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How much beating does your Leica take?

emr

Member
I was browsing Flickr and ended up looking at a picture showing Joichi Ito, the new MIT Media lab head and an investor who flies several times around the earth each year and usually seems to drag his M9 along. Take a look at the lens (or is it a shade?).

The picture's by Mohamed Nanabhay

Original picture:

 

Godfrey

Well-known member
A heavily used camera. Obviously been through the wringer, but it's being used for what it ought to do.
 

thrice

Active member
Yeah I'm all for not babying cameras but that looks entirely deliberate/retarded. I put mine in a bag, the camera was $7k, the bag was $80. Just seems insanely pretentious to think that wearing down your camera is going to score points. Is this Joichi Ito taking decent photos at least?
EDIT: Nevermind, found his flickr. Still don't think this degree of 'wearing' is reasonable. Seriously, unless it's bouncing around in a case with sharp/rough metal objects that isn't gonna happen, even if I wore mine every day it'd be bumping into wooden doorframes and maybe walls at a far too infrequent rate to do anything serious. What about rangefinder alignment and viewfinder clarity? All this 'legitimate wear' has to deteriorate that somewhat?
 

emr

Member
I admit that if I was dropping that kind of money on photo gear (which I never will), I'd try to keep it a bit more secure. But admittedly in addition to flying around crazy miles, he also seems to take A LOT of stuff along. Lately even scuba diving related stuff. So perhaps it is possible for the lens to take that kind of beating even though one tries to prevent it.
 

250swb

Member
I don't exactly baby mine, but its nearly two years old and shows very few signs of wear. The 'black paint' of the M9 is a tough powder coating and I can only think that some of the extremely worn M9's that get paraded on the internet are done with sandpaper and to make their owners look 'hardcore'. That said undoubtedly there will be some that take a hammering in genuine use, but then the owners of those are less likely to be showing off on camera forums, but out making photographs and doing business with them.

Steve
 

thrice

Active member
I sincerely doubt he's shooting the M in those scuba shots, there isn't an underwater housing for the M8/9 is there? If he's using one of those 'bags' then he is a braver man than I.
As for camera mileage, 90% of his shots are taken in boardrooms/restaurants/hotel-rooms. He's not shooting in Afghanistan.
 

emr

Member
Joi shoots several other cameras in addition to his M9. Sometimes Canon 5D mk II, the underwater ones are from a m43 I think.
 

Paratom

Well-known member
I guess it depends on many things...one of them the question if you get a heavy damage on your lens if you get it repaired or if you leave it like this (inlcuding the question if you get insurance for your equipment or not).
One other question could be if you buy heavily used lens on purpose (maybe) just to make it less attractive to thiefs/rubbery or if you know you will heavily use it anyways that you buy a heavily used lens anyways.
I assume it also depends if one uses a M9 in "normal life"or if you are a reporter who is using it in areas of crisis and wars were maybe in some situations you just dont have time to put the camera back in a bag. Or where you maybe want to be ready for shooting without delay.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
It doesn't look that bad to me. Maybe he's taking the smart approach and just using a sacrificial lens hood/filter ring to take any beating. A Summilux isn't going to work well if you impart that abuse on the lens itself.
 
Last edited:

Stuart Richardson

Active member
You can see in another photo that the filter is what is messed up (or at least appears to be), and the camera doesn't look so bad either.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/4660684190/in/photosof-joi/

If you don't use a bag, or use a bag with harder edges, the paint will come off the M9. I carry mine every day in a (nice and soft) bag, and it is still brassing in the corners. It does not bother me, but I do not find it cool either, so it is not something I have been trying to have happen.
 

crwoo

New member
bought mine used with some wear and small scratches, I will not add a scratch to it. My previous camera (canon 5d) did not have scratches and looked new after 4 years.
 
S

Studio58

Guest
I have been shooting professionally for 18 years (had a main street studio for the last 12),
I have always treated my gear with care probably due to the money spent. From the days of my Nikon F3's and f4's, Hasselblads, 1 series Canon film and digitals etc etc etc, nearly all my gear was sold in A++ nick. OK.... I might be a bit obsessive but I just like to look after my hard earned possessions.
During the 4 years I worked at Canon, I saw equipment come over the counter in pretty poor shape. The worst were the units operated by the press guys. Given that they did not own the gear they just chucked it around without a care. I probably would be a little less careful in their position but I reckon any camera I used on the job would look 90% better than theirs.
Anyhow, my Leicas will be well used, but I would think that the day a new owner acquires them they will most likely look pretty well mint.
 

weinschela

Subscriber Member
I don't baby my cameras (no cases) but I would be very reluctant to allow that kind of beating unless somebody else was going to foot repair or replacement bills. I wonder whether Mr. ito treats his cars or his house the same way? Why should beating up a camera be a point of pride?
 

4season

Well-known member
Mine has a few small marks and slight brassing around the corner of the finder. Not heavily used, but I do carry it around 5-6 days a week. The "steel gray" paint is a softer finish than the M8's chrome plating, and the M8's brass base metal in turn dents more easily than the M6's die-cast zinc top.
 

Double Negative

Not Available
I usually have a camera with me every day - let alone for travel, etc. I don't baby the gear, but I don't use it recklessly either. When I'm done shooting, sure - lens cap on and in the bag. But I have no problem with it over my shoulder all day, either. It is a tool after all. If anything, I care about my lenses the most since they'll likely be in my bag 'til I'm worm food. But bodies, especially digital - are far more transient.
 

doug

Well-known member
As little as possible.
Same for me, but sometimes stuff happens. If I wanted to keep my equipment in perfect condition I'd keep it in airtight, de-humidified padded case which means I'd never carry it with me and I'd never make any photos. For me the pictures are what's important so I risk some boo-boos. Personal choice, YMMV.
 
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