Digital

A few snapshots from our walk on the pier in Grand Haven this afternoon. The weather was beautiful and so was the waterfront.

I brought a Hasselblad 60 megapixel medium format digital camera to Africa with me. I took photos side by side with my film camera. The digital camera’s images were sharper. They had more detail in both the shadows and the highlights. The digital camera made photographing very, very easy. And I hated it. … In fact, had I photographed using a digital camera from the beginning, I’m not sure that I would have liked a single photograph that I had ever taken. ...

Sometimes I notice the Leica M10-R sitting forlornly on my desk and I’m reminded that I don’t deserve it. A camera like that should be used, and used a lot. Mine mostly sits around waiting for me to take another selfie or photo of my dog. That’s a lot of money tied up in what most people do (and often better) with their phones. I’m a rangefinder guy at heart. I’ve shot with one almost continually since 2003. The Leica M, whether film or digital, is IMO the pinnacle of camera design and construction. But…I often just want to have a camera with me for simple grab shots. You know, the one-handed snapshot of a friend at dinner. Or a macro of my dog’s toes. The M is not the camera for those. Not in my hands, anyway. So I long for auto-focus, and EVF, maybe even IBIS. ...

I’m feeling twitchy about owning the Leica M10-R. The M10-R is an astonishingly good camera. World-beating build quality, timeless design, and a fantastic 40-megapixel sensor, all in a small, beautiful package. Still available new in 2022 for an eye-watering $8,995 (I bought mine used), the M10-R is also a ridiculously expensive camera. Buying one is a big deal and a significant investment. I am fortunate enough to also own Leica M film cameras, and being able to share lenses between those and the M10-R is very handy. And OMG those Leica lenses! The control layout and handling are the same as well. It’s like having both a digital and film platform for using 70 years of tiny, wonderful Leica lenses. I can carry a full film and digital arsenal with 2 bodies and lenses in a tiny bag. ...

Jess and I had lunch at Booyah’s in Muskegon. I had the Q2 Monochrom with me so I made a few snapshots.

I got to have lunch with Steve and Bryan at Founders. Here are a few snaps I took between beers. Founders exterior Pipes outside of Founders Founders Steve buying KBS at Founders Bryan shopping for T-shirts at Founders Fusionary Steve and Bryan in front of Founders

Charlie Charlie is 15 and has slowed down some, but can still be cute when he wants to be. I’ve been exploring color lately. I most often prefer black and white photographs, but I wonder if this is simply because I’m not good with color. I like the consistent, muted colors in this photo of Charlie.

I don’t have anything interesting for today, so here are a handful of images made around the house using the SL2-S and various lenses. Dog poop can Alice and my footprints in snow from morning walk. Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm Leitz Focomat V 35 enlarger. Sigma 24-70 f2.8 Art. Mirror self-portrait. Leica 90mm Elmarit-M f2.8 Dinner. Sigma 24-70 f2.8 Art.