Alternative to M9 for telephoto.

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

This may not be the best place to start this thread but please bear with me!

I'm about to make a three week trip overseas where I must travel light and where my M9 and a few lenses will be the absolute ideal camera.

However, for just two days of the trip I'll need something in the 300 mm range - the Apo Telyt won't be enough. (I have a Sony and 70-400 zoom but that's just to heavy for this trip - for just the two days.)

My first thought was to pick up a V Lux 2 which actually has more reach than I need, but the reviews I have read are pretty harsh on image quality. I looked at the V Lux 20 which goes to 300 mm (equivalent) but it doesn't do RAW.

So - I'm appealing for views as to what I might investigate. The primary requirements are - light/very compact, shoot in Raw, 300 mm equivalent.

The V Lux 2 would be OK if it did Raw. It would have been good back-up for M9 too, instead of the X1 I usually take.

What should I look at? I know I'm not going to get M9 quality and that's OK. And I know the answer probably won't be Leica - hence my initial hesitation about where this thread should be. But I reckon fellow Leica shooters will understand my needs better!

Opinions please!

TX
Bill

 

[docmoore]

This may not be the best place to start this thread but please bear with me!

I'm about to make a three week trip overseas where I must travel light and where my M9 and a few lenses will be the absolute ideal camera.

However, for just two days of the trip I'll need something in the 300 mm range - the Apo Telyt won't be enough. (I have a Sony and 70-400 zoom but that's just to heavy for this trip - for just the two days.)

My first thought was to pick up a V Lux 2 which actually has more reach than I need, but the reviews I have read are pretty harsh on image quality. I looked at the V Lux 20 which goes to 300 mm (equivalent) but it doesn't do RAW.

So - I'm appealing for views as to what I might investigate. The primary requirements are - light/very compact, shoot in Raw, 300 mm equivalent.

The V Lux 2 would be OK if it did Raw. It would have been good back-up for M9 too, instead of the X1 I usually take.

What should I look at? I know I'm not going to get M9 quality and that's OK. And I know the answer probably won't be Leica - hence my initial hesitation about where this thread should be. But I reckon fellow Leica shooters will understand my needs better!

Opinions please!

TX
Bill

Pana GH-2 with 14-140 lens....good higher ISOs and 280 mm equivalent.

Bob

 

[JimBuchanan]

If you are going to resort to a crop, get a Tele-Elmar M 135/4 for your M9 and crop. You could squeeze 270mm out of that...

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

If you are going to resort to a crop, get a Tele-Elmar M 135/4 for your M9 and crop. You could squeeze 270mm out of that...

I have the 135 Apo Telyt already and I must admit I'm wondering if a cropped Apo Telyt image might be as good as a p&S zoomed image...I may do a few tests tomorrow.

Bob, thanks for the thought - I will investigate that option!

Bill

 

[Seascape]

You have the 135 Apo-Telyt, pick up a Panasonic G1 with a converter and your pretty close to a 300 equivalent.

G1's are compact, do RAW, and are cheap used.

 

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

You have the 135 Apo-Telyt, pick up a Panasonic G1 with a converter and your pretty close to a 300 equivalent.

G1's are compact, do RAW, and are cheap used.

Thanks, Seascape - but the image wouldn't be any bigger than I get on the M9 - the sensor would simply be smaller. I'd just as soon crop the M9 image.

See "Misha" in the Latest & Greatest thread...but thanks for responding.

Bill

 

[Jan Brittenson]

A850 and 70-300G? It's what I got, exactly to complement the M9 on the tele end. The 70-300G is much smaller than the 70-400.