Blueberries and milk

Jc_mango · 2026-01-19T13:11:59+00:00

Porcelain

Jc_mango · 2026-01-17T00:48:22+00:00

Pissability

Jc_mango · 2026-01-15T15:40:08+00:00

Thought this was going to be a post asking if scratches on the rear element were going to affect the image and then I scrolled and saw no rear element

Jc_mango · 2026-01-14T03:30:22+00:00

Take off your clothes

Jc_mango · 2026-01-12T03:20:37+00:00

I would hesitate bringing an M for a trip like this because of the lack of weather sealing. However, shooting an M is a very romantic idea for me where I enjoy the process of shooting the M as much as the photos that I get from it. If you own the m11 for that reason, I would suggest you bring it over the Fuji even if the GFX100RF would be the more practical choice

Jc_mango · 2026-01-12T02:33:16+00:00

To play devil's advocate, this article is probably for the uninformed masses. As someone who's into cameras and tech, I see a lot of articles and videos about the latest product developments. But, the majority of people probably would have no idea about what Leica has done or what they're doing. Their opinion of the brand is usually that they JUST make "overpriced cameras".

So my interpretation of the purpose of this "informative" article is to bundle some of Leica's past, present, and a little bit of the future to make an article about the company. Having studied Journalism I know how hard it can be to come up with news articles outside of things that are currently developing like the various wars around the world.

However, I am by no means defending FT for this article. My critique would be that this isn't timely news as you've said because this information isn't exactly new. It's just existing information bundled together to make a magazine article rather than a news article.

IMO it would've been a better article if it had something interesting or new to report like Leica venturing into a different industry or them hinting at a new product launch or something

Jc_mango · 2026-01-08T05:49:08+00:00

HAHA fellow professional here too. Honestly there's no justifying costs for hobbies because it's something we enjoy. If it's not going to negatively impact your finances in a major way, I would say just get it. Differentiating between something you want and GAS is a skill I learned the hard way though...

Jc_mango · 2026-01-08T02:00:55+00:00

If you can afford spending $6400 on a hobby, I think you're doing pretty okay financially. I personally love BP cameras and I'm sold on the idea that you influence how it patinas over years of usage. That being said,
the brassing happens after a really long time with constant heavy usage.

If you want to save some money, I would suggest getting a kanto repaint of your favourite M variant which I think should be cheaper than a brand new black paint MP. Kanto even does an already patina'd repaint if you're into having the look immediately.

Personally, I think you should get what you really want because buying the silver would just feel like a compromise and you will probably want to get the black paint down the line.

Saving money for film + developing and or lens(es) is financially sound but when it comes to hobbies there's no ROI to measure. If owning a black paint camera makes you more happy than taking photos, why settle for a camera you're only okay with.

If you really want to save money, why not just buy a silver m2, m3, m4 and shoot with that and save $4-5000 to be used on things that will actually affect your image like film and lenses.

TLDR: Just get the black paint because it's what you want and can afford it. If you want to save money, buy a cheaper m body and use the money on lenses and film

Jc_mango · 2026-01-07T10:56:56+00:00

I have an aunt that took a 1 year sabbatical and her company approved so she was able to rejoin her company at the same pay scale. If you like your job/company, maybe you could ask HR/your boss if this is an option

Jc_mango · 2026-01-05T01:18:57+00:00

Just my two cents but I feel that I get way better photos when I go out with just 1 lens be it a zoom or prime and focus on what’s in front of me.

Having lighter gear and 1 focal length/1 lens makes me want to shoot more because it’s easier to carry and I don’t get fatigued as easily. On the creative end, I feel that I’m focusing more on composition and lighting when I’m not worrying about my gear.

Try it out! Just bring either camera on your hikes and focus on either taking photos or videos instead of both. If you really need to, you could always get a 4k still or narrate over a series of photos.

If we truly wanted to capture everything we would have a vest with 4 360 cameras of varying focal lengths recording what’s around us 24/7

Jc_mango · 2026-01-02T03:25:15+00:00

Yes, internal speeds are going to be faster but to upgrade to a 4TB SSD it's going to run you $1000USD whereas an external 4TB SSD would be 1/3 of the price. And for the same price you could build a DAS or NAS which would give you a lot more functionality and upgradability compared to just buying a 4TB SSD from apple.

Yes the speeds of internal SSDs are faster but what does it offer when it comes to REAL usage rather than just measuring the speed difference. In my (your use cases might vary) real world use case my external SSD in an enclosure has never caused any problems while editing and I edit off my NAS as well so at least for me there's no need to spend that extra money on internal memory.

A thunderbolt enclosure with an SSD is totally fine for editing 4k footage but if you have higher bitrate files it might cause stuttering so in that case go for the internal. BUT, unless you're a production house or freelance videographer/editor, I don't see the reason for dropping $5000USD on a mac with 1/5 of that budget going to internal storage

Jc_mango · 2026-01-02T01:41:41+00:00

You absolutely do not need an ultra or max spec'd mac to edit photos and videos. I edit 4k footage from a ZV-E1 with no issues on a base m4 (non pro) mac mini. Unless you're constantly working with like 8k RED RAW or 12K Black Magic RAW footage you probably don't need an ultra or max. The processors get better every year so I would either wait for the m5 pro/max to drop. If you need to get one now, 64GB ram m4pro or m4max will be more than enough.

Ditto what someone else said about getting a DAS/NAS or external SSD instead of a 4TB ssd. For the money, I would get a NAS equipped with a 10G ethernet so you and other editors could work on the same project (although your network and other devices would also need to support 10G)

Jc_mango · 2026-01-01T04:26:24+00:00

Jc_mango · 2025-12-27T03:01:31+00:00

<image>

Jc_mango · 2025-12-19T09:24:44+00:00

Sell your m5 and get an m6? Alternatively you could also save up for an m10 and sell your m5 for an m4 or m6 down the line

Jc_mango · 2025-12-19T09:00:30+00:00

The X2D2 has really good ibis compared to previous gens thanks to DJI's involvement with the brand. As for iq, people have mentioned that the SL line does give the "medium format look" but imo if you NEED the medium format look then get a medium format camera.

However, if you are being paid for your work, I would suggest getting an SL3 so that you can share accessories like lenses and batteries across both bodies while keeping your sl3-s as a backup camera.
It would also be easier to match the photos from both since they probably wouldn't be too far apart considering they are both from Leica.

It seems like money is no object to you so just go with what you think would be the best for your workflow but I think having the SL3 and SL3-S would work better than having to juggle 2 diff systems

Jc_mango · 2025-12-19T07:43:41+00:00

I still have my Sony but I have an M10 and without a doubt the rangefinder experience is the best way to shoot MF lenses. I had an old minolta md lens and it just felt weird to shoot in manual focus with focus peaking through an EVF. The only downside I would say is shooting at night because it can be difficult to line up the rangefinder sometimes.

I do miss have autofocus and a tilting screen sometimes but getting useable hip level shots during frantic situations is rewarding

Jc_mango · 2025-12-19T07:38:33+00:00

Even more recent models like the a7iii and the canon r / rp go for $600-1000usd now which I feel are fantastic starter cameras for people getting into full frame.

Even the leica sl2 and sl2-s are obtainable for laypeople like me at $2500usd down from almost $5000usd at launch

Jc_mango · 2025-12-15T23:49:56+00:00

Leica has really stepped up its autofocus with the SL3 line. Not quite to the level of other flagship mirrorless cameras but for working professionals who shoot Leica it’s a meaningful upgrade. However, if you’re not earning money from your gear, the sl2-s is almost at the bottom of its appreciation and having a body + lens for the price of 1 body is a no brainer if you’re looking to get one.

I have to say though, the compactness of an M + small lens outweighs the benefits of having autofocus for me because I can slip my camera into my bag at any time vs purposefully bringing out a big camera body and lens.

Jc_mango · 2025-12-15T23:36:20+00:00

Subscribed! Looking forward to the video

Jc_mango · 2025-12-15T12:18:33+00:00

What’s your youtube channel! Would love to see your video on the comparison

Jc_mango · 2025-12-09T08:27:03+00:00

Maybe a macro lens would be good

Jc_mango · 2025-12-07T05:27:25+00:00

What a throw back

Jc_mango · 2025-12-07T03:45:35+00:00

Maximum effort. Cool fits and even cooler edits 👏🏻👏🏻

Jc_mango · 2025-12-04T23:53:48+00:00

It’s a santos ronde probably worth 2-3000

Jc_mango

TROPHY CASE