safepricker's photos: 2019

The M10-P is my new stealth camera. It has the quietest mechanical shutter. But I worry that at some point in time, all that rubber that muffles the shutter would sag or degrade in a hot, humid country like where I live in. But that's a problem for another day, I tell myself. Hopefully, third parties would be around by then to fix it. But I digress. So, the M10-P is discreet, very discreet -- great for street photography and for those proud milestones when my kids get to go on stage for awards or for music performances in some small theater or club. (By the way, my Fuji X100 can go stealthier -- as in totally quiet -- when it is put on silent mode. However, that's got an electronic shutter -- a totally different creature.) And, ala ninja mode, it does not have the iconic red dot on its face.

I have been happy with my film rangefinder cameras. As the Chinese saying goes, "Black cat, white cat. If it catches mice, it is a good cat." So in my collection I have some Yashica Electro 35s -- gifts from patients mostly. The Contax G2 is my "mixed breed slr-rangefinder" camera. And I have a few Russian copies of Leicas and Contax. But then a friend introduced the Leica M6. And it became the only Leica that I ever had that has the iconic red dot. (I regret ever selling that classic.) Then, came the meterless Leicas -- the M2 and the M4. And I had to buy the IIIf when it went on sale for a little over $100. (It is again selling from $330 to $2,500 a piece.) Then, finally (I thought) the magnificent MP. These are all film cameras. No digital until the Epson RD1 beat the M8 to the punch in 2004. The 6 MP rangefinder should be a good cat, I thought. And, it became my favorite cat, for a long while. And it is still usable, as of this writing.

6 MP Epson RD1s with Summicron 35/2

Last year, one evening in a plush commercial center in Makati, in a not-too-rare moment of weakness, I had a brush with the M10. I was, however, saved by the reality of a long waitlist. I was going home scot-free until Sheryll, the saleslady who looked like she was going to give birth in a week, offered the M9 Monochrom at 40% off. And, I caved even if I knew that it will eventually need a sensor replacement. Please don't get me wrong: I still love to shoot film but I am getting film-like photos with the Monochrom -- but not until after some post-processing. (An earlier blog can bear this out: https://tinyurl.com/y9vouc6b).

Then a few months ago, Leica announced that they were coming out with the Professional model of the M10. Restraint, I yelped so weakly. The name, after all, conjured the virtuous behavior: "MATIMPI" (Filipino word for restraint)! M10-P!!! Months later, Sheryll with a year old boy calls up to inform me that they have the M10-P in the store. And, I just had to look and hold. The "toy" just nuzzled into my hand. It had the same feel of my MP. Built well. And as always, built to last. Sony cameras and the Nikon SLRs are cheaper indeed but they turn shabby after only a few months of even the most careful use. The disposable feeling gnaws on you with those cameras. Leicas turn more beautiful even when battered. The beauty seems to stem from its durability. But, alas, digital cameras depreciate fast. Yes, and I blaspheme when I say, even Leica.

To summarize, the very quiet mechanical shutter, the absence of the red dot, the durable build quality, and the size and features that induce analogue nostalgia -- are the deal breakers for me. The three-inch touch screen is no biggie but a welcome treat with the tough gorilla glass cover. So is the bigger viewfinder which I now appreciate with advancing age. I originally thought of getting the M10-D (no monitor screen at the back). M10-D when spoken in the vernacular is akin to MATINDI (Filipino word for insurmountable)! Since I often engage with my subjects when I capture their portraits, the monitor helps in the conversation and I love to check. (Pros had been doing that ever since. The great ones even use polaroid for their trial shots back in the heyday of film.) It becomes unwieldy also if I still have to wifi to a cellphone or tablet for viewing. Besides, the transfer of images can also be done fast with the M10-P. (Note: no app yet for desktop connection). Also, the re-appearance of the level gauge that disappeared from the original M10 model is not essential either even if I also do landscape and architectural photography. (I often ignore the horizon and I prefer to focus on aesthetic lines.) What I found useless is the round button in front for magnifying live view. I rarely use long lenses and I just wished one could assign other functions to that button. Finally, like icing on the cake, the old Leica script is deeply engraved again on top of the camera. Beautiful!

I am at that stage when I should be saving for retirement. But I just threw caution to the wind. The moral quandary over buying the luxury item given the situation of the world -- particularly, the society I live in -- just gave way to the vagaries of whim. Wife loves me, no doubt, for giving way to my whims but off to work she must see me go. To my old salt mine!!! No plans of retiring for a long, long while and with the fervent hope that karma or the Chinese "Li" or whatever force there is in the universe will continue to smile at me. But I certainly am a happy camper.

(Discussion of the lenses I use would require another blog. Actually, lenses are the most important part of the camera and discussions are often more technical.)

Sample photos taken with the M10-P and the Summilux 50/1.4: