Well. Santa was right. My boss here at VSL got me a Jellies of the Month subscription. It was a bit of a let down. So I grabbed the company credit card and headed out to do a bit of impromptu shopping. You know, just something simple and nice for myself. After all, I do all the work around here.
My biggest decision was whether to get green or black. So I had the clerk pull both versions out of their packaging and put them on the counter so I could stand there and compare. The minutes ticked by. My sales person shifted his weight from one foot to the other. And back again. The clock in the back office ticked loudly. The sun moved across the sky. And the harder I looked the harder the choice became. I was deadlocked.
Then a guy named Noel walked over and casually glanced at both and said, laconically, "You'll get tired of the green one pretty quick."
That little push was enough to get me off dead center. I went with black and I couldn't be happier. I'm just not sure my boss is going to be happy when he gets that credit card bill at the end of the month...
I decided to give and receive my year end bonus today so I could enjoy it and also have a measure of gratitude for just how well the year has worked out for me and my family. So I quickly wrapped it, surprised myself, unwrapped it and was struck by my boss's generosity. What a swell guy...
I took it out on a hot (over 80° f) December afternoon and put it through its paces.
Oh...I forgot to tell you what I got myself from the CEO of VSL... It's a brand spanking new jet black Leica Q2. It won out over the "Reporter" version which saved me a whopping $200 and change. Don't ask. It was too much...
Here's a photo:
Delighted that this camera and my other full frame Leicas
all take the same kind of/model battery. Yay! finally.
Is it everything the bloggers and reviewers say? I don't have a clue. I walked around and photographed a couple of buildings, some signage and a few urban landscapes. Nothing litmus-test-y. The camera handles well. The EVF looks great and the menu is pretty much exactly like the menu in my SL2. What's not to like? I'm sure I'll have lots more to say if I take it on the road with me and shoot a couple thousand frames so let's plan on that. I might need to do a roadtrip anyway to escape my boss's displeasure at my raiding of the corporate coffers. But I'm pretty sure the CFO will smooth it all over....she's really sweet.
full frame.
35mm crop.
50mm crop.
50mm crop.
full frame. 28mm
cropped as 50mm.
My boss took the credit card back and threatened to freeze it inside a solid block of
carbonite. I'll call his bluff because I know carbonite only exists in
Star Wars movies.
I'm pretty much done with commercial work for the rest of the year.
You'll be thrilled to know that because you will intuit that I'll have
much more time to write about swimming....
Go Santa!!!
For those that don't get the joke: I am self-employed. I have no employees. My boss is me. I can't really fire myself because as Buckeroo Bonzai famously said, "Wherever you go, there you are."Looks like I'll always be working for the man in one sense or another.
Finally, aren't you glad I didn't drag out this camera buying decision in a long series of agonizing posts? Really. This time it was just a quick Bandaid (tm) pull.
15 comments:
Awesome! Can't see what you do with it. My boss authorized a really long lens ;) A 8" Dobsonian
Cool right back at you. If I remember correctly you already got your Q2. right?
Your boss is almost as cool as mine. I hope they don't compare notes.
Merry Leicamas!!!
Oh Man! The black one!?!? That green one will haunt you.
When indecision strikes you need to be Bold! You should have gotten both of them. ;-) Now you won’t know what the stereo possibilities could have been.
You have a good boss, by the way. You should use the company credit card to take him, the Technology Officer and the CFO to dinner. You have my permission.
PaulB
A fun purchase, Kirk. We’re you tempted by the monochrome version? David
Hi David, Thanks! And, NO, didn't consider the monochrome version for even a second. The Monochrome HC (high contrast) profile in the current Leica cameras is a great match for me.
Can't wait to get some "miles" on the new camera.
Hi Kirk,
Congratulations!!! I think this camera will extend your creative freedom for years to come.
I have been following your blog for at least 10 years. You are a great photographer with the ability of expressing exactly what you feel. Have you ever thought of reaching out to Mike Evans at Macfilos to do a guest post on your Leica journey?
Cheers and Merry Christmas to you, Belinda and Ben.
Jim B.
I had lunch the other day with a friend who brought his Q2. It's one thing to read about it, even to look at it in a display case. But once you hold it... Wow. It's a good thing I'm so tough.
I'm holding out for a Q3, when they arrive. Love the Qs.
Your quest,
For the best,
Should now rest,
Consider yourself blessed!
I bought one too but I just can't seem to figure out how to get the lens off!
Unknown
KT, I am considering purchasing one myself. Anxiously waiting to hear what you have to say about the camera. My concern is the one lens and the focal length. I really like 35 as a single lens focal length. Had a X 100f for several years and loved it. Regret selling it. Shot several trips with the x100. I would have to lay off some big gear to make room in the cupboard for the camera, but that will not be a problem. Enjoy and have a great Leica holiday.
Hi Kirk,
Enjoy! It’s a fantastic camera. I use it all the time as a:
47 MP 28mm f/1.7
30 MP 35mm f/1.7 with effective FF f/2.1 equivalent (in DOF terms)
15 MP 50mm f/1.7 with effective FF f/2.8-ish equivalent (in DOF terms)
My favorite is the 35mm crop because it gives you a nice 30 MP file but also gives you the 28 mm FOV when looking through the EVF but with 35mm frame lines…so you can see what’s outside the 35mm frame.
Of course, if you shoot in DNG, you get the full file when you open it in Lightroom (just hit crop and you’ll see the pixels outside your chosen FL).
Your boss gave you a great present!
Steve
Merry Christmas!
Now I feel inferior. I bought the green one because I was getting tired of people asking me about my Leica (never happened when I had an even more expensive Phase One).
It has also backfired. It seems that the aficionados can tell a Leica at a hundred paces - with or without logo.
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