Help! What would you keep & sell?

[jojo90]

Over the past 3-4 years I've slowly accumulated quite a bit of kit, I want to pair it down significantly.... (this is just digital, don't get me started on film!).

Right now I have:
Leica M-E Body

• Voigtlander 35mm 1.2 (I bought this the other day but it's out of whack with the Leica, I'm returning it (2nd hand) and getting hte 35mm 1.7 Ultron instead)
• Voigtlander 40mm 1.4 (will sell - no framelines on the M-E, good on the Sony)
• Voigtlander 50mm 1.5
• Voigtlander 75mm 1.8 (will sell - I just don't use it)

Sony A7R Body with Leica M adapter
Sony A7 II Body
X-Pro1 + 23mm (had for sale then pulled it, sold my other 2 lenses)
Fuji X70 (Great for selfies )
Sony RX1R + all accessories


Initially I thought about keeping just the Leica M-E, 35mm, & 50mm + the Sony A7R for low light. That would give me some flexibility to expand back into Autofocus lenses at a later date. The Leica would be the primary camera with the Sony when I fancied low light with some automation. I'd also keep the X70 for my 'clubbing compact' and sell the rest.

Then I made the mistake of playing with the X-Pro1 again, reminded me of how lovely the 23mm is and how accurate the colours are. In a mixed light environment I'm constantly shocked by how accurately it nails colours across the scene. Ridiculously good. Most of this is based on my experience with X-Trans on the X100S and ASSUMING that's always the case on the X-Pro 1. I've never really taken it clubbing like I did the X100S.

So then I thought maybe ditch the A7R and keep the X-Pro 1 for low-light & automation when needed. It's about as big as the Leica but much lighter. I could even get the 56mm 1.2 at some point for bokeh. I could put up with taking it out.

But then I thought why not sell the A7R, X-Pro1, and just buy another X100S/T. More versatile to take out and about, does well in the clubs, less intimidating (although the Pro-1 isn't bad). It's f2 which I found was just on the edge of being OK, I'd push to 6,400 regularly and love the results. It's also silent which is a HUGE plus when say shooting in temples in Asia.

Then I thought my images can tend to look fragmented if you shoot with too many bodies and lenses, so maybe ditch it all and just keep the Leica + 35mm + 50mm. They have a very different rendering to the RX1R & X70, slightly close to the X100S, and closer to the Pro-1 + 23mm. Low light would be an issue tho, something I shoot in regularly.

The A7R is great, but I don't LOVE the output in the same way I do the Leicas or Fujis.

I have to sell a decent chunk of the kit... what would you do? I can replace anything with anything (within reason). I'm set on selling the RX1R - the IQ is the best I've seen from any camera and lens combination but I just don't LOVE shooting with it.

 

[magicolor1]

It sounds to me like you're a Fuji person not a Sony person, so sell all the Sony stuff and replace them with an X-Pro2. You need to ask yourself why you have the Leica. Is it just because it's a Leica but secretly you find it a pain to shoot with and the results aren't really any better than your other cameras? If so, be honest and just sell it and get some Fuji glass. Or do you enjoy the back-to-basics approach and love the results? If so maybe upgrade to an M240 and a couple of Leica lenses as you probably won't be satisfied until you do.

 

[jojo90]

It sounds to me like you're a Fuji person not a Sony person, so sell all the Sony stuff and replace them with an X-Pro2. You need to ask yourself why you have the Leica. Is it just because it's a Leica but secretly you find it a pain to shoot with and the results aren't really any better than your other cameras? If so, be honest and just sell it and get some Fuji glass. Or do you enjoy the back-to-basics approach and love the results? If so maybe upgrade to an M240 and a couple of Leica lenses as you probably won't be satisfied until you do.

I'm thinking the same, keep the Fuji and sell the Sonys. On the contrary to finding the Leica a pain I find it a joy to shoot with! As a consequence the results are better than other cameras I've owned/own. It's a very personal thing but it completely works for me in a way no other digital camera does.

I guess to quantify I was recently in Miami, I rented a drop top Chevrolet Camaro. By every measurable metric it's better than my every-day car (a completely impractical MGF Trophy 160 - rear wheel drive K-Series engine track car). It had features all over the place.... and I hated it! Sure put it in a straight line, put your foot down, and it's entertaining... but it takes so much away from the driver that you aren't really in control. By contrast on the MGF there's nothing, instant throttle response, no ABS, no traction control - throw it into a hedge and it's all your fault. Brilliant fun.

I wouldn't swap the M-E for an M240 even if the M240 was £9999999 cheaper. The M240 to me defeats the objective... too much tech, live-view... chimping...

I think the Fuji + the M-E is the way to go . The X-Pro1 tho, not the 2. The Pro-1 is plenty for me!

 

[madsector]

You might really have a closer look on the X-Pro2, it is the X-Pro1 in just everything better! It gives you even better low light performance, even 12800 is quite usable. I don't know what the Sonys give you though.

Personally I found it hard to have two systems in parallel, tried it a long time with Nikon and Fuji. Now I switched completely to Fuji and it improved my Photography in the way that I know my equipment much better now, no switching around anymore or thinking about what to take on a tour rather then thinking about the tour.

So in principle I suggest the same as @magicolor1 did, think about the reasons you like each system, why do you like to limit yourself with the Leica, why do you have the Sony or all the compacts, what are you missing with the Sony or the Fuji... And then you might see a clearer picture and you could go full in one of the systems, which would also mean less compromise.