Sometimes I think I'm being punished by the universe. I buy a new lens, put it on the front of a really neat camera and get all fired up to go out and explore the potential. The the universe throws a curve ball and all of a sudden we're on a week long hold. It's almost impossible to get out after 10 a.m. or so to do any sort of exterior photography without suffering here. It's the heat. The current "feels like" (heat index) temperature in central Austin right now is 113°. It's just brutal.
I got to swim practice this morning at 8 a.m. It was already 82° and getting hotter by the minute. We depend on aerators overnight to provide some water cooling to make the pool temperatures bearable but if the humidity is high and the overnight temps don't drop below 80° evaporative cooling becomes less and less efficient.
I ran all my errands early today just to make sure I didn't need to be out in the heat of the day but the schedule revamp and the paralyzing effects of the heat and humidity are disconcerting and frustrating.
We've started to get heat alerts from the Texas Grid Agency, ERCOT telling us that we're heading for record high electrical use. The result of every home and business in the state cranking up their air conditioners and fighting against an abnormal heat wave. We're asked to raise up our thermostats by a couple of degrees. I already have mine at 80°. ERCOT is asking that we don't run big appliances, machines, etc from four in the afternoon until after eight in the evening in order to keep the grid from crashing.
I've been checking the weather forecasts and it looks like the worst part of the heat breaks after Thursday afternoon. But that won't look pleasant to my friends in less hostile climes. When we say the "heat will break" what we're really saying, in this situation, is that the highs on most days following Thursday will be just below 100° instead of solidly over that mark. And it's possible that the humidity will drop as well...
In order to do my part I've turned off the A/C and computer in the studio and basically shut everything that requires power off. I know that there's phantom drain so I've unplugged chargers, external hard drive and anything with a glowing "pilot" light on it. I've retreated into the house where we seem to have done a good job prepping for the heat apocalypse. We had new, triple paned, UV and IR coated windows installed late last year --- at every window in the house. We had every door, vent and plug weather stripped or weather sealed and we did maintenance on all the ceiling fans. My delivery of air conditioning filters (box of six) arrived yesterday and today (early) I cleaned out the condensation line.
Fans in conjunction with air conditioning are always helpful and in addition to the ceiling fans I also have some smaller, portable fans I drag around with me for local area comfort engineering.
Finally, I don't venture out without a good hat and a great pair of sunglasses.
If you live somewhere chilly go out right now and hug your weather!
As I sit at my desk, trapped by the heat, I find that casual shopping on the web becomes an addictive pastime. Since I'm not particularly disciplined "researching" through all the cameras on line is borderline dangerous. After all, those A/C filters aren't cheap these days...
I'm doing a good job of resisting right now but I can feel the lure of the M series Leica cameras and it's becoming stronger by the day. I won't spend the nearly ten thousand dollars required to acquire a new M11 and I'm not even sold on the M10 variants but I do have my eyes on a Leica M-P (type 204) which was the first series to offer live view, a 24 megapixel CMOS sensor and a nice, demure appearance. Nice used ones are tipping the scales at around $3400-$3600 (USD) but before I make any ill-advised purchases I'm also looking around to make sure I can source a couple of new batteries for that unit. Since the Leica M-P (240) was introduced in 2014 I'm not really sure that a nine year old battery is something I should be thrilled to trust... Knowing I can get my hands on a couple new back-up batteries might push me over the hump.
Why the sudden fascination with the M series? It's those darn Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses I've been buying. I like using them on my SL cameras (with adapters) but I'd love to reduce the package size by using the lenses in their native configuration on a nice rangefinder. But I already know how this will play out...
I'll buy the first camera for a bargain price only to be reminded that at one point in my career I really enjoyed making photographs with Leica rangefinders and I'll get sucked back into the system. I'll of course add a second body because....you gotta have a back up. Then I'll start considering 75mm and 90mm lenses and I'll be wedged down the rabbit hole, selling stocks to cover my addiction. Maybe I should just talk myself out of all this while I have the chance. The chance that would have been easier to imagine if I had been able to take the new 50 APO out for a spin a couple times this week...
(Oh boy! We just hit 104° with a heat index of 114° --- so nasty out there....).
If there is anyone amongst the VSL readership who is working with a current or recent digital M series rangefinders I'd love to hear your own experiences with said cameras. Why you like them. Or important reminders to me about why you don't like them and why I should not revisit that earlier addiction.
My last experience with the M Leicas was with three of the M6 film cameras. I know all about them.... But recent knowledge is lacking. I have used an M8 and an M9, both sent by Leica back when I was writing all manner of cameras reviews for Studio Photography Magazine. But that was over a decade ago.
Write something fun and send it as a comment. I'm sure it will divide and rile up the readership. Just what we need during a spate of hot days.
28 comments:
I am in St John’s Newfoundland and it’s 39 degrees f and drizzle. Texas sounds good to me.
Hi Kirk, I bought my first ever rangefinder camera: a M11 with a Visoflex and some Leica and Voigtlander lenses. I don't think you want to hear from me because I love it.
The batteries for my Leica M-P Safari and Leica M (both TYP 240) are still doing well. And no, the M-P Safari (green body) isn't a shelf queen.
I haven't found any reason to upgrade to an M10 or M11.
I feel for you Kirk, I moved to Dallas in 1982 my first week there the temperature hit 112 degrees for over a week and 100 at midnight. Well yesterday I was out on my kayak fishing the pacific ocean near Santa Cruz and it was a Balmy 68 degrees. To say I don't miss Texas would be an understatement.
Currently, I continue to use my M10’s and am more than satisfied their performance with my two most used lenses: a 1970s vintage 35mm Summicron purchased used in 1985, and still with me because I love the look and it’s tiny; a 75mm Sumnmicron, also owned for years. I’ve used lots of other systems starting with Pentax thread mount cameras in the 1960s, Nikons and Canons of various types, various medium format systems, but the gear that has continued to fit with my shooting style began with an M2 in the early 1970s and the aerial image of the rangefinder with framelines still suits me. I’ve been using these cameras for so long that I don’t really think about the (unfussy) control interface much, at all. I had an M246 Monochrom for a while, but got rid of it once I got the M10, which was a bit more comfortable (not as fat as the M240/246) and I prefer the cameras I’m using to have identical, or nearly identical ergonomics and controls. They are compact, relatively unobtrusive and for my use (performance, especially jazz musicians and, dare I say, street?) have been reliable, other than an M9 that had to go to reeducation camp twice.
As I’ve gotten older, however, I find I have more difficulty with consistently hitting correct focus with lenses beyond 50mm, in marginal light. Except for that one issue, I continue to use a mix of Leica lenses, including a couple of 50mm lenses that are nearing 90 years old, Voigtlander and Zeiss ZM lenses in various focal lengths. When I really need autofocus, I find that a Q2 Monochrom that I got last year really suits and as the control interface of it and the M10 are so similar (button location) they are easy to use together.
Norm, thanks for the very good info. I'll take a look at M10s. My budget constraints are artificial at this point. Habit more than anything else...
Keeping your head cool is more than half the battle. I recommending wearing a hat filled with ice cubes while watching the 2015 documentary film Meru directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. That will get your teeth a chattering! If it's a particularly long heat wave, reading the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer should do the trick.
Hi there from sunny Queensland, cool winter here, resting at 20-24 deg C each day :)
Regarding MP240, I've had one since release/new, two batteries of the same age, still going strong. Compared to my M10 the MP is thicker and slightly heavier, yes, it is noticeable, how important that is will be personal. I find it better for heavier lenses (50 1.4 especially) where the balance is better. Battery life for the MP is in excess of two days constant use, although the M10 charges faster. Image quality from the M10 is marginally better, but very dependent on lens. M!0 visoflex is much, much better than the MP240 version. Purely on aesthetic grounds the MP240 in silver is beautiful, no doubt. Focus on both is very good, I am +2 in both eyes and have no real issues with using contacts or glasses.
cheers
Graeme
A friend returned to Amarillo from Austin yesterday. She wrote a Facebook post in praise of our dry heat. Much more bearable than Austin. Forecast for yesterday was 98 but my thermometer hit 104 - in the shade on the north side of the house. A lot of 98 and 99 in the 10-day forecast.
Today is the solstice - summer officially begins.
Hi Kirk,
I have no idea if this would be feasible in Austin, but would it be worth considering investing in a solar photovoltaic unit to power the AC (or a heat-pump, etc?). ERCOT doesn't sound like a reliable supplier.
What's the point of a utility that fails when you need it most?
Well, I'm glad it's the Voigtlander lenses that have you considering a digital Leica M, Kirk. Because you really don't want to go down the rabbit hole of chasing modern Leica glass. Your CFO might approve the purchase if an M body. But the lenses will drain your finances quickly. That, to me, is the entire appeal of the Q2.
I've had a M Monochrom (the original, based on the M9) for almost a decade, and I love shooting with it, even though the processor is really slow and the sensor had to be replaced; the prints I get from it are really good. It's a bit fatter than the M film cameras that I was used to, but other than that was pretty much the same user experience. The batts are getting a bit funky, though - one will run down to about 60 percent, and then the voltage drops like a ball bearing rolling off a table. Much to my surprise, you can still by a new one from B&H for *only* $149, so I may have to think about that.
Hope the heat breaks soon, and that Austin doesn't end up on the live feed from one of those storm chasers (buncha guys driving around Oklahoma in search of cell coverage).
I love my Leica M cameras. I find myself using manual focus more often these days and, in my event shooting, the rangefinder lets achieve focus more quickly than with any other manual focus method. I normally buy used bodies and lenses and started with the M8.2. Nice camera but when the M9 came out I was ready to ditch the crop sensor. I could not help myself when the MM was released and bought a new one which remains today my most expensive photography purchase. The M9 gave way to an M240 which gave me the CMOS features of much better high ISO performance as well as live view and optional EVF. Later I added the monochrome M246 in addition to the MM which remains a permanent member of my kit.
I find the M240 series sufficient to my needs. Later models offer improvements that are not important in my use. I don't need more than 24 mpx in an M and rarely use the EVF. The M240 was Leica's foray into building a "system" M camera. So it offered video as well as a range of accessories not offered in later models.
Even though I started my digital photography journey in 2002, most of my time has been spent with film bodies. My M240 and its predecessors are about as close as one can get to the film M experience. Getting the shot takes a lot more effort on my part, but the result is much more satisfying.
I am constantly pleased and surprised by the results with my Leica M lenses, but have a couple of Voigtlanders that get used regularly and never disappoint.
It's a balmy 75.3° here in northern NY (north of the Adirondack park) with a 3.3 mph breeze. On Monday I climbed a small mountain and shot a bunch of photos. I took my drone but only got one drone photo before I had to land it because a pair of rather large hawks thought it looked tasty and were closing in on it.
This isn't 'fun but I am also shopping online out of necessity. My Epson Stylus Photo R2880 refuses to print anymore. It either shoots the paper straight through or partway through then stops and the paper has to be pulled out by hand. It doesn't attempt to shoot any ink on the paper. I have just about settled on a Canon ProGraf Pro-300 because I want pigment inks. I would have stuck with Epson but their latest pigment printers use bottles of ink that cost $400 to reink each time and while that might save me money if I printed a lot, I fear it would dry up on me before I used it all. I only make a few dozen prints a year. Most of what I shoot never gets printed.
I hope you get a break soon but from what my son tells me (he lives in Round Rock) the forecast is that Texas is literally toast until late Sept. You have my sympathy but I'm not offering to trade weather.
Hi Kirk,
Well, I can sympathize with your plight. Many years ago (about 60 years ago to be accurate) I visited my sister then living in Freer, Texas during the summer which, as you know, is somewhere between nowhere and elsewhere. As a native New Englander, it was quite a shock to my system weather wise (and culturally). I stayed in an Airstream trailer with no AC of course, so you can imagine what that was like.
Our bad weather season for photography is Winter unless you are a polar bear! Freezing rain, snow, slush, and below freezing temps. Not my idea of fun. Interestingly, our Summers the last few years have been getting hotter due to climate change and now, with the wildfires in Eastern Canada, we have smoke filled days with really bad air quality that never happened before.
Rene
Hi Kirk,
On shutting down the electric and closing up the studio, you might want to rethink that. All things optical can suffer very quickly in severe heat. Move that lens drawer in the house.
On M cameras, the best thing for me was training my left index finger to focus quite accurately and near automatically. I hated that rangefinder thing, too slow. Focus had to be done while bring the camera up to shooting position. Yes a Leica M can be operated
with out looking at them, after my "training" my pair w/ 35 Summaron & 24 Elmarit were much loved.
The Voigtlander Color-Heliar 75mm f2.5 screw mount lens is exceptionally good, beautifully made and great image quality. (It needs the metal hood). Highly rated by Sean Reid, even against the Leica 75mm f2.0 Apo.
A heatpump is the most efficient type of air conditioner. They will save you money. I dislike rangefinder cameras. I've been using Canon EOS since the days of film.
c.d.embrey
fotochuck@gmail.com
CD, Not as much interested in saving money as I am in cooling the house really well. As to rangefinder versus Canon -- we each have to find our poison.
To Bill, Thanks. How about 80 degrees as a top limit for lenses and cameras?
I've been using the same geothermal heatpump since the 1970s in California's San Gabriel Valley. The home was purchased from a previous owner. I've no idea the age of the GHP. However it's still working as new. If I was building a new I'd use a GHP.
c.d.embrey
fotochuck@gmail.com
A Geothermal Heatpump is effective. I don't work in cooling/heating but I'm a satisfied user. If I was building a new home or rental building I'd use a GHP.
c.d.embrey
fotochuck@gmail.com
Santa Fe will hit a high of 84 today. Generally, the climate here is about as good as it gets in the US, I think, though many would argue for North Carolina or San Diego.
I'm in London at the moment, and it's quite nice, though a little muggy.
Ricoh, which owns Pentax, has just delivered a Pentax Monochrome to my house in Santa Fe, and I'm anxious to get back and try it. But I'm now on the edge of having too many cameras.
Do you have photovoltaic solar panels? We have them on our house and they produce a decent amount of energy on sunny days here in the UK. That might be a better investment than a Leica M, if only to power your air conditioning when the power network goes down.
Macolm, Re: Solar Panels and Leica M cameras.... Is there a rule that says I can't have both?
Kirk, not at all! But seriously, you should look into Solar PV if your power supply is likely to be unreliable. We get about 4 kW off a fairly modest set of panels on a good day.
Malcolm, Thanks. Talked to B. It's now on our list of "must dos." With the amount of sunlight we get here is makes not sense not to.
Kirk, a friend just informed me of your potential illness, Leicaitis. I caught the bug last year and bought a Leica M. Since then, it has gotten worse. Leica optics are even more addictive, but Zeiss ZM28 f2.8 and Voigtlander 50mm APO and Laowa 15mm F/2 helped to fend off the most serious part of the illness, at least temporarily.
Did I mention, I love my M camera and the challenge of using it and will never go back!! So good luck.
As far as the heat, I am in AZ and can literally feel your pain.
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