nostatic
New member
Maybe a crazy question, and I know my budget is screaming from the back room (at least I'm divorced so only the checkbook complains). The short story is that I recently gave up track racing because I was bleeding cash ($10K for a transmission rebuild) and it was eating up too much time that was boring to my 11 year old son. I've gotten him in to photgraphy as I've dove in headfirst. Historically if I'm going to do something, it is worth doing to excess (divorced twice...not sure why ).
My style has evolved rather quickly over the past year or two (so say my artist friends) and pictures aren't my day job (though digital media is, so peripherally I suppose it qualifies). I tend towards street shots and abstract, am enjoying shifting to B&W, and care about the end product, not really the specs. That being said, I totally appreciate quality workmanship in my tools (hence the 10K rebuild).
After cutting my teeth on a variety of P&S and a D70, and a distant past doing audio and dissolve programming for multi projector slide shows in the late 70's and early 80's, I'm currently shooting a Leica D Lux 3 (mostly street) and Pentax K20d with a handful on lenses (the 77mm ltd is sublime). I likely will pick up a Ricoh GRD2 for street and macro-on-the-go as I like the way small sensors draw some of what I see.
The dslr is a great all-around tool, but I kinda feel like it is a middle ground compromise. I don't really end up getting the "street' look from it, and it lacks the resolution to make Burtynsky-like studies. Kind of like a necessary tool to have around to cover various bases.
It seems like both the M8 and MF like the ZD/645 setup are on another level, albeit for different things. I have a tough time rationalizing spending 10-15K on another system, but things are looking up with some image licensing on the horizon and hopefully a gallery show or two this summer.
No way I can afford to go for both. As it stands if I get another system I'll be giving up my planned motorcycle purchase but after a nasty crash 1.5 years ago maybe that is for the best. I know this is the M8 forum but I also know that many here have multiple systems and are level headed bunch (except constantly craving more Leica glass ).
Thoughts and/or advice? I could just keep shooting the snot out of what I've got, but gotta consider my options.
My style has evolved rather quickly over the past year or two (so say my artist friends) and pictures aren't my day job (though digital media is, so peripherally I suppose it qualifies). I tend towards street shots and abstract, am enjoying shifting to B&W, and care about the end product, not really the specs. That being said, I totally appreciate quality workmanship in my tools (hence the 10K rebuild).
After cutting my teeth on a variety of P&S and a D70, and a distant past doing audio and dissolve programming for multi projector slide shows in the late 70's and early 80's, I'm currently shooting a Leica D Lux 3 (mostly street) and Pentax K20d with a handful on lenses (the 77mm ltd is sublime). I likely will pick up a Ricoh GRD2 for street and macro-on-the-go as I like the way small sensors draw some of what I see.
The dslr is a great all-around tool, but I kinda feel like it is a middle ground compromise. I don't really end up getting the "street' look from it, and it lacks the resolution to make Burtynsky-like studies. Kind of like a necessary tool to have around to cover various bases.
It seems like both the M8 and MF like the ZD/645 setup are on another level, albeit for different things. I have a tough time rationalizing spending 10-15K on another system, but things are looking up with some image licensing on the horizon and hopefully a gallery show or two this summer.
No way I can afford to go for both. As it stands if I get another system I'll be giving up my planned motorcycle purchase but after a nasty crash 1.5 years ago maybe that is for the best. I know this is the M8 forum but I also know that many here have multiple systems and are level headed bunch (except constantly craving more Leica glass ).
Thoughts and/or advice? I could just keep shooting the snot out of what I've got, but gotta consider my options.