The past year has been a potpourri of gear, and now that novelty has passed, I want to evaluate the outcomes. Pictures were selected based on little more than my gut reaction of - “do I like it or not?” The selections are presented in no particular order:

1. 1.JELLYFISH  Leica S2 and 70mm F2.5 Summarit S
   

2. I like the composition, contrast, color, etc., and it is different from my usual landscape stuff. The picture has been done a millions of times, so I cannot cite originality here. The S2 did well considering it was at ISO 640.
   

2. 2.JOGGING  Leica M9-P and Canon 100mm F2 Sonnar LTM
   

3. This picture was random luck. I was in the Trinity River bed and the joggers happened to pass by along the levee. The image itself is so-so, but for me it is different and I appreciate the change.
   

3. 3.WINDMILL  Leica S2 and 70mm F2.5 Summarit S
   

4. I would prefer some great big puffy clouds in the background, but Mother Nature did not cooperate, so this picture became an exercise in color editing. I would have pushed some colors in a different direction, but the file was falling apart so the color palette is a function of what the file could tolerate.
   

4. 4.BRIDGE  Leica S2 and 180mm F3.5 Elmar APO S
   

5. This was a random shot which ended up being a keeper from evening’s outing. I would prefer a more saturated lushness to the colors and may re-process this file someday.
   

5. 5.GLASSES  Leica M9-P and 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M ASPH FLE
   

6. Another snapshot while waiting for dinner. The rainbow colors and bright red of the candle holder caught my eye. Another image that has been done a million times and posted on Instagram...
   

6. 6.MAUI  Leica M9-P and 90mm F2 Summicron-M APO
   

7. This image was a mix of luck and patience; waiting for the elements to all come into the frame took some patience; the luck part was it all being there. Colors are okay, but in this case I think it is the content that makes the image interesting.
   

7. 7.STAIRS  Leica S2 and 70mm F2.5 Summarit S
   

8. I have taken this picture several times before with the different cameras, but I think this one is best. The image can be cropped several different ways and works well. It also holds up well as a black & white image. I like geometric shapes, especially when there is some shadow play.
   

8. 8.LEAVES  Leica M9-P and 90mm F2 Summicron-M APO
   

9. Another stereotypical shot, but I like the shadows. Composition could be better because there really is not a focal point, and on the content side, this image is very weak.
   

9. 9.DALLAS  Phase One P65+ with Phase One 110mm F2.8 LS
   

10. Many, many pictures at this location in 2012. This is from the first set and probably my favorite. It just happened to be very good timing with the last bits of sunlight reflecting off the buildings on the left side and late enough in the season that the leaves were gone, leaving a fairly unobstructed view. Color and file fidelity from the P65+ are sublime.
    

The obvious theme is color. Content is a mixed bag; no portraits, no high ISO, no fast action. If judging solely on file quality, the Phase One P65+ was clearly the best performer in terms of color depth, long tone curves and clean files. The Leica S2 and M9-P account for the vacation pictures, yet only 3 out of 9 images were from vacations. The Canon 1Ds Mark III did not make the list simply because I was busy using the other cameras. So no single camera, format or lens dominated 2012.

Conclusions - Phase One P65+ has the best files at base ISO, Leica M9 is best for portability, and the 1Ds3 is the most flexible camera in terms of lens stabilization, ISO performance and live view. So the largest camera wins for file quality, and the smallest for ergonomics -- Captain Obvious here! Emotionally, the Leica M-system is my favorite because the M embodies what I consider a camera to be, but the M9 file quality falls short. In my gear fantasy, the Leica M-240 raises its file quality to that oft quoted “next level”, reaching the never-never-land of “good enough”. I want to consolidate to just the M-system, but that move is predicated upon the M-240 delivering better file quality at base ISO than the M9. If Leica does their part, then the rest is up to me to find better “content”. There is a new year’s resolution somewhere in that!