My own experience is that I get the best picture from a situation when I have the appropriate camera:
-landscape and architecture : I essentially like pictures an alpa, and even more when used with a tripod
-portraits & street photography : I essentially like pictures from a Contax 645
-low light, street, point & shoot : I am happy when I can bring some souvenir pictures back with a Nikon 3 Dx
Of course, I like some street photography and even portraits I shot with the Alpa, I like some portraits and landscape from the Nikon, etc.
Of course what really matter is the subject, the light, etc, and much more beautiful pictures than mine were taken with any other type of camera.
Of course I capture much less pictures from the Alpa and Contax than with a D3x, any DSLR or an M9. But the few I get, I like them a lot.
But the taste for nice equipment, the search for progress in photography (technically & artistically) brought me where I am with too many systems. I like them all and I find that each of them has specific and unique advantages.
So at the time of packing for a travel, it is always a cornelian choice … I often take 2 systems “only”, upon travel conditions and typical photography I would take …
Everything can fit in a reasonably sized bag, which is OK for the plane, but too heavy and not convenient for a day walk in a city. There I want only 1 camera, so I alternate : the alpa on a sunny day, the Contax the second sunny day, the D3x in the evening or in the rain, … or even best, I take 1 camera and my wife takes the D3x …
For Paris, where I lived about 15 years and that I keep visiting very often, I now like to take the Alpa only. If you don't know Paris yet, your M9 would be perfect !
Some suggestions for Paris, nothing special, just the areas where I like to go and walk. Paris is for street photography, especially with your M9, so don't forget good choes !
1st axis : cross Paris by foot, 2 days …10/10 for architecture, urban landscapes
-Start from the oldest bridge in Paris, “le Pont Neuf”, nice views over the Seine, you can go down to the river from the “quai des orfèvres” and have a nice view of the series of bridges.
- Still on the “île de la Cité” : see place Dauphine (very quiet),
- Do not miss the Sainte Chapelle (visit the Conciergerie first and buy a combined ticked, you will avoid the long security line to the St Chapelle, which is actually the security control to the court next to it)
- on Sunday morning, see the birds market on Place Louis Lépine,
- reach Notre Dame (I never climbed to the top, I hate waiting in lines, but HCB took a famous picture from there)
- Go through square Jean XXIII, views over the Seine, reach Pont de l’Archévéché and walk along “Quai aux fleurs”, views on Ile Saint Louis, views on city hall on the opposite side of the Seine,
-Take some time on bridge Saint-Louis for street photography, enjoy an excellent café-croissant early in the morning on the terrace of Le Flore en l’Ile (alternately you can eat there late at night), this is the quintessence of Paris. You can also taste an ice cream from Berthillon. All shops on the Ile St Louis sell this ice cream, no specific interest to look from the original store.
-Walk along the quai d’Orléans and reach the bridge “de la Tournelle”. Views over Notre Dame. (when crossing you will see the restaurant “Tour d’Argent” which overseas the bridge and offers a great view over Notre Dame …to be avoided if you still need some budget to purchase a camera or lenses)
-Walk backwards along quai de la tournelle, turn right after square René Viviani, see the shop “Shakespeare and company”, see street St Julien le Pauvre and its church, street Galande.
-continue to the “Greek” area, with many kebab restaurants around street de la Huchette. Many tourists. Sandwiches restaurants are not clean and I must say I had some difficulties eating there for the first time, 20years ago, but it didn't kill me, not so bad neither.
-Reach place St Michel then rue St André des Arts. See the “passage” behind the Procope. Continue Rue de Buci and reach Bd St Germain.
-Walk along ST Germain to Eglise ST Germain, bar “les deux magots” (the place to be with a Leica)
-Back to the Seine via rue Bonaparte, reach the “pont des arts”. This bridge offers the best views of the Seine and the ile de la Cité.
-Cross the bridge and enter the Louvres (cour carrée, then pyramide on the left)
-See the Rivoli street and reach the Jardin des Tuileries
-Turn right to see Place Vendôme (don’t go with your wife if you need some budget to purchase a new car)
-Continue to the Opera.
-Then Bd Hausman and enter Galeries Lafayette, see the Coupole on top of it. Again, an area to avoid with your wife …
- Reach Place de la Madeleine. Taste a croissant from Fauchon, have a look to Hédiart, reach the “rue de Suresne” with the best shop of whiskies in France, then rue du fbg St Honoré, with fashion shops and French presidency.
-Back to place de la Concorde.
-Then a walk on the right side on the Champs Elysées. If you turn left to avenue Montaigne you will find shops for your wife and this will lead you to the Seine with a nice view over Eiffel Tower, Orsay museum, Grand Palais.
Other places to walk though :
2. Le Marai : 8/10 for street photography, architecture
-city hall, rue de Rivoli, rue Vieille du Temple, rue des rosiers, back to Rivoli, rue St Antoine, rue de Sévigné, place Ste Catherine, rue de Turenne, rue des blancs manteaux, place des Vosges. Try the restaurant l’Ambroisie, one of the very best in Paris, unless you still want to buy a digital back.
-Back to Rue St Antoine south via rue de Birague. Taste a glass of wine on the opposite side of the street (vins des pyrénées).
-Walk to Place de la Bastille.
3. Père Lachaise cemetery : 10/10 for art photography
- an impressive old cemetery
4. Bercy & the large library : 6/10 for street photography
- cour St Emilion : old wine warehouses transformed into restaurants and movie theater
- Grande Bibliotheque
5. la Bastille : 6/10 for street photography
-Rue de la roquette and rue de Lappe are popular places, with many bars and restaurants
-From La Bastille you can also reach « la coulée verte » along avenue Daumesnil : a railway that was transformed into a green path.
6. Mouffetard, Arènes de Lutèces, Panthéon 9/10 on Sunday morning for street photography
- start from the low Av des Gobelins / square St Médard.
- take rue Mouffetard, a nice market on Sunday morning, musicians & singers of old French songs
- reach place de la contre-escarpe, have a drink, reach rue Monge and "les arènes de Lutèces" (roman place, very calm and nice)
- continue rue Descartes, rue Clovis, Panthéon, la Sorbonne
7. Jardin du Luxembourg : 9/10 for street photography, again ideal on Sunday morning when children play with small sailboats
8. Montmartre, place des Tertres : needs to be done once, almost only for tourists today, but nice views over Paris, nice photogenic stairways : 9/10 for urban landscapes
The area of Pigalle and the Moulin Rouge are not really nice to walk around in the evening.
9.La Défense : La Grande Arche is a nice architecture, there are nice views over Paris also. Do not come in the evening (not safe) or over the week-end (empty). Don’t go there if you live in NYC, Chicago or Hong Kong, you could be disappointed. 8/10 for architecture.
10. Parc Monsouris or parc des buttes chaumont : nice parks, 7-8/10 for parks and street photography. (if you are at Monsouris, don’t miss see the Square de Montsouris).
11. I had almost forgotten the Eiffel tower ... but not sure this is for photography ...
I do not mention museums : Louvres, Orsay, Grand Palais, Picasso (closed at this time), Rodin, etc, are places to visit. You can take very nice pictures inside but you can't used tripods as far as I know.