Sophie's choice: Leica M4-P or Contax G2

[TheFlyingCamera]

I "got" it way back when when they first came out and I was working in a camera store and couldn't afford them. I like the system so much now that I sold off my Contax SLR gear to complete my G2 system. I'm only missing the zoom and the 16mm, which is very much the oddball lens in the system anyway, and would probably never use enough to justify the expense. Another great film to put behind the G lenses is Fuji Reala. I shot my entire Barcelona trip with it, and got some amazing 12x18 inch prints that are tack sharp and grainless.

[Tom Kershaw]

Scott,

What is the 90mm f/2.8 like and what do you see are the advantages over a small 35mm SLR, - mostly ability in handheld low light conditions?

Tom

[coigach]

Scott,

What is the 90mm f/2.8 like and what do you see are the advantages over a small 35mm SLR, - mostly ability in handheld low light conditions?

Tom

I mostly shoot medium format landscapes, but I've got a G2 with 28, 45 + 90mm lenses for street and travel photography. The 28 and 45 are both incredible lenses, probably the 2 best I own.

The 90mm is a good lens when I can get the focus right. I've struggled a bit with the focussing on the 90mm, sometimes it's bang on, other times a mile off, despite me being familiar with the slightly quirky focus and thumb-locking technique of the G2. :confused: Never had a problem with the other 2 lenses and I'm used to 'shooting from the hip' quickly with these lenses for street stuff...

Cheers,
Gavin

[Lee L]

Good Eye, KBOO (http://www.kboo.org/) keeps me entertained...

Thanks. Streaming them now on my Chumby One, which means I can listen in the darkroom. Since Clearchannel and the like completely ruined 99.9% of commercial radio it's hard to find good local stations, and community radio / NPR affiliates / college radio seem to have the good music programming.

Glad you found your camera. It's all about what fits your hands, has the lenses you prefer, and works best with your way of working/seeing. If you're fighting your camera, you're probably not able to do your best work.

Lee

[TheFlyingCamera]

Scott,

What is the 90mm f/2.8 like and what do you see are the advantages over a small 35mm SLR, - mostly ability in handheld low light conditions?

Tom

Tom-

The 90 is an excellent lens. It gives beautiful portraits hand-held, with very nice bokeh (out of focus areas). I have not had major issues with focusing it on the G2- it is fussy on my G1, but that is a known issue.

The biggest advantages over an SLR are that since there's no mirror in the G2, you can hand-hold to a slower shutter speed, thus using the lens in natural light even with a slower (read iso 100) film. It is also quieter than an SLR again because of no mirror slap. I have a shot I took in the workshops and vault of the Sagrada Familia cathedral with the 21 mm lens - hand-held for 1 second. It is tack sharp, even enlarged to 12x18 inches. I'll look around on my HD and post a scan of it when I get home. I found it was very easy to hand-hold the G2, regardless of focal length used, down to 1/2 or 1/3 second. I wouldn't think about that with an SLR.

[twinsfan]

I have the G2 with the 21, 28, 35, and 90 (and the TLA200 and TLA 360). The 21 is my favorite lens, so much so that I am now forcing myself to use the other lenses when I go out. Lately, I've just been leaving the house with only 1 lens, rather than bringing the kit, and it can't be the 21! I used to have the G1 and the 45 as well, and sold them as a kit on ebay. Don't ask me why, I can't remember. It was about 8 years ago.

I am looking at getting another 45. There was a used one at Bromfield Camera in Boston, I put it on my camera in the shop and shot a quick grab shot of my fiancee. Man, that lens is tack sharp! Not that the other ones aren't great, but that 45 is a great little piece of glass.

On another note, I had to send off the G2 and the 21 to TOCAD this fall after I banged them on a rather large piece of granite in the White Mountains. Ouch. The 21 wouldn't focus after the smash. The other lenses seemed to work ok, but I sent both in anyway. They did a total CLA on the G2, replacing the LCDs too, not that they needed it. The 21 was indeed the problem, and they were able to repair it too, $175 for the lens Vs. ~$600 on KEH. Everything seems happy and is working well now. KEH did a great job and was very helpful on the phone when working through the problems. They also did a great job on my Contax 645.

Glad to see all the G2 users, and this thread about this camera.