My tip about surviving a blood test: Visualize your favorite camera. Now visualize photographing your favorite image with the camera. If this doesn't work just whimper and cry until it's over...
After going over some details pursuant to the upcoming multi-person portrait shoot this afternoon I looked at the mess I'd made on the dining room table. There were multiple camera batteries, a Leica Q2, a Leica SL2 and a Sigma fp layered over the top of a bundle of brokerage statements and notices from Medicare. I wanted to choose a camera and lens to take with me on a long walk to my bank. It's smack in the middle of downtown. I thought I wanted to play with the Leica SL2 and the Sigma 65mm lens but in the end the smaller size and the intriguing (to me) 28mm focal length of the Q2 won out. I grabbed an extra battery for my pocket and put the Q2 over my shoulder. Then I headed out.
I haven't had any cash in my pockets since I was in Vancouver, Canada last November. Just don't use it anymore. And, like film, I don't really see myself transitioning back. ApplePay is safe and easy. Everyone accepts it. I don't have to deal with ATMs or other points of failure. But every once in a while stuff conspires to put cash back in my pocket. Yesterday I got a reimbursement check (very partial) for my recent dental check-up. A whopping $48. I decided to incorporate a physical visit to my local, one location bank to cash said check. And after the SVB imbroglio I wanted to make sure my commercial bank was still alive and kicking. They were. They cashed my Medicare reimbursement check and didn't even need to see my I.D. Why would they? I've been working with the same cashier for a couple of years.
I like my bank. They are responsive. They are local. The CEO is an old pal from Dell Computer. He used to be the CFO there. My personal bank officer is a guy I swim with named..... Guy. When I opened an account with them I asked about fees and charges. Guy just laughed. Jim just laughed. "We'll never charge you a fee. Ever." That's a bank I can enjoy. I'll just remember to keep less than $250,000 there on deposit.
With my $48 shoved into my pants pocket I continued my walk with the overriding objective of just walking, looking and making images of stuff I wanted to see photographed. I have to say that after fits and starts, and stops with the Q2 I now see why so many people are enamored with the camera and why it's so popular. It just exudes quality and precision. And the images that pop up on the screen after I press the shutter button seem a cut above everything else I shoo with.
Lately I've been doing more and more black and white with that camera. Sometimes I shoot raw and then convert to black and white by trial and error, and more trial and error while at other times I find myself surrendering to the BW HC mode in the camera menu, enhanced with a little customization of the contrast. Which all brings me to the point of wondering if the Monochrom version of this camera might be even better in its representation of black and white images.
I've reached out to an old contact at Leica and requested a Q2 Monochrom loaner. I have every indication that they'll send one along. After all, in the past they've sent along a 15mm Biogon, an M8, and three different Summarit lenses for me to test. As well as a 35mm f1.4 Aspherical and an M9. I can't wait to try it out. I have some projects in mind that are a nice fit for the parameters of the camera and lens. And black and white.
Life is short. I'm impatient. I want to go right to the source. I don't have the time or inclination to monkey around with half measures. If the Monochrom is as good as I think it might be I'll snag one for long term use. Why not?
Does anyone reading this have any direct experience with the Q2 Monochrom? I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks, KT
P.S. Austin is hosting the Country Music Television Awards in our downtown this week. What does that mean? Well a bunch of inconvenient street closures mixed with a bunch of really, really shitty "music" for the unwashed. Do you love, love, love country and western music? (Not counting Bob Wills or Willie Nelson) Then you might want to stop reading the VSL blog because with the exception of Mick Jagger's song, "Heartbreak Hotel" I think that almost all that genre of music, done over the last 30 years, is absolute crap.
And I hate to see Austinites inconvenienced in their own downtown for the benefit of companies profiting from a bad "art" and a crowd with bad taste in music.
Cheers!
