Mark II a bit. It was big and bulky with the EF 24-70 f2.8 USM lens. It drew attention, but it also drew respect. Because I knew how to use it. And the people who saw and bought the pictures I took when I covered Stockholm Pride last year, know my talent and my potential.
So is it back to the drawing board for me? It definitely is. Have I changed my mind completely? DEFINITELY NOT. But I have to once again weigh the pros and cons. I have to go back to my camera dealer, hold the EOS 5D Mark II in my hand and relive the time when I owned and shot with this camera, if it really will be enough to do the trick for me.
I will probably check out the Leica M9-P as well. Maybe I will ask them (kindly) to take it out of the glass shelf this time and actually feel how it is, first hand, to hold one.
Talk about mixed feelings!
Three weeks ago I have decided with fervor that my next camera will be a Leica M9-P and that I will do whatever it takes to get it, even if it will take a year of two of saving and being frugal. On the bright side the plan really made me reevaluate my economy and take steps to avoid overspending, so that I may be able to save a few thousand kroner every month. It did not come without its challenges though. And the challenges did not come in the form of me wanting to back to my old ways (I cannot for the life of me imagine myself going out clubbing and spending thousands each month drinking and taking cab rides), but rather in the form of my colleagues, both here in Norway and abroad, pelting me with suggestions of ALTERNATIVES!
And these suggestions and arguments become more and more logical and practical as they come along. The most recent suggestion, believe it or not, was to go back! Apparently selling my EOS 5D Mark II was a big mistake and I should go and purchase one since the EOS 5D Mark III is fast approaching release and prices of the Mark II are at an all-time low. The main argument was: I focus mainly with just the center AF point and the only thing that the Mark III purportedly improves upon was the AF (now with 61 AF points instead of the 9 on the Mark II) and a slight ISO boost. The EOS 5D Mark II, along with the "non-L" 50mm f1.4 and 85mm 1.8 primes, will still provide me with a light enough camera for work and leisure, AT 1/4TH THE COST OF THE LEICA M9-P WITH THE 50MM SUMMICRON (F2.0) LENS! A fraction of the cost, you get two FASTER lenses instead of one, the same full-frame advantage, higher resolution, and unrivaled high ISO capability (6400 against the M9-P's 2500). At this point of the argument I was just speechless. Because even though I knew I WANTED the M9-P, my friend was right and there wasn't really any rebuttal on this one.
And then came the biggest argument ever. STAR TRAILS! With the M9-P making start trail photographs would be next to impossible. Ok that is a bit overdriven. It would, however, be tedious and questionable with the M9-P not getting good scores in the noise department. I love star train photography and one of the goals I want to accomplish this year is to make my own set of star trail photos (look it up on Google if you want to know what star trail photography is as well as see some AWESOME start trail photographs. In order to not infringe any copyright laws I have decided to not "borrow" someone else's star trail photograph).
Nope, even as I write this I still cannot think of a counterargument, other than "it's a Leica". Sure it's valid, but is it practical? Am I being impractical?
Photography is probably one of the most egoistic things that I do. It's about me. Of course there are the jobs every now and then, but I take photos because I LOVE to take photos. My heart and my spirit dwell in each and every picture that I take. Does it really matter if my camera is outdated, a bit hefty, and...common? It doesn't really matter does it? As long as the camera captures the image as I see it and yields clean sharp images then not so much more is really needed. And I would still definitely prefer a full-frame camera (I know the advantages of full-frame and I really do think it's best). As long as I do what I do, I really don't need to give a rat's behind as to what kind of camera the other guy has strapped on his shoulders, whether or not its better than mine. It's not the camera you are carrying, but the pictures you take.
Come to think of it I do miss my EOS 5D Mark II a bit. It was big and bulky with the EF 24-70 f2.8 USM lens. It drew attention, but it also drew respect. Because I knew how to use it. And the people who saw and bought the pictures I took when I covered Stockholm Pride last year, know my talent and my potential.
So is it back to the drawing board for me? It definitely is. Have I changed my mind completely? DEFINITELY NOT. But I have to once again weigh the pros and cons. I have to go back to my camera dealer, hold the EOS 5D Mark II in my hand and relive the time when I owned and shot with this camera, if it really will be enough to do the trick for me.
I will probably check out the Leica M9-P as well. Maybe I will ask them (kindly) to take it out of the glass shelf this time and actually feel how it is, first hand, to hold one.
Talk about mixed feelings!
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