Bought a M8 while on vacation and the result is...

[proenca]

What shop was it? I'd like to know. Max Photo? Where?

I dont recall the name, just the location - my credit card statments didnt arrive yet so I cant see the shop name.

Now, lets see : in Funan center, the "rounded corners" on the floors are : one side for food and one side for non food.

Its on the non food corner side of the 3rd or 4th floor ( cant recall exactly ) - the shop has an aquarium with some new Olympus PS on it, to demonstrate they are submergible.

It's mainly with Canon and Nikon on the shelf's , although the first glass exibithor, on the right when you go in the shop, is Leica : M8, MP, M3, M6j and a couple of lenses.

Talk to the chinese fella with erm... interesting eye position ( you'll understand when you get there ) and try to barter. I did on mine and got a more "rounded" price and some free SD's.

Hope it helped

ps : I know its one or two floors BELOW the floor of John 3:16. Same corner side but if you are on this shop the John 3:16 would be in front .

 

[proenca]

The only shop I have seen selling Leica in Singapore is Cathay Photo. Link here: http://www.cathayphoto.com.sg/

They have shop in Penisula Square, right across the road from Funan. I bought my M8 at Cathay Photo, Marina Square.

Not quite. I've seen quite a few shops carrying Leica items ( not all of them had the M8 though ) :

Funan center was at least a couple of them with the M8 : the store where I bought it, John 3:16, and couple of other shops had leica lens.

Cathay Photo has some Leica stuff but their price was higher than the shop that I bought - M8 there was 6,800 SD if I recall correctly - I bought mine for 6,500 after extensive barging.

Say other shop with small Leica items in Ang Mo Centre I belive.

 

[proenca]

Good compositional eyes: priceless,
good lens: priceless,
convenience of digital: priceless,

I'd give more credit to those three than the M8.

Nice pics! 🙂

ehehe thank you !

 

[proenca]

Lovely shots. Did you shoot RAW or JPG?

/T

RAW all the way... 🙂 converted in Lightroom . I know that C1 might be slighty better but Lightroom makes my conversions fast and painless : I have to fiddle with C1 to get same results and includes loads of moaning - Not stating that LR is better, Im just more used to get what I want from it.

 

[proenca]

Man! Here is another person who just picks up an M8 and starts creating eye-popping photos from day one! Why do I have to work so hard at it?

Like the Duck says, it about the photographer

View attachment 51037

Great shots. Enjoy the M8. I have to practice more.

LOL, thank you mate ! Nice comic 😉

 

[proenca]

Hey, congratulations on your M8! I hope you take many amazing pictures on it. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Sunny Singapore too. 🙂

Samuel

Sunny ? Oh right, it must have some sun from time to time 🙂

Well all teh time I was there, was between raining and raining. No sun at all 🙂 Loads of heat though

 

[proenca]

Nice. I like #3 best - must rock on a big print.

Thanks for posting. How much was the camera, if I may ask ?

Roland.

Price was 6,500 SD ( singapore dollars ). 2,200 GBP. That's why I bought it, specially when the price in the UK bumped to 3,400 GBP 🙂

 

[Olsen]

Not quite. I've seen quite a few shops carrying Leica items ( not all of them had the M8 though ) :

Funan center was at least a couple of them with the M8 : the store where I bought it, John 3:16, and couple of other shops had leica lens.

Cathay Photo has some Leica stuff but their price was higher than the shop that I bought - M8 there was 6,800 SD if I recall correctly - I bought mine for 6,500 after extensive barging.

Say other shop with small Leica items in Ang Mo Centre I belive.

Leica has three dealers in Singapore; Cathay Photo (Marina Square, Peninsula Plaza), Max photo (Orchard Road, Pagoda street) and Gope's Photo & Film (Tanglin Shopping Centre). The only one who actually had a new M8 in April was Cathay Photo at Peninsula Plaza, - but I dealt with the guys as Marina Square.

 

[proenca]

Your photos made a very serious dent on my resolve to buy a Nikon D3 instead of a digital Leica... That's some very good color! The composition, of course, is yours, but the camera's contribution is not to sneeze at. In other words, good job! 🙂

Thank for your compliments and glad my photos could spur some doubt 🙂

D3 ? Impressive it is and must produce fantastic brilliant images but... is not for me. I thought about it when I was in Singapore and asked to hold a 1D MKIII , was half the price of the M8 and I do love Canon cameras ( had a 1DS MK I, long long ago ).

Never went ok with Nikon image though, I found their images too plastic but as far ergonimics go, was the best ( Had D100, D1x, D2x ) .

Problem with SLRs is ( or my problem ) is the weight and size ( not in this order though ) : to street shooting they are pratically worthless to me - people tend to use zooms and use a very bystander approach - dont interact or get close. Shows up often on the pictures, very voyeristic approach.

Plus, on holidays its a mess : you "need" to carry a full backpack of lens, filters and acessories - for me a bag with a couple of lens, couple of cameras and few cards and film roll's.

On top of that, a M ( or a rangefinder ) is much less noticable and less "pro" look - people on holidays dont mind get their picture taken - afterall "its just an old camera from his grandfather". Sometimes they dont notice.

Hard to do that with a D3 and a 28-70 AFS slapped in the front. You dont get unoticed.

Have to say though, I bought my M8 in chrome and have a MP in chrome black - plain chrome is muchhhhhhhhhhhhh more noticable than black - people ( normal folks ) do look a lot, which doenst happen if I have the MP.

So that said, the debate D3 vs 1Ds III vs M8 aint for me. You're not taking the M8 from me 🙂 Please note that I'm not saying that the M8 is superior. For my use it is. I do miss macro and some wildlife though. But the other benefits that the M gives me over a D2xs or D3 is vastly compensated .)

My simple opinion 🙂 Your millage may vary .)

 

[proenca]

Leica has three dealers in Singapore; Cathay Photo (Marina Square, Peninsula Plaza), Max photo (Orchard Road, Pagoda street) and Gope's Photo & Film (Tanglin Shopping Centre). The only one who actually had a new M8 in April was Cathay Photo at Peninsula Plaza, - but I dealt with the guys as Marina Square.

Weird, because the guy at Funan said he was a Leica dealer. He had a small section of the shop all with Leica cameras and said that he recently was a dealer and we had a nice chat on the M system between barting 🙂

The guys in Cathay photo I didnt like them much - I was there, I wanted to buy but I must not look like a Leica man perhaps - they replied to my questions but each time they vanish to get another customer ( even if the store was not that full ) and had to call them back. Was annoying. That's why I didnt buy there.

Dont understand why this though - I even asked to hold a M8 and see the balance ( never holded one ) and opened my photobag and took my 50 lux out of my MP and still got 2nd class treatment.

Oh well... 🙂

 

[peterm1]

WOW that photo of the islands. The detail, the colors and especially the clouds blow me away. Maybe this thing is worth what you pay after all.

 

[Hacker]

I dont recall the name, just the location - my credit card statments didnt arrive yet so I cant see the shop name.

Now, lets see : in Funan center, the "rounded corners" on the floors are : one side for food and one side for non food.

Its on the non food corner side of the 3rd or 4th floor ( cant recall exactly ) - the shop has an aquarium with some new Olympus PS on it, to demonstrate they are submergible.

Alan Photo? Bally Photo? Song Brothers?

 

[tooffy]

nice photos-great composition. Glad u have a bargain in Singapore🙂

 

[RingoHung]

Nice photos, especially the B&Ws. I like the one took on a boat.

 

[kittyphoto]

Some pictures look like view in Thailand. And well explain on Cathay's treatment. I felt the same.

 

[Hacker]

Some pictures look like view in Thailand. And well explain on Cathay's treatment. I felt the same.

The service suck big time except for the pro light and tripod section. With shipping from all over the world, things are still cheaper.

 

[Bully]

Very nice shots!

Congratulations for your new M8!

Now you´ve got MY dream combo:

MP and M8!

Analogue and digital is the way to go!

Thank you for sharing your first impressions,

Greetings
Bully

 

[madsolitaire]

I dont recall the name, just the location - my credit card statments didnt arrive yet so I cant see the shop name.

Now, lets see : in Funan center, the "rounded corners" on the floors are : one side for food and one side for non food.

Its on the non food corner side of the 3rd or 4th floor ( cant recall exactly ) - the shop has an aquarium with some new Olympus PS on it, to demonstrate they are submergible.

It's mainly with Canon and Nikon on the shelf's , although the first glass exibithor, on the right when you go in the shop, is Leica : M8, MP, M3, M6j and a couple of lenses.

Talk to the chinese fella with erm... interesting eye position ( you'll understand when you get there ) and try to barter. I did on mine and got a more "rounded" price and some free SD's.

Hope it helped

ps : I know its one or two floors BELOW the floor of John 3:16. Same corner side but if you are on this shop the John 3:16 would be in front .

That description fits Alan Photo, Funan Centre. I believe they have only started offering Leica range recently.

 

[ZoomP]

Alan Photo? Bally Photo? Song Brothers?

Most likely Alan Photos with his Leica series.

 

[jaapv]

proenca,
I enjoyed your photos. I have had my M8 since June. I am very pleased with the dynamic range and the sharpness of the photos but I have one significant problem. The sensor is always dusty. I clean it regularly but it still accumulates dust very quickly. I can remove the spots in Aperture easily enough but the extra post-processing is very time consuming.
Eric

Don't worry. It'll get better as you use the camera.